fish finder

[aggiebassin]

im not sure if this is the correct forum for this question, but i was looking for a inexpensive depth finder for my semi-v aluminum boat.  it's just a small boat that we push around w/ a trolling motor.

i was looking at one of the bottom line fishing buddies, so i wouldn't have to mount a transducer.  what do you guys think of these? the lakes i will be fishing are going to be shallow watershed lakes, maybe 20' deep at the most.  would one of these work for this? or would one of the more inexpensive humminbirds work better?

im open to any suggestion

[cart7t]

I had a friend who had one of those Bottomline deals that clamped onto the transom (or anywhere you wanted).  It worked OK. Not really good definition and the sidefinder feature was kinda worthless.  It last about 3 years and then it broke.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Do yourself a favor and spend a little extra money and get a descent one.  For the past 5 years I had been using a El-Cheapo Eagle Portable.  Basically all that thing was good for was depth.  It hardly showed any bottom contour.  I finally bought an Eagle Fishmark 320 at the beginning of this year and there is a huge difference and it didn't break the bank either ... $139.99.  I am seeing a lake that I thought was contourless with brand new eyes and I can honestly say I have caught quite a few fish because of it.

[worm]

I went even cheaper than the Eagle 320. I bought the Eagle 168  for $69.99 at the BPS in OKC back in February and I love it. Not guite the definition of the 320 but still shows the contours very well.

I also have an aluminum semi V 14 footer. Mounted the transducer on the the back, filled in around the screws with marine silicone and not one leak.

Not a hard job to do at all.

Worm

[reellittlephish]

Aggie, I see you're in Texas.  Depthfinder choice just depends on what kind of water you fish.  For instance if you fish shallow flatland reservoirs all the time then something which calls out the depth and maybe when you are over weeds or firm bottom may be enough.  Like some one said about fishing in Louisiana, as he stuck his rod tip into the water don't need no fancy depth finders here it's about 4 ft.

However if you fish deeper reservoirs, then a decent depth finder to locate schools of bait fish, drop offs, bottom composition changes and so forth is invaluable. So what is decent?  I think the truth is you get what you pay for.  I'd look at Lowrance, Hummingbird, Garmin sites for starters.  Read the articles on this site.  Get the biggest display screen you can.  Get a transducer with a 20 degree cone angle.

Regardless what you end up with, it is crucial that the transducer point down at 90°when the boat is in the water.  If you are powering with a trolling motor, then a large hose clamp can attach the transducer to the bottom of the TM. This is a time honored set up.

If you want to eliminate electronic interference from your TM motor electrics then you need a separate battery source for the depth finder. This may be a condition you can live with however.  I did for years by just recognizing the signal patterns.

In a search for inexpensive sonar units you might check out ebay.  Many sell their older units as they upgrade to the best and latest. Just remember no warranties there.

[worm]

Hey Reellittlephish, I have a question for you.  Why would you want a 20 degree cone instead of a 60 degree.  My Eagle 168 came with a 60.  Is there something better about the 20 degree.  This is my first depth finder so just curious.

Thanks,

Worm

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

How wide a tducer cone is has to do with quality of bottom coverage. A 60 degree cone is best for navigating, seeing a wider view, but missing the detail a narrow cone will study better. Power is focused better on a smaller spot below the boat with a 20 degree cone. You can get smaller cones but the footprint is often just too small to get a good idea of bottom. A 50 Khz unit usually uses a smaller cone, but it's preferred for deep water over 1000 feet. It's narrow cone spreads out wide enough at that depth. A 200 khz unit works well with a 20 degree cone up to about 600 feet down.

In my opinion the top consideration in sonar is screen resolution. Cheap units usually have a very coarse display which won't distinguish fish from stumps. If you only care to know depth and maybe at least know something of significant size is on bottom sticking up then those units are OK. But if you are serious about learning other things about what's below your boat, you'll need a good display. Fair resolution is around 300 pixels high and wide. Good begins about 480x480. Really sharp displays begin around 700 pixels. Power is the next important factor. 2000 watts fits most angler needs on inland fisheries. You need around 5,000 watts for deep saltwater. 600 watts is plenty for lowland reservoirs. Number 3 on my list is color. You can make up for lack of color with higher resolution. But to me a better mix is average resolution plus color. Color images are much easier to see and interpret quickly in full sunlight. In general color costs about the same as high resolution, and I'd want the resolution good before going for color. EBay is full of units whose owners bought cheaply and soon became very dissatisfied. I know a lot of folks that think they are happy with cheap low resolution sonars, but once they see far better for a few hundred bucks more, they're at least subconsciously regretful for not saving up a little longer for better. But that probably applies to all grownup toys and tools men are driven to get. I remember sacrificing to buy my first 3 wheeler ATV, only to ride a 4WD ATV a year later, immediately thrown into depression and a burning drive to correct my mistake that consumed me another 3 years until I could swing it. A sonar is a fishing tool. You know what it means to buy cheap line and a cheap department store rod & reel. Get the best you can afford, but not without a plan to get what you really need. That usually means giving up something this year, saving up coke or movie rental money for quality. Skip buying another deer hound, another new shotgun, or aiming to drive a newer pickup because your buddies do. There's something you can sacrifice for a while to have a good sonar for around $600, which would get you a new Lowrance 332C, way plenty good for a serious angler.

Jim

[worm]

Jim,

Thanks for the info.  That does make sense.  Concentrate the power into a smaller area for a better "picture" of what is below you.  Now the monkey is on my back saying....must....get.....new......depth.......finder....... ;D

Thanks alot..... ;D

Worm

[senile1]

Yes, thanks, Jim.  I am in the market for a new depth finder myself.  Currently I am using a very old Humminbird 200 DX.  I can find concentrations of fish with it but the accuracy leaves much to be desired.  

[Madhouse27]

Some great responses to your post. One feature that really comes in handy for me is having temperature on my fish finder. It amazes me how subtle differences like a degree or two of water temp can make all the difference. I've got a Humminbird 535 w/temp. It's got decent resolution (320x320 pixels) and a dual beam transducer. I think I paid around $150 for it. Pretty happy with it for the price.