Fish Finder Choices

[Bseger1]

Trying to figure out what the best option would be for my situation, trying to stay right at $800 or under. Current options are Garmin 73SV UHD, 93sv echomap plus, and lowrance hook 9 reveal. Mainly shallow, but up to 50 feet on a 1000 acre lake. Let me know what you guys think would work best, want side imaging. Mainly soft bottom, decent amount of grass near short with some large grass flats. Let me know your experiences and what you would go with! Thank you!!

 

[Bseger1]

Also, let me know if you need anymore info, would be a transom mount transducer. Running on a 16ft flatbottom, ideally would get a ram mount to see from both bow and rear.

[12poundbass]

I’ve been very pleased with my Garmin units. I have no experience with the UHD. Garmins are easy to use, their mapping is good, the images I feel are good, better than the Helix I had. That’s my experience. 
 

You really can’t go wrong no matter which brand you pick. Everyone is different. 
 

 

[Bseger1]

2 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I’ve been very pleased with my Garmin units. I have no experience with the UHD. Garmins are easy to use, their mapping is good, the images I feel are good, better than the Helix I had. That’s my experience. 
 

You really can’t go wrong no matter which brand you pick. Everyone is different. 
 

 

Thanks man, figuring that I'd make better use of the 93 SV size vs the 73 UHD. Any problems with SI low quality imaging? And the only thing that has me looking at lowrance is the Reveal. The birds at Scheels just seemed complicated as far as selecting screens. 

[12poundbass]

I haven’t had any issues figuring out what I’m looking at. I actually got rid of my Helix and got another Garmin because I felt the image was better on the Garmin. I didn’t have the HDSI transducer for the Helix either which makes a difference. 

[STBen1215]

Garmin all day!!! I have the Force trolling motor, the Ultra 126 SV, and the 102SV. So user friendly, easier to operate, amazing picture quality, etc. Easily would buy again

[Bseger1]

11 hours ago, STBen1215 said:

Garmin all day!!! I have the Force trolling motor, the Ultra 126 SV, and the 102SV. So user friendly, easier to operate, amazing picture quality, etc. Easily would buy again

Well I guess it doesn't matter, snagged a Garmin 93 SV, either way it was going to be a huge change from the 90's bird that was on there before!

[STBen1215]

1 hour ago, Bseger1 said:

Well I guess it doesn't matter, snagged a Garmin 93 SV, either way it was going to be a huge change from the 90's bird that was on there before!

I think you will be very happy. I think Garmin is the best in electronics in terms of customer service, value of units, and quality/performance of units. 

IMO the 73SV/93SV/etc is superior to the Helix units.

[Bseger1]

On 3/25/2020 at 10:21 AM, STBen1215 said:

I think you will be very happy. I think Garmin is the best in electronics in terms of customer service, value of units, and quality/performance of units. 

IMO the 73SV/93SV/etc is superior to the Helix units.

Great to know my man! Gets here today!

[WRB]

Reading this thread is amazing where the sonar technolgy has gone.

Lowrance introduced sonar to recreational fresh water anglers in the early 60's with their flasher. Humming Bird was Tom Mann's effort for bass anglers to have a shallower water flasher with better target separation with his Super 60 unit followed by the Super 30 larger diameter flasher "screen".

Lowrance introduces the paper graph recovering the sonar market. Velexar introduces the color pixel sonar LCD sonar unit, both Lowrance and Humming Bird follow with digital units ending the paper graph era. Both Lowrance and Humming Bird are sold and technology is stable until Lowrance introduces Chirp to seperate targets with multiple frequency units followed by Humming Bird introduces side scanning to recreational anglers. Lowrance introduces HD technology and side scanning. Humming Bird introduces 360 scanning. Raytheon tries to enter the fresh water market.

Garmin enters the fresh water sonar market and both Lowrance and Humming Bird lose market share.

Interesting that both Lowrance and Humming Bird built their business on customer service that is questionable in today's market place.

Tom

 

[schplurg]

5 hours ago, WRB said:

Reading this thread is amazing where the sonar technolgy has gone.

Lowrance introduced sonar to recreational fresh water anglers in the early 60's with their flasher. Humming Bird was Tom Mann's effort for bass anglers to have a shallower water flasher with better target separation with his Super 60 unit followed by the Super 30 larger diameter flasher "screen".

Lowrance introduces the paper graph recovering the sonar market. Velexar introduces the color pixel sonar LCD sonar unit, both Lowrance and Humming Bird follow with digital units ending the paper graph era. Both Lowrance and Humming Bird are sold and technology is stable until Lowrance introduces Chirp to seperate targets with multiple frequency units followed by Humming Bird introduces side scanning to recreational anglers. Lowrance introduces HD technology and side scanning. Humming Bird introduces 360 scanning. Raytheon tries to enter the fresh water market.

Garmin enters the fresh water sonar market and both Lowrance and Humming Bird lose market share.

Interesting that both Lowrance and Humming Bird built their business on customer service that is questionable in today's market place.

Tom

 

 

I'd never heard of a paper graph before. Very cool, thanks!

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=lowrance+paper+graph&sxsrf=ALeKk03TyUf5tnREZZKxG0i4afCwKsorHg:1585459906532&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi596K0-r7oAhUIip4KHRkaDKAQ_AUoAnoECAsQBA&biw=1220&bih=602&dpr=1.25#imgrc=U-UCm0phQrlYpM

[WRB]

Today's "fish finders" include GPS boat location and detailed lake maps showing structure features including depth in 1 foot increments on most map applications.

The sonar unit works in concert with GPS. 

Back to target separation meaning fish seperated from cover and or structure, without target separation it's difficult to inturpret what you are seeing displayed.

Brands come down to ease of operation and ease of display interpretation. Customer servive comes into the picture when your unit malfunctions or you need help interpreting what is being displayed.

Educated guess is most members can't tell the difference between a carp and a catfish let alone bass when they are displayed. With GPS-maps you will know where you are located and can way point the fish/structure.

Tom

[Bseger1]

Haven't gotten it out on the water, old finder was a LCR4, which showed red dots which I assume were supposed to be fish. Never caught much to tell whether or not they were haha.