Fish Finders?

[MrTexasRigs]

Alright so I'm new to fishfinders as we just got a boat. I'm not looking to spend at anywhere near where people on here would say to. I just want one that will accurately measure depth, temp, obviously easy to read/see the structure etc. It does not have to be in color, but more preferable. I've been looking into Garmin fishfinders. They rated their lower end model the best in field and stream against humminbird and lowrance, (not saying that i should go by that.) I've been looking at the Garmin Echo 300c. I haven't really looked in depth at fishfinders/differences, but I was wondering if you guys can give me a start. I'm looking in the range of $100-$300. Obviously I'm at the upper-end of those numbers, that is just the margin. So if you could give me some tips/list on what to look for in the fish finder, also if you could give me fish finders that you would recommend in this price range, etc, etc. I'm thinking I'm leaning more towards Humminbird and Garmin.

 

Thanks

 

 

Also sorry for how choppy that was, kind of just threw it together real quick.

[martintheduck]

For $300 tops you aren't going to be getting into anything worth a dang. I've got a Humminbird 365i right now and it does work just fine, but I DEFINITELY want something with more features after using this one the past months. With simple sonar it's really tough to get any beneficial information about, well, ANYTHING. 

 

Ultimately, I was okay using my little janky unit until I experienced a side imaging unit. I'm waiting for them to go on sale again to buy one.

 

 

ANYHOW ----- If you can convince yourself to spend a LITTLE BIT MORE, you can get a couple really awesome units that'll do more than just temp, sonar, gps...

 

 

Check out the Dragonfly Fish Finder. It's $500 for a SWEET unit!

 

If you really do believe you'll be content with just a bare bones finder, check into the Humminbird 365i.

[slonezp]

Color is a much better choice than b&w. Not because it looks pretty either. The color returns will give you a better idea of the strength of the return. Top of the color palette is the strongest return, meaning directly under the boat, and bottom of the color palette is the weakest return, meaning off to the sides. It's also much easier to distinguish the bottom composition.

[Scott F]

$300 will buy you an excellent depth finder. At $200 you can get a great one with just a smaller screen. I'm amazed at how much better the new units are than ones just a few years old. The ability to lock on to the bottom at shallow depths on my new Lowrance is so much better than any unit I've ever had. All I'm looking for is a unit that will show me the depth and what is on the bottom. The color depth finders are easier to see and read quickly. You can tell the difference between weeds, rock and a soft bottom. Fish are very easy to see. Even the cheap ones have temperature these days. Side imaging by itself is not that great. Even GPS is not always needed. 

Check out a Lowrance Elite 4x. You can pick them up for $169.

[MichBassMan]

Regardless of make, nowadays you can get a very good sonar unit that will be accurate, show depth and the bottom, and show you fish for under $200. If you want fancy bells and whistles, side scan, or gps you'll have to dish out more cash.

[martintheduck]

$300 will buy you an excellent depth finder. At $200 you can get a great one with just a smaller screen. I'm amazed at how much better the new units are than ones just a few years old. The ability to lock on to the bottom at shallow depths on my new Lowrance is so much better than any unit I've ever had. All I'm looking for is a unit that will show me the depth and what is on the bottom. The color depth finders are easier to see and read quickly. You can tell the difference between weeds, rock and a soft bottom. Fish are very easy to see. Even the cheap ones have temperature these days. Side imaging by itself is not that great. Even GPS is not always needed. 

Check out a Lowrance Elite 4x. You can pick them up for $169.

 

 

Holy crap - I forgot those existed! Def. go with that lowrance 4x DSI

[BridgerM]

We just bought our first finder to go with our first boat recently. We went with HB 561 over the Lowrance Elite 4x. Our budget was low because we plan to upgrade next year to a gps unit with some kind of SI or DI. Im still learning how to read whats on the screen but I wish we would've gone for the Lowrance. I think the color screen would be easier to interpret.

[shabbirun]

Try to prioritize screen size and have a color screen. Most fish finders will give you a good reading(at least of depths that most fish lurk in anyway). Like Scott and Martin said, the Elite-4x is great - but it has a tiny screen - about the size of an iPhone screen.