Fish finders how many, size and where

[Jeffrey]

Hello All

I currently have the opportunity to revamp my deep finders on my boat. I will be buying three units (12", 12",12" or 12", 12", 16"). I need help on which one to put and where. I would like to know the opinions of people who have fished a lot more than me because I'm a newbie to boat fishing.

[3dees]

your going with those units as a newbie? are you going to fish tournaments? I'm happy with two 9" touch units. I wouldn't get over your head until you learn how to use them. your talking a lot of money. 

[J Francho]

Money no object, 2x12 at the console, and the 15 up front.  You can have imaging or side scan on one at the helm, and the gps on the other.  Up front, you can use DI or chirp, or split screen with GPS, and still be able to see everything.  There is no difference between a 5, 7, 9, 12, or 15 SI/DI GPS units, just the screen size. Get as big as you can afford.  Get educated on mapping software, and networking the devices.  Of the latest I've gotten to use on the water, The Solix is about as nice as they come.  I used a a Solix 12 SI/DI GPS with the Lakemaster chip.

[12poundbass]

Garmin has a 22 inch unit. I say 2 at the console and 1 at the bow should suffice. Talk to the salesman about a discount. I can't see paying full retail ($9,999 each) if buying multiple units. ?

[J Francho]

They actually have a 24" unit for $12K.  These are for serious vessels, though.

[S Hovanec]

I have a 10 on the bow and a 5 and 7 on the console. I run the 5 as GPS and the 7 as fish finder.

[DINK WHISPERER]

I run a 12" at the console and a 9" up front. And I never use either of them except for GPS purposes! 

[WRB]

Bigger isn't always better. With larger size screens you need the space to mount them so you can ultilize the screen effectively. If you split the screen to see side by side screen functions then a 12" to 15" screen is combining 2 units on 1 screen. Keep in mind with high speed bass boats a larger screen is more wind resistant and heavier when running at speed and rough water. Never, never, never leave a monitor screen permanently mounted when trailering your boat or storing it.

Pro's tend to over do the number of units to have a back up because sonar with way points is critical fishing off shore big lakes.

I personally have no need for a monitor over 11" and use 1 unit on my console and 1 unit 7" on the bow works for me. I fish with a few bass pro's who have 2 15" units on the console and 15" unit on the bow and find myself watching screens more then fishing being counter productive, the technology is fasinating. 

You need to hire someone to teach you how to use the new technology and it continues to change every year.

Tom

[Angry John]

I would if buying for myself do a 12 or 15 up front and a 9 or 10 at the console.  Your distance to the screen up front is the only reason to go bigger up front.  That's the finder your fishing with.  Going all out sounds fun but I would try one and see if you like it before going all out.

[Jeffrey]

Thanks to everyone. I currently have a Lowrance 10 HDS gen 1 up front and a 12 HDS gen 3 at the console. My eye sight is not as good as it was at one time so putting a bigger unit upfront sounds like a good idea. Anymore idea's please post.

If anyone is interested you can read my profile and see that I'm lucky to be alive and doing more of my dreams and less work. (hope too)

[WRB]

Network the units and put them where it's convient for you.

Tom

[Jeffrey]

Good idea Tom because mine as of now are not networked; Thanks.

[Further North]

One at the bow, one at the console, whatever size your pocketbook can handle.

 

For me, more than that is just a distraction. 

 

People who claim to be able to "multi-task" aren't really good at anything...

[David Toler]

On 11/17/2017 at 6:08 PM, Jeffrey said:

Thanks to everyone. I currently have a Lowrance 10 HDS gen 1 up front and a 12 HDS gen 3 at the console. My eye sight is not as good as it was at one time so putting a bigger unit upfront sounds like a good idea. Anymore idea's please post.

If anyone is interested you can read my profile and see that I'm lucky to be alive and doing more of my dreams and less work. (hope too)

God Bless you sir!!  I pray good health over you going forward!!

[Way2slow]

I had to laugh Saturday.  I was at the ramp Saturday about 11:00 AM waiting for my granddaughter.  Two guys came walking and just standing on the dock with rods and tackle in hand.  About five minutes later a guy launches a 20' Nitro with a 250, rigged like a pro. Two huge displays and a pile of other stuff on the bow and a couple more on the console.  He's giving the two guys a lot of instructions so I assume he was a paid guide taking them out.  I see them through out the day fishing places I would have never fished (I've fished those waters since the early 60's) and a couple other times as they are making high speed runs to different spots.  That afternoon they happen to come in the same time we did.  I asked how they did, they said they never got a bite.  By the way, the water was 51 degrees and a cold front coming down quickly.

