Key Advantages of Humminbird 360 Imaging Sonar

The days of blindly casting in front of your boat are over because 360 Imaging gives purpose to each cast you make.

With traditional Humminbird Down and Side Imaging®, anglers have the ability to view sonar returns directly below and to the side of their boats. Since its introduction, Humminbird 360 Imaging® has allowed anglers to see an expanded view of the water not only beneath and to the sides but all around their boat.

Sonar Coverage Area is Critical

As all anglers know, fish and structure can be located anywhere under or around your boat. With 360 Imaging, you’ll be able to see 360-degrees around you, covering areas that other types of sonar do not. With this advantage, you’ll be able to catch fish before spooking them, or never even knowing they were there.

Arguably the biggest benefit of 360 Imaging is its range. It allows you to truly see 360 degrees around your boat in all directions, meaning you can pick out brush piles, weed edges, drop-offs, bottom transitions, stumps, and even fish from any direction, up to 150' from the boat.

One added benefit of 360 Imaging is the constant display of sonar history on screen. This sonar history provides a quick reference to where the fish are around your boat without the need to keep your eyes glued to the screen; allowing you to focus on your presentation and bites.

As an angler, being able to see what’s around your boat allows you to quickly locate structure and get your lure in front of the fish.

To best utilize 360 Imaging for catching fish, find the fish holding on structure, line up your rod in that direction and make a precise cast, equal to the direction and distance the fish or structure is located from the boat. Now that you've found the spot and made the perfect cast, all that's left is to get the bite and set the hook.

Versatility and Adjustability

One of the best things about 360 Imaging is that you maintain your sonar picture without sacrificing boat control.

Because 360 Imaging is mounted independently of your trolling motor’s steering you can use Spot-Lock on a Minn Kota Ultrex™, or hammer down on the trolling motor in and around docks without missing anything on your screen.

As your fishing scenario changes, so does 360 Imaging. You can focus your view to a customized area or direction around and under your boat; from 10 to 360 degrees. For quick view options, there are also preset views for the front, left, right, rear and full 360 views preferences. Anglers can also choose from 5 refresh rates for the right balance of image quality and refresh rate.

Additionally, the refresh rate of 360 Imaging is determined by the size of the selected viewing area. A smaller viewing window, 90 degrees, for example, will have a faster refresh rate than a 180-degree view, due to the 360 Imaging transducer providing images for a smaller, more focused area.

Many anglers will set their 360 Imaging range to the distance of their cast, so that as soon as a piece of structure or fish shows up on the screen, they can line up, and fire a cast to the exact location, even providing the option to mark and view waypoints right on the 360 Imaging screen.

Stealthy Approach

One of the most underrated advantages of 360 Imaging is that it allows you to see in front of your boat, so you can be much stealthier when approaching a quality spot. By identifying structure, depth changes, and fish positioned around that structure, you can be sneak into the area and avoid running over the top of fish and ruining your fishing spot.

360 Imaging can be an incredibly effective tool when fishing weed edges and structure by using the casting rings on the screen to provide a reference of your distance from the fish-holding structure.

As weed edges and contours twist and turn ahead of your boat’s path, you will be able to see structure and position your boat accordingly to take full advantage of inside turns and make casts on points, instead of hoping that you don’t drive right over the top of fish and structure ahead.  

Simply put, spot the structure or fish, and cast right to them before they even know you’re there.

Setting up and interpreting Humminbird 360 Imaging with Brandon Palaniuk

Humminbird's 360 Imaging is a key component of professional bass fisherman, Brandon Palaniuk's electronics arsenal.

"I will see things off to the side or out in front of me, that are under the water, off the bank...that other anglers are missing." - Brandon Palaniuk

Brandon walks us through his preferred custom 360 Imaging settings and what he's looking for in the sonar return. He then demonstrates how to analyze the image and ultimately make accurate casts to areas of interest others are missing. This is an excellent setup video for existing and new Humminbird 360 Imaging owners, and an introductory video to the capabilities of this unique all-seeing imaging technology.

Trolling Motor Compatibility: Minn Kota Ultrex®, Fortrex®, and Maxxum®.

To browse 360 Imaging transucers, visit our 360 Imaging product pages.

To learn more about 360 Imaging by Humminbird, visit our 360 Imaging page for more details.