Jason Halfen
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Those who are schooled in the ways of the walleye recognize that fall is a time when many of these deep water denizens transition back into the shallows to gorge on bait before lakes become locked in ice. Pursuing oversized fall walleyes in shallow water after dark calls for boxes full of stick baits, line counter reels, thermoses full of coffee, and Humminbird Side Imaging fishing systems. Why add Humminbird to the list of must-haves for fall trolling trips? Because Side Imaging allows you to identify the key structural transitions that hold active fish, putting more bend in the rods and more fish in the net. I recently returned from the 2009 installment of fall night trolling on Mille Lacs, and wanted to share some screen captures from my 1197 to illustrate some of these key structural transitions.
I will focus the discussion on two different areas that are shallow water walleye magnets: weeds and rock. This first screen capture from my 1197 shows a band of shallow weeds (along the shore east of Garrison) that I’m driving through, from deeper water to the shallow water inside of the weeds. Remember that the Side Images are historical, with the most recent objects at the top of the Side Image, while objects that I passed some time ago are towards the bottom. The outside and inside weed edges are marked with the red and green lines, respectively, in the second picture. This weedbed contains a mixture of coontail and cabbage, and with a little practice it’s possible to pick out the individual weed types in the image. The cabbage strands (green arrows in the third picture) are slender and vertical, and rise higher in the water column than coontail, which grows in clumps that rise 12-18” off the bottom. Another neat feature of this screen capture is the sonar shadow cast by the weeds themselves off the deep weed edge. You can see that to the right side of the red lines in the second picture.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Jason Halfen
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Here’s a shallow portion of the same weedbed that is cabbage free. You can see in the 2D view on the left portion of the split screen that the coontail that is present only extends less than 2 feet from the bottom. The coontail clumps are shown clearly as bright “cottonballls” that cast dark sonar shadows in the Side Imaging portion of the screen capture.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Jason Halfen
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As I cut S-turns over this weedbed, I realized that the primary weedgrowth occurred between 7 and 10 feet. So, I used the Humminbird-exclusive Depth Highlight and Depth Highlight Range features on the new Humminbird-compatible Lakemaster chip to highlight this range. When a range of depths is highlighted using the Lakemaster chip, those depth contours are colored in green…perfectly appropriate for a weedbed! This feature is wonderful for being able to follow a particular depth contour without having to have your nose glued to the chartplotter to be able to see the individual depth numbers on the map. The green highlight stood out perfectly and was easily visible from the transom, making control of the boat with my T8 tiller a snap.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Jason Halfen
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Here’s a view a little farther down the weedbed. Note that the Depth Range Highlight feature colors the map down to the 10 foot contour, correlating with the outside edge of the weedbed. By steering along this contour, I could keep my baits right in the strikezone….glued to the outside edge of the weedbed. That I am riding the edge is obvious by referring to the Side Image on the left hand side of the split screen. Notice that the weeds are thick to the right of the boat’s path, and essentially absent to the left. Immediately underneath the boat are scattered strands of cabbage (note the vertical appearance of the weeds within the dark blue stripe).
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Jason Halfen
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This screen capture shows a rock finger on Pike’s Point. The 7-10 foot depths remain highlighted on the chart. What surprised me, time and time again this past weekend, was how well-defined some of the rock-to-sand transitions are, in this part of the lake and in others as well. It seems like the rocks just…stop. I was also pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the data Lakemaster chip, especially after I adjusted the water level to reflect the actual water level in the lake. By using the Water Level Offset feature, I dropped the displayed depths in the lake by 1 foot, and in doing so found excellent correlation between displayed depths and those that I measured by sonar.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Jason Halfen
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One final screen capture that shows some of the weeds in St. Alban’s Bay…still standing tall. This weedbed is composed primarily of cabbage: note the vertical weeds in the dark blue stripe and the lack of clumps that are a characteristic of coontail. This screen capture shows 3 of the Humminbird-exclusive Lakemaster features in one chart: Depth Highlight in green, Shallow Water Highlight in red (0-3 feet deep highlighted), and the brown color at shore which appears after dropping the lake level by 1 foot using the Water Level Offset feature.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Jason Halfen
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One last photo to remind us all about why we use the tools we use…to help us catch oversized fall walleyes like these. Well done, Humminbird and Lakemaster!
