Best Fish Finder

Da Bay Bye

Da Bay Bye

Active Member
I would like to get a new fish finder but don't know where to start. Each one seems to claim they are the best (expected advertising) but without trying a lot of different ones.

I currently have an old Hummingbird 200DX that came with the boat. This is the first one I ever had. Works great as a depth finder but I am sure it misses lots of fish. What I would like is something more modern with a built in GPS and ability to mark a particular location so I can pass over it time after time. I am willing to spend around $600-700 for something that will do the job for a weekend fisherman like myself. My boat is a 16 foot as in my avatar.

Any ideas or tips on what to look for or what to avoid?

Thanks

Don
 
You might not need to spend that much if you are a weekend fisherman staying within a few miles of shore. The Canadian Tire langford as the lowrance elite 5 on for 399 this week. You could see if yours would match that price. Great unit. If not id lowrance they are easy to use and reliable. If I was spending $700 range The hds 5 gen 2 or the elite 7 hdi are very nice.
 
Phil....If you have the time head down to Harbouor Chandler in Nanaimo...They will hook u up with something at the best price, best advice,best service and no BS....Its worth the drive from Comox. Ask for Mike, Denise, or Dane.
 
X2 on Harbour Chandler . They will probably set you up with the elite 7 it's best bang for your buck 100% I have hooked up a few guys up with the 7 and the 5 and they love it. It also includes the chip. If your looking for radar hookup these 2 are not compatible .

Cheers
 
fish stalker said:
You might not need to spend that much if you are a weekend fisherman staying within a few miles of shore. The Canadian Tire langford as the lowrance elite 5 on for 399 this week. You could see if yours would match that price. Great unit. If not id lowrance they are easy to use and reliable. If I was spending $700 range The hds 5 gen 2 or the elite 7 hdi are very nice.
Click to expand...

the elite 5 Canadian tire is selling is the dsi model. Designed for fresh water lakes and such.
 
burnsy22 said:
Phil....If you have the time head down to Harbouor Chandler in Nanaimo...They will hook u up with something at the best price, best advice,best service and no BS....Its worth the drive from Comox. Ask for Mike, Denise, or Dane.
Click to expand...

X3. Sound advice right there :).
 
If you're going Harb Chan Nan, talk directly to Denise...she knows gps/fishfinders inside out.
I've had some electronic technical issues with advice taken from others there.....
 
Ah....if you want the best....you need to spend money....and lots of it.

What is your definition of "best" ? What is your budget?

Furuno, Raytheon/Raymarine and Lowrance all offer good high end units.

A transducer matched to your unit and the depth of water and the boat you are fishing is critical.

Buy the most expensive transducer you can afford for your unit and boat. I have a 1 kw dual wide beam transducer on my boat and I can tell you after making 1-3 passes over an area if there are Chinooks there. The Airmar I have cost me $1250 and that was a deal!!!

However, while a good fish finder is cool, personally, once you get to know an area, I'm too busy with other stuff to bother looking at the sounder.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
wstcoaster said:
be hard to find one better than a garmin color sounder their not the cheapest but maybe the best
Click to expand...
x2 - I have a Garmin 720s that I'm very pleased with. You might be able to get a good deal on a 740s right now as they have been discontinued and replaced with the 740xs.
 
When I asked at HC they said the lowrance had a much better sonar then the garmin. Also if your buying a GPS fish finder combo look into what the cost for charts are so units are higher then others.
 
I run a standard horizon GPS/Sounder combo. I can watch it like tv and tell you what rod the fish is hitting without looking at the rods! LOL is that sort of what you want? GPS is very acurate too!

-KK
 
What are the ones they use on "Wicked Tuna' boats?

I sure like those.......all the episodes I've watched I've never looked at the brand......
 
I bought a low end lowrance to get me by when I switched boats piece of @&$ warranty was up by they time I was fed up with it. Hit it with a hammer and I felt good but I guess you get what you pay for , the buttons only worked occasionally . Got the stand alone garmin but I think it could stand a transducer upgrade
 
The way to approach Furuno on a budget is to stay just behind the newest technology. They just came out with the Furuno 627 and its big brother, the 587.

People who had the 620 and the 585 now just HAVE to get the latest and greatest so they end up dumping their 620's and 585's (which only a few years ago were the "best" sounders on the market.

It's tough to beat a 620 and a P66 transducer--- you could get that installed on a boat for $ 500 -- $ 600 these days, the 585 + P66 for a few hundred more.

ebay always has 620's and 585's. There's NOTHING wrong with buying pre-owned Furuno marine elctronics---just make sure the screen isn't fogged or scratched. P66's are easy to find for $ 50 - 75
 
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