Best entry level fishfinder

[musselcracker]

Hi all

I have been going through some previous threads about what entry type of finder to buy, but they where a bit outdated ie 2004 etc and electronics are changing so fast so what was hot then may not be any good now. I have a 5.5meter mako rib and I am looking at getting an entry level finder, seems the furuno Ls4100 was a good choice but is it still any good in comparison to the more recent models of 2007?
What do you guys think is the best entry level saltwater fishfinder for 2007?
Any info would really help me in making this tough decision
Thanks

 

[JoLin]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Would depend on the price, and whether you feel electronics envy when somebody else shows up with the latest and greatest. That's never been a problem for me, but I know it is for many.

My take on it is that If you can get a good deal on equipment that's a few years old, why not? If the unit was well regarded then, it'll be fine.

My new to me Pro-Line came equipped with a high-end, 20 year old green-screen Raytheon fish/depth finder. It doesn't work, but I'm willing to put a little time into it. Today I cleaned up the transducer, then took the unit's case apart and rode to Radio Shack to pick up a new fuse for it. Right now the electrical contacts are all sprayed with cleaner, and tomorrow I'll see if it works. If it does I'll be thrilled.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

I ran a 1990 vintage Sitex CVS106 color machine for years. Even though is was old technology it marked fish better than 90% of "modern" units out there.

The Furuno 4100 is still better than most out there.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

I do not think there is a best entry level fish finder. So much depends on how you are going to use it. Fresh or Salt Water? Under 200 feet or over 300 feet. Furuno is still the best for Saltwater over 200 feet. For Shallower water I would go with Lowrance.

Keep in mind if you take care of your depth Finder / Fish Finder it will still be working 30 years from now so take your time and get what your really want. For me I would at least go with a color LCD unit today. They cost more but to me are worth the extra price.

Fishing Shallow Water under 200 feet then go with a single frequency 200 khz unit as they will have a 20 degree transducer. For Deeper water get a dual frequency unit.

 

[musselcracker]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Hi

A friend of mine won a new furuno Ls 4100 at a underwater hunting competition here in South Africa and he gave it to me for 35% less the retail price. The unit is still sealed and in the box, looking forward to mounting the unit on my transom. Will use it for saltwater shallow reefs and also offshore for yellowfin tuna. Only thing is the manual says I must install the transducer between the two outboard engines? Normally I put it on the starboard side of the transom and not in the middle of the 2 motors. Do any of you have a tranducer set up like this between the two motors?

 

[mike176]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

I'm considering a Garmin Fishfinder 140, I would be using is mostly on the flats in about 8ft to 1ft. On good days the deepest i would go out is to about 30ft. its 100 watt RMS and peak 800. My boat came with an old hummingbird thats in sad shape, the screen is faded out and i know its not giving me a good depth reading. The old transducer is big and when its down it shoots a spay up onto my motor while on a plane. I have never really used a fishfinder but am interested in trying. The step up to color is about $80 more for the 160C. The MSRP on the 140 is $130 and thats about all i'm interested in spending now, does anybody think i would be wasting my money? Do I need to invest in something a little better if i want to be satisfied?

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Humminbird 1197ci !!


Just kidding.
I have an eagle fishmark 320, and would recommend either it, or a fishmark 480. But, I don't rely on sonar that much, but am hoping to get better soon, as that is the only way to fish my local lake fairly successfully.

 

[skimmer]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Furuno: ls4100...
Eagle: fishmark 480 or seafinder 480df...
lowrance: X125, X126, X135, X136...

These are the units i'd be looking at.

 

[Kymasabe]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

i'm still a big fan of Humminbird fish finders as my 10 year old Wide Optic worked great right up to the day I removed it. I upgraded to a color Garmin 498 GPS/fishfinder combo.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Mike In water 1 foot to 8 foot just look over board. A fish finder in 1 foot of water will show a 4 inch circle and at 8 feet will show less than a 3 foot circle. At 30 feet it will show about a 10 foot circle. Fishing less than 10 feet will most of the time spook any fish and they will move off.

