humminbird gps chartplotter

It’s all in the details. Gain a 180 degree side-to-side perspective on the world below the surface with remarkable Humminbird® Side Imaging®. In an instant, the ultra-thin beam scans the area up to 240 feet to the left and right of your boat location—for total coverage of up to 480 feet. The return image for each slice is then added to the images taken immediately before and after to build an incredible view of the lake bottom. You can then magnify the detail of the image with the zoom feature or mark the GPS location of promising cover or structure directly on the screen.

Side Imaging's high-frequency beams reveal structure, cover, and contour changes with crystal clarity. The images are so real you might think it’s a camera, but it’s not, so it doesn’t matter how murky the water is.

How to Read Side Imaging

Understanding a few simple concepts will help you grasp the detailed images of Humminbird Side Imaging and make you a master of the lake or sea bottom. Compare the screenshot and diagram to help visualize how Side Imaging works. We’ve included several callouts to explain what you’re seeing. Remember, Side Imaging is a history of what you’ve already passed by.

A- Boat Location
The position of your boat in relation to the on-screen image. The on-screen image is a history of what you have passed over.
B- Water column
The dark blue area shows structure, cover and activity between the surface and lake bottom.
C- Bottom Profile
Reveals depth and terrain directly beneath the path of your boat.
D- Flat Terrain
Neutral shades of blue represent flatter terrain.
E- Descending Terrain
Dark shades of blue represent descending terrain.
F- Rising Terrain
Lighter shades of blue typically represent terrain rising from the bottom. Sometimes, very hard bottoms appear as a whiter shade.
G- Fallen Log
The shortened horizontal shadows indicate cover very close to the bottom of the lake. The angle of the shadow gives away the orientation of the log.
H- Standing Timber
Objects standing off the bottom directly below the boat will appear in the water column. Structure to the left or right of the boat will appear as a clearly defined bright shape with an adjacent, dark sonar "shadow." This shadow is not caused by light; rather it's the lack of sonar return because the object has already reflected the sonar energy. Generally, long shadows indicate the object is tall, and small shadows indicate something is short. It's important to note the shadow will often tell you more about the object than the primary sonar reflection.

Visualizing Side Imaging

Reading the image produced by Humminbird Side Imaging is easy. Simply visualize the screen folded in half down the middle (behind the boat). Then, fold the image again at the lowest point of the water column. The dark blue area provides a visual representation of the water column and lake bottom directly below your boat.

Understanding the Beam

Humminbird Side Imaging Sonar uses a razor thin beam to take a “sonar snapshot” of the area up to 240 ft. to the left and right of your location. The return image for this slice is then added to the images taken immediately before and after to build an incredibly detailed view of the lake bottom.

Bridge Pilings

Submerged bridge pilings on lake bottom.

Finding Bait

Side Imaging reveals balls of bait that you can use when targeting where fish are feeding.

Look closely. You've never seen anything like new MEGA Imaging™. Delivering nearly 3X the output of standard Side Imaging®, this groundbreaking technology takes fishfinding into the megahertz frequency for the very first time. It's indisputably the clearest, sharpest sonar image ever-brought to you by the undisputed leader.

higher frequency means greater clarity

Some of the best fishing happens in depths less than 125 ft. And that's where the high frequency beam of MEGA Imaging shines brightest. In MEGA Side Imaging mode, you'll have coverage out to 125 ft on either side of your boat. For depths in excess of 125 ft and coverage out to 400 ft to either side of your boat, the blended beam gives you traditional Humminbird Imaging clarity.

Humminbird Down Imaging

Sometimes, to catch fish, not only do you have to think like one, you've got to see like one. Get a fish-eye’s view of what’s happening below your boat with Humminbird® Down Imaging®. These incredible images are created with high frequency sound waves emitted in ultra-thin slices. The sonar returns from these waves produce a “portrait.” As you patrol the water, you’ll watch fish, reefs, timber, brush, bridge pilings, rocks, and any other structure or cover pop with stunning detail.

Understanding Down Imaging

The detailed images of Down Imaging are created with high-frequency sound waves emitted in ultra-thin slices. The sonar returns from these waves produce a "snapshot" of what's below your boat.

SwitchFire / Down Imaging

This view provides complete understanding of what exactly is going on below your boat. Quickly identify cover and structure with Down Imaging, while using SwitchFire® to locate and target fish. Together, they take the guesswork out of sonar fishfinding.