Depth/fish finders ??

bassfisher · 12-12-09, 02:55 PM

Okay, I don’t really know that much about depth/fish finders. Does a real good one show you the contours of the lake? (Rock ledges, river/creek channels, how things are shaped….)
My wife said I’ve got a grand to play with for a new system for Christmas!! (I love my WIFE, she’s a keeper) So my question to you fine folks is, what would you buy if you had a grand to spend?? (Now I sure don’t want her to spend the whole grand) So let me hear your ideas please.

Right now I have a Eagle 320C, that I move from the drive seat to the front as I need to move it. It’s has a cord from the transducer/sensor on the back of my boat, to my driver seat that I plug into the unit. Then I have an extension that runs from my seat to the front of the boat when I move up front to fish. So I don’t really need two depth finders, if I can get another cord like I have now so it can be moved back and forth.

MississippiBoy · 12-14-09, 12:41 AM

Are you looking at spending the whole $1000 on electronics, or will there be some tackle, rods, reels, etc mixed in? For $1000, you can get a very nice depth/fish finder. Trouble is, most of the units in the higher price ranges are smarter than I am, so I'd have trouble using them, since I don't have an engineering degree.
I would recommend keeping the one you have mounted to the console, and get another one for the front of the boat. Remember, it doesn't matter where the display unit is, but if you're at the front of the boat, you're a good 15-20 feet in front of your transducer. This means that you've already passed whatever is reading on the screen. If you're fishing deep water, that won't matter quite as much, but if you're mainly in maybe 20 ft of water or less, that makes a huge difference. Having one at the console will let you cover a lot of water to find the main lake structures while you've got the big motor on, but you need one with a transducer mounted to the trolling motor for when you're actually fishing.

nofearengineer · 12-14-09, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MississippiBoy

I'd have trouble using them, since I don't have an engineering degree.

Haha...an Engineering Degree doesn't mean anything. I've come to the conclusion that the problem with most fish finders is the absolutely terrible user interface. Now that is just plain bad engineering. I hate my fishfinders too.

Bender · 12-14-09, 09:38 AM

I would really suggest getting a unit with GPS built in. If you are not using it for navigation you can use it to mark and get back on your spots.

After that it is up to you if you want to make the just up to a sidescanning unit. I think the only one under $1,000 is the Humminbird 798ci SI and they can be found online for $850-900. If you don't want to make that jump then I would save money and get a Lowrance HDS5 or Humminbird 788ci or something like that.

zooker · 12-14-09, 12:10 PM

I use a 360 eagle in the back a 168 eagle up front in a 16 foot bass boat... The transducer for the 360 is in the back the 168 is on the troller.. It is much easier to just run two wires-power- up to the front of the boat than tring to run the transducer plug-which requires a 5/8" hole-thru all that mess.
You want the transducer up front since in many cases the front of the boat will be slappin rock while the back is in 40 feet of water..

However you need to be aware of your casting style when positioning the front graph. i have killed 4 graphs in the 9 years i have had this boat..

Quote:

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Haha...an Engineering Degree doesn't mean anything. I've come to the conclusion that the problem with most fish finders is the absolutely terrible user interface. Now that is just plain bad engineering. I hate my fishfinders too.

And YOU actually make a living being an engineer??...glad i don't even if i do have the masters degree in enginering...

zooker

nofearengineer · 12-14-09, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zooker

And YOU actually make a living being an engineer??...glad i don't even if i do have the masters degree in enginering...

Zook, I'm sure you know guys who don't have degrees who are pretty capable of designing and building just about anything. I also sure you know guys who have Engineering degrees who are dumb as posts (myself excluded of course

) when it comes to some stuff.

An engineering degree means you can take a beating from professors for 4 years and still come up breathing. In my consulting job, I actually use very little of what I was taught in college.

But I digress...my point about the fishfinders was...the problem isn't dumb fishermen...it's fish finders that are non-intuitive and hard to use.

bassfisher · 12-14-09, 10:27 PM

Was looking in the 400 to 700 hundred dollar range. Was looking at lowrance the other day for about 600, it had gps, and navigation, pretty nice unit. Just wish i could remember the model.
I'm just wondering, does the high dollar unit show that much more detail in whats below, or do they just make you think they are better because it look pretty?
My father calls them aggrevators. It shows you everthing, but how to get them in the boat!!!

nofearengineer · 12-14-09, 11:48 PM

Bassfisher, if it were my money, I might want something that would be expandable. I'll be honest...I've pretty much got a chub for the Lowrance HDS units right now. I'm sort of tentatively planning on borrowing, begging, and stealing, to put an HDS-5 or 7 on my rig for next year. The cool thing is, when I get a few more bucks, I can then add the side imaging unit, and eventually another HDS unit. The cool thing is, they all network together. I've got pretty crappy units on my boat right now, so if I'm gonna replace em, I might as well do it in style.

