Fish Finder Recommendation

[cobraman]

I wanted input on what fish finder is the better one for the price.<br />Eagle-Trifinder2 Fishfinder about $180<br />Eagle- Cuda 128 - $80<br />Lowrance X-51 - $190<br />Garmin 160 -$190<br /><br />I've heard Hummingbird is no good and so they are not listed above.

 

[DJ]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

cobraman,<br /><br />All good choices. However, the Eagle Cuda is the odd one out.<br /><br />The price tells you something, if it truly is $80.00 as compared to: $180.00-$190.00.

 

[cobraman]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Thanks.<br />I hear better things about the Eagle Trifinder more. Maybe that's the one. I would appreciate more feedback.

 

[DJ]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Cobraman,<br /><br />Never had an Eagle I didn't like.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Cobra I have an older eagle and it is great. I have the new tri finder sittin here in the box waiting to be installed I hope this weekend. Though the lake is still frozen. I may get out on the river. If i do I'll let you know how it worked.<br />------------<br />Flathead

 

[JB]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Hi, Cobra.<br /><br />I have had good service from several Eagles and Lowrances. Currently use an X85.<br /><br />For the better resolution I would select the X51, but the Garmin 160 also has an excellent reputation.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

I have a Garmin 160 . I like it alot, it has<br />excellent power for deep water fishing, great<br />features, easy to use and can seperate fish on the<br />bottom from structure. Good value for your money.

 

[dmessy]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Might want to rethink your decision to cut Humminbird out of the picture. My experience with them has been stellar, highly recommend the TX 300.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Humminbird just came out with a new line up which I believe are called "Matrix"... Might be worth a look.. Humminbird says screen resolution is better that the old stuff...

 

[dmessy]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

I like Humminbird's new wireless transducer that you can cast...the possiblities are endless, fairly cheap too

 

[cobraman]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Thanks for all your input. I think an Eagle will be. For a first time boat owner and fish finder owner, I think anything is better than no boat and no toys. Hell, I used to do plenty fine without either, fishing from the bank. For me this is icing on the cake.

 

[horndog]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

I just bought the new Eagle FishMark 320 with 320x320 resolution and a 5" screen! Same model as the Lowarence x87(?) for $199.00<br /><br />It may not have the tri-finder tranducer coverage(fishmark320 only has 60 degrees), but you can always upgrade the tranducer.<br /><br />I was searching for a fish finder for about a month and came across this one. I was looking at the Garmin 240, but for $300 I didn't think it was worth it.<br /><br />I definately was looking for a high resolution screen and large screen first, then the coverage area of the transducer. Some of the Hummingbirds only have 24 degrees of coverage! <br /><br />You can also download a demo of the fish finder on their website and get to actually play with it just like the real thing! i am already use to it, and its not even installed on my boat yet!

 

[bubbaboater]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

I have had Eagle and Hummingbied. Just bought new boat and it comes with a Hummingbird. I am ordering a Eagle Tri- Finder 2 next week. The Hummingbird isn't the quality of the Eagle and doesn't seem to last to long.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Cobraman<br />Really need to know a lot more about how and where you use unit. Saltwater or Freshwater, How deep do you fish.<br />I like both Lowrance and Eagle which are the same company and also Garmin. Of the one you listed I would go with the Lowrance X51 or Garmin 160 but these are both shallow water single frequency units good only down to about 150 feet of fresh water and maybe 100 feet in Saltwater.<br /><br />Horndog<br />The Fishmark is a very good unit for shallow water also. Has very good resolution but I hate to tell you actually has a 20 or 21 degree tranducer. Eagle and Lowrance is just useing creative marketing here. I think you will find say something like up to 60 with ASP (advanced signal processing). No one has been able to make a single 200khz tranducer wider than 21 degrees. Can get 50 Khz tranducer in 45 to 50 degree range.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

cobraman - I agree w/Boatist. There are a lot of variables to consider when looking at sonar units. Like he stated how and where are the big ones. If you fish suspended fish you will be better off choosing a wide beam transducer giving you a larger diameter circle and side lobe. But say your targeting fish at the bottom of a drop off. Then a narrow beam would be the ticket. Put into play depth, trolloing/drifting/anchored, gain levels,........I'm going cross-eyed thinking about it.

 

[horndog]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Boatist,<br /><br />It has a 60 degree 200khz tranducer

 

[horndog]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

oh yeah, you can get a dual beam tranducer as well with the FishMark 320. It is very versatile in its options. <br /><br />Garmin 160 is hard to read even in the store because of the low resolution, but maybe its because its been beat up bad being a demo unit.

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Wide beam transducers are good for shallow <br />water fishing as they loose there effectiveness at<br />deeper depths. If you are fishing deep you will <br />want a narrow beam transducer its capability is<br />better for concentrating power and will give much<br />better deep water readings. The garmin comes with<br />a narrow beam transducer for that reason .The<br />trifinder beams of the newer models show more <br />coverage away from the boat and are poor at <br />reading deep water.I fish in 400 ft of water to<br />average of 150 ft my garmin can seperate fish from<br />bottom in this range easily.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Horndog<br />What they are doing is using a 20 degree tranducer but instead of rating it at the 1/2 power point -3db the industry standard their rating it at -9db or something like that. As I said no one yet has been able to build a 200 khz single tranducer at over a 21 degree cone angle. Trust me if they had a 200 khz 60 degree cone angle tranducer it would be in the biggest bold print they could find.<br />Check out there web site and look at the 200khz transducers and see it you can find a 60 degree one.<br /> http://www.eaglegps.com/Products/Accessories/search.asp <br /><br />I have a old X50 Lowrance and it works good and has many features that can not get now that they made everything simpler. It is rated at 3000 watts peak to peak or 375 watts RMS. Lowrance claims good to 1000 feet. The reality is in salt water with a 20 degree tranducer can not see fish at over 150 feet. With a 8 degree tranducer good to about 350 feet to see rock cod. If going to fish deep in salt water really need to get s 50 khz tranducer and more power. For deep salt water Furuno is the best I have seen. Still if fishing for Black Bass, Stripers, Sturgeon, Salmon in 30 to 40 feet of Fresh water most of the units work pretty good. The higher the resoultion the more small fish you can see. Most black and white units screen do not have that high a contrast. The new color units are great but very pricey. Still my 1985 unit still as good as day I bought it so if you take care of last a long time.<br /><br />I guess my point is really need to know how and where your are going to use it before can pick the right unit.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Fish Finder Recommendation

Cobraman<br />You might like to check Lowrance Web site and look at the Sonar tutorial has some pretty good basic info.<br /><br /> http://www.lowrance.com/Tutorials/Sonar/sonar_tutorial_01.asp