Which Fish Finder to buy next ?

[ab59]

I'm about ready to buy another fish finder and since poor boys have poor ways I'm looking at a Humminbird 7" or a Hook 2 7" screen that has side imaging . My question would be for those of you who actually have these types of finders and how you like their performance. Would be a great help to have information from people who have and do use them.Is one better than the other or both about the same ? Easy to use ? Do what they claim ? That kinda stuff.
Tell me what you think . Thanks----AB59

 

[dingbat]

Not a fan of either Mfg. Lots of specmanship in their advertising.

What is your budget?

What type of fishing do you?
Max. Depth?
What are your expectations?

On a budget, better off getting good quality old school technology rather than half baked new tech.

 

[ab59]

Thanks for your response Dingbat---- I'm looking to buy a good used unit in the neighborhood of 500.00 . Right now I only fish freshwater rivers less than 30 ft deep for the most part and 6-10 ft deep on average and the local lakes that vary to 300 ft deep. Crappie and bass would be my main targets but this may all change soon as I am a conservative trying to get out of Commiefornia. Have been looking to move to the San Antonio area or lower Oklahoma area within the next few months . If I wind up in southern Texas then I would begin fishing saltwater as well. Don't quite know what you mean by Old School . That to me means jumping from place to place every 15 minutes until you find the fish , or not , lol.

 

[dingbat]

DI is useless
SI is useless past 30 ft. ,speeds above 3-4 kts or any meaningful wave action.

Using low frequency SI 260 to 455 kHz frequencies provides the best “big water” performance.

CHIRP is not “digital sonar” per say. CHIRP is a specific method of ringing thru a range of frequencies (80 - 160 kHz) with each pulse.

Using a standard transducer (83/200 kHz) and claiming to process the secondary (off frequency) returns do not constitute CHIRP in the purest sense.

The max. “usable” depth is about 1/2 that advertised.

Transducer cone angles are measured at 3 dB (half power) loss. Beware of companies giving cone angles measured at 10 dB....your not comparing apples to oranges.

A cone angle measuring 20 degrees at 10 dB is only 10 degrees when using the 3 dB standard

 

[ab59]

thanks for your reply Dingbat-- The 30 ft on the SI would be ok for my purposes , that is until I start to fish in salt waters and I would probably just be pokin along at slow speeds under a couple of Kts as far as speed but I will try to find something that hits the 260-455 kHz anyway. For the money i have to spend I know I'm not going to get the best but something that will do a decent job down to 80 ft would be alright. I've heard good and bad things about Humminbird-Lowrance and Garmin as well but there are always lemons in all brands so not sure what would be a fair assessment . I will apply your recommendations to what I look at and maybe I can find something decent.
thanks---a.b.

 

[roscoe]

Have a Helix 7 gen 1, and a Hook 7 gen 2. Both are chart plotter units.
User interface is a bit different between the two. It comes down to user preference.

Both are adequate for Crappie , walleye, perch, smallmouth bass, even lake trout.
Most of my use is in less than 30' of water for the species above, and occasionally in 60-70' of water for lakers.

While I think SI is a pain in the butt for the locations I fish, it does have some use.
I have used it to cruise a shoreline at 4-5 mph and locate structure for later fishing.
Would be nice if I could mark that structure location easily from 75' away, but they only mark the location of the boat.
So I use notations to provide more detail. I just don't use it much at all.

DI works for me when I am working through the brush or old timber stands, trying to find the tree that is holding the walleye or crappie. But you must move slow and remember the DI only shows detail of what is directly under the transducer.


Once you start getting into the $700-$900+ units, there are better units out there, and lots of choices, and volumes of specs to sort through.

 

[Blvr]

I don’t know about locators or SanAntonio. I I do know about southeastern Oklahoma / western Arkansas. for hunting, fishing and anything outdoors. Just gotta show Bigfoot he don’t scare you.

 

[ab59]

thanks for your reply Roscoe---- you know, after reading what dingbat had to say I'm wondering if I can understand these things enough to make a good decision . lol. I'm really not all that tec savvy but I am willing to learn even at 64 . So many different levels of the same brand with stuff in them that I may never figure out how to use has really got me wondering what I should be looking for. Something mid range would most likely be ok for me and i guess I'll figure it out as i go. Seems like I should be able to pick up something that cost 1000 bucks new for around half that price used . Maybe . I lean towards a Lowrance unit because I owned an Lcx many years ago that i could actually see my line and lure on the display and that was a first for me and my brother . Funny , we were fascinated by it , had never seen a finder that sensitive.
Well anyway, thanks for the info---a.b.

 

[ab59]

Blvr---Both my parents came from Oklahoma but I have never been there or to Texas for that matter and I'm sure I'll have to get used to the weather back there but the fishing and hunting sound good. Ol' Big foot and me should be able to come to an understanding with no problem as I'll leave him alone if he leave me alone otherwise I would just let Mr. Ruger speak for me.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I have had all manufacturers of sonar over the years. My B&W Garmin combo lasted 25 years. I don't care what you buy today either the technology is out of date the day you buy it or it is going to crap out in 5to 7 years. That's the nature of electronics today in all forms from TV's to sonar. I am running a Humminbird something? (Old timers moment) Sonar can be as complicated as one wants it to be. Some guys I fish with know more about their unit and how many hundreds of ways to use it than they do their occupations. I know dingbat knows what he is talking about, it's just me that doesn't. I like the KISS philosophy in life.