Bassboy Fishfinder are a good tool to help find fish and structure. I do not think I ever caught a fish I saw on the fish finder. I fished a lot of tournaments and even won one. A fish finder is a big aid to finding structure and the depth at which fish are holding. I never look to find a fish and then catch that fish. I do not think I ever caught a fish directly under the boat except in the winter when fishing 60 feet and moving so slow can eat a sandwitch on every cast. In stead use it to find structure and when catch a fish to note the depth of where the fish was. Then try and keep the boat in a depth that can cast into the depth the fish are holding and work around the shore.

 

[skimmer]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Hi

Only thing is the manual says I must install the transducer between the two outboard engines? Normally I put it on the starboard side of the transom and not in the middle of the 2 motors. Do any of you have a tranducer set up like this between the two motors?

A mate of mines got twins and his is in the middle, its got to be done otherwise you'll get too much interference with the bubbles coming off the prop. He also made a bracket to mount the ducer half a foot below the bottom of the transom
which i'm thinking of doing to mine, it reads perfectly at 40 knots, the only problem is it rules out shallow boat ramps.

 

[skimmer]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Mike In water 1 foot to 8 foot just look over board. A fish finder in 1 foot of water will show a 4 inch circle and at 8 feet will show less than a 3 foot circle. At 30 feet it will show about a 10 foot circle. Fishing less than 10 feet will most of the time spook any fish and they will move off.

Bassboy Fishfinder are a good tool to help find fish and structure. I do not think I ever caught a fish I saw on the fish finder. I fished a lot of tournaments and even won one. A fish finder is a big aid to finding structure and the depth at which fish are holding. I never look to find a fish and then catch that fish. I do not think I ever caught a fish directly under the boat except in the winter when fishing 60 feet and moving so slow can eat a sandwitch on every cast. In stead use it to find structure and when catch a fish to note the depth of where the fish was. Then try and keep the boat in a depth that can cast into the depth the fish are holding and work around the shore.

Exactly boatist, Except when you can see big fish arches from top to bottom of the screen, then you know your in for a good session. But that don't happen very often

 

[musselcracker]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

I have just mounted the transducer between my twin motors. Looks a bit cramped for space between the motors but its on. We are now going to test to see how it works on a local lake up the road. Will tell you how it goes.
Thanks for the help guys

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Mike In water 1 foot to 8 foot just look over board. A fish finder in 1 foot of water will show a 4 inch circle and at 8 feet will show less than a 3 foot circle. At 30 feet it will show about a 10 foot circle. Fishing less than 10 feet will most of the time spook any fish and they will move off.

Bassboy Fishfinder are a good tool to help find fish and structure. I do not think I ever caught a fish I saw on the fish finder. I fished a lot of tournaments and even won one. A fish finder is a big aid to finding structure and the depth at which fish are holding. I never look to find a fish and then catch that fish. I do not think I ever caught a fish directly under the boat except in the winter when fishing 60 feet and moving so slow can eat a sandwitch on every cast. In stead use it to find structure and when catch a fish to note the depth of where the fish was. Then try and keep the boat in a depth that can cast into the depth the fish are holding and work around the shore.

Right, I know all that. I wish they never got the name fishfinder, and instead were just called sonar. My biggest issue is to forget to use it, except for finding the depth before running aground. I tend to fish mostly upon the shoreline, but some of the most productive areas in my local reservoir are brushpiles well out from the shore. I just need to spend time getting a good picture as to what picture equals what type of cover/structure. The biggest issue I have there, is I hardly ever get to go fishing, and even though we own 4 boats, only one is running, and it got used a whopping six times, since buying the fishfinder in February. Hard to learn about cover when on the trailer.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Best entry level fishfinder

Learning to know what you see on the screen can take a while. Most people do not turn the sensitivy up enough to see most of the fish. Out here in the west this is the best time to learn to use your fish finder. After Labor day the boat traffic on the water is about 1/10 of before labor day. That means that water is much clearer and you can see down quite a few feet. So when you go over a rock can see what that looks like. Also soft mud, bruch piles, Fish, trees lying on the bottom.

Anyway out here this is the time of year your can look over the side and see what down there then look at the depth finder and see how it shows up.

Take a digital camera and takes some pictures and make notes what that screen was showing.