I have been doing alot of reading on The Best of the Best thread and I know that I would really like to put a sonar on my FC4. I have been a bank bound fisherman for my entire life so I do not have any sonar experience. Most of my fishing will be for Bass in ponds and some smaller lakes. Are the Fishing Buddy the only ones that have a side view? I think that would be more helpful in the shallower ponds to find fish. If I am in say 12' of water how far around me would another sonar "example Eagle Cuda 168" show? My budget is about $175 but since I have never used any sonars before I would not know the difference between an $80 unit and a $175 unit. I know that this has been discussed alot already on this board but I would really appreciate some feedback from others with experince.
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Hey man...We are shadowing each other. I am in the market for a sonar myself. I have read nothing but good things (mostly on this board and various other reviews) on the Cuda 168 for the low end. I have been looking really closely at those, however don't get it at Cabela's...(about $30 more than Bass Pro if you can believe that.)
That being said - The Cuda 245 DS with the dual search (83 & 200 kHz) looks pretty good. I think the 2nd frequency is supposed to work better in shallow waters from what I have read.
I am also tempted by the Hummingbird PirhanaMax 20. It looks really similar to the Cuda 245 DS with the dual frequencies.
I guess the moral of the story is that I can't believe the 168 is still $99 at Cabela's while Bass Pro has it for $69.
Oh well, let me know what you decide. I am curious what the experts here will say about the shallow water question you posed -- because I have also been giving that one some serious thought also, and none of the great threads (a whole book of them) on the "best of the best" really address the shallow water thing.
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[black][size 3]The shallower, the less you will see. It is a cone shape, so the shallower the smaller the cone, deeper the larger the cone.
Plus the Fishing Buddy's have very small eye on the Transducer. They work better for bottom structure, then finding fish.
That side finder could help. Just try turning it around.
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Hey Dusty thanks for the heads up on the price difference between BPS and Cabela's. The other sonars you mentioned are ones that I have looked at also. FG thanks for the insight, I don't know this for sure but I doubt I will be doing much vertical jigging so the straight down use of the sonar will be mostly used for seeing the contours of the bottom. From what I can tell the major thing the fishbuddy has over others is the sideview feature other wise it seems you can get more for your $$$ with other types.
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I have the Cuda 245ds and like it so far. I am also new to sonar so take that for what it is worth.
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I have actually got my transducer on a swing. The hrozontal pipe is 3/4" with 1 T joint. and 2 pins that hold it in place.
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Majja,
Do you have a bigger picture of your setup. I really like how you have incorporated everything into 1 PVC base...Would like to see a closeup of how you have attached the base to the tube.
Thanks
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Sure here is this one. When I get hoem I can take a couple more and post if you like.
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Majja,
That is perfect - thanks. I can see now how you are hooking up. Is it pretty sturdy? I am excited now -- because after looking at all of the different setups on the "Best Of..." and now looking at your picture -- I can finally visualize what I want to do.
Thanks a ton.
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I have a Cuda 168 and a Fishin' Buddy II (earlier version of the ones out now). Both have their pluses and minuses. I find the Buddy sidefinder to be very useful in the shallow ponds I like to fish. I keep it for that reason. The drawback is the cone. It's only only a 9 degree angle. I think the Cuda is about 20 degree angle (could be wrong on that). However, since I flyfish mostly in shallower water, I'm not very interested in looking down anyway so it works for me. Bottom Line does have a new Fishin' Buddy out with an 18 degree cone. As I recall it's about $250 - too much to get me to make the jump, but if I were looking for one again, I would certainly consider it. The Buddy is also very handy. Just strap on the holder, drop the unit into the sleeve, and turn it on.
As for the difference in price between Cabelas and Bass Pro, my guess is that the Cuda 168 is being phased out with new models replacing it. With electronics, that's a regular thing. Big box stores will all ultimately discount their units to clear them out for the new models. Cabelas probably hasn't done so yet.
If you're thinking Buddy, save your coins until you can get from the $175 you have to the $250 for the wider cone unit. I don't think you'll be disappointed that you waited until you had the extra $75.
z~
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Hey Zonker thanks for the info about the fishing buddy. I checked on the new model and it is $230. The transducer is 18 degree but the side view is still 9 degrees. So the side view does a fairly good job of locating fish in shallow water huh that helps but I still can't make up my mind.
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Howdy FH.
The 9 degree side finder cone works just fine for me. In fact, with a wider side cone one could rapidly get too much information.
Both units will make you more aware of your fishing surroundings than fishing blind. The Buddy will just give you more information. I have often been kicking along, "spotted" a couple of fish 30 or 40 feet from the side of my tube, turned, layed out a cast, and instantly hooked up. Without the sidefinder, I never would have known those fish were there. (By the way, I'm constantly amazed at how many fish show up just 10 or 12 feet from the tube.) For me, as a flyfisher, in shallow water, seeing fish beneath the tube isn't a great amount of help (other than knowing of their presence, the depth and surface temperature.) Flyfishing is not usually a vertical method (fishing chironomids being the exception.)