For more information on how Humminbird fishing systems can change the way you fish, check out the link below:
Humminbird Instructional Articles at Jason Halfen Outdoors
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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ScottPugh
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I love the Depth Highlight and Depth Highlight Range feature... The more you post the more pennies it seems as though I will have to save. 
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mojogunter
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Jason
Do you in general only have your SI range set to 100' or less? When I go much wider I have a hard time understanding what I am looking at. Can you still read it, if you are set at 360'? Charles
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Jason Halfen
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I never set it that wide.
100-120 most of the time. Sometimes much tighter if I'm trying to position the boat very precisely.
Much wider than 120 and the objects get compressed (side-to-side) too much, and things at the edges really start to blur out from even very small turns of the boat.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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mojogunter
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Thanks for the info
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whittsend
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Excellent info and screenshots, as always. The simple benefit of being able to follow the break precicely using SI (even if you didn't have GPS) is good enough. Add all of those other features and the fish don't have a chance, right???   Thanks Jason, and Bravo!! 
Hey Mojogunter... Why didn't you type any words in your post???? Or maybe you did... I didn't get past your avatar, I guess... LOL
Jason, we hit the river today and got some real nice images (like you posted earlier) of sauger just STACKED up in some of the current seams. The bite was a little slower than anticipated today, as Dean mentioned, probably mostly due to fluctuating water levels after the rains.... The fish are there, just not quite adjusted to the varying flows. We did ok, though, and my 2 and 5 year olds wolfed down more than their share of sauger dinner tonight!  
Anyway, awesome info. If you guys don't have HB SI yet and can swing it by next spring, it is seriously incredible. We pulled into those sauger holes today and couldn't believe the dozens (hundreds!!) of saugers marked on each screenshot... Simply amazing!!
(More SI shots to be posted - soon...)
Thanks again, Jason, awesome info. If you've never taken a guide trip with Jason, maybe try to sneak it into the Xmas wishlist this year... Definately worth it, and you'll get a sweet SI/DI tutorial to boot!!
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Do what you want. This is only an opinion. I'm not here to offer advice or recommendations in any professional capacity whatsoever.
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smackem
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Ok let me ask a stupid question just because I'm so good at it. How do you decipher the fish from something else?
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whittsend
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Practice???
Studying Jason's tutorials is a great first step, but fish will generally look like a fish-shaped torpedo-like white mark in the water, generally with some sort of shadow behind it. If they are on the bottom, you might not get much/any shadow, but if they are off a few inches to a few feet, the shadow will be right beside them. If they are off many feet or more, you will get the shadow further to the side of the fish. Check out Jason's SI/sauger post. Lots of images on there that show tons of fish, both suspended and on the bottom.
The more you look at the images, the more familiar you are with what rocks, fish, weeds, look like. It helps to have your own HB SI unit, too, so you can correlate known waters to SI returns....
It is difficult to tell at times, between fish/rocks/etc... Sometimes it is a guess, but using environmental clues and SI familiarity helps. Shadows often tell the story better than the mark itself. Best way to know is to catch 'em! 
Jason's SI sauger post --- TONS of fish in these images!!
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Do what you want. This is only an opinion. I'm not here to offer advice or recommendations in any professional capacity whatsoever.
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smackem
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Thanks, and yes I need more time in the boat. Just got my 1197 installed a couple weeks ago and in the learning stages. The more I look at all these great images the more I catch on. As always..Great job guys
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keepcasting
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Jason, that is a very interesting post. Nice work! I would have never even thought to look for a water level adjustment feature.
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Jason
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Jason Halfen
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It's never been available until Lakemaster and Humminbird teamed up.
If you're running another brand of electronics, you'll have to keep on looking, as water level offset, depth highlight, and shallow water highlight are Humminbird exclusives.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Francisco de la Rosa IV
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Jason,
Did you get to give the i-Pilot a try while night trolling?
FDR
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Francisco de la Rosa IV
Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!
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Jason Halfen
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I didn't, but to be honest, now that the water is getting pretty cold and the speeds are coming way down, I suspect that the i-Pilot would do a GREAT job!
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Francisco de la Rosa IV
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Thanks J.
