Picking Out New Electronics

[Bassin207]

Looking to update the electronics on my boat an was wondering what features are most important? I will be fishing for largemouth and smallies in Maine away from the bank. Is side imaging worth the extra $$ for finding fish and structure off shore? How important is size of screen? Lastly what model fish finder do you like the best and which would I get the best bang for my buck for under 700? Any help and recommendations would be great thanks!

[slonezp]

You'd be best off having this thread moved to the electronics forum.

 

For $700 I would concentrate my efforts on a good sonar/gps unit and skip the side imaging unless you can get a good deal on a used unit. $700 won't get much of a new imaging unit. You should be able to get a 8"-9" graph. Add a Navionics or Lakemaster card and you will get your offshore structure providing there is coverage. Learn how to read the 2d and locate the structure underwater that you see on the mapcard. Mark waypoints on this structure and you can navigate to the same spot(s) each and every time.  

[Bassin207]

You'd be best off having this thread moved to the electronics forum.

 

For $700 I would concentrate my efforts on a good sonar/gps unit and skip the side imaging unless you can get a good deal on a used unit. $700 won't get much of a new imaging unit. You should be able to get a 8"-9" graph. Add a Navionics or Lakemaster card and you will get your offshore structure providing there is coverage. Learn how to read the 2d and locate the structure underwater that you see on the mapcard. Mark waypoints on this structure and you can navigate to the same spot(s) each and every time.

I found a new lowrance fishfinder with GPS sonar down and side imaging in my price range but with a 5 in screen. Should I get this and sacrifice the larger screen for the extra features?

[mhtranger]

Where are you going to mount it? If it is on the bow you might want a larger size so you can see it. Glare on my 5" is tough to see the image.

[Bassin207]

Mounting it at the console starting to get more into structure fishing off the bank.

[slonezp]

I had a 5" SI unit and now have an 8" and a 10". You don't need a large screen to decipher 2d. For SI, you want the largest screen you can get. 

[Bassin207]

Hmmm could I still effectively find schools and structure with a sonar unit?

[slonezp]

Hmmm could I still effectively find schools and structure with a sonar unit?

Sonar has been in use for 100 years, so I'd say yes.

 

It's easier to find things with SI, but think about it. SI technology has been around less than 10 years. People still caught fish before it was invented. When I was a kid we had paper graphs and they worked fine. You just need to learn how to decipher what you are looking at. That being said, I would never give up my SI 

[Bassin207]

Ok I can get a sonar gps an downscan combo in my price range do you find the down imaging useful? Also what brand do you find has the better units as far as technology?(lorance elite series or similar priced humminbird unit)

[slonezp]

I bought birds because IMO they are easier to navigate thru screens than the Lowrance units. I really don't use the DI screen much. The DI on the SI birds is not a true DI. It is a combination of the left and right side images. The down imaging birds use a dedicated DI crystal and you will get more accurate images.

[Bassin207]

Thanks for the help I guess Ive narrowed it down between getting a good sonar /gps and spending a bit more for side image combo

[Zippyduck Krimm]

I just bought the lowrance 5 hdi and used it on lake erie for smallies and walleye in deep water and it worked great.

[NH Tim]

I just went through the same thing for my Ranger. Actually still in the process of adding a new bow unit and new console unit.

 

After looking at various units for a while I landed on the Garmin 70dv (7" touch) for a GPS/Fishfinder at the console. Over the $700 budget though especially with side scan.   Initially I was only looking at Lowrance & Humminbird, but the new Garmin units are at the top of their class.  The imaging is excellent and they are ridiculously easy to use with the touchscreen.  Their lakevu hd ultra charts are pretty impressive, at least for the handful of Max Def charted lakes in the area.   I did actually buy the Humminbird 688ci hd before the garmin.  It's actually still in the box which I need to return.  It looks like a great unit for $450 and for a 5" Down Imaging only unit, I think I would have been happy.  It can't be networked with another unit though and the Garmin really impressed me.

 

I also fish for LM & SM Bass in Maine & NH in anywhere from 1' to 30' of water.  Just got back from 9 days in Maine, which was my first trip with the new unit. Currently I only have the DownVu, which is their Down Imaging technology and it worked great for identifying humps, valleys, under water weedbeds, rocks and whatever else might be down there.  It works well at high speed too, so it was great for marking interesting areas while running to visit later.  It just doesn't cover alot of ground like the side imaging does.

Not a huge help when working a shoreline except to get the depth and temp and find the drop off point.  Sidescan would reveal some more useful info on underwater structure out to the sides that that downvu doesn't pick up.  Say there is a boulder field in castable range off to the side, or an underwater tree.

 

If you fish the same lake most of the time you can probably find the structure with just down imaging.  It may just take a few extra trips.

 

I'm ordering another one for the Bow and I think I'm also going to get the SideVu addon, but it's a hefty price tag. 

 

I think you can get away with 5" if only doing down imaging.  You'll want at least 7" for side.

 

 

[Bassin207]

the garmin sounds nice! where about in maine did you go? i ordered a lowrance elite 7 hdi a few days ago for under 600 im excited to see how it works.

[NH Tim]

I was up a bit west of Augusta around Winthrop.  A bunch of great lakes around there.  I spend a bit of time up there in the summer.

 

Good luck with the Elite 7.  It nice having new electronics.  I've been running a couple old lowrance x65 from the early 90's, which barely worked.  I could get an occasional depth reading on a scrambled screen every now & then, and now I can't keep my eye off the screen.

Some of the smaller lakes have some nice structure out in the middle that the down imaging picks up well.  Took one cast on the first hump I marked and pulled up a nice LM.  It was kind of funny.