SEEING ALL ANGLES

Humminbird MFDs can display Mega Imaging in one split screen and a chart plotter in the other. and one or two networked through-hull transducers for high-speed soundings.

Compatible Humminbird MFDs have peak-to-peak power output of 8,000 W, but draw depends on screen size. For example, the top-of-the-line Solix 15 SI ($3,499) draws 4.56 amps, while the Helix 9 Chirp Mega SI GPS G2N ($1,299) draws 2.5 amps.

As with all sonars, Mega Imaging renders crisper imagery when operating above hard, dense seafloor. “Bottom type changes what the [Mega Imaging] looks like,” says Schaffart, who advises adjusting settings when operating above soft, murky bottoms, which can absorb and disperse sonar signals.

While some saltwater anglers will want more range, all anglers will likely agree that — when operating in the correct depths and bottom types — Humminbird’s Mega Imaging sonar technology is impressive. Given its photographlike image quality, Mega Imaging could make a significant impact in the fish-finding world, allowing angling neophytes to find fish quickly.

It will be interesting to see how this technology performs in the wild, and whether the competition also switches to megahertz frequencies to bolster their short-range performance too.