Good budget fish finder

[ezmobee]

Birthday's comin' and I'm putting together a wish list. What's good <$200 fish finder. My requirements are depth, temp, and clearly show me where the fish are.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Good budget fish finder

i have a hummingbird Pirannha 20, does what i need.
http://www.iboats.com/Humminbird_Pi...3974895--**********.924540253--view_id.342165

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: Good budget fish finder

TD do you use that in fresh or saltwater?

either way, how deep do you fish

 

[DRIFTER_016]

Re: Good budget fish finder

This machine from the Lowrance/Eagle line is a heck of a unit for just a hair over $200.

Eagle Seafinder 480 DF
Much higher resolution and higher power as well as dual frequency for greater depth reading.

http://www.iboats.com/Remove/dm/***...--view_id.185885--viewcart.long--qty_107434.0

http://www.eaglenav.com/en/Products/Fishfinders/SeaFinder-480-DF/

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Good budget fish finder

Fresh, 4-50 feet.

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: Good budget fish finder

drifter, same questions for you... do you use that in fresh or salt, what depths?

 

[DRIFTER_016]

Re: Good budget fish finder

drifter, same questions for you... do you use that in fresh or salt, what depths?

From the manufacturers website. 1500 feet maximum depth. It depends on the water it's self though as suspended particulates can affect readings. I actually use a Lowrance LMS 350 in fresh water. One of the best things is it will track bottom at full speed in my boat. In fact it will track bottom in all but the fastest boats.

SONAR / SOUNDERSonar Frequency 50/200 kHz Transducer Type Dual Frequency Skimmer?
Sonar Output Power Max 4000 W
Sonar Depth Max 1500 ft \ 460 m
FasTrack? Yes
Ping Speed HyperScroll? Yes
Sonar Alarms: Fish, Max and Min Depth Yes
Temperature Display Yes
Speed & Distance Log Yes

 

[gixxerjim]

Re: Good budget fish finder

I did a ton of research on this same set of parameters, plus considerable input from a lifelong fisherman (my dad) in a wide variety of applications (Lake Michigan deep water, rivers, shallow lakes etc).

I ended up with a GPS compatible Humminbird Matrix 717...lots of power, dual cone, decent screen, GPS ready to my cheap Garmin handheld, expandable for when I am ready to upgrade.

Good luck!

 

[gixxerjim]

Re: Good budget fish finder

A good comparison is available on cabelas.com...then buy it at iboats....

 

[gunner1]

Re: Good budget fish finder

Humminbird Model #565.

 

[pistol8]

Re: Good budget fish finder

I just bought a new Lowrance X67c and its great. Good clear screens and works at top speeds. Bass Pro had them on sale for 159.00. It's the same unit they use for ice fishing up in the cold north that the guys call the ice machine .Very dependable.

 

[mav6759]

Re: Good budget fish finder

If interested I brought I Eagle Cuda 168 from bss proshop last weekend don't have it installed yet, but i throw the transduce in the water while fishing over the weekend, it worked great for not being mounted. and I paid 69.99 for the unit and it does everything.

Mav6759

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Good budget fish finder

I just bought a new Lowrance X67c and its great. Good clear screens and works at top speeds. Bass Pro had them on sale for 159.00. It's the same unit they use for ice fishing up in the cold north that the guys call the ice machine .Very dependable.

That must have been a heck of a sale cuz it's on their website for like $250 now!

 

[gixxerjim]

Re: Good budget fish finder

Humminbird 565 is a great choice. Nothing else has the same features and power for the price...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Good budget fish finder

That's the one I'm leaving towards. Thanks.

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: Good budget fish finder

gixxer do you use this in saltwater?

 

[gixxerjim]

Re: Good budget fish finder

Actually my dad uses it, not in Saltwater though....loves it and knows his stuff on fishfinders...honestly I don't know what saltwater would do to the selection process...

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: Good budget fish finder

saltwater is throwing a curveball to me...

i liked the eagle 480df that drifter had posted, dual beam, 1500' depth (although i probably know it doesn't get that far), but the screen resolution got me, 480x480 pixels...

but that humminbird you posted, the 565, has 630v by 320h... torn now... still thinking of the eagle though

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Good budget fish finder

I don't remember which Eagle it was but the customer reviews for one of them on BassPro's or Cabela's website were horrid....

 

[whofan]

Re: Good budget fish finder

I just bought a new Lowrance X510c $479.00. The graph freezes intermittently and flashes depth. My old X75 was a better graph.
A few years ago I`d take a Lowrance over a Humminbird now I`d go with the Humminbird over a Lowrance/Eagle product.
The Humminbird 565 is what I`d buy in the 200.00 range.
My new Lowrance is junk. I wish I kept my old X75 Lowrance.
Lowrance and Eagle are one the same.