Depth Finder Info for a Noob

[Lurch77]

I am interested in getting a depth finder / fish finder. I fish, but I am not as serious about it as many people. I would like a finder that does both, but I am more interested in the depth finding capabilities. I know little about these devices. I have seen them priced from $50 up to nearly $1000. Can you give me any advice or recommendations? I'd like to stay under $200. This will be for a pontoon boat used on the comparatively shallow waters of Green Bay (Lake Michigan) and inland Wisconsin lakes. Thank you.

 

[gm280]

Re: Depth Finder Info for a Noob

I am interested in getting a depth finder / fish finder. I fish, but I am not as serious about it as many people. I would like a finder that does both, but I am more interested in the depth finding capabilities. I know little about these devices. I have seen them priced from $50 up to nearly $1000. Can you give me any advice or recommendations? I'd like to stay under $200. This will be for a pontoon boat used on the comparatively shallow waters of Green Bay (Lake Michigan) and inland Wisconsin lakes. Thank you.

WOW that is a huge topic to cover with so many variables and opinions too. Some good reading would be on the different websites for each manufacturer. Hummingbird and Lowrance are two top competitors with tons of units to pick from. And as with most topics like this there will be unlimited opinions from so many that it may be more confusing them helping. I personally like Lowrance products myself but it is really a personal issue rather than feature issue. The very basic unit will give you depth info both in actual feet and also a graphic display. You can also get water temperature and boat speed and actual GPS coordinates too, and in color displays with adjustable multiple alarms for both depth and fish. The list goes on and on of the available options. So look at the company?s basic units and read about their options and then make your decision and go for it... After you have one for a while and learn more about them and how to interpret the info on the screens you may want a completely different model with even more options. But it is a personal thing for each...

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Depth Finder Info for a Noob

Just a place to start....
You will never regret having a little more than you think you will need at first.

ALL finders display Depth, Big and Clear, and will have a custom settable Depth alarm. (Warning! Less than 6 Feet!)
Depth displays of well more than 500 feet are a given.

A color display is HIGHLY! preferred over Grey Scale.

You are almost at the price level where you can add GPS to the unit.
Green Bay is a big piece of water.
Finding a port, any port, in the storm in a hurry is easy with GPS on board.
It is also handy for finding a preferred fishing spots over many of the wrecks in the bay.
Some trolling motors can operate in autopilot mode holding you over a spot or track a preset course.

If you eventually add a VHF Radio (Even a Handheld), The Fish Finders can transfer your GPS coordinates to the radio;
In an Emergency, the radio will transmit your GPS coordinates electronically to the Coast Guard, and every one else with a radio within 20 miles.

All of this can be had starting at well under $299 with careful shopping.

Start HERE.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Depth Finder Info for a Noob

Lowrance has a GPS FF combo at under $200.00 and it works well. For less money you just don't get the GPS. If all you want is depth, then just about any of the low cost units will work fine, they can all find the bottom easily, it's when you want more features that the cost goes up.

 

[Lurch77]

Re: Depth Finder Info for a Noob

Thanks for the advice everyone. Using what you have said I started my research and ended up selecting a Lowrance Mark-4 (Fishfinder + Chartplotter). It has GPS with an expansion slot for maps, and can be linked to a VHF radio, which is on my shopping list. It's a grayscale screen, they have a color version for quite a bit more money. Couldn't get myself to buy into it. I think this one will be fine.