Fish finder recommendation

[Eagle]

I don't have any experience and I looking for a fish finder .

[DOGFISH]

That is a very big question. How much money are you looking to spend? What do you expect it to do? Do you want a fish finder/GPS chartplotter? You may need to define that question, just a bit.

I, myself, have always liked Humminbird products. There are many others on the forum that use other brands.

[Yak Fish]

Like Dogfish said, that's a broad question. I started with a simple Humminbird Piranamax, but I have graduated to a much more sophisticated down imaging Humminbird. Do you need that....probably not, but it is a fun toy. I fish out on the open bay and am looking for structure, drop offs, fish, etc. I also need a map and gps to mark specific spots. You may not need these things. So just look at how you plan on fishing. If you are just fishing shorelines, a simple depth and water temp should be just fine.

At a minimum, expect to spend $150 for the ff, wires and battery pack. At a max, perhaps around $1000 for an imaging ff and map card.

Just remember, a fish finder won't magically make you a better fisherman. It is a tool that a good fisherman uses.

[OBX_RAT]

The best one is one that works and is easy to use lol

[ronaultmtd]

Yep- get a dependable unit that always works and is easy to use- one that is too complicated and is hard to use its features is useless- Bear in mind a full function unit can be a lot more than the price of your kayak unless you have a Hobie Pro Angler- I have one of each- a fairly simple Eagle Cuda 350 combo and a Hummingbird 570 DI- Also bear in mind you need to mount it securely close enough so you can easily reach it to work the unit's features- one of the the biggest issue is color or mono- color uses a lot more power and you need a heavier duty battery. And then you need to settle on a brand name- Hummingbird, Garmin, Lawrence, Eagle...choices, choices, choices-

[Southerly]

you might hit it low 1st go round and get something relatively inexpensive. especialy if you're not sure what you want, how much it will be used, etc.. it will be easier to upgrade later if you decide that's what you want. the actual FF technology is highly developed in the less expensive black/white display units.

i have a garmin unit i got for about $100 probably 10 years ago that still marks fish very effectively and has the important adjustments of sensitivity, range, chartspeed. also has water temp and backlight. i have it set up to be portable and can take it on any yak but mostly use it on my spare tandem yak.

on my hobie that i mostly use, i've now gone with a unit i consider to be high end for a kayak. a humminbird with side image, color FF and gps. i enjoy using it a lot and that's realy the main justification for the extra $$$. i'm sure it's much more cost effective to go to the seafood store .

[john from md]

I too started with low end, black and white units and now have a color FF/Chartplotter that I switch between my boat and the yak. The smaller units like the Eagle Cuda and the Humminbird Piranamax are smaller and easier to mount but will mark fish well. Color is definitely the best but they do cost more. You also want to look at things like screen resolution and pixel count.

Have you been fishing in a yak for long? Do you think it is something you will keep on doing? These are the questions you need to ask before committing your hard earned $$$. If you are just "testing the waters", you can't go wrong with a Cuda or Piranamax and you won't have to take out a loan to get them. ALWAYS look for sales or for outdoors gear sellers on ebay to get the best prices.

Spend some time on Google and learn the terms and technology. There are tens of thousands of fisherman who have posted their experiences with fishfinders. Look before you leap!

Regards,

John

[Grady-Black]

I love my new Lowrance Elite-4 Gold unit!
You can purchase my old B&W unit if you want.
Its an Eagle Cuda complete with battery setup.

GB

[DanMarino]

Simple is Working for Me

I picked up a used Humminbird PiranahMax 215 unit from Craigslist for $20. The unit works great for me and is simple. It has helped me locate fish in the WSSC Reservoirs close to my home. I like the detail on the black and white display and I like that it has a dual beam transducer. It shows fish right under the boat as black and fish off to the side as a white outline. Being able to see the bottom contour is great and marking panfish has been a piece of cake. It really opens up a whole new world of fishing these reservoirs and it is helping me better understand where fish go during certain times of the year so far. I can see how a GPS and mapping feature would be great, but I don't see myself investing that much money into a sonar unit for the kayak.

[ComeOnFish]

Well,
Don't buy Humminbird Piranamax 170 for a while. The recent batch for about 1 year, has a problem - The fading screen. I had returned two in a row within 2 weeks, and I was confirmed by an employees a few days ago at a certain store about the defective rate of the product.

My old Humminbird Piranamax 170 was fine. It lasted 10 months after getting sub-merged 3 times. I bought a 12 months extended warranty. But while I was dealing with the third party service (not the store), the 12 months passed. I gave up, just like I gave up with Verizon customer service. Both owe me money. But I moved away. I can make more money working than trying to get my money from them and pursuing the PRINCIPLE.

Other Humming Birds are fine.

BTW, two of my Eagle CUDA last until the first submerge.

Another BTW - I posted a few times that I got turtled often.

Joe – "the turtle"

[jet]

i ordered the elite 4 gold last night to replace my cuda 250 S/Map. the gold better be worth it or i'm blaming grady black.

[Grady-Black]

i ordered the elite 4 gold last night to replace my cuda 250 S/Map. the gold better be worth it or i'm blaming grady black.

LOL!
You'll like it Stupidjet or Surfdog will buy it!
GB

[bch89]

Well,
Don't buy Humminbird Piranamax 170 for a while. The recent batch for about 1 year, has a problem - The fading screen. I had returned two in a row within 2 weeks, and I was confirmed by an employees a few days ago at a certain store about the defective rate of the product.

My old Humminbird Piranamax 170 was fine. It lasted 10 months after getting sub-merged 3 times. I bought a 12 months extended warranty. But while I was dealing with the third party service (not the store), the 12 months passed. I gave up, just like I gave up with Verizon customer service. Both owe me money. But I moved away. I can make more money working than trying to get my money from them and pursuing the PRINCIPLE.

Other Humming Birds are fine.

BTW, two of my Eagle CUDA last until the first submerge.

Another BTW - I posted a few times that I got turtled often.

Joe – "the turtle"

Is the Piranhamax 160 PT fine? I am finally done with school and was looking at purchasing that model.

[john from md]

I too have submerged my Humminbird 570 HD unit for about an hour and it came out fine. I just used it Sunday but didn't repeat the turtle test.

John

[DaveFX35]

I have the Lowrance Mark-4 Combo unit. Its a GPS Chartplotter and FishFinder in 1 unit. Easy to use and the Black and white screen is easy to read in daylight. It can be purchased for about $200 new on Amazon.

Also bought this battery with box and a charger for $120
http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/...e-Power/Detail