Fish finder for less than $150?

[Jiggy81]

Dont have the $$$ to splurge on a really nice fish finder.. So would like some recommendation on a decent FF. Need it to be kind of portable and dont care if its B&W screen.
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[albinotrout]

Ok a few questions. What will you be using it on? For a low cost system that is very portable there is the fishing buddy by humminbird. This has a clamp on bracket good for small boats like aluminum dinghys and canoes. Also can be used on float tubes. They also have a low cost unit similar to the fishing buddy that can be mounted. They all go up from there. Both in price and features.
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[Jiggy81]

Its going to be mounted on a Inflatable boat actually. Specifically this boat.

http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Mariner-4-Pe...+mariner+4

Its a great 1 to 2 man boat. I dont have the space for a real boat and trailer so I like how i can just pack this up in the trunk of honda accord and store it in a shelf.

These are the fish finders i'v been looking at. Picked these base on price and amazon reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-Mark-5x-5...ish+finder

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Echo-101-Ca...ish+finder

http://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-000-11448...ish+finder

I'm a newbie with fish finder in fact i've never even seen one operate in real life! lol.. I dont know if I should go for the cheapest one I can afford and upgrade later or get a pretty good one and dont worry about upgrading later. This is another fish finder i've been looking at and read this is the best fish finder for the money.

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Echo-551dv-...ish+finder

I can probably do $250 but is it really worth double the price of the cheaper ones?I mostly like to troll with my 1 man boat and would love to just see whats under the water and of course find them fishies! thanks
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[albinotrout]

Interesting boat. Where do you plan on using it? I would only use a craft like that on small lakes like the Unitas. If that is all you want it for them a humminbird piranha max or fishing buddy will do fine. I am not familiar with the lowrance or garmin. For mounting a FF on it you will have to get creative. PVC is a great tool for this. I used it to mount one on my pontoon. There are also fishing buddy holders for float tubes that will give you some ideas on how to mount that. The float tubing boards have many ideas on how to mount fishfinders using PVC as well.
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[Jiggy81]

I actually plan on taking this boat everywhere I can except open ocean fishing. I've taken it on WB and DC and did great trolling. I have a 2.5 HP outboard on it and it works great. Planning on modding it out with a wooden floor and side boards so it can hold downriggers. That's where i'll probably mount the FF is on a wooden board or even put it on top of a battery box. So whats your opinion on FF? Would you tell a beginner like myself to go with a entry level unit or go with a good one that will last me a 5+ years? How often do you guys upgrade your FF?
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[albinotrout]

If you want something less than $150. The piranha max is good. Otherwise plan on 200-300 for a decent one. The humminbird 500 series is a great FF (may be 700 series now with the upgrades). Sounds like you know what you are doing with the mods. Also don't forget to register the boat since you put a motor on it.
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[wiperhunter2]

If you have never used a fish finder, I'd recommend you go to Sportsmans warehouse or Cabela's and play with their display models. You can use the demo mode that all fish finders have to see what the different setting do and learn more about several different models. IMO, buy the one you can afford but the one Albinotrout recommend is a great starter finder. How often do folks upgrade their finders, that all depends on you and your needs. Finders will last for years and there is no need to upgrade unless your needs change. IMO, your estimate of 5 years is a good one but it could be longer or shorter depending on if you upgrade to a larger fishing craft. Hope that helps.
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