Help me pick a new fish finder :)

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

...What would you guys recommend me get? "I am not going to be fishing shallow water lakes ALL the time, and as I said, I have never had a sonar in the lake I fish alot

20 degree angle is going to do you well for what you describe.

I also want a sonar that isnt going to go all crazy on me going over rock bottom "lots of rock in the lakes here, lots of the back lakes are also tea stained water from trees etc"

You will likely find occasionally that you will need to adjust sensitivity in very fertile water to cut back on false echoes from algae, plankton. ANY good finder will need an occasional adjustment. The cheap ones might not show you enough to notice you need to adjust it. IMHO

Having a very hard time trying to pick out the "right" finder for me:redface:I do however want a finder that has a good resolution "at least 320x320"...then there is the cuda 300, which looks decent but I am not sure if it is decent decent for me

For the money, I would buy a Fishmark over the Cuda. Two different classes of product; the Fishmark is way ahead of the Cuda.

I would say stop fretting over the decision and just buy that discounted Fishmark 320 and don't look back. You will be happy I am sure. Nothing more to say...

 

[northwoodslivin]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

Thanks Mark!

Hmm. Yes, that is a sweet little unit, but as I said.. That deal is on the american site and not the canadian site... as a matter of fact. if you go to the Canadian site and kick in fish finders, they dont have half of what the US site has. How pathetic is that!?

Thanks Mark.
ETA: Damn 109US! that is a score.. alright, I am going to try getting one I think

ETA: Scratch that idea. Dont have a credit card

 

[northwoodslivin]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

Bought a new Lowrance X96 from a fellow in Canada for a real good price.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

Congrats! I think you will find that unit more than sufficient.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

I took a look at that Eagele Fishmark 320 (online)....it does look like a good deal. I'm not really a fisherman, but I would like a depth finder and see the bottom topography.

Typically (or spacific to this one if you know) can these be unplugged easily? I'm thinking theft when I'm not around. Can I just unplug and take it with me easily?

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

...Typically (or spacific to this one if you know) can these be unplugged easily? I'm thinking theft when I'm not around. Can I just unplug and take it with me easily?

You turn the two knobs on the sides of the unit to loosen it, remove it from the bracket, and unplug the transducer and power cable. Carry it away...

So yes it is easy.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

You turn the two knobs on the sides of the unit to loosen it, remove it from the bracket, and unplug the transducer and power cable. Carry it away...

So yes it is easy.

Ok, I figured as much....thanks Mark.

I'm going to call Cabela's and buy one of those...birthday present to ME.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

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[basstracker219]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

have you looked at any lowrance models?

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

have you looked at any lowrance models?

Ya, I did. First place I checked was iboats store, hence I edited my post where I gave shipping costs for someone else....not my place to help the competition.

My criteria is pretty simple. Something that has a good reputation as working well and a good price point. As mentioned I'm not a huge fishing guy, mostly I want something that will give a fairly accurate bottom topography as there are some spots where I'll be going that I've been warned about rocks.

No gps mapping company has done my areas yet. My plan is to use the fishfinder and gps to mark the area.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

Ya, I did. First place I checked was iboats store, hence I edited my post where I gave shipping costs for someone else....not my place to help the competition.

My criteria is pretty simple. Something that has a good reputation as working well and a good price point. As mentioned I'm not a huge fishing guy, mostly I want something that will give a fairly accurate bottom topography as there are some spots where I'll be going that I've been warned about rocks.

No gps mapping company has done my areas yet. My plan is to use the fishfinder and gps to mark the area.

Where abouts are you boating? And I understand the mapping issue. I have an old navionics that just show Lake Okanagan and none of the other lakes I fish around town. But the new one has a lot more of the BC lakes and I will be upgrading soon. But I see they didn't add a lot of Manitoba lakes. Maybe the next version.

 

[John_S]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

If you end up with a Lowrance/Eagle, would recommend one of the Johnny Ray mounts. Instead of removing knobs, it is just a push button. You will also get rotational flexibility.

 

[northwoodslivin]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

holy thread highjack batman!

lol. all good.
Excited to get it, even through there is a blizzard outside right now

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

holy thread highjack batman!

lol. all good.
Excited to get it, even through there is a blizzard outside right now

Sorry North....sounded like you were done.

As per our PM's I've been following and reading along doing my own research.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

If you end up with a Lowrance/Eagle, would recommend one of the Johnny Ray mounts. Instead of removing knobs, it is just a push button. You will also get rotational flexibility.

"rotational flexibility"....good one... thanks

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

Where abouts are you boating? And I understand the mapping issue. I have an old navionics that just show Lake Okanagan and none of the other lakes I fish around town. But the new one has a lot more of the BC lakes and I will be upgrading soon. But I see they didn't add a lot of Manitoba lakes. Maybe the next version.

Lake Winnipeg, near Matheson Island. Apparently navionics is doing this lake, but who knows.

Some commercial fisherman are using gps....most just decades and generations of experience.

 

[northwoodslivin]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

Sorry North....sounded like you were done.

As per our PM's I've been following and reading along doing my own research.

It's all good bud was only kidding

 

[John_S]

Re: Help me pick a new fish finder

"rotational flexibility"....good one... thanks