Fish Finder Shopping

[mytmouse]

Hey guys,
My next addition to the yak will be a fish finder. I have been eyeing this one up because I can save $10 with my basspro reward points and it already has the rechargeable batteries. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st..._SearchResults

Anyone use it or have any advice? I am open to suggestions, I would like to stick with Humminbird because they have a model of transducer that is a perfect fit for the Transducer Scupper hole on my Big Game.

Thanks,
MYT

[jet]

i can't comment on that model but i would try it for the fact that the transducer can be placed in the scupper hole, thus directly in the water. huge advantage there i think.

i use a eagle cuda 250 (i think they are called 350's now though) its the one with the gps feature. have had no problems and love how it give me ground speed and distance with the gps

[fjarhead]

gps

i have a humminbird 385ci kayak combo. it includes the transducer and it very easy to install into your kayak. It has alot of nice features (gps).

[mytmouse]

fjar...thats a few more bills than the ol' lady will let me spend! LOL

MYT

[DOGFISH]

Fishfinder

I use a Humminbird 383C, which has been replaced by the 385C. Humminbird will trade off the transducer that comes with the unit with a thru hull transducer. It is a snap to install. The transducer goes perfectly into the scupper hole. I have been using mine in my OK Big Game for about three years. It does a great job. No complaints.

[Redfish12]

I have a humminbird 550. It's a little big but fits well in my sonar shield area on my Trident. I recently installed the scupper transducer but I haven't had a chance to see how much better it works.

Here's a shot:

[fjarhead]

fjar...thats a few more bills than the ol' lady will let me spend! LOL

MYT

I won the money playing poker, so it didnt come out of the household budget

[mytmouse]

I like the 550 Redfish, but this is my first one... never installed or used one. So I was trying to stay cheap as possible but with still a decent product at least until I learn the ins and outs before upgrading.

Fjarhead, looks like I need to get into some games! LOL. But I'd have to prepare for the assault for any losings!! LOL

I am thinking about going with the 150 or 170. I have a ton of 12 volt batteries at my job, all I would need is a charger. I am gonna try to sneak over to bass pro, dick's, and sports authority to see what they have.

MYT

[mytmouse]

Well I went with the Humminbird PiranhaMAX 150. I had to take the display model because they didn't have anymore...but oh well warranty and return policy is the same. I loved the price and they guy said it should serve my purpose on the yak. I bought a battery pack from Radio Shack, wired it up and its good to go! I think I am gonna to go with the AA's for a while that way I can keep spares in the truck if necessary.

I am still debating on how I will mount it. I don't know if I want to run the power wire through the yak or just pass it through the hatch. The wires are pretty small so I don't think that water seepage will be a problem. Plus I won't have to leave the wire on the yak when I stow it away. How did you guys handle the wires?

Thanks,
MYT

[MDSmith370]

I have the PiranhaMAX 170. The wires are run through the deck mount and into the hull. I took a rubber stopper and drilled 2 holes in it for the wires. I wouldn't worry too much about making it completely water tight. It's on the top so it will only get some splashing.

I bought a 7 amp 12 volt battery and a battery tender jr charger. Both are pretty cheap and definitely the way to go in my opinion. I'm not sure how much time I can get before I need to recharge but when on vacation this summer I fished for 4 days, 5 hours each day and based on how long it took to recharge I don't even think it was 50% used.