Nitro 640 · 12-15-09, 02:08 AM

I would say get one for the front of the boat that can link with the console. Spend most of it on the console, but make sure you have one for the front. Not sure on how it all works but seems like the best idea for the
upgrade. I will stop here and let the pros step in.

Nitro 640 · 12-15-09, 02:12 AM

Ok, question?
If the console has Gps and you mark a spot, and the front is linked with the back with it
show you to the mark spot? Might be a dumbed question but would help me and him if he is new to fish finders.

bassboogieman · 12-15-09, 10:11 AM

Quote:

However you need to be aware of your casting style when positioning the front graph. i have killed 4 graphs in the 9 years i have had this boat..

Took a while for the lightbulb to come on - you'd think after the second or third time........ oh, nevermined. Don't want to agitate the godfather, don't need no fish heads in my bed...... Zook, for all the sage wisdom you dispense here, that was a brave admission. LOL!

12-12-09, 02:55 PM	#1
bassfisher BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nicholasville Ky Posts: 275	Depth/fish finders ?? Okay, I don’t really know that much about depth/fish finders. Does a real good one show you the contours of the lake? (Rock ledges, river/creek channels, how things are shaped….) My wife said I’ve got a grand to play with for a new system for Christmas!! (I love my WIFE, she’s a keeper) So my question to you fine folks is, what would you buy if you had a grand to spend?? (Now I sure don’t want her to spend the whole grand) So let me hear your ideas please. Right now I have a Eagle 320C, that I move from the drive seat to the front as I need to move it. It’s has a cord from the transducer/sensor on the back of my boat, to my driver seat that I plug into the unit. Then I have an extension that runs from my seat to the front of the boat when I move up front to fish. So I don’t really need two depth finders, if I can get another cord like I have now so it can be moved back and forth.

12-14-09, 12:41 AM	#2
MississippiBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ridgeland MS Posts: 3,923	Are you looking at spending the whole $1000 on electronics, or will there be some tackle, rods, reels, etc mixed in? For $1000, you can get a very nice depth/fish finder. Trouble is, most of the units in the higher price ranges are smarter than I am, so I'd have trouble using them, since I don't have an engineering degree. I would recommend keeping the one you have mounted to the console, and get another one for the front of the boat. Remember, it doesn't matter where the display unit is, but if you're at the front of the boat, you're a good 15-20 feet in front of your transducer. This means that you've already passed whatever is reading on the screen. If you're fishing deep water, that won't matter quite as much, but if you're mainly in maybe 20 ft of water or less, that makes a huge difference. Having one at the console will let you cover a lot of water to find the main lake structures while you've got the big motor on, but you need one with a transducer mounted to the trolling motor for when you're actually fishing. __________________ I smell smoke, and I hear sirens. Do you think that's a problem?

12-14-09, 11:48 PM	#8
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Bassfisher, if it were my money, I might want something that would be expandable. I'll be honest...I've pretty much got a chub for the Lowrance HDS units right now. I'm sort of tentatively planning on borrowing, begging, and stealing, to put an HDS-5 or 7 on my rig for next year. The cool thing is, when I get a few more bucks, I can then add the side imaging unit, and eventually another HDS unit. The cool thing is, they all network together. I've got pretty crappy units on my boat right now, so if I'm gonna replace em, I might as well do it in style. __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

12-14-09, 09:38 AM	#4
Bender BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Brighton, MI Posts: 2,414	I would really suggest getting a unit with GPS built in. If you are not using it for navigation you can use it to mark and get back on your spots. After that it is up to you if you want to make the just up to a sidescanning unit. I think the only one under $1,000 is the Humminbird 798ci SI and they can be found online for $850-900. If you don't want to make that jump then I would save money and get a Lowrance HDS5 or Humminbird 788ci or something like that.

12-14-09, 10:27 PM	#7
bassfisher BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nicholasville Ky Posts: 275	Was looking in the 400 to 700 hundred dollar range. Was looking at lowrance the other day for about 600, it had gps, and navigation, pretty nice unit. Just wish i could remember the model. I'm just wondering, does the high dollar unit show that much more detail in whats below, or do they just make you think they are better because it look pretty? My father calls them aggrevators. It shows you everthing, but how to get them in the boat!!!

12-15-09, 02:08 AM	#9
Nitro 640 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Caledonia, MI Posts: 253	I would say get one for the front of the boat that can link with the console. Spend most of it on the console, but make sure you have one for the front. Not sure on how it all works but seems like the best idea for the upgrade. I will stop here and let the pros step in.

12-15-09, 02:12 AM	#10
Nitro 640 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Caledonia, MI Posts: 253	Ok, question? If the console has Gps and you mark a spot, and the front is linked with the back with it show you to the mark spot? Might be a dumbed question but would help me and him if he is new to fish finders.

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