¿Which fish finder?

[marcmccain]

This is my first posting. Having read many of your comments seems like I know you’re the right folks to ask for advice… Years ago I used an Eagle Z-100 but haven’t used a fish finder "lately". Having moved from Florida to Madrid, Spain I’m buying and outfitting a new Tracker Grizzly 1848(aluminium) with Yamaha 40hp which I plan to use on local empoundments and lakes around the Madrid area – all shallow fresh water. Based on your experience, which fish-finder do you recommend? <br /><br />I am comparing the following units:<br /><br /> MFG/Model Price Pixels Power <br /><br />Garmin 160Blue $239 160X160 400 wrms 4000 peak to peak<br />Garmin 240Sonar $279 240X240 ? wrms 3200 peak to peak<br />Raytheon 365 $220 240X60 300 wrms<br />Hummingbird 300TX Plus $220 128X64 ??? <br />Hummingbird 405SX Plus $200 160X160 ???<br /><br />While searching the net I found a good tutorial on fish finders at www.lorance.com/Tutorials and got some ideas, but all I got is talk about theory. Would appreciate any “practical” advice you may have.<br /><br />I’d also like to thank all those who have spent so much time posting good, solid comments and advice for amateurs like me to read. <br />

 

[12Footer]

Re: ¿Which fish finder?

Given the choices you list and thier specs, I would go with the Garmin 240Sonar. Reasons being; 1.Price. It's a good price. 2.Wattage.Being in fresh, shallow water,you will not need much more than 300Watts, much less 3KW. But It's overkill.<br />3. Pixels...The more, the merrier,the better definition you'll be able to get.<br />4. Every Garmin I ever saw in operation tracked flawlessly at any speed,unlike any of the humminbirdz,which do not.<br />5. Garmins fog up less than anything other than Furuno (which are 'spensive beyond words).

 

[WOOLY BUGGER]

Re: ¿Which fish finder?

DONT RULE OUT THE FISHIN BUDDY, VERY POPULAR HERE IN THE STATES

 

[petryshyn]

Re: ¿Which fish finder?

yo Warhouse:<br /><br />This is probably not the comment a Boy's Toy's manufacturer wants to hear, but.... <br />It all boils down to what you're after....<br />I've used a few finders in shallow fresh water including Eagle, Hummingbird and Transonic. I hate to say this, but, in my opinion, if you are fishing in "shallow" water (10'-20'), all you need is a digital depth gauge to find the holes and a common leech on a small snelled hook as a finder...LOL I found that most fish around here that showed up on sonar weren't game fish. As an example, walley, perch and pike all are bottom dwellers and scatter when you near them in shallow water. The finder turns up zero. When you're sitting fishing, the leech will tell you more about whats down there than the sounder!<br />If you're fishing for suspended fish like rainbow or lakers, its a different story. I guess its all in what you're after in fresh water.<br />When my Z-9000 finally gets tired, its a digital depth gauge for me.......but I'm a walleye nut.<br /><br />Good fishin'

 

[Trent]

Re: ¿Which fish finder?

I like Si-Tex More money but a better sonar.<br />Iv used all the above..Spend the extra money and get a good sounder.........my thoughts only.

 

[marcmccain]

Re: ¿Which fish finder?

Thanks to all.<br /><br />Schematic,<br /><br />Gets a bit deeper than 10-20 feet although I never thought of a leech. The fishin' water here runs from 7 feet which holds bass in the spring down to 200 feet where the creekbed and old roads lie on the bottom of the empoundment. Lots of structure since the valleys had lots of orchards and groves of olive trees that were submerged when the lakes were impounded. Lots of bass, pike, walley, and an occasional land-locked salmon. Only problem is that perch are smaller that those in the Americas and not a crappie to be found. Lots of crawfish and small sunfish make up the main course on the menu for the bigger fish. Again thanks for your thoughts.

 

[harrison20002]

Re: ¿Which fish finder?

WARHORSE; I don't know what your choice will be but I wanted to reply to the anti-Hummingbird crowd. Several years ago I purchased a Hummingbird Wide Optic. After I installed it, I too, had trouble with a fading screen at WOT. I went back to the instruction manual and followed each installation step. The spacing of the Transducer below the bottom of the Transom is critical. I replaced mine between 1/8" and 1/4" below and it worked great until I sold it to buy a HB 300TX this ff also serves me well.<br /><br />I don't use mine to locate fish so much as I do locating the contour of the bottom. When I get over river channels or old road bottoms,I'm usually where I want to fish.<br /><br />Whichever unit you decide on the best of luck with it. Hal

 

[Fishcamp]

Re: ¿Which fish finder?

Schematic's reply pretty much said it. Like you used to, I've been using an old Eagle color sounder that is so old (1988 or so)it ought to have rocking chair mounts, but it just won't die and the resolution is so good I hope it never does. I've been looking at the Eagle Trifinder 2 for a different boat since I dive a lot and am always looking for a small stationary target on the bottom from 35- 120 feet. The Trifinder supposedly has a 150 degree beam which ought to be good for that, I would think. I've had good luck with the old Eagle but don't have any recent info. My son has had good luck with his Garmin on a boat similar to yours, though. Anyone had any experience with the Eagle Trifinder 2? Would appreciate any feedback. Good luck with the search, Warhorse. I think the good news is there are a lot of good, reasonably priced sounders out there, and most would probably suit your needs just fine for the way you plan to use it. It's the special applications like mine or very high speed operation in skinny water that get a little trickier.