I AM SOOOO CONFUSED NOW!!!!sombody remind me this is gonna be fun..lol

[J Bass]

ok, i got the pro angler, now to put a depth finder on it.....i have been askin questions, tryin to get all the info i can from ppl, and i actually thought i was ready to go get the depth finder because, "hell, i got this"...right?....WRONG...lol....
every time i was in BPS, i would ask about the elite 5 and elite 4 and as some of ya know, i want DSI but was told by numerous ppl that the "lowrance ready" pro angler would not work with it ...UNLESS..... i got a transducer arm OR scupper mount....because the DSI does not work "thru hull".....but then again, ive had ppl say that it works fine and not to worry about it...........well, i kinda am cuz i dont wanna drop a chunk of $$$ on something that wont work....................................so, i decided..." SCREW THE DSI, ill just get the chart plotter/sonar".............so here i go....off to BPS , whistlin and sayin to myself, " hell, i got this", AGAIN..........so i ask the guy about the maps that it comes with because i mainly freshwater fish and hit the reservoirs (tridelphia, rocky gorge, etc) and he says..." oh, well they only come loaded with coastal maps, basically, saltwater..............but you can go spend an extra 199.00 at navionics and get the lake card or 99.00 for your state alone "........................................um......w hat?.......i had specifically asked about Tridelphia bein on there and was told YES each time......so now, it all changes again....back to uncertain square one..............................................t his would be my first depth finder.........i have NEVER used one and have done fine.....maybe i should just stick to the old school and forget the whole depth/fish finder thing......im so confused and hearing so many different things, i dont know what to believe........................................... ........Case of beer of your choice to anyone that will hold my hand thru this ordeal and help me out!!!! lol HELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!

[M_Duong60]

Don't worry this is gonna be fun I myself don't have anything to say about the fancier models because I use a cheap X-4. Hope someone can help you though. However I have heard that the DSI can shoot through hull although it was with a hummingbird unit and the person has a revo so maybe its the same for other models?

[wfauby]

my 2 cents is; if you are not familiar w using a depth finder a simpler model may be more suitable. I really only use mine to find drops, creek channels, ledges, weed lines and structure, and of course TEMP. interpreting some of the images on DSI you may find yourself looking down more than out at the water and casting. Have fun

[bch89]

Some of those guys at BPS are fools. My dad just bought me a "portable" fish finder for my kayak as a belated birthday gift and the dude tried selling us a Lowrance fishfinder that was around $400 and because it had a gps on it. I am new to kayak fishing and we basically told the guy to take a hike because I was just going to use the basic controls and wasn't going to paddle so far I would need gps.

[BassMoore]

go in there and ask for Richard. he is Cvill on this forum. i used to work at bps. some of the guys in there.. dont know much. u gota find some one who respects their job and reads about the product. i have a friend who shoots thro the hull with his dsi on an outback and it works great. not saying it works better but no complaints.

the chips are costal, but do give u reseviors. but nothing 100% . they will give u depths and stuff that has been shot from above. but as far as bottom contour. im not 100% rich would know.

do some research your self to. best thing to do is find something that matches your style. not what everyone else thinks or says. DSI is great, to n extent. a floating bag can be mistaken for a fish on DSI. but its great to show the bottom.

but if your bass fishing. u dont need to see the bottom so much. u jus see a lump or change in depth and u know fish are holding there

[wfauby]

Some of those guys at BPS are fools. My dad just bought me a "portable" fish finder for my kayak as a belated birthday gift and the dude tried selling us a Lowrance fishfinder that was around $400 and because it had a gps on it. I am new to kayak fishing and we basically told the guy to take a hike because I was just going to use the basic controls and wasn't going to paddle so far I would need gps.

there is nothing wrong w getting a unit w GPS...its generally not used to find your way back home (ramp), but to mark a particular spot you would like to return to in the future (way point). Many of the guys here have those types of units and fish the Chesapeake and like waters.

[Memory Maker]

First ........ buy what you want. The DSI has been used by a bunch of guys here and I think they used the thru the hull installs. If it doesn'rt work as well as you like you can always change it ....I changed my mount 3 times and I think I finally have what I want ...... I think .... you will change a bunch of stuff on the yak as we all have. Second, don't buy a chip right away. Use what it comes with and see what it gives you and then look for a used 1. There are plenty of deals on used chips.

And ......... The GPS IS used to get back to the ramp. I have needed it more than once when I fished a little too long and had to make my way back in the fading light or the Pitch black with a low battery. Tridelphia isn't too bad but Rocky Gorge or Prettyboy can be daunting and it's easy to pick the wrong cove when it's dark. With the GPS you just follow your route back. Spent 3 hours in the dark on Prettyboy once and both of us thought we knew every nook and cranny with our eyes closed ........ we thought w would have to spend the night until we found a guy bank fishing when he lit a cigarette ...... Everything changes when you don't have the land marks ..........

[bch89]

there is nothing wrong w getting a unit w GPS...its generally not used to find your way back home (ramp), but to mark a particular spot you would like to return to in the future (way point). Many of the guys here have those types of units and fish the Chesapeake and like waters.

I never said there was anything wrong with getting one. I'm just saying I'm new to kayak fishing and didn't need to spend more than the kayak for a fishfinder. I have no problem with people buying them but for someone like me who is just starting out and doesn't plan on going too far out until I get more used to it, I did not need all the extra features. I think you took my post the wrong way

[imagine29028]

FWIW...some of the guys cant even put line on a reel properly. Better off trusting everyone here. Check KBF too?

[Yak Fish]

I personally find the GPS invaluable. I would never buy one without a GPS. The reason is because I mark specific locations that I find and I return time and again to fish these areas. If you fish a reservoir it may be simpler, but if you're in the middle of the bay, you have no chance of locating that rocky outcrop again. I spend a lot of time trolling so gps is very important to me. Think about your style of fishing and if you don't find that feature useful, don't spend the extra cash on it. I have down imaging on my humminbird unit which is a nice to have, but if I had to choose between that and gps....hands down gps wins.