Ordered a Bay boat and need to get a combo bottom machine/GPS. I'd like to get a decent size screen 9-12" . Will be for intercoastal ond inshore fishing and I'll never add radar . I'm a tart with Gizmo's so ease of use is a big deal. Under 2k is where id like to be. Any suggestions on what to look at? Thanks
I have a Humminbird Helix on my sailboat, it's a 5" display and does what I need it to do. Maps are pretty accurate etc and the depth finder seems to work well.
Check out some of the CHIRP and side scan units. You can see an anazing amount of detail. Like count individual fish and see their size. bottom detail is very very good. I've been looking around for my new boat as well
Humminbird, Lowrance, Garmin, Furuno, and I'm sure I'm missing more brands. All are pretty close in technology, the best customer service and warranty is something to consider. I've had good luck with Humminbird but I'm sure the rest do the job just as good.
I’ve been using Garmin stuff all year including some of the stuff that’s not even out yet. They are pretty much all about as good, really comes down to what you like. I use Garmin because it’s free to use and the smallest one I use is 17” up to 22 so high end stuff. But even the basic stuff I’ve tried is damn good and well under 2k. Lots of used stuff around that’s only a year or two old. Like iPhones etc some people have to constantly upgrade.
Get in the now . That’s old crap, we can now see 360 degrees with panoptics, lowrances real something or other, etc. If you just want gps / side scan with gps you can get a lot for around 1k. Biggest cost Delta is screen size.
So whats better than this at this price point??? https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Garmin...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Lots. Example : this and add lake maps. https://www.ebay.com/p/Garmin-echoM...itm=253939788043&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1 Personally even though I’m very fortunate and get to use some very cool stuff my personal stuff are a mix factory refurb units and Garmin stuff I use at my deeply discounted price. I get around 40% off new Garmin stuff and occasionally can get 40 off refurb stuff too. Most of the latest and greatest is just a bit faster, slightly better resolution but mainly speed. 9” is a decent size for most and you also have to think of what and when you are using them. A good side/ down view transom mount you will want your better unit when trying to find where you will start fishing. Sounds obvious but newer units with faster processors you can cover more water accurately. Then a good one that’s big enough to see for up front. One thing to keep in mind is the one mounted while you are piloting the boat you are going to be much closer to and are looking at a slightly less detailed area so you can go a bit smaller. Once you drop the trolling motor you’ll be looking down at it and sometimes away from it depending on how you are fishing. These are mistakes I’ve made when I started so just sharing my experience. Also do you want them linked, or at least able to have 2 units up front where you can have trolling motor and transom mounted transducers? That’s where finding a use Craigslist unit without a transducer comes in handy. I use Garmin not necessarily because I think it’s the best, it’s because my buddy is sponsored by them so I get to borrow $10-14k units (22” display with pan optics on a 14’ Jon boat is quite comical when I’m fishing in back creek stuff, like putting $10k rims on a $500 impala). You also have to look at what you are going to use on the units. A lot of the “extras” I don’t use, I try them all but what I use all the time: Map countours when getting to a general area Side view, both wide and narrow Down scan Then pqnoptics on the trolling motor as it allows you to see in front of the boat. A pro fishing buddy relies more on the down scan and doesn’t use pan optics a bunch, it’s just reference. Also the way you set them up is very important. You can have a 10k unit but if not set up right you will hate it. Go to Bass Pro or the like and play with them for as long as you need to, just like the iPhone / Android debate. To me Lowrqnce is the iPhone of this markets. They don’t do any one thing great but they do everything good. If I didn’t have the set up with Garmin I have I’d be using Kowrqnce hands down. I just like the user interface, quality is good, priced ok. All the new units are so damn good just set a budget and buy one with the best features for that budget. Don’t look at all the features then buy one, you’ll talk yourself into stuff you don’t need, which is why I have about 10 of everything and usually only use a handful of stuff fishing. I bring 5-10 rods ready to go when I go out (2 of which are just doubles of my go to for that outing) but usually only end up using 2-4 but I hate tying on when on the water. To be good gps is important because most of the time I fish is at night and alone so I’ll use active captain some times and have my iPad just below my line of sight. Search for used stuff, this time of year is like a craigslist fire sale with either people buying new stuff on Black Friday, prepping to get rid of the boat or just freeing up holiday cash. Every year I keep 5-10k liquid cash for December as somebody is always desperate to get rid of something I think I need around Xmas time. No I don’t feel guilty as it’s not my fault they can’t budget.
Those go back to Garmin. Some are torn down for testing and validation and some are refurbed. I actually can’t even buy them when he’s done with them but they will sell me the same set up refurbed, they are very particular about making sure everything is in tip top shape before putting it in the hands of the public which is not a bad thing. I’m trying a new transducer tonight, through hull 360 degree. Only issue is I think it wil retai for 2500 for just that. To me anything over $1000 is stuff I don’t need, 360 is nice but I can live without it. Trolling motor control sure is nice though.
See ... I was just the opposite. I had Lowrance on my boat when I got it. After doing a side by side comparison on the water with my buddy’s Garmin, I jumped ship this season and don’t ever want to go back. Everything about the Garmin is more intuitive for me, and the chart detail is FAR superior to the comparable Lowrance unit.
Kind of what I was saying, it’s what you use in the unit and what works for you. I set up all of my buddies stuff on his boat, 5 units total and 7 transducers (some are not hooked up and test units) so Garmin stuff is easy for me now but took a bit to get used to. I hated my wife’s new Audi until I got used to all the electronic controls, now I love it. Kind of why I recommend hitting bass pro or the like and playing with them. My new boat will have garmin on it 1) for obvious reasons 2) I’m already very used to it so it’s like 2nd nature using it.
Well I can tell you this F$ck Garmin. It’s not doing shit for me, haven’t caught a decent fish in over an hour
Extremely foggy out plus 6000 duck hunters all trying to get to their spot by 3-4am flying around the lake wide open I figured it was best to head in. I know those guys don’t have electrons on those boats, regardless of what kind of light you have you were lucky to see the front of the boat. Easy to navigate the gps but way too easy to get hit, plus moto gp was about to start
Looking at this https://www.thegpsstore.com/Garmin-echoMAP-CHIRP-94sv-with-ClearVuSideVu-Transducer-P5098.aspx and this https://www.thegpsstore.com/Lowrance-Elite-9-Ti2-with-Nav-Charts-and-3-in-1-Transducer-P5770.aspx Not sure it will fit my console but https://www.thegpsstore.com/Lowrance-HOOK2-12-TripleShot-with-Navionics-P5493.aspx
Like is said. Hit the store and get whatever you like. You can talk yourself silly with all the options even within a certain model let alone model, brand, etc.
