XF15-Loader Posted May 29, 2018 Posted May 29, 2018 Well, I finally pulled the trigger on a yak and now I've been bitten by the bug. I want to buy a finder but not necessarily to "find" fish. I understand that SI is the way to go for a kayak and I don't want to deal with that. I worry that the transducer might be damaged in the skinny waters I encounter. I've also looked at track mounting but have read that it collects grass and weeds....seems like a pita to deal with. Anyway, I'm looking more to map the waters I fish and have temp/depth info. Most areas I fish are small inland lakes that aren't mapped. Grass lines and drop offs are more my concern in these areas. So, I'm looking at the Humminbird Helix 5 G2 Chirp Sonar/GPS Combo. Is this overkill for what I want to accomplish? Is there a more modestly priced finder with a similar function to Autochart Live? Any info you guys can provide would be great because, honestly, all this info has my head swimming!! Thanks!! Quote
Somd Fx4 Posted May 30, 2018 Posted May 30, 2018 check out the garmin strike 4 plus. Garmin has a feature that will auto map. It has been rated top FF for less than 200 by countless mags and website. I don't own one yet but my new kayak will have one on it soon. 1 Quote
kenmitch Posted May 30, 2018 Posted May 30, 2018 What kayak did you wind up getting. So many to choose from in the end. I used to have the Humminbird Helix 5 G2 Chirp Sonar/GPS Combo on my Slayer 10 kayak and it's a nice unit. I had the transducer mounted over the side and it does pick stuff up at times but was easy to clear as it was just to the left of me anyways. It's not convenient but if one was to mount it underneath a kayak and you do pick up stuff how would you clear it off or even know it was there anyways. Hard mounted to the bottom of your kayak might even be more damaging in the end. If you go really shallow and bounce on some rocks or stumps, etc. Side imaging does have it's benefits but does cost more. Depending on how much water you want to map it does save time as it incorporated the side image data with the sonar data. I upgraded my unit to the Lowrance Elite Ti in April when Bass Pro shops had it on sale for $349 after rebate as I wanted side imaging from the get go but at the time the units were too expensive. The transducer is huge! I'm using the Ram mount over the side mount that is made for the total scan transducer and it works really good. I pretty much take my kayak anywhere I can go in the lake and do have to clear it off once in a while when I pick up a stick, log, or even some vegetation but it's really not a issue as it's just to the left of me anyways. My mount has a bendable aluminum shaft that will give when needed so I'm not really worried about it getting damaged. I planned on mounting it to the bottom of my kayak but decided it's safer on the side anyways. I'm mainly fishing Lake Perris as I live a couple of miles away. Once I had my Elite Ti I got into the making my own map thing. The lake level was drawn down around 30ft a decade ago due to dam issues. During the process they did some reconstructive surgery to the east end and parts of the southern shoreline which wasn't on the maps I had at least. They added road bed, gravel, rock piles, etc which I wanted to be able to easily find when the lake is at full capacity. I'm only mapping the parts of the lake that I'll fish in the future from my kayak. I still have to upload some more sonar files but I'm already up to around 600 acres or so. Takes a long time to map in a kayak! 1 Quote
XF15-Loader Posted May 30, 2018 Author Posted May 30, 2018 Thanks, gents!! I think I'm going to go with the Striker 4+ CV. it had the features I'm looking for and it will allow me to get a new paddle and a few more accessories. @Somd Fx4, I picked up a Vibe Sea Ghost 110. Love it! Can't say enough about it. I don't have much SOT experience so my opinion isnt worth much but I'm happy with it. Again, thanks for the info! I'll post pics when she's installed!! 1 Quote
Somd Fx4 Posted June 3, 2018 Posted June 3, 2018 picked up the garmin today. hopefully gonna mount it tomorrow. any idea how you are going to mount the transducer? Quote
XF15-Loader Posted June 3, 2018 Author Posted June 3, 2018 2 minutes ago, Somd Fx4 said: picked up the garmin today. hopefully gonna mount it tomorrow. any idea how you are going to mount the transducer? @Somd Fx4, the Sea Ghost has a transducer scupper and mounting bracket. I believe both Lowrance and Garmin mate up without issue. To power the finder, I'm installing a 12v battery and a 3 function panel...Volt Meter/USB Port/12v Plug all connected to a switch. I'm hoping it goes well...lol. I always get a little nervous when it comes to drilling holes in mah boat...lol Quote
Somd Fx4 Posted June 3, 2018 Posted June 3, 2018 20 hours ago, XF15-Loader said: @Somd Fx4, the Sea Ghost has a transducer scupper and mounting bracket. I believe both Lowrance and Garmin mate up without issue. To power the finder, I'm installing a 12v battery and a 3 function panel...Volt Meter/USB Port/12v Plug all connected to a switch. I'm hoping it goes well...lol. I always get a little nervous when it comes to drilling holes in mah boat...lol yeah I don't blame ya Quote
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