Fish finder advice

[mdt]

I am looking to retire soon and was thinking of giving myself a gift. Want to get a new fish finder for my boat (Lund 1800 Big fisherman).  Looking for advice as to what I should buy?  If possible want to spend under $1500. Suggestions?

[wayno945]

The Garmin units tend to go on sale at Cabelas several times a year. I really like the Echomap 93SV I have in my boat.

[Bduck]

You'll get a lot of good advise from the guys here, try this link.

2024 Guide: Best Fish Finder for the Money • Sonar Wars

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Get as large of screen as possible. Lowrance, Humminbird, and Garmin all offer great sonars with built in GPS. You can get a nice set up for $1500 but the choice will be up to you. Personally, I have had all 3 of them in many different forms from each brand for both work and personal use. In the last 5 years or so, they are all competitive quite honestly. But if I were to choose oneit would be a Humminbird Helix9 series. Good luck and let us know what you ended up choosing and why.

[obifishkenobi]

I am looking to retire soon and was thinking of giving myself a gift. Want to get a new fish finder for my boat (Lund 1800 Big fisherman).  Looking for advice as to what I should buy?  If possible want to spend under $1500. Suggestions?

I have owned and used all of the major brands, they are all good and the advice to get the biggest screen you can afford is good. In my opinion, Garmin is the most intuitive and easy to use. I have the 93SV on my boat and the Striker 4 for ice fishing now. I didn’t need to read the manuals, I just turned them on and started pushing buttons and was able to figure them out. You have a good budget and whatever you end up with will work great.

[talyn]

If you plan on getting and using side imaging I will second the recommendation for as large a screen as possible. Screen size and resolution are helpful for side imaging, I use it a lot on a helix 10.

[SkunkedAgain]

Can I mention look for an expandable platform, one that can add livescope or 360.  I love my Humminbird helix 9.  GPS, sidefinder and mapping are all great features to have on the finder.  Was on Bear Lake in the fog this winter and without my GPS on the finder that might have been an ugly situation finding my way back to the marina... I would like to use the mapping features on my finder, but I can't decide if the chip has enough lakes that I fish to be worth the price.  I have been using Navionics on my phone and really like that, but if there are good maps on the finder I think that would even be better... Good luck on your choice.. Jeff

[WalleyeAl]

I highly recommend either the Garmin Echomap 106sv or the Echomap 126sv. The GT56 transducer really helps get better imaging as well.

[BYUHunter]

I highly recommend the Garmin Echomap 126sv. Make sure you get the GT56UHD transducer. I have two of those setups on my boat, and they are absolutely fantastic.

This is always a hot topic, and everyone has their team, but having owned two Humminbird Helix series' in the past, you couldn't give me another one.

Lowrance seems to be competitive, but haven't owned one, so I can't give any helpful feedback.

[dubob]

I got these words of wisdom from a clerk in the Bass Pro Shop in Myrtle Beach, NC.  I asked the clerk in the boat electronics department which brand they sold the most - Lowrance or Humminbird.  His answer surprised me - he said neither.  He went on to say that the Garmins outsold the other 2 combined.  The Garmin features/functions far surpassed Lowrance or Humminbird, at least in the minds of most of the majority of the off-shore boaters in North Carolina.  If I ever upgraded my Lowrance Elite 7Ti, it will be with a Garmin model.  Take it for what it is worth.

[wiperhunter2]

I highly recommend either the Garmin Echomap 106sv or the Echomap 126sv. The GT56 transducer really helps get better imaging as well.

Wow, those puppies aren't cheap but they do come with a nice 12" screen:

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/garmin-e...lsrc=3p.ds

This one comes with the GT54 transducer, what is the advantage of the GT56 transducer?

[WalleyeAl]

I highly recommend either the Garmin Echomap 106sv or the Echomap 126sv. The GT56 transducer really helps get better imaging as well.

Wow, those puppies aren't cheap but they do come with a nice 12" screen:

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/garmin-e...lsrc=3p.ds

This one comes with the GT54 transducer, what is the advantage of the GT56 transducer?

