Basic cheap depth finder

[Slackdaddy]

Now the Wife and Sis in law want a depth finder on one of the kayaks for crabbing. They put the traps out 4-10' depth, anything over 12-13' and they are lost.

Any suggestions? I would prefer a unit that takes internal batteries and not have to run a separate batt and power cable.

Anyone have experience with the $40 Amazon units?
https://www.amazon.com/RICANK-Portab...cs&sr=1-9&th=1

Or anyone have any other ideas?

[clm]

I picked one of those up...it was poo. I have 2 Garmins....the $104 dollar Striker 4...Love them. I run it from a LiPo battery...Small, clear and accurate. Pops on and off and stored in a bag when not in use. I mounted the transducer in the hull of the hobie using the duct seal method...it hasn't moved in many years of use and I store the yak on its side in a wooden cradle.

[Slackdaddy]

Thanks for the heads up on the Amazon unit,, the gut was telling me it was junk.

I picked one of those up...it was poo. I have 2 Garmins....the $104 dollar Striker 4...Love them. I run it from a LiPo battery...Small, clear and accurate. Pops on and off and stored in a bag when not in use. I mounted the transducer in the hull of the hobie using the duct seal method...it hasn't moved in many years of use and I store the yak on its side in a wooden cradle.

[nhunter344]

15' piece of rope/string. Tie a 4oz sinker on the end of it. Make a mark every foot on the line with the sinker being 0. You can even color code the marks for your prefered depths. Drop the weight until it stop sinking and see if it falls within your desired range.

$1.50 worth of materials. No batteries, no wiring.

[J.A. Veil]

15' piece of rope/string. Tie a 4oz sinker on the end of it. Make a mark every foot on the line with the sinker being 0. You can even color code the marks for your prefered depths. Drop the weight until it stop sinking and see if it falls within your desired range.

$1.50 worth of materials. No batteries, no wiring.

I like nhunter's simple no-fail solution. You could do the same thing with a bamboo pole 10' long. If you definitely want to get a fishfinder (sonar), you can often get good deals through Facebook Marketplace. Last March I wanted to get a 5" Lowrance model for my new kayak. I checked through the listings using the search term "Lowrance fish finder". I got a range of suggestions. Some were far away and many were more expensive than I wanted. I found a guy who lived in Catonsville who installed upgraded marine electronics on new boats. If those boats already had a more basic unit, he was allowed to keep it. He sold me a brand new Lowrance Hook2 5" unit for $100. I met him at a park-and-ride in Catonsville to do a socially distanced transaction. Installation using a through-the-hull transducer system would work fine for your application. It is fairly quick and easy. A 4" or 5" screen would be adequate if all they want is depth readings.

I checked Marketplace a few minutes ago and saw some new units that were at a pretty good price. Or you can get a used unit and hope that it works. Good luck.

[Slackdaddy]

I'll have to say,, there is only 1 thing I miss about FB, and that is marketplace.
I may have to make a new FB account just to use Marketplace.

I like nhunter's simple no-fail solution. You could do the same thing with a bamboo pole 10' long. If you definitely want to get a fishfinder (sonar), you can often get good deals through Facebook Marketplace. Last March I wanted to get a 5" Lowrance model for my new kayak. I checked through the listings using the search term "Lowrance fish finder". I got a range of suggestions. Some were far away and many were more expensive than I wanted. I found a guy who lived in Catonsville who installed upgraded marine electronics on new boats. If those boats already had a more basic unit, he was allowed to keep it. He sold me a brand new Lowrance Hook2 5" unit for $100. I met him at a park-and-ride in Catonsville to do a socially distanced transaction. Installation using a through-the-hull transducer system would work fine for your application. It is fairly quick and easy. A 4" or 5" screen would be adequate if all they want is depth readings.

I checked Marketplace a few minutes ago and saw some new units that were at a pretty good price. Or you can get a used unit and hope that it works. Good luck.

[Memory Maker]

Those castable depth finders might be the answer. You can sit in one place and cast all around to determine the depths and the drop offs. They are battery powered and cost @ $200

[mike o]

I have a lowrance elite 4 fish finder I will sell for $60

[CHOC]

The Garmin Striker 4 series is the best fishfinder you can buy for $100. I used to have a few of them. For some dumb reason, I now have these giant screens with way too many settings. The Garmins were simple and did the job great.

[Slackdaddy]

Mike,
I appreciate the offer.
We are going to hold off for this season and use the string/weight.
We will be getting a new kayak for her this winter and outfit that boat.

I have a lowrance elite 4 fish finder I will sell for $60

[dsaavedra]

I've heard nothing but good things about Garmin Striker 4. It's cheap (100 bucks), compact (good for kayaks), has all the functionality you need and none you don't. Combine that with a cheap $20 SLA battery and you're in business.

[mudskipper]

I have that depth/fish finder

I bought it almost as a goof, not expecting it to work. Sort of a disposable toy, almost.

It actually DOES work. Tells depth reliably (in meters, mind you) and is sensitive enough to detect its own cable trailing in the water below it (represented as a fish)

I tried it at our pool and it picked up kids swimming under water along the bottom in 8 feet of water.

So it’s probably good enough for simple tasks.

[stros]

Hey John do you still have information on the guy in Catonsville for fish finders ? Just got a new kayak and looking for a unit.

[J.A. Veil]

Hey John do you still have information on the guy in Catonsville for fish finders ? Just got a new kayak and looking for a unit.

I found that guy through Facebook Marketplace. I do not have his contact information any longer. I suggest that you search Facebook Marketplace and Craiglist. Use several different search terms.

Decide in advance:
- what price range you want
- what brand you prefer
- how big you want the screen to be (4" is too small for my senior eyes; 5" is the smallest I can use)
- whether you need regular sonar or want downscan and/or sidescan (my current unit has downscan, but I don't use it)
- for GPS, how much mapping information is already built in; if you want to add a mapping card, what brand will it accept, and how much is the card
- whether you will accept a used unit or just a new one.

Also with the boating season rapidly approaching, some of the big box stores will offer great deals on new marine electronics. Check out their websites too.

[stros]

Thanks for the help John! I will check out some searches.