I wrote this report for a local site I'm on and c&p here, Some won't make sense and has some local references.

 

Arrived at Lake Wisconsin at 6am to take advantage of the early bite. There must be a bait shop open, right? Don't think so. Actually the few bait stores that are left were all closed. There were a number of vacant shops and shops for sale. Drove around looking for something open and finally asked a shore fisherman who sent us to a gas station in a town called Harmony Grove. Picked up minnows and night crawlers and made out way back to the lake, now about 7:00. Launched the boat and headed to the spot big saw spoke of the most. Full of boats, no fish. On our way to spot #2 we stopped off and did a little bridge fishing. Found a school of what turned out to be drum sitting in a drop where it went from 20-10ft. Spent some time messing with the drum and once they stopped biting, on to Spot #2. or spot X as the map said.  Bobs explicit instructions were "Drag something here" This was the only spot of his that produced. We started catching juvenile smallies like nobody's business on live minnows and Gulp minnows. Found a submerged tree which produced a couple nice crappie along with, some smaller ones, drum, juvenile smallies, and a 10lb carp(caught in the mouth on a crankbait). Fishing drops from 10-20ft again was key. Slightly further down on the same stretch of water, we ran into bluegill, a couple short saugers caught on jig and worm. A whole mess of small white bass on flicker shads. We went back over the spot and aside from the occasional juvenile smallie, the bite was dead. Onto a spot I picked which was similar to what we were fishin and got nothing. Headed to another spot I picked and picked up juvenile largemouth, juvenile smallies, and more drum. Went to the last spot on big saws map and blanked out, and called it a day. Day 1's keep was 2 crappie and a small keeper smallie. Thanks again Bob.

Big one is right at 12"

 

Day 2 Launched the boat in the upper Dells at 6:00. The ol' lady had a crappie in the boat before I got a line in the water. Found a few more crappie, a handful of slabs we lost at the boat, and dozens upon dozens of juvenile smallies and some drum. Onto another spot which had even more smallies and produced the biggest crappie of the weekend, pushing 13".. Onto spot 3 which required driving thru an area called "The Narrows" I had the sonar screen spilt between 2d and DI. while driving thru the no wake zone. I'm sold on the technology, but more on that later. The Narrows is a couple mile stretch of river which runs between the bluffs. Water depth varies from 2ft - 60fow. While cruising along I'm explaining to the ol' lady how the DI works and we are comparing it to the 2d and matching things up. We run over a hump where it does from 25'-9'-22'. I see fish on the sonar and the DI, so we stop.Picked up a drum, a walleye, and a smallie before we moved on. Headed out to the lake and casted a flat that one of the locals said they've been getting walleye trolling early morning. No fish here but I was able to use the SI and 2d here and clearly identify logs and stumps. Onto another spot where we located bait fish with the 2d/DI, but no fish. Back to the spot I got the walleye. Picked up a cat and another smallie before returning to spot #1 which gave up another dozen or so smallies, some more crappies, and another cat. Then back to spot #2 which held even more smallies and the bluegill. Gulp minnows WAY outproduced  live bait today.Ran out of white jigheads(probably went thru 40 or so) and called it a day.

 

Now, as far as the imaging technology is concerned, I'm 1000% sold. I've had my doubts since the purchase. The issue wasn't the imaging. It was the Chain and our wonderful soupbowl lakes. Last Monday, I got out on the big pond with my son to do a little smallie fishing. I wasn't really impressed with the SI, but while going thru the locks with the DI on I was able to see all the underwater mechanicals in great detail. That, along with being able to decipher 2d images on the Wisconsin River and actually catch the fish I located, seeing the logs with the SI and DI and comparing them to the 2d has me convinced. The only drawback was I showed the ol' lady and she was more annoying than a fish alarm. "There's a fish, there's a fish, are those fish, there's a fish...."

Nice to see you got some fish. I was up last weekend too. Terrible weekend of fishing for me. What SI unit? I would like to get the Humminbird 998si but the price tag is bigger than my wallet.

Nice to see you got some fish. I was up last weekend too. Terrible weekend of fishing for me. What SI unit? I would like to get the Humminbird 998si but the price tag is bigger than my wallet.

I've got the 998. There selling in the $1200 range online. Don't buy diapers this month.   

Don't buy diapers this month.   

What  is your cell number, so I can call you to come change 2x soiled rag diapers everyday?