Lowrance will incorporate its side-viewing technology in its HDS series of electronics units this year, with refinements in the quality of images viewed by anglers. 

Doug O'Hara of Lowrance said side-viewing will be possible with the HDS Broadband lineup that provides high definition images of bottom topography and structure. Underwater islands, humps, dropoffs, depressions and ledges will be more clearly visible. Side-viewing also will provide that snapshot image of the cover and structure to either side of the boat. 

"With the side-viewing feature one of the biggest challenges is getting where a person can understand what he's looking at and for it to make sense," O'Hara said. "There's always a challenge with technology and improvements, and this is no different." 

Lowrance pro Tommy Biffle of Oklahoma said the new technology is pretty sharp. 

"It's like looking at a picture," he said. "It's just well-defined and you're able to see what's down there. I want to be able to position the transducer on my trolling motor so whichever way I'm going, I can look at the screen and know if there's a log pointed a particular way then I know where it is." 

Lowrance said the side-imaging feature will be available "at a later date" this year.