Whatever you decide on make sure you buy a GPS/SONAR combo with the largest screen that is in your budget. I have not had any issues with my Humminbird unit. My little B&W Garmin sonar shows exactly he same depth, baitballs and fish that the Humminbird does, even at 30 MPH.

 

[roscoe]

When I upgraded a few years ago, I went with the Humm Helix because I could get better more detailed maps for it, for a few key lakes I fish.

I recently got another boat, which had the Low Hook 2 installed on it.

The thing with either unit is spend a day or two setting it up, getting familiar with what it can do.
Choose which features you want to use and use that as your "base" setup.

I use the gps/maps to get me back to my hot spots, and to get me home.
I use the sonar to show me structure.
I occasionally use the Down Image to jig in and around tight structure.
I have the speed displayed as that can be important when trolling or drifting for walleyes.

The other 200 features have little to no value to me.

If you want to use sonar and maps at the same time, consider a 9" model.

The newer the unit, the better the screen image.

Like looking at a new iPhone screen, compared to a flip phone from 2006.

Remember, the more time you spend focused on the electronics, the less time you spend focused on the fishing, or enjoying the great outdoors. Keep it simple.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Remember, the more time you spend focused on the electronics, the less time you spend focused on the fishing, or enjoying the great outdoors. Keep it simple.

My exact sentiments. I was gifted a simple Eagle Ultra portable unit 25 years ago. When we 1st started using it I had 2 guys over my shoulder looking at the video game. I wasn't watching where I was going and looking at the screen instead. That was until I beached the boat on some rocks. Lucky we were slow trolling. I'm trying to find why that beeping was for and why it was only showing 3' of water until it was too late. That's when I found out what the shallow water alarm was for!!!

 

[QBhoy]

A friend recently got a dragonfly plotter and sounder unit.
not knowing too much about them, having only been used to my old trusty Garmin 450s....I must admit I was impressed at the clarity and detail of these dragonfly. Certainly for the price at least.

But, just recently again, I heard from a chandler that they may be taking these off the shelves, if they haven’t already. Something to do with some owners reporting issues with their ability to stand up to exposure to the elements when mounted in an exposed position. Haven’t known it to be true for the one I know. Maybe all new tech would seem impressive in comparison to mine, but it was amazing to see this dragonfly demonstrate the ability to show with clarity the detail and shape of even an anchor on the bottom under the boat.

All above to be taken from someone that doesn’t know too much about it all though. My old Garmin is only used as a gadget at most. The sounder stops working on my hull at anything over 55/60 mph anyway, with the hull no longer being in the water, where the transducer is mounted under the rear of the inboard engine.
here is a link to the dragonfly

http://www.raymarine.com/dragonfly.html

 

[cptbill]

I've got a hook2, had it for about a year and I'm going to replace it this year. Never works the same way twice, biggest problem is the depth sounder works good for a short while then freezes up and have to turn the unit off then restart and so on. The updates don't fix the problem and getting info from Lowrance is worse than dealing with your X-wife

 

[dingbat]

The reality is....most people wouldn't know a good (quality) fish finder from bad if it walked up and introduced itself. As long as it shows bottom, displays a believable depth, and show a fish now and then, it's a good unit. If you can interface the unit with your smart phone, it's a great unit....lol

I fish for three reasons...to Win, to Teach or top my personal best of a species. Relaxation isn't one of them...lol

As a seasoned surf fisherman, I find sitting in a beach chair, with (surf) rod in the spike and a cooler full of adult beverages by my side, much more relaxing than boat fishing.

Then there are the (hot) days I say heck with it.......make it no further than the backyard pool with a 32 oz. margarita in hand.

Life is good...

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Exactly dingbat. When I was a teen someone told me golf was relaxing too. Fishing can be relaxing as well if you are my 1st Mate. I watch the weather all week, I get the boat ready, check all the safety equipment, check all the electronics, check the VHF, load the downriggers and set up get all 8 rods with all my weapons of mass distraction for the day, pick my back up lures for the day, almost forgot the day before I go shopping for lunch meats, shrimp ring, carbs, good buns, libations, water, make the sangwidges the night before, load the boat, fill it with gas, check the O/B oil, drive to the ramp, launch it, get to my 1st choice of water, set up the rods, drop them to my depths while watching my electronics, weave in and out of weekender tourney fishermen, dodge the commercial nets and commercial fishermen's boats, watch the rods while keeping the front of my boat from hitting the back of another boat. That's about it to win a 100 bucks. Oh almost forgot that we are in the shipping lanes for giant vessels hauling Iron Ore and coal. Then my 1st Mate tells me how relaxing fishing is. I enjoy it otherwise I wouldn't do it, neither would you and I know you are a lot more serious about fishin' than I am.

