Can someone school me on these?  I'm in the market for one that has GPS/mapping.  I don't understand what side scan is all about.  My last experience with these was the old Humminbird with the red lines!  Help!  Mostly doing freshwater/inshore saltwater.  Budget about 350 or so.

The side scan takes a picture horizontally in the water vs. a picture from the top. My understanding is it helps depict brush piles and ledges better.

I have a small lowrance unit that seems to serve me well. It finds depth, fish, and I haven't got lost yet. It doesn't have side scan.

I just went to bass pro and looked at the offerings on the displays, I think mine was around $300. The side scans are going to be more $$$.

http://doctorsonar.com/blogs/educational-articles/tagged/lowrance-sidescan

Well I bought a Lowrance elite 4 chirp.  299 at Academy.  Now i need my ram mount to come in and I'm ser!

Post up an "After Action Report" please.

Just got it installed using a Ram ball and socket mount.  Hope to take it out Sat.

I have a lowrance 5" with downscan.  Due to the split screen ability, I wish I would have spent the money on at least the 8".  Definitely buy the software with the better contour lines.

I don't use downscan much at all.  I split screen the GPS map and the fishfinder 90% of the time.

My 1st GPS unit was the one on the left...

I soon discovered that one can never have enough screen...

So here is my set up now.. My capital outlay for electronics far surpasses the cost of my boat.. Which is good, no one looks twice at my little Lund. Unlike a lot of the bigger fish slaying rigs...

As it stands right now, this is how I run my locators..Left is Down Imaging, Middle is GPS/mapping, Rt is Side Scan and Sonar. The middle one and the one on the right are tethered together so they can talk to each other..



YMMV