Need to find a FISH FINDER ! Any suggestions ????

[chopei]

Want to buy my hubby a fish finder for his birthday. Don't know which model to get him, in a mid range $$$wise. Lowrance or Humminbird, with or without sonar ? Found a Humminbird 345c, with a transducer included. Good for interior lakes in the Okanagan. Too many choices, can you guys help me out ? What do you have and are you happy with it ? Thank you , Nora H.

[Jagermeister]

for a little boat or big boat? does he ice fish?
for a big boat which is going to be hard wired in, I would recommend something along the line of a Hummingbird 597ci HD Combo. GPS and depth and fish locator. You can use a Navionics bathymeteric chart card in it.
if it's for a small boat or cartopper, one of the portable units will suffice. These can be used for icefishing also.

[srupp]

hmmm just bought another LOWRANCE..Elite series 7 inch screen..with traditional sonar (fish finder ) as well as DSI downscan imaging..also comes with GPS (global positioning system) for chartplotting ..navigation especially good for large lakes and honey holes and ocean use..also a Navionics bathymetric chart card is en route.. hmmmm

For simpler budget..Lowrance Elite 5 without the chartplotter would make an excellent unit have had Lowrance units for 30 years ...

questions or help??

send me a pm with Ph # and I will do my best to assist....

cheers

Steven Rupp

[Ride Red]

I've only owned Lowrance/Garmin over the past 25 years, so I hope I'm not bias, but I've never had an issue. I'm running a Lowrance HDS7 in my boat now and love it. Depending on the main use, portable or fixed, there are many to choose from. Personally I'd purchase a sonar model over a regular depth sounder for the accuracy. Check out deals online at Cabela's or Wholesale, as one of them will have something to offer.

[srupp]

I've only owned Lowrance/Garmin over the past 25 years, so I hope I'm not bias, but I've never had an issue. I'm running a Lowrance HDS7 in my boat now and love it. Depending on the main use, portable or fixed, there are many to choose from. Personally I'd purchase a sonar model over a regular depth sounder for the accuracy. Check out deals online at Cabela's or Wholesale, as one of them will have something to offer.

Hmmm great advice....

Ps Navionics Gold Is being changed to Navionics +.......

Steven

[BRvalley]

what's this midrange budget you're thinking? everybody has a different value on that usually ;)

does he just want a basic fish finder to know depth, temps, mark some fish...or want chart plotting ability, gps and scanning? bigger screens are nicer, but more $$

mostly a lowrance fan myself....have used the elite series and hds series, great products

but if he happens to run a minn kota trolling motor with 'ipilot link' or might plan to, should consider hummingbird, as you can tie in your finder to your trolling motor, basically the cats ass for boat control (my trolling motor convinced me to get a bird on the boat for next year lol)

if he's big into ice fishing, the Marcum lx7 is an awesome on the ice, big 8" screenand you can buy an open water transducer for summer use, works like a basic fish finder minus the gps and chart plotting, no fancy scanning images

for $650 here's a great lowrance unit, 7" screen is nice on the eyes

http://radioworld.ca/elite-p-11255.html

I've found radioworld to have good service and pricing, WSS was crazy when I looked at my HDS unit there, 600 more than radio world...

[srupp]

Hmmm thats the one I would also get for midpriced mine is the step up the Chirp unit...

Exellent unit readily made portable...

Great sel3ction

Cheers
Steven

[Sofa King]

another nod here for lowrance.
I'm definitely biased on that though.

[chopei]

Hello Gentlemen, Sorry it's taken so long to reply....... We went river fishing on the Fraser in Hope, BC (first-timers). It was a blast, got 10 sockeye over one week. Still need a fish finder for our boat. I ordered a Humminbird from Amazon(ShopZone) and they sent us the wrong unit. They won't send me the right one, saying it's sold out and but they will refund me when I send it back. I AM STILL WITHOUT A FISHFINDER.
It's a smaller boat 16.5 ft Glastron which I would like to put a fish finder in it. Not so good with electronics, but would like depth, bottom, speed , temperature, and of course FISH display. Maps are of no interest to me unless they are in the area of the Okanagan Lakes. Everyone seems to prefer Lowrance, what do you suggest, mid-range ($400ish), and somewhere in Canada to buy them that is reliable and won't screw a lady buying for her hubby. Any help would be greatly appreciated, he really need a fish finder, I keep outfishing him with my choices of PRETTY lures,
Thank you, Nora

[chopei]

Hello Gentlemen, Sorry it's taken so long to reply....... We went river fishing on the Fraser in Hope, BC (first-timers). It was a blast, got 10 sockeye over one week. Still need a fish finder for our boat. I ordered a Humminbird from Amazon(ShopZone) and they sent us the wrong unit. They won't send me the right one, saying it's sold out and but they will refund me when I send it back. I AM STILL WITHOUT A FISHFINDER.
It's a smaller boat 16.5 ft Glastron which I would like to put a fish finder in it. Not so good with electronics, but would like depth, bottom, speed , temperature, and of course FISH display. Maps are of no interest to me unless they are in the area of the Okanagan Lakes. Everyone seems to prefer Lowrance, what do you suggest, mid-range ($400ish), and somewhere in Canada to buy them that is reliable and won't screw a lady buying for her hubby. Any help would be greatly appreciated, he really need a fish finder, I keep outfishing him with my choices of PRETTY lures,
Thank you, Nora

[Bro 300]

look up these sites.
radioworld.ca jn Ontario
gpscentral.ca in calgary