ny benefit to FISH finder over depth gauge for runabout?

USA_boater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
275
I bought a deep V four winns that I am not planning to use this as a fishing boat (although I might fish for catfish from time to time). The existing Humminbird fish finder it came with isn't picking up the transducer so either that is bad or the unit itself is bad.

In deciding a replacement, I am wondering if a cheap depth sounder is just fine for my needs with this boat. OR is there some blindingly obvious reason I am missing why I'd want another full-featured unit???
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
For few bucks more you can buy a sonar with chart plotter , if that would have any value to you.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Know the water you boat on (check maps) and you don't need either one. But considering the little cost difference why not go for something you might use -- if only occasionally.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,416
It depends on where you boat.

If your a small lake boater the need of a chart plotter is minimal.

If you boat open waters then a chart plotter is an essential piece of equipment.

The body of water I boat on covers 4,500 square miles. I can end my day 60-70 miles from where I started. With a push of a button I instantly have a course back to the dock with an ETA
 

JASinIL2006

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,524
It's nice to have a GPS-based speedometer (especially if you pull skiers or tubes), but if you don't ever venture away from familiar waters, a depth sounder is fine. Mine is a very low-level plotter, but it has maps available (for purchase, on SD cards) for most waterways. Mine has Midwest lakes and rivers, and it's really handy on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. It shows wing dams and everything.
 

USA_boater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
275
Well I'm sure 99% of my boating will be on lakes familiar to me. There are some larger lakes here that I do not know but I could use a map if I had to. The sonar would be very cool though just to see what's down there. I'll do some research but perhaps I could do the sounder as a cheap fix and then add a sonar/gps later when there isn't so many "things" to fix/buy for this new (to me) boat.
 
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