Fish Finders

[HadEnuff]

It looks like my 15 year old Hummingbird is about to FIRE. It got me thinking about next Spring and a new one.

Any fishermen/fishfinder experts out there care to engage me in a conversation about what I should get?

I've always used mine as nothing more than a glorified depth finder, with some contour reading (as opposed to just a number that says how deep you are).

It has never found a fish for me. It has told me when I accidentally found some on my own, however.

 

[DAYDREAMER]

I'll engage! The gps/depth sounder combo's have really advanced in the last 5 years. Looks like the biggest advancement in depth sounders is CHIRP and side view. I've seen "Side View" in action, and was not impressed. What the screen showed was not intuitive to my brain. I suppose if you were a hard core fisherman, it would be important, but looked like a feature I wouldn't pay for. The transducer was also the size of a shoe! I have always installed (bonded) the transducer inside the boat, so that I can pick up depths while going 50mph.

I'm very partial to Garmin. I have found their interface to be very user friendly and well thought out. I am looking forward to upgrading the GPs/depth sounder on the boat. Learned that touch screen is a bad idea on a boat. It is difficult to touch the screen and hold hand steady while underway. Button interface makes a big difference to stabilize your finger to make a selection. Also, the touch screen gets smeared with gunk when crabbing or fishing.

 

[Texas Proud]

I am not a fisherman, but have 2 BILs who are...

One bought a Lowrance side looking one... big screen... big price... I have never seen it but he says it is much better than the older ones and the ones that only go down...


Probably more than you want to pay...

https://www.lowrance.com/lowrance/activity/inland-fishing/elite-12-ti-noxd/

 

[Winemaker]

I never started catching fish until I started fishing with my BIL on Lake Erie. His 26 footer and his later 32 footer were both equipped with fish finders back in the 90's til 2005. We would always limit out on walleye, steelhead or perch. I don't think brand makes a difference anymore, but there are more complicated features now.

 

[KCGeezer]

Price range and features that you'll actually use are best determinants to find the right one(s) IMO. What kind of boat do you have and what types of water do you normally fish?

Deep structure in the Great Lakes requires something completely different than a kayak around boat docks. On a bass boat running full tilt up a creek channel and what you need on the trolling motor can be two different devices.

So, tell us more.

 

[HadEnuff]

I fish Keuka Lake, one of NY's Finger Lakes. It's about 20 miles long, varies in width from 1/2 mile to 2 miles....has a deep trench in the middle that runs from 100 to 185 ft deep. The ends are shallow....
I fish the weed lines, which run about 20 -25 feet deep , to slightly deeper water, and fish the thermocline in the deeper water. Generally I'm trying to find smallmouth bass, but will chase the perch in the weeds as well.

During the warm months, finding the thermocline would be a big help.

thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

[KCGeezer]

Two that might fit your needs HadEnuff are either the Lowrance Hook 5 or the Garmin Striker 4cv. Different price points, features, and physical sizes. I have the Striker and it does what I need it to since I'm not exploring and mapping new waters all that often.

Until I spring for a ridiculously expensive trolling motor that will hold the boat on on a specific waypoint I haven't used the GPS unless I find a new crappie bed. If you're trolling over deep structure with downriggers I could see that the waypoint and route retention as a big plus.

Cabela's is having a sale right now so you can waste a lot of time reading and comparing. Good luck with the decision.

 

[flintnational]

I have a Lowrance HDS 5. I really like it but am not familiar with competing brands for comparisons. I wish I had the 7 inch or 9 inch screen. The 5 inch is a little small. Mine is about seven years old and is not the current model.

 

[HadEnuff]

Geezer, have you ever fished with a GPS controlled trolling motor? I have one that's about 6 years old. It's handy but it does have some limitations. For example, when I hit the "anchor" button, intended to hold you over a spot, the wind has to blow the unit off the spot a good 5 or 10 yards, before the GPS kicks in and returns you to the spot, then of course, it overshoots the spot. So you don't really stay on a spot, as much as swing around it, much as you would on an anchor. But I still like it a lot better than using an anchor, in most circumstances. Especially in deeper water.
I do like mine a lot, and use it a lot.

 

[KCGeezer]

No I have not used one. I usually set up and slip drift spots that aren't over 20-25 ft deep. If it's blowing so hard that I can't work upwind, then I'm probably moving anyway.

Good luck with your decision, as someone mentioned, the advancements have been significant.

 

[johnnyfuego]

I'll engage! The gps/depth sounder combo's have really advanced in the last 5 years. Looks like the biggest advancement in depth sounders is CHIRP and side view. I've seen "Side View" in action, and was not impressed. What the screen showed was not intuitive to my brain. I suppose if you were a hard core fisherman, it would be important, but looked like a feature I wouldn't pay for. The transducer was also the size of a shoe! I have always installed (bonded) the transducer inside the boat, so that I can pick up depths while going 50mph.

I'm very partial to Garmin. I have found their interface to be very user friendly and well thought out. I am looking forward to upgrading the GPs/depth sounder on the boat. Learned that touch screen is a bad idea on a boat. It is difficult to touch the screen and hold hand steady while underway. Button interface makes a big difference to stabilize your finger to make a selection. Also, the touch screen gets smeared with gunk when crabbing or fishing.

+1 on the Garmin. I used to think I wanted touch screen until I read about your experience, now I’m glad I don’t have it. I did have to get a splash guard for the transom bracket to stop the rooster tail that would come over the transom and into the bilge area. After researching that issue, it’s a common problem with that particular bracket that comes with the echomap 74sv...