Buying the right fish finder/depth finder?

[ricohman]

I would like to equip my new boat with a fish finder. I admit I have very little knowledge regarding this so I have been reading.
I would like GPS and color. Since I never owned such a device I have no favorite brand. I will be in fresh water with sand/mud and rock bottoms.
I would like to spend around $600. Can anyone recommend any particular unit? There are many in this price range and they all look the same to me.
Is there a site where I could read user reviews?

 

[JB]

Re: Buying the right fish finder/depth finder?

I believe that Lowrance/Eagle makes the best SONARs for fresh water and Garmin makes the best GPS. I do not trust combo units.

Separate units can be had in your price range that are good performers.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Buying the right fish finder/depth finder?

Never knew that. That could be a valuable tip. The only reason I wanted GPS was for the northern lakes where every island looks the same.
I will have to look into this. The Islander 221 I bought has a massive dash, so room is not a problem.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Buying the right fish finder/depth finder?

Best thing to do is go to the different brand names websites and read there literature. Also go to your local boating store or a bass pro to look at different models and get hands on experience. Your budget will get you into a midrange unit. If it were me, I would suggest expanding your Budget a little and getting into a Lowrance Hds-7. But again, thats just my opinion based on what I run. Garmin is also a good product. "The Hull Thruth" website has many threads talking about each product also.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Buying the right fish finder/depth finder?

Buying a combinatioin GPS/Fishfinder means that if one function or the other goes bad you likely toss the entire rig. Hand held GPS units are available for a hundred bucks or so. Granted they don't show a picture of the lake, but that's not necessary.. You mark where you started and follow the sugar trail back. Spend the money ($300 or so) on the locator. A map of the lakes you visit in conjunction with the hand held GPS is all you need. If money is no object then go for the combo unit. I use a very old Garmin hand held unit that has highway maps in it. Some of the remote lakes I fish even appear but they are just gray blobs that generally represent the shape of the lake. They are obviously not intended for navigation. It would appear you need to do lots of reading before making a decision. My suggestion is to go to Cabelas or Bass Pro and after finding a sales rep that gives a darn about his job, have him show you whats available. If high pressure starts, walk away.