I didn't have the heart to tell then we caught five in about an hour after giving up on the stripers.  We were in a 20mph, 24' pontoon with nothing but a cheap Garmin ECHOMAP 73SV-UHD on the bow and ECHOMAP 93SV-UHD on the console.

[TcRoc]

4 hours ago, Way2slow said:

I had to laugh Saturday.  I was at the ramp Saturday about 11:00 AM waiting for my granddaughter.  Two guys came walking and just standing on the dock with rods and tackle in hand.  About five minutes later a guy launches a 20' Nitro with a 250, rigged like a pro. Two huge displays and a pile of other stuff on the bow and a couple more on the console.  He's giving the two guys a lot of instructions so I assume he was a paid guide taking them out.  I see them through out the day fishing places I would have never fished (I've fished those waters since the early 60's) and a couple other times as they are making high speed runs to different spots.  That afternoon they happen to come in the same time we did.  I asked how they did, they said they never got a bite.  By the way, the water was 51 degrees and a cold front coming down quickly.

I didn't have the heart to tell then we caught five in about an hour after giving up on the stripers.  We were in a 20mph, 24' pontoon with nothing but a cheap Garmin ECHOMAP 73SV-UHD on the bow and ECHOMAP 93SV-UHD on the console.

Well I give it to him for being able to dress the part?

[Way2slow]

Oh yea.  Any tournament fishing would love to have had his rig.  Hell, I would luv to have had it.  If rigging and electronics caught fish, he would have loaded the boat.  There was way more spent on the electronics in his boat than I had in total investment I had in the pontoon boat.  $20K was probably a conservative number for what he had in just setup.  

The guy may have been a great fisherman, but under those conditions and it was obvious he didn't know that part of the lake by the areas he was fishing.  They look good, but have never produced fish for me or anyone I know.  We caught those five in one cove off a hidden hump about 8' deep, where two small channels join, not many know about.  

[cyclops2]

My fish finder pings off of fish and sounds off. I continue my pattern memorizing where the schools / groups are.                     

I then go to the largest groups and fish.  

[Bird]

Once again, a minority. Lol

Never had more than one fish finder on any of my boats 

My current boat has 1 bow mounted Garmin......5 " screen at that. Lol

[MN Fisher]

45 minutes ago, Bird said:

Once again, a minority. Lol

Never had more than one fish finder on any of my boats 

My current boat has 1 bow mounted Garmin......5 " screen at that. Lol

I'm there with you, buddy.

 

Canoe started with a Lowrance Hook 2-4...not even GPS

Now I got a Striker 7CV - downscan only, no side scan, no built in maps - that's what's gonna be the only unit on the F-9 until I get more 'presents' from the relatives for my B-Day (November) and Yule (they just give me money now-days).

[Way2slow]

I like two if I'm moving in the boat to fish.  I want one where I'm running the boat from to use when jsut running or searching.  That one, I want side scan, down scan, GPS maps and charts, and one on the TM to use when fishing. For the past 10 years, that one has had all the bells and whistles also.  If my butt is going to be in one spot when running the boat and fishing, one is all I use.  In my 14' jon or canoe that I'm just sitting in one seat running the tiller motor, and TM, I only have a 5" Lowrance with down scan.  I'm usually just fishing small waters in it and more interested in just the depth and what's directly under the boat than anything else.

[Bird]

7 hours ago, Way2slow said:

 I'm usually just fishing small waters in it and more interested in just the depth and what's directly under the boat than anything else.

That's me, transducer mounted to TM which is on the bow.

FF was initially setup to my liking and never touched again......simply off and on.

Just want to know water temp, depth and what's under the boat. 

[J Francho]

Four score and four years ago…

 

[gim]

My current boat is the only one I've ever owned.  I've had it since 2015 and I bought it new.  I have 2 units on it, one at the console and one at the bow.  Since 2015, I've upgraded both once.  Both are 7 inch screens.

 

The two boats I grew up using as a family boat were both tillers.  The first one only had one unit at the tiller location.  The second one was a bigger boat with a bow mount electric motor so we had one at the tiller and one at the bow.

 

The answer to this is very dependent on how big the boat is, how you like to fish, and what kind of boat you're fishing out of.  Traditional bass-style boats generally have electronics at the console and bow nowadays.  My folks have a Warrior 2090 Tiller and they do not have any electronics at the bow.  Both units are located at the tiller location because that is what makes the most sense based on how they fish.

[Jig Man]

I have 3 Humminbird Solix models because they network with my Minn Kota trolling motor.  I have a 10 built in the dash and a 10 and 12 on the bow.  The 10 has been used for mapping and the 12 for 2d sonar.  I just got Mega Live and am using the 12 for it and the 10 for 2d.  I’m seriously considering adding another 10 so I can have mapping, Mega Live and 2d without split screens.