Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?
You CAN do it both ways.... two machines on one transducer and 2 transducers on one machine. Both hummingbird and garmin make a switch that allows you to switch from one to the other.
I have two transducers on my flats boat but only one machine. One ducer on the stern and one on the bow mount trolling motor.
However, I don't find it as usefull as you may think... you're mostly using the trolling motor to get near shore structure, overhanging trees etc... the transducer can't "see" there anyway as the beams are not wide enough unless you go to a side scan sonar.
I have a sidescan on my bay boat and once you learn how to properly use it (takes a LOT of practice) it's amazing what you can do with it... depending on the depth you can see a very long way to the sides of the boat and even "mark" structure that's over 100ft off to the side.
I've used mine to "survey" fishing areas doing nothing more than marking structure, holes etc and then saved those waypoints to a SD card and transferred them to the non side scan units on my other boats. That way If I'm running back in from a gulf trip and decide to try a couple inshore spots on the way back to the ramp/dock I've got those waypoints on tap.
Side scan works best in water under 50ft deep but works ok up to 100ft. Of course the transducer has two modes... you can turn the sidescan feature off and use it as a regular chartplotter/bottom machine.
The near photo quality of the screen images is simply amazing....
A few years ago a guy found a airplane in a lake that no one ever knew had crashed there some thirty years earlier... Image looked like a grainy photograph....nothing like the "splotches" and arches you're used to seeing.
The downside is they're pricey.
You CAN do it both ways.... two machines on one transducer and 2 transducers on one machine. Both hummingbird and garmin make a switch that allows you to switch from one to the other.
I have two transducers on my flats boat but only one machine. One ducer on the stern and one on the bow mount trolling motor.
However, I don't find it as usefull as you may think... you're mostly using the trolling motor to get near shore structure, overhanging trees etc... the transducer can't "see" there anyway as the beams are not wide enough unless you go to a side scan sonar.
I have a sidescan on my bay boat and once you learn how to properly use it (takes a LOT of practice) it's amazing what you can do with it... depending on the depth you can see a very long way to the sides of the boat and even "mark" structure that's over 100ft off to the side.
I've used mine to "survey" fishing areas doing nothing more than marking structure, holes etc and then saved those waypoints to a SD card and transferred them to the non side scan units on my other boats. That way If I'm running back in from a gulf trip and decide to try a couple inshore spots on the way back to the ramp/dock I've got those waypoints on tap.
Side scan works best in water under 50ft deep but works ok up to 100ft. Of course the transducer has two modes... you can turn the sidescan feature off and use it as a regular chartplotter/bottom machine.
The near photo quality of the screen images is simply amazing....
A few years ago a guy found a airplane in a lake that no one ever knew had crashed there some thirty years earlier... Image looked like a grainy photograph....nothing like the "splotches" and arches you're used to seeing.
The downside is they're pricey.
