Fish Finder

[s_c]

Hello all,
I am looking into purchasing a new fish finder/GPS for my boat. Any suggestions on what brands and models would be wonderful. Thanks.

[farechofisherman]

s_c,
your best bet; go to cabelas.com and check out what they have. depending on how you plan on using it (some are portable, some hard mounted and some can be used on both the boat and the ice), you can make a selection from many types. i would recommend lowrance or hummingbird only because i've had both and they are excellent along with great customer service. i would recommend that you get one that accepts the navionics chart card, again i recommend from experience, an awesome product. good units start around $500 and up with more bells and whistles. good luck!

[djhornet]

What are your plans for the gps? Are you looking to stick with this one for a long time, specific use vs versatility?

I can tell you what direction to go if you have an idea as to what kind of use it will get.

[s_c]

Djhornet- I think am looking for a versatile GPS.

[djhornet]

A 500W to 1 KW transducer is a good place to start. If you want to have serious marking capability in 100 feet of saltwater, you would be ecstatic over the extra power of a 1 KW.

A digital sounder would be helpful if you like to get real technical. It's a great tool, I wouldn't worry about it much if you will be fishing mostly freshwater, shallow water.

Now you get into your screens - the gps/sounder displays. I think Garmin is real user friendly for guys that like to learn as they go. There are many different brands that are great.

Definitely choose screen size over extra functionality. You will never be happy with a 4" screen. Large is great, trust me! You can hold that home base with you for years!

Side scanning units could be something you want to look into if cost isn't a factor. I have not had the chance to use side scanning/imaging, but this is the ultimate tool if you are looking for schools of bait.

[MAXUM]

If you have any desire to buy a Lowrance which is a very good unit, take a peek at the Eagle as well. Same company makes both. I have one and it's a great unit at a fraction of the price. I picked up a Fishmark 320 and I've been more than satisfied with it's performance and it's just as impressive as it's Lowrance counterpart IMHO.

http://www.eaglenav.com/en/