I’ll never forget the first sonar unit I ever saw.  I was only five or six years old when my dad installed a Lowrance Fish Lo-K-Tor.  I was fascinated by the technology. It took two big six volt batteries with springs on top.  There was one knob on the front to adjust the gain and a diagram behind the dial to show the cone angle.  The transducer attached with two suction cups and could be taken on or off anytime. Not only could we read the bottom depth,  but with a little practice we could interpret the red flashes around the dial to find fish.  There was nothing more exciting than seeing that dial light up.  Quick sparks meant bait, solid lines meant fish, wider solid lines meant big fish.   The “Little Green Box” revolutionized fishing.  My dad was always ahead of the game when it came to technology, but I admit I haven’t always kept up with the latest and greatest in gadgetry.  In fact, I was still using a Lowrance flasher on my small boat when I first started fishing the Chesapeake four years ago.  When color graphic screens came out I thought they were nice,  but I didn’t see them as a giant leap forward.  Even though I bought one for my big boat, I still trusted the flasher to put me on fish. Things changed when side-scan sonar became affordable for amateur fishermen.  Just like those Fish Lo-K-Tors in the early 1960s, side-scan has opened a new chapter in 21st century fishing technology. Read More!