Wayne P.

Most reports I see for there is DEEP vertical presentations or surface activity in DEEP water. Traditional 2D sonar is the tool for that.

If you do not have iPilot LINK, it makes no difference what brand of sonar unit you have. LINK is an Ethernet connection to Humminbird units.

If Lanier is the only place you fish, I can see why you would have that opinion. Most of my fishing is with using either Side Imaging or 360 only. No DI or 2D.

Linking a Humminbird to a Minnkota with iPilot Link will give you more memory for more iTracks. But if you don't need a lot of track files, you don't need the Link version.

The Lowrance transducer and the Garmin transducer are different with different mounts. You have to install the one you are using for its best performance, not like one you are not using. It did come with installation instructions, didn't it????

That is a false statement. Any transducer that has a 2D crystal and is a transom type will give depth readings at speed if it is installed so it can.

You must have the front skeg version of the Maxxum. How have you tried to attach the transducer to the motor?

Improper transducer installation for your craft.

The first screen shot was with a Helix 7 CHIRP SI GPS G2 and the second was with a 1198c SI Combo. A few years apart with the screen shots and way different water temp. There were no predators with the shad in the first screen shot so no FishID symbols.

DI and 2D sonar use the same ranging. If the bottom is 1/2 up the screen with DI, it is the same way with 2D. It will do it in any depth range if the depth is 1/2 of the range.

iPilot Link has follow the contour with Lakemaster mapping. If you have Humminbird electronics that are Ethernet compatible and Lakemaster has HD coverage in those canals, then yes. Otherwise you have to operate the trolling motor yourself to maintain position and direction.

So far this year 717 largemouth---all in Virginia. It's been warmer than normal. I don't have a goal, I just go fishing.

Yes Humminbird SI is almost better than anything in shallow water---360 is better. You don't have to go over the top of the fish and scare them to find them. I have been catching shallow since about mid Feb not even using 2D or DI. The only thing 2D has contributed is the depth readout and don't really need that since the water column is displayed on SI/360. Caught 40 bass today (quit when I got to that number this afternoon) with the largest 8# 11 oz. Saw that one about 35' from the boat in 6' of water on a bed. Water was muddy so I did not actually see it, Imaging did. There are enough screen shots posted at the top of this forum to help decide that sonar technology would suit you. This is "that one":

Of course it exaggerates the returns, just look at the difference between 2D and DI. 2D is just a blurry mess due to the time the subjects are within the sonar pulse, DI is detail. Yes a faster or slower Chart Speed distorts the images from how they really are. Faster is a tool to see stuff better like fish in cover.

Your brush pile is small stuff and Imaging displays stuff as it is, not exaggerated like 2D sonar does. You can make it display stuff larger by using a Chart Speed that is faster than the GPS speed (stretches the images).

The position of stuff displayed on split screen with the SI side taking up more than 50% will be different on the smaller side. His brush pile is not tall and is shown on both DI and 2D in the center of that side. It is under mph on the 2D view and not very detailed on the DI view right above it due to small parts. I have this setup about the same ratio left to right ratio, it is a large brush pile centered in the DI/SI view but not centered in the SI view:

When I had a 5" SI unit, I used the included Compact SI transducer on the transom and the HDSI transducer on the trolling motor. I moved the display between the console and bow. This is with the transom transducer: This is with the trolling motor transducer:

Are you using the transducer that came with the unit?

First thing is the transducer is not a camera and the display is not a video monitor. You have to move around for the unit to display the bottom features and fish. Do a web search for "understanding sonar readings in boat". There are lots of resources to help you.

IF you use the Y cable, there is no setting to select one or the other. ALL of them have a 2D/Depth sonar crystal. The added 2D is the one that is connected with the Y cable and the 2D in the Imaging transducer is disconnected--it is electrical connections, not software. ONE source for 2D sonar.

Yes

On the left centered between the keel and strake IF your outboard won't make contact when trimmed all the way down.

There is no "automatically" anything. Your installation of the transducer/s determines how it will perform.

Fished Briery yesterday none over 6#, all shallow, 44 bass. Water temp was 67-70. Sort of breezy again.

The Helix units don't support that antique.