Fish finder recomendation

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Offthepath

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Can anyone point me to a reasonably priced fish finder? What are some features I should look for?

I'm a novice fisherman so I'd like something that is easy to use (ie I don't need all the bells and whistles) Another big factor would be for aiding in navigation and being able to see the bottom, trees, rocks etc while underway in the boat. I'd like something that would excel in this regard.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Depends on "reasonable". I have used them all probably the easiest to use IMO is Garmin. I run Humminbird. A lot depends on budget all have the basic traditional sonar, temp and other features all are very good nowadays. But for ease of use and value I would recommend Garmin echomap 73sv.
 
Offthepath said:
Thanks. I'd like to stay at 200 or under.
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SAve your money for a while and get something better. I would get a humminbird that supports a lake master card and has lake level offset which shows you hazards that are present at any lake level. Side imaging is super as well. A Helix 5si is about 500-550. You could buy the lakemaster card later....125$. pricey stuff but you know the saying. Good luck
 
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It’s probably an anomaly, but my 6 month old humminbird mega 7 died an hour into our day Friday. The fishing was so good that I didn’t try to troubleshoot it on the water. Hopefully it’s just a fuse and not the head unit itself.
 
Yeah, I would agree with birdsnest, wait awhile save up and get a better unit. Look at used on FB or Ebay. People upgrade and sell used units for a lot less. Or black friday deals.
 
I'll check out the referb ones, thanks.

In reality, I doubt I ever use any kind of maps, charts etc so I won't need those features. I'm sure that will save some money. So with the exception of mapping, what features should I look for, dual beam, chirp, etc?

Thanks
 
Having the Lakemaster chip in my Humminbird has saved my butt dozens of times, The way the lake level fluctuates no paper map can give you the hazards at a particular lake level. I’ve been going to Powell since “82” and wouldn’t go out on the lake without GPS in the boat. Sq
 
Squirrel said:
Having the Lakemaster chip in my Humminbird has saved my butt dozens of times, The way the lake level fluctuates no paper map can give you the hazards at a particular lake level. I’ve been going to Powell since “82” and wouldn’t go out on the lake without GPS in the boat. Sq
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You don't follow my expensive method of reshaping the bottom of the lake with my hull and props?
 
The GPS in my iPhone wigged out on me on Friday for about a half hour, right when we were about to head back to the ramp. Luckily it wasn't any kind of an issue because of the GPS in our Humminbird. Plus I was able to add a waypoint for a good spot to come back to before we took off. So there's that advantage too. GPS in a unit is well worth it, IMO.
 
Squirrel said:
Having the Lakemaster chip in my Humminbird has saved my butt dozens of times, The way the lake level fluctuates no paper map can give you the hazards at a particular lake level. I’ve been going to Powell since “82” and wouldn’t go out on the lake without GPS in the boat. Sq
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Very Wise Word. I listened to Squirrel a couple of years ago and paid for the Lakemaster. Was just at the lake yesterday and the day before. The humminbird with Lakemaster chip, set at 100 feet below, was spot on checked with depth gauge (no correction needed this time). It has saved our prop and boat multiple times, and it will save you if you are a fisherman and like to get into coves, or areas on the lake that look so good but are a mine field. Highly recommend.
 
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Here is some info about Garmin fish finders. I posted this thread a while back showing how the topo map for Lake Powell can be adjusted to correspond to the actual lake level to highlight hazards. It has GPS capabilities and does traditional sonar and downscan imaging.

Garmin Sonar Users: Tips for Shading Map Chart to Display Actual Shoreline and Shallow Areas While Navigating

If you have a Garmin sonar unit that has topo maps for inland lakes installed, it may allow you to shade the map chart for different depth ranges. Here are some tips on shading the map chart so it will correspond to the actual shoreline and highlight shallow areas to avoid while underway. Map...
wayneswords.net wayneswords.net
 
Squirrel said:
Sure, if you have stock in “Jim’s Prop Shop”. He has gotten business from me in the past. Sq
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Besides being birdsnest, My other nickname has been propknocker. I hate that but all it takes is once with my butthead friends and I am the captain so I just get back at them in my own sly ways.
 
I started with a flasher on my first boat in the seventies, then on to multiple fish finders over the years and I have to say that now my units run with a split screen 98% of the time and I am focused on the map 90% of the time. It is the best tool in my boat.
 
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