The GT56 is updated. The big difference is the clarity when running side imaging and down imaging. From my understanding it runs the higher frequencies better. Ive had both transducers and would say the $450 price tag for the GT56 is worth it. you can sometime find used ones on russel marine products for $250ish range. The GT54 certainly is still great transducer.

One of these days i'll take some screen shots and post em, Typically when i mark eyes im not thinking of taking a screen shot, usually fixin to pitch a jig at em!

[Bubman1]

I just went through this my self and did a lot of research it came down to hummingbird and the Garmin I ened up with the hummingbird helix 9 that is capable for live scope down the road. I have been a lowrance guy for years then I got a new board with birds on it and learned to use them fairly well the birds are very user friendly that was ultimately the deciding factor for me.

[SkunkedAgain]

I think it must have something to do with how we think, to me the Humminbirds are far easier to run than the Garmin, but that's what I have used the most lately. I think it's a lot like calculators, (sorry I'm an engineer) I learned on an HP-41 and even though there were a lot fancier calculators that came along after, I still go back to what I learned on in college... I think the fish finders are the same, we get a liking for a certain way of how they work and it's hard to switch to something different. Been around quite a few garmins and I just don't see what everyone is so nuts about them for. I mean the livescope is pretty cool and probably better than the Humminbird version, but I don't have one to compare it to so I can't really say... But I really think it is more a personal preference and what I like may not be what you'll like... It really is a Chevy Ford Dodge (Ram) deal and all are good, just some work better for one than others do... Later J

[dubob]

I think it must have something to do with how we think, to me the Humminbirds are far easier to run than the Garmin, but that's what I have used the most lately.  I think it's a lot like calculators, (sorry I'm an engineer) I learned on an HP-41 and even though there were a lot fancier calculators that came along after, I still go back to what I learned on in college...  I think the fish finders are the same, we get a liking for a certain way of how they work and it's hard to switch to something different.  Been around quite a few garmins and I just don't see what everyone is so nuts about them for.  I mean the livescope is pretty cool and probably better than the Humminbird version, but I don't have one to  compare it to so I can't really say... But I really think it is more a personal preference and what I like may not be what you'll like... It really is a Chevy Ford Dodge (Ram) deal and all are good, just some work better for one than others do... Later J

What you say may be true for some folks, and not so much for others.  As the clerk in the SC Bass Pro Shop told me, the main reason the folks in that area bought Garmin more than Lowrance or Humminbird was because Garmin has better/more, functions/features that suit off shore fishing.  If you want the function/feature, you deal with the user interface, whatever it might be.  My last 4 sonars have been Lowrance, but I'm fairly certain my next one will be a Garmin.  The 'livescope' is kind of cool, but not at $3 K plus.  If it ever gets down to half that cost - MAYBE I'll get it.  ?

[SkunkedAgain]

Hadn't thought of that Bob, don't have a lot of offshore experience... Only on the guided boats for me, so I probably tend to not pay attention to those whistles and bells... In fact most of the time I wish it wasn't on my finder.... I guess until I need it... Later Jeff

[Wpahole]

I am looking to retire soon and was thinking of giving myself a gift. Want to get a new fish finder for my boat (Lund 1800 Big fisherman).  Looking for advice as to what I should buy?  If possible want to spend under $1500. Suggestions?

First off Id wait until the spring classic at Cabela’s in March. There will be great deals on fish finders. I believe the best bang for the buck is a Garmin ultra 106sv ($999) or 126sv ($1499) on sale with the GT54 transducer, sell the GT54 transducer and buy a GT56 transducer off of Amazon. GT54 transducers aren’t worth a whole lot but if your patient you can get $100-$150 out of it.

[DanzTuna]

I've fished freshwater and offshore using a variety of chart plotters/GPS/ fish finder units- presently own a Garmin unit (Echo- ice fishing) which I really like.  I've used Raymarine and Furuno both freshwater and offshore.  If I had to pick a favorite I guess my nod would be to Raymarine. I've  gotten good deals on units through ultimatepassage.com  They sell just about every unit you can imagine and have great service.

[wayno945]

I just got the new Cabelas ad and there are lots of Fishfinders going on sale on the 8th. If you have a club card, they've been sending out 10% codes that will stack.

[a_bow_nut]

There are a bunch marked down in the bargain cave on the Web site too.