FDR
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Francisco de la Rosa IV
Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!
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reddog
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Jason, (or anyone else)
Is the Lakemaster upgrade available to the public for an 1197, or just the ProStaff at this time?
R
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whittsend
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???
I'd like to know as well..
Or will there be a 2010 updated chip?? In years past, the new model/updated chips have usually come out in May or June... Is this when we can expect the chip, or will it be sooner?
I know I will buy the Rainy/LOW chip for my father for Xmas or Father's day. - He'll be amazed at the capabilities. We've been currently running the Lakemaster Rainy chip on our H2Oc, and it works ok... But the screen is so small, there will be no comparison when we start running it on the HB 997. Plus all the HB-specific features (depth highlight, etc...) will be REALLY nice to run.
If anyone is interested in the Rainy/LOW chip within the next half year or so, shoot me a PM. It is the 2009 model- which is currently the most up-to-date model.
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Do what you want. This is only an opinion. I'm not here to offer advice or recommendations in any professional capacity whatsoever.
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Jason Halfen
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Quote:
Jason, (or anyone else)
Is the Lakemaster upgrade available to the public for an 1197, or just the ProStaff at this time?
Remember that there are two separate issues here:
1. A software patch that will allow the Humminbird unit to read a Lakemaster chip. That patch (software version 4.70) is currently available, to all owners of registered Humminbird products, for the 1197, 1157, and a smattering of 700-series units. Check the Humminbird website to see if your unit's new software is available yet. The 2010 run of Humminbird units will have the appropriate software pre-loaded at the factory.
2. A Humminbird-compatible Lakemaster chip. I don't know what their timeline is for release of the chips to the public. I have heard rumors of November availability, but I have not had that confirmed to me. InDepthOutdoors has access to a pre-release Humminbird compatible chip, and that is the chip I have been using to generate the screen captures shown here and elsewhere.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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reddog
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Thanks Jason,
I have a friend on HBs prostaff and he was told later on would be the availability.
Didnt know if that was the software or the actual chip.
I have figured out that the chip is the variable.
The software update completes the upgrade on Humminbirds end.
Thanks
R
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James Holst
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Guys
I'll check on timeline for the release of the Humminbird compatible Lakemaster chip. As for the chip that IDO has... we were very fortunate to be given access to the very first one in existence.
I'll post back when I hear something concrete back from LM.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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James Holst
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I heard back from Lakemaster on this... ship dates from Lakemaster for all state chips is expected to take place by the end of November with the MN state chip expected to be released a couple weeks earlier. One thing that needs to be remembered here is that a ship date from Lakemaster doesn't mean the retailers will have them on the shelves within a few days of Lakemaster releasing them. Some will, some won't. I know this past spring when the 2009 MN chips became available retailers like Thorne Bros and a couple Scheels stores had them available for retail sale several weeks before some of the big box stores worked them through the supply chain.
The short of it is everything looks to be on schedule for a November 2009 release.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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whittsend
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Awesome, available for Xmas! 
One more question.. Will those be 2009 or 2010 chips?? Or another way to phrase it... Last year they came out with the 2009 chip (with a few map updates) around June. Will they be coming out with a newer, 2010 updated chip with updated map data next June, or is this November 2009 release chip going to "be it" for the next year?
I.e., can we buy now knowing they won't release another update in 2010, or would we be better off waiting until next open water season to see if any updated cards are available? I just would rather not buy a 2009 right now if they are coming out with a 2010 next June.
Thanks again!!!
Mike
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Do what you want. This is only an opinion. I'm not here to offer advice or recommendations in any professional capacity whatsoever.
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James Holst
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Quote:
Awesome, available for Xmas!
One more question.. Will those be 2009 or 2010 chips?? Or another way to phrase it... Last year they came out with the 2009 chip (with a few map updates) around June. Will they be coming out with a newer, 2010 updated chip with updated map data next June, or is this November 2009 release chip going to "be it" for the next year?
I.e., can we buy now knowing they won't release another update in 2010, or would we be better off waiting until next open water season to see if any updated cards are available? I just would rather not buy a 2009 right now if they are coming out with a 2010 next June.
Thanks again!!!
Mike
Mike
I'll find out and post back.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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Humminbird & Lakemaster for fall walleye trolling
