Is the 598 with side imaging worth it?

[EBrink]

So I am considering upgrading my humminbird unit. I have a 598 with side imaging which is awesome, I think it's great but the screen is so small I can't see fish in the side imaging. I usually fish in between 4-8ft or water ( better luck in the 4ft range). Sonar doesn't really do me much good ( I don't think) I'm pretty new to fishing, I only get out a hand full of times a year. In hopes of getting out more often this coming year I'd like to give myself a chance on not getting skunked 50% of the time.
I feel like most of my problem is just not utilizing the unit I have from inexperience and the other part of me feels like if I had a bigger screen maybe I'd see something.
I would hate to spend $1000 on a larger used unit and get out fishing 4 or 5 times but the other part of me would hate to get out fishing 4 or 5 times and not be able to catch something.
Also, I fish lake St.Clair, on a good calm day I can accidentally catch more fish then I can handle; if I'm lucky to find a calm day. Most days are windy so I can't find fish to save my life.
If it's all set up properly do I have a chance to see fish on my side imaging with such a small screen? I also tend to fish weed bed edges or right in weeds, will side imaging even see fish in weeds?
So my decisions comes down to:
A) upgrade to a larger unit
B) Get better at using what I have and just get better in general

Any criticisms welcome. Mostly, talking about fishing gets me through this stupid weather!

[Wayne P.]

A larger display will display stuff larger, that's pretty much it. All the new units have a rectangular display rather than the square one you have so that is better for displaying SI.
No sonar will see through weeds, but will show where weed edges are and open spaces in weeds. Finding where those patches of weeds are is where your sonar is beneficial. SI will help you find those rockpiles also.

B) would be my advice to improve on, then get a larger display to make it easier.

[EBrink]

Thanks Wayne, I keep leaning towards that decision I guess mostly due to the cost of upgrading. Any idea what distance side to side I should set my unit at to have any hopes of seeing fish on it? I think I read somewhere 40ft is a good setting?

[Wayne P.]

Thanks Wayne, I keep leaning towards that decision I guess mostly due to the cost of upgrading. Any idea what distance side to side I should set my unit at to have any hopes of seeing fish on it? I think I read somewhere 40ft is a good setting?

To get the best coverage for the depth, use 3 times the depth as the SI Range setting.
That will give you 2/3 of each side as the bottom and 1/3 of each side as the water column.

[EBrink]

To get the best coverage for the depth, use 3 times the depth as the SI Range setting.
That will give you 2/3 of each side as the bottom and 1/3 of each side as the water column.

That's great advice!
Thank you.