Side Imaging Sonar: The Angler and Beyond

In 2005, Humminbird^®, a Johnson Outdoors company, revolutionized angling with the introduction of its Side Imaging Sonar system.  These products are coupled with traditional 2-d sonar, integrated GPS, charting and a host of additional capabilities.  Side imaging sonar uses sound waves to produce recognizable images of subsurface objects and the bottom structure.  The systems also enable anglers, and others, to mark features of interest as stored waypoints for later return.   These technological advancements also have great utility in fisheries research and management.   In 2006, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) began testing and using low cost side imaging to meet research and management objectives.   Initially, GDNR employed side imaging to identify and locate deadhead logs in South Georgia Rivers.  However, greater potential was realized and efforts to develop sonar image maps (SIMs) as layers in a geographic information system were soon underway.    Side imaging is now used on projects including: siting habitat enhancement projects, assessment of black bass habitat use, mapping potential sturgeon spawning habitat in over 1000 km of large Coastal Plain Rivers, and more.  With units around $1000.00, side imaging is now within the grasp of anglers, researchers and managers, alike.