Salt Water Sonar/Fish Finder

Grant Brown

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Messages
390
I'm looking to upgrade my sonar. I have a 20 foot aluminum with a Merc I/O.
I'm using it mostly in salt water fishing for salmon.
Right now I am using an Eagle Fish Easy 2 and having touble holding a reading on depth at any speed. It sometimes won't even work at trolling speed. Very frustrating. It actually seems worthless as there have been times when we are catching fish consistently but nothing is showing on the sonar.
What do you guys recommend? More power? Brand?

Thanks,
Grant Brown
White Rock, BC
 

JohnQ-FWB

Seaman
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
51
Re: Salt Water Sonar/Fish Finder

Basically I have the same setup as you do & fish for Salmon/Butts in the saltchuck. I had a Lowrance X703D with dual transducers. The 3D transducer was about useless at any speed and woulkd not hold/see bottoms deeper than 350 feet. The 2D deep cone faired very well and would hold bottom up to 25 MPH. I upgraded my entire electronics package to the second generation (blue connector) networked Lowrance products (GPS/FF/Multipurpose Guage/VHF/etc) and the Fish Finder is a Lowrance X-107 CDF. First off, I don't know how I ever survived without COLOR, it's the Cat's Azz. My 1995 Trophy 2002 with a 150 recently tuned up 150 carb'ed Merc can move that package along at about 45 MPH (as measured via the GlobalMap 6500C GPS Chart Plotter). The new(er) X-107CDF has NOT lost bottom yet at any speed or depth on either frequency of the transducer, I am amazed (pleasently). :cool:
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,414
Re: Salt Water Sonar/Fish Finder

What's your budget and how deep do you fish?
 

Grant Brown

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Messages
390
Re: Salt Water Sonar/Fish Finder

Thanks for the replies. I'd like to stay at the low end of the budget. I'm hoping to stay near $400.

I fish in water a max depth of up to about 400 feet for Halibut. Usually I fish 50 - 250 feet for salmon. I'd really like to be able to spot fish while running (my boat will run 30mph all day and max at about 45). If I could spot bait fish schools it would be even better.

I like the specs on the Garmin 340C and the Eagle Seafinder 480DF. Both have 4000 watts power and fast scroll and depth readings up to 1500 feet.

Grant
 

JohnQ-FWB

Seaman
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
51
Re: Salt Water Sonar/Fish Finder

The future of boating electronics is NMEA 2000 networking. Anything you buy should look to that capability. I was able to upgrade quite economically by "haunting" eBay for Blue connector lowrance products. I got that x-107cdf for just over $$$250 USD's and the GlobalMap 6500C (with GPS Puck and network cables) right at $400 and that included a Chart Set from SanDiego, Ca (and Hawaii), up the Ca/Or/Wa coasts, Strait of Juan DeFuca, N & S Puget Sound, 11 charts all around Vancouver Island, and the Alaskan Panhandle. That's what started me on this upgrade path, my old GlobalMap 3000M could not "digest" these larger sized charts, and at the time Navionics had (maybe still do) an Upgrade Your Charts for a $100. I have since added the DCS Capable VHF (automatically & digitally) can pick up your coordinates from the GPS over the network and broadcast them as part of a distress call. I have since picked up a LMF-400 general purpose gauge with fuel flow sensor and fluid level sensor. As so as my "Blood Money Account" comes off of life support, I am eye balling the Bennett Trim Tab sensors so I can display the trim tab positions either on the GPS screen or the LMF-400.:cool:
 
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