best fish finder for 200 to 400 dollars

[yourkiddin]

wanting to mount a fish finder on the front with the transducer on the trolling motor. would like it to locate fish tell the temp and depth. dont really want to spend more than 400 dollars. any recommendations would be appreciated. also what not to buy.

 

[John_S]

Re: best fish finder for 200 to 400 dollars

Since you are mounting on bow troller, assume you are mostly shallow water fishing. Stay with a name brand Eagle/Lowrance, Humminbird, Garmin, etc and find the best screen you like.

Your choices will come down to a smaller color screen, VS a larger black/white grayscale screen. Vertical resolution should not be an issue for shallow water fishing, but having a wider screen provides more history, which I prefer. A larger screen also allows for using a "big digits" feature for depth, which is also important if you are reading it from a standing position on a casting deck. ie you are glancing down not far from your feet.

Make sure the one you choose has a trolling motor mount or can exchange for one. You might have some misc cost for a mount depending on trolling motor and skeg.

If you have a digital or infinite speed control trolling motor, they tend to produce more electrical noise. Try to find someone that has your model of motor and FF you are considering, to confirm compatability. Noise can also be a factor for how it is wired into the system. Read manual carefully, and doesn't hurt to call tech support for recommended appoaches.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: best fish finder for 200 to 400 dollars

Since you are willing to spend up to $400 you have a very wide range of choices so it's a matter of features you want and color or gray scale display. Any troller can be fitted with a universal transducer bracket that accepts virtually any transducer so that's not an issue. I use MinnKota Power Drives almost exclusively and have had a bunch of different locators all of which had the transducer mounted on an after market trolling motor mount and none of them ever experienced interference from the motor with the locator powered from the troller battery. My pontoon has a PinPoint 7520 sonar on a Power Drive V2 and it doesn't have an issue either. Most locators provide a voltage readout so if you do power it from the troller battery, you get a very accurate battery voltage reading - under load or not.

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: best fish finder for 200 to 400 dollars

thanks for the info guys. but what im really needing is for someone that has lets say a cuda 250 or a hummingbird to give me there input. i dont care what it is. just in my price range and tell me i got this _______ and i love it or dont buy this_______ i hate it.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: best fish finder for 200 to 400 dollars

OK - PinPoint 7520. It works ok but I would not buy another one (even if they were still available). Eagle: I've owned a bunch of them (various models) and all have worked well, none have had issues. The Lowrance color X67C on my pontoon is a good unit as well.

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: best fish finder for 200 to 400 dollars

thanks guys. i think im gonna take my chance on one of these three units. a lowrance x96,eagle 480, or the hummingbird 565. all these are affordable and can buy locally.