handheld fishfinder/depthfinder

[saint romain]

Does anyone know anything about a good handheld? I have a flatboat and a bassboat, but i fish my flat more than anything in some big ponds and stuff, so I was wondering if there were any quality handhelds out there. I looked at a few of them online, and couldnt find any at basspro.com. I'd like to spend less than 300$ on one. If anyone could at least throw a name brand or any specs that are better/helpful, that'd be great.

thanks

[catchnm]

I have one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/NorCross-HawkEye-F33P-Fish-Finder/dp/B000BV6B6K

Use it in my two-man boat, not a graph, just a depth and fish finder. Still pretty good for what it is though.

[RedhookRR]

try the Humminbird Fishin Buddy

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_97456_250003001_250000000_250003000_250-3-1

Have not tried myself but a all in one unit.

Or you could buy a regular unit and built it/adapt it into a removal box with a battery pack and use a mount on your boat for the transducer like the fishin buddy.  At least that is my plan with my canoe this year.

[RAMBLER]

Look at the humminbird RF35. http://store.humminbird.com/products/341324/RF35

I really like this. A note, though, take the battery out of the wrist unit when your not using it. It's easy to bump the on switch while stored and the battery runs down. Other wise it is really handy. I like to use it to find depths in places I can't put the boat or when I use a small boat with no depth finder mounted on it.

Tie the green sending unit on a rod and reel and cast it to the spot you want to know the depth of.  Reel it back slow and you can see the depth/fish all the way back to the boat or shore.

[Hawghead]

I made a portable fish finder from an older "non portable" model.

Think it is an old hummingbird x-40.  I took a bracket from an old transom mount trolling motor.  I cut a piece of pressure treated 2x4 to fit in the channel of the bracket where the trolling motor shaft would normally fit.  Length was about 34 inches.

The bracket that usually mount to the boat it mounted to a piece of 2x4 that is screwed to the top of the long skinny 2x4 that is screwed in to teh trolling motor bracket.  That top 2x4 is attached with just one 3" deck screw so that the Fish finder can be rotated.  The fish finder bracket is screwed to the top 2x4 with some drywall screws.  The transducer is zip tied to the bottom of the 34" 2x4 that is mounted in the trolling motor bracket.

The power cord was modified with 'c' connectors to mount to my trolling motor terminals.  The excess cord was bundle and zip tied up.

So it mounts like a typical transom mount trolling motor.  I will get some pics.  Of it.  Pefectly portable for pond prowlers and a local Wildlife Area that we can rent boats on.

[Revo_Carrot Stix]

This thread contains subliminal messaging from the Bait Monkey!!!

I have around 30 community fishing lakes in my area that are perfect for those 2-4 hr bank fishing outings. The levels seldom change enough for me to get a glimpse of depth and structure...so I jumped on the Hawkeye Fish Finder for $46. I will let you know how it works when the snow melts....

[saint romain]

Thanks for the help, think im going to run out to bass pro friday and get the fishin buddy, only because i dont want to have a pole set aside just to cast out my depth finder, im all about convenience