What was the question again? Sorry O.P. Buy the best unit with the largest screen that your budget will allow. Nothing wrong with a Humminbird for what you need it for. You aren't calling in co ordinates for an air strike, your going fishin', it's really relaxing this fishin' thing.

 

[JimS123]

Exactly dingbat. When I was a teen someone told me golf was relaxing too. Fishing can be relaxing as well if you are my 1st Mate. I watch the weather all week, I get the boat ready, check all the safety equipment, check all the electronics, check the VHF, load the downriggers and set up get all 8 rods with all my weapons of mass distraction for the day, pick my back up lures for the day, almost forgot the day before I go shopping for lunch meats, shrimp ring, carbs, good buns, libations, water, make the sangwidges the night before, load the boat, fill it with gas, check the O/B oil, drive to the ramp, launch it, get to my 1st choice of water, set up the rods, drop them to my depths while watching my electronics, weave in and out of weekender tourney fishermen, dodge the commercial nets and commercial fishermen's boats, watch the rods while keeping the front of my boat from hitting the back of another boat. That's about it to win a 100 bucks. Oh almost forgot that we are in the shipping lanes for giant vessels hauling Iron Ore and coal. Then my 1st Mate tells me how relaxing fishing is. I enjoy it otherwise I wouldn't do it, neither would you and I know you are a lot more serious about fishin' than I am.

What was the question again? Sorry O.P. Buy the best unit with the largest screen that your budget will allow. Nothing wrong with a Humminbird for what you need it for. You aren't calling in co ordinates for an air strike, your going fishin', it's really relaxing this fishin' thing.

In my last years of working I was on call 24/7/365. Even on vacation I HAD to have my phone with me in case there was an emergency and they needed an Engineer to verbally certify a deviation from specs to meet OSHA, ISO or EPA rules.

I went fishing every Saturday with my Dad and my Son. I did all the things mentioned above. Dad brought the bait (if applicable) and the lunch. Those years I cheated. When on board I turned off the phone and stowed it. My excuse was I was out of range and they never figured it out.....LOL.

I did all the work too. When the downriggers needed adjusting I did it. When I wasn't at the helm my Son drove. All the time Dad just sat there relaxing. If we had a fish on, Dad got first crack. When he couldn't handle the pole any more he anxiously watched.

Those were the best years of my life....and also the most relaxing and most enjoyable. I'd give anything to go back there again.

Today I have a Raymarine and a Simrad. Both are color and the total investment tops 2 grand. Looking back, the $99 color Humminbirds I had worked just as well for fishing. Coupled with a Loran (later replaced with a hand held $99 GPS) it all I ever needed for fishing.

BTW, golfing is freakin snoozer boring.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

JimS123 , are you sure we didn't work with one another? I heard a shoe drop once at the plant and said I better get out of here before I can't. I got home and told my then girlfriend to get in the Jeep we were going to the lake for the night. No cell service then, It was less than an hour from our home in the city. We went down to the beach and I had fired up the Hibachi. She said to me "What did you do now?" I looked up on the deck and there stood 2 OPP, Ontario Provincial Police. The one guy said "Man we don't know who you are but our chief said to come and tell you to go back to work." I spent the next 7 days and nights at the plant sneaking naps in on a cot set up in our main conference room then the next 7 nights of 14's. That's the exact time I decided to take advantage of our 25 yrs service and out retirement package the following year. I was out.

 

[JimS123]

JimS123 , are you sure we didn't work with one another? I heard a shoe drop once at the plant and said I better get out of here before I can't. I got home and told my then girlfriend to get in the Jeep we were going to the lake for the night. No cell service then, It was less than an hour from our home in the city. We went down to the beach and I had fired up the Hibachi. She said to me "What did you do now?" I looked up on the deck and there stood 2 OPP, Ontario Provincial Police. The one guy said "Man we don't know who you are but our chief said to come and tell you to go back to work." I spent the next 7 days and nights at the plant sneaking naps in on a cot set up in our main conference room then the next 7 nights of 14's. That's the exact time I decided to take advantage of our 25 yrs service and out retirement package the following year. I was out.

Couldn't have been the same plant because you didn't have OSHA or EPA. Also, our benefits and salary was so lucrative that our turnover was non-existent.

As a professional I was expected to do a lot, but I was treated extremely well and was paid accordingly. In fact, I stayed a year AFTER normal retirement. My SeaRay were the fruits of my labor.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

The question was retorical. We had a large turnover. The area alone was hazardous. People had to sign in if not on the operations team and had to be escorted by a certified Gas Checker at all times. The Occupational Health and Safety Acts for Mines and Mining Plants, The Construction Safety Act as well as The Occupational H&S Act for Industrial Establishments did not come into effect in Ontario until 1978. From then on we sure had them and had to comply with them as well as legislation from The Ministry of the Environment (MOE). It's not that safety did not exist before that because it was written into the CBA. Environmental protection was literally non exsitant until 85'. The USWA in our plant was very strong.