Salt Water Fish Finder

[Old No 7]

I know this has been asked many times, but it seems most of the questions are for fresh water units.

I have an 18' Angler center console boat so the real estate available I have is small.

I don't have a cover of any sort over the console, so it needs to be visible in full sunlight. I also would prefer color.

I was looking at the garmin 160C but it seems thats designed for fresh water.

I will be only in salt water in depths of about 150-200 feet or less.

I also need it as a depth finder as I do not have a seperate one.

Any and all suggestions appreciated!

 

[JB]

Re: Salt Water Fish Finder

Furuno seems to be the choice of Salt boaters.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Salt Water Fish Finder

200 feet of salt water is deep enough you start to need more power and resolution. With a 200 khz transducer I would want at least 300 watts RMS or 2400 watts PeP. The unit you suggested Garmin 160 I belive is 150 watts rms and 128 resoultion. So in 200 feet each pixel is for 1.56 feet or 18 inches. So to be sure you see the fish living there the fish needs to be 18 inches from back to belly so that is a big fish. With 4 times zoom fish needs to be 4.6 inches high for you to be sure and see. Still he will only light one pixel. Most of the time a single pixel is hard to see and we will think is noise or a bubble. When the fish light 2 pixels you are more likely to see but to light two pixels the fish has to be 9 inches from back to belly. So I would say at the edge of the 160 range. Eagle Fishmark 500 C would be a better choice. Vertical resoultion is 320 so 2.5 times better resoultion and it has 187 watts RMS or 1500 PeP.

If your like most of US and your fishing 200 feet but see people further offshore working Nets you will move out at join the fun and soon find your fishing more than 200 feet often.

Take you time picking your unit as if you care for the unit should last 30 years or more.

Deep salt water over 200 feet I agree with JB Furuno is the best. Only thing I do not like about them is when they change depths the screen will look like it changed 30 feet in depth when it was only one. I like to fish the slopes offshore so screen will change the depth often.

All the manufactures will give you a statment like depth UP to 1600 feet. Important for your to understand what that means. What in means is in clear fresh water with no alge mud or lots of air you can see a big hard rock at 1600 feet. Get out into salt water with plankton and lots of air from waves hitting shore and try to see a Little rockfish built like a stealth fighter you will be lucky to see him at 200 feet. I find that I devide the manufactures number by 8 and it is pretty close to how deep your can really see saltwater fish on the bottom.

For Shallow Saltwater under 200 feet I like Lowrance then Eagle then Furuno or Garmin. Also beter off with a 200 Khz transducer.

Over 200 feet of salt water I like Furuno then Lowrance then Garmin. Also should get a dual Frequency unit with both 200 Khz and 50 Khz for deep water. Also need 500 WATTS RMS or 4000 PeP.

 

[skimmer]

Re: Salt Water Fish Finder

Either the furuno ls4100 or the eagle seafinder 480df both very good saltwater units

 

[dingbat]

Re: Salt Water Fish Finder

Right now it's pretty hard to beat the Furuno FCV620 or FCV585 digital units. The FCV 620 boosts 600W RMS of power with a fully digital interface that automatically varies the gain and output to maximize the sensitively at all depths. The variable ping rate (up to 3000 PRR) gives excellent shallow water performance and I have no problems running the unit in water as shallow as 3?- 4? deep.

Hook the FCV620 up to a Airmar B60 tilted element transducer and you have on heck of a unit for under $1K