Best fish finder in the $100 to $150 range

[iowabucks]

Sorry if this question has been asked many times before, which i'm sure it has.

I am looking for the best fishfinder in the $100 to $150 range for use in a plastic 2 man boat in very shallow waters. 80% of our fishing will be done in 6 to 4 foot of water. An occational lake will be fished in the 25 to 30 foot max depth. Crappie fishing most of the time.

Are there certain types that are better suited for shallow water? What if i bumped it up to the $200 range?

 

[jhebert]

Re: Best fish finder in the $100 to $150 range

If operating in 4-feet of water, and if we assume your boat draws 1-foot of water, this gives us 3-feet of water under the boat. A SONAR only gives return echoes from the area under the transducer and outward to the side by some angle. Typically the cone angle is about 30-degrees. Thus a SONAR will be giving you returns from only an area whose width is about 1.5-feet wide when you are in 4-feet of water. Unless a fish is swimming directly under the transducer, it will not produce an echo on the SONAR.

 

[iowabucks]

Re: Best fish finder in the $100 to $150 range

Well then possibly i should be looking for one with a wider cone angle or if all else fails at least have a unit that shows depth and structure on the bottom in an easy to read manner.

 

[ryanerb]

Re: Best fish finder in the $100 to $150 range

honestly, using it in 4-6 ft of water might not benefit you that much. i guess it will at least tell you depth and water temp, but you will mostly be fishing based on how your surroundings look. for the 20ft range, it would really help you out.

 

[wimpy 69]

Re: Best fish finder in the $100 to $150 range

Humminbird 160 portable-$130-Cabelas Display Size: 4.0" diagonal
Display Pixel Matrix: 160V x 128H
Display Type: FSTN LCD
Display Colors/Grayscale: 4 Level Grayscale
Dual Beam
Sonar Coverage 83 kHz / 60? @ -10db
200 kHz / 20? @ -10db

Target Separation: 2.5 inches
Power Output (RMS): 100 Watts (RMS)
Power Output (Peak to Peak): 800 Watts (Peak-to-Peak)
Temperature: Included
Backlight: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Mount: Tilt
Unit Size: 4-3/8" W x 6-1/8" H x 3-1/4" D
Transducer - Standard: XPT-9-20-T
Transducer Mounting: Suction Cup
Power Input: 12V 7Ah battery & charger included*