Hello all,
I'm looking to but a fish finder for my boat and I need advice on a good one to buy.
I don't really want a color model mainly due to price. I have never used one. Are they really worth the money. I don't think I'll get one with GPS either. I would like one with the speed but I don't care about temp.
Any help would be great.
Ty
Need advice for a fish finder.
Hello Ty:
What you want a sonar unit to do for you will determine how much money you need to spend. No point in spending a smaller amount of money if the acquired sonar unit can't provide the performance you require. Consequently, establishing your requirements is the first order of business. For instance, if you need a sonar unit to help fishing walleye, then target separation is an important capability because walleye can sometimes be belly to the bottom. Target separation is more easily accomplished with more vertical pixels.
Consider a fishing depth setting of 0-60 feet. 60 feet equates to 720 inches. If you were to buy a sonar unit with 480 vertical pixels, then dividing 720 by 480, each vertical pixel represents 1.5 inches. Alternatively, if you were to purchase a sonar unit with 160 vertical pixels, then each vertical pixel represents 4.5 inches. To separately display two targets, you need at least one blank pixel between them. For the unit with 160 vertical pixels, that means 4.5 inches between the bottom and the first available target above bottom. There could easily be walleye on the bottom but the sonar unit with 160 vertical pixels couldn’t show them – unless the unit had a zoom capability (e.g. 2X or 4X). Many guys run a split screen with a top-to-bottom view on one side and a 4X zoom on the other.
Another important consideration is the power of the sonar unit. Cheaper sonar units have, for example, 800 watts (peak to peak) of power. If you’re a walleye fisherman and you fish soft bottom flats for your walleye, 800 watts (PTP) isn’t adequate power to provide you adequate target separation.
Consequently, establish the requirements for your sonar unit, and then go shopping.
What you want a sonar unit to do for you will determine how much money you need to spend. No point in spending a smaller amount of money if the acquired sonar unit can't provide the performance you require. Consequently, establishing your requirements is the first order of business. For instance, if you need a sonar unit to help fishing walleye, then target separation is an important capability because walleye can sometimes be belly to the bottom. Target separation is more easily accomplished with more vertical pixels.
Consider a fishing depth setting of 0-60 feet. 60 feet equates to 720 inches. If you were to buy a sonar unit with 480 vertical pixels, then dividing 720 by 480, each vertical pixel represents 1.5 inches. Alternatively, if you were to purchase a sonar unit with 160 vertical pixels, then each vertical pixel represents 4.5 inches. To separately display two targets, you need at least one blank pixel between them. For the unit with 160 vertical pixels, that means 4.5 inches between the bottom and the first available target above bottom. There could easily be walleye on the bottom but the sonar unit with 160 vertical pixels couldn’t show them – unless the unit had a zoom capability (e.g. 2X or 4X). Many guys run a split screen with a top-to-bottom view on one side and a 4X zoom on the other.
Another important consideration is the power of the sonar unit. Cheaper sonar units have, for example, 800 watts (peak to peak) of power. If you’re a walleye fisherman and you fish soft bottom flats for your walleye, 800 watts (PTP) isn’t adequate power to provide you adequate target separation.
Consequently, establish the requirements for your sonar unit, and then go shopping.
Look at the Lowrance LcxM17 without the GPS module. This is an incredible unit with great power and als 640 X 480 pixels. The best monochrome unit I have ever used. If you ever decide that you do want a gPS also all you have to do is buy the reciever and wires and you are ready to go. I have one on my main dash this year and love it. I also run the 480m unit on the bow and its a great unit as well.
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bassfighter
- Participant
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:40 pm
- Location: toronto
need 300+ pixel
I own a 320x320 pixel by Eagle bought new last year at ebay, and never regreted anything, I had an older model humminbird that shows only 120x120 pixel, it does the same except for resolution. KNowing the depth , structure and weedbed, is all we need from the sonar, the reat is up to our skill, I hardly see fish on my sonar whenever I caught one, and whenever I see a fish on the sonar, I could never get one. How ironic!
Ebay has good deals especially around October when the season is almost over, go to your local fishing store and study which one you wanted and then search for similar kind at ebay, you will get good deals on the new ones as well. But watch out for defective once, as they are a tons of them as well, I got ripped off once and was more careful today. A tons of headache getting money from paypal. I bought a brand new one last year, for higher pixel instead, but only at CA$150 all inclusive. Grab the highest possible pixel you can afford, it will help you search for proper structure.
My friend has a seperate Garmin GPS and I loved it as well, I am not sure if it is worth combining the two, for if one breaks down, the other one might be affected as well.
The one I own today has tons of features but quite confusing to use, and it affected my focus on fishing at times, the extra features such as water temp, speed, distance, etc... are there but not necessarily useful. My old one works as effective as my new higher pixel sonar.
Knowing depth and structure or weedbed is all we need to be good anglers aside from tons of practice and persistance.
Ebay has good deals especially around October when the season is almost over, go to your local fishing store and study which one you wanted and then search for similar kind at ebay, you will get good deals on the new ones as well. But watch out for defective once, as they are a tons of them as well, I got ripped off once and was more careful today. A tons of headache getting money from paypal. I bought a brand new one last year, for higher pixel instead, but only at CA$150 all inclusive. Grab the highest possible pixel you can afford, it will help you search for proper structure.
My friend has a seperate Garmin GPS and I loved it as well, I am not sure if it is worth combining the two, for if one breaks down, the other one might be affected as well.
The one I own today has tons of features but quite confusing to use, and it affected my focus on fishing at times, the extra features such as water temp, speed, distance, etc... are there but not necessarily useful. My old one works as effective as my new higher pixel sonar.
Knowing depth and structure or weedbed is all we need to be good anglers aside from tons of practice and persistance.