• Help Support TNDeer:

Need advice on a Fish Finder.

Yotekiller011

Yotekiller011

Well-Known Member
TNDeer Supporter
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
1,144
Location
Sevierville
Hey guys, I know alot of you are experts on this subject or at least a lot more knowledgable than me and I need advise before purchasing a fish find/depth finder. I can't justify spending a lot money on one (around $500.00). I really don't care if its color but I would like side and down imaging and for it to be accurate and reliable. Its going o the front of my bass tracker the one I have is old and ready for the trash.

I also need a transducer for it. I really hate to put it back on the trolling motor, its old and has some vibration which I know probably effects a transducer but realize the inside the mounted transducers are more money. Any suggestion on these products would be greatly appreciated. I just want to be able to accurately find drop offs, cover,fish, and water conditions.
 
An inside the hull transducer will not work on an aluminum boat. For a trolling motor I don't use anything other than traditional 2D sonar 95 percent of the time... and it wouldn't bother me if I only had 2D.

I use my side scan on the back to idle over any structure / cover and find what I am looking for. If I see something I want to fish I'll throw out a marker or GPS mark it. Then I'll fish it. Then the only time I'll need anyhing on the front is for vertical fishing or GPS marking. Sidescan and downscan on the front when sitting still or on and off the trolling motor really leave a lot to be desidred since they work best in the 3 to 7 mph range. I will always recommend people putting the better electronic on the back... use it to find the fish and mark them.

With the exception of long line fishing or moving from rock pile to other specific locations on the trolling motor, I could do everything I do with a $100 unit on the front. If I'm fishing the bank all I'm looking at is depth to make sure I'm staying in a certain range and not running too shallow or deep.
 
You and I fish the same area, I crappie fish mainly on Douglas and catch fish but my boats getting 0ld (2003) and got old electronics. If you were me what would you buy if you only got to fish weekends and a few days here and there, I thought about just getting a new boat thats already outfitted but my boat runs good its just the finders are trashed. What do do recommend front and back.
 
I have used the lowrance fish finders for the front and have a 798 humminbird side imager on the console and like both. You can get a gen 5 lowrance for under 500 and a 500 series side image humminbird for under as well. If you want a bigger unit the next step up in both is about 100 more.
 
I just put a Lowrance Elite-4 HDI on my Tracker. Shopped on the net and got it delivered for $265 and could still have done better. That's with tranducer. Supose to be easy to operate. Maybe so for todays generation. Got more screens and menus than Ill ever use. Only had it out once. GPS was great and that was main reason for buying it.
 
SilverFox":1duxk3ws said:
I hadn't seen the helix... wonder what they shortcut to reduce the price that much?
Click to expand...
No networking capability, It's half the power of the 800 series, compact si transducer, and single card slot. I also believe there is certain navionics cards it not compatriot able with.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top