All depends on what you want to accomplish and how much you're willing to spend.
If you have a friend who has one, borrow it for a day.
z~
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Majja: that IS an awesome side mount setup you have there!! Looks like it would be a snap to make. Do you know if the H3 I'm anxiously awaiting has the D rings in the same place?? TOO COOL!
What features of the 245 do you like?? I've been contemplating a Fishmark 320, a Lowrance 86X, a Garmin 140, a Cuda 168 & 242, and a Hummindird 525. I will also be fishing close to shore in the tulies in 20' or less of water. Would 120 degrees coverage with a dual beam transducer like the L 86X allow me to see the fish that are all around me (I hope:o) in the shallows??
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The H3 has many many lovely D=rings on it. The spacing is a little father apart on the H3. When I rebuilt for the H3 I tried to get real fancy and was not happy so I have since gone back to a very similar set up. But I use a 4in drain and drain plat for the sonar attachment instead of a light box. I will look when I get home to see if I have a picture.
I was not super impressed with the 245, but I left it in the Garage over the winter and I think that messed it up. I am using a Humminbird 565 now ans like it a lot better. I would go with either a Humminbird or a Lowrance.
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OK, so after EXTENSIVE research on fish finders, I ordered the Humminbird Fishin Buddy 130. It had the highest resolution and best features other than color which I don't deem necessary. I am probably going to use a combination of Majja's and Zonker's PVC holders and possibly add either the lobster floats or noodles to the bottom of the whole setup to assist with floatation (not for me and the H3, but for the holder assembly itself). This forum is GREAT and the really neat things that you folks have come up with for newbie "tuber" like me are superb. THANKS!!!
One quick question on the Fishin Buddy: mine will use 6 AA batteries. Is is OK to buy some high quality rechargeable ones to use or should I just "bite the bullet" and buy new alkaline AAs every 30 hours or so??
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[cool][#0000ff]Anything electronic, that consumes batteries, will give you more performance and peace of mind if you use rechargeables. Top them off before each trip and you don't have to worry about them dieing mid trip...or using "store bought" to the bitter end, just because you have to buy them each time.[/#0000ff]
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This is a great question. Granted, my experience with rechargeable batteries has been with music electronics, but I found rechargeable never charge to the highest amount, thus making them wear out quicker in my Microphone or my wireless for my bass. Have you found this TD.
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[cool][#0000ff]There are some variables here, and personal opinions are often based on past experience. There are more than one kind of rechargeable batteries. I prefer the Nimh. And, I make sure to leave them on the charger like forever the first time I charge them. Some folks do not fully charge them the first time they use them and the batteries develop a "bad memory"...and cannot be fully charged after that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another thing about the rechargeables is that they are like the SLA batteries. They work better over longer time if not used as "deep cycle" batteries. I have heard others say just the opposite...that you should completely drain them before recharging. It's a matter of who you believe.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have never owned a sonar that used small batteries. I have always used a 12 volt sonar and used 12 volt rechargeable lead acid batteries. I top them off before each trip and again after getting back. They last several years.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The most basic question here is whether or not the sonar will have enough power to really do a good job. Using a few AA batteries tells me that there is not enough wattage to provide much more than depth readings and some fish blips...accurate or not. Serious sonar users want some fine tuning and adjustments, so they can see the gray line, structure and other things. Sonar is not just to show fishy icons. In fact, most of the fish I catch never show up on sonar because I am casting away from the tube. But, I do use it for vertical jigging when I find a school of fish holding over a bit of attractive structure. And, good sonar makes it possible for me to separate the fish from the bottom and the structure. Weak sonar will not do that.[/#0000ff]
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dusty t...
I just recently learned that if you click on a picture posted in a thread it will enlarge it.. from what I understand it is a new feature with the site upgrade.. [
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MacFly [cool]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]... I know that batteries have changed a lot in the last few years.. ... and I also understand that cell phone batteries are different than those used for other devices.. but I think the basic idea of how to charge a reusable battery is the same for all batteries... several years ago when I got a new cell phone the manufacturer stressed that you charge the battery and then let it run completely down and then recharge again.. and then repeat one more time.. the reason for this was so the battery had a good first full charge..and then you let it go down all the way so that the batterys, as TD put it, memory would have a better high range... I did exactly as told and never had a problem with any of those batteries.. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]MacFly [cool][/#800000][/font]
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dusty t...
I just recently learned that if you click on a picture posted in a thread it will enlarge it.. from what I understand it is a new feature with the site upgrade.. []
MacFly [cool][/quote]
I wonder, does this mean that the pics are now automatically resized to fit the forum? If not, and you resized them yourself to, say, 450 pixels wide, clicking on the inline picture would simply produce a picture of identical size.
What saith our fearless Moderator(s)?
z~
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