Lowrance HDS Side/Structure Scan - What was the best thing you learned in 2011 ?

[5th Tuition]

1) I can run 20+mph with the sidescan unit and see bait balls. The regular FF mode goes white and I see nothing (except the bottom line) at speed.

2) Sensitivity and contrast are two distinct different things.
I was running the side scan way too low with contrast. It needs to be somewhere around 85% in shallow water and turned up as you get in deeper (70 ft+) water.

3) I used to run the FF in manual mode with lots of setting, but automatic setting and minus 3-4 sensitivity works just as well.

4) I still don't use sidescan much and I still get baffled by how I view the screen.

5) Sidescan clears up lots of "clutter" and shows more clearly fish and bait.

6) I can tell the difference between bunker and rainminnows in bait balls.

7) I love the nav. chip in the gps.

8) Lastly; I should have bought the unit sooner!!! I love it. It replaced an old Lowrance X-65 black and white with no gps.

I know there's more, but that's a start.