Float tube fishfinder

[sjgabby]

Tubdude,
I want to purchase a fishfinder for my float tube. I know the more pixels the better but I was wondering about the transducer, should I get one with a 20 degree cone or a 60. I would also be using this fishfinder for ice fishing.
Thanks. Gabby
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks for droppin' in and hope we can help you make up your own mind. You might want to spend some time reading down through The Best of The Best, and looking through the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=202637;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]Sonar Buying Guide[/url] (link) in the picture section.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The simple answer, at least from my point of view, is that a good 20 degree transducer often works just fine. Most of the 60 degree transducers are not "full time" but the wider cone angle is a matter of adjustment on your menu.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Even in the relatively shallower waters typically fished by tubers, you do not really sacrifice anything with a 20. I can't say the same thing about the 9 degree units I have tried. Both will tell you the depth. Better models will have a good "gray line" feature to help you read what kind of bottom you are over...and finer details on the contours. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The wider the cone angle, the more fish "targets" you can see under your transducer. However, actually seeing the fish is only a small percentage of the real value of a sonar. It is rare that you actually fish for (and catch) the fish you see directly below you. Sonar's biggest contribution in locating fish is to tell you 1. If you are fishing where the fish are 2. Where the fish are in the water column 3. Whether they are schooling and holding or just breezing through.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Knowing the preferred depth can be important in lure or fly presentation. But, only when the fish are holding around a defined area, due to structure or whatever, will you be trying to stay on top of them for a vertical presentation. The rest of the time you will simply be concentrating on staying in "the zone"...with the right depth and structure. That's why you keep an eye on the display screen.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You can easily spend a lot more than you have to for a tubing sonar. However, once you become skilled at using and reading it, you may find yourself lusting after units with more bells and whistles. If you are able to take full advantage of them, then you can justify the added expense.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Now, while almost any sonar will also work for ice fishing, to let you know depth and to display fish targets, the lower end units are not ideal for ice fishing. In fact, a good "flasher" unit...or a higher end sonar with "real time" display is better for ice fishing. It is really an advantage to be able to track your jig below you and to see the fish as they either come up to the jig, or turn and go away. Having a good ice fishing sonar can really make a difference.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That being said, there are lots of guys that use lower end units, or no sonar at all, and they still do fine. Fishing skills are important too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck. Let us know what you decide on and how it works for you.[/#0000ff]
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[sjgabby]

TubeDude
Thanks for the reply and the info. I was going after the lower end sonar but still would like to get the best of the two I have a choice of. One is the Cuda 168 and the other is a Humminbird Max 10. The cuda has a 60 degree cone and the other a 20. I saw one of your post with your tube showing a Cuda. Do you still use that one or are have you moved on to something better?
Thanks again and I'm looking foward to the fishing I will experiance from the tube.
Gabby.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Still using the Cuda 168. The only thing I would do differently, if I could, is get the 168EX with the wider screen. I believe it is the best value on the market for tubers...or even for any angler who is not a sonar geek who enjoys computer programming every trip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I cannot remember the last time I cranked it up to use the 60 degree cone. It works just fine for me in auto mode (20 degree). And, after having the built in temperature readout I would never own another sonar without one.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, I used it last winter for ice fishing too. It worked fine until my aging battery succumbed to the cold temps. A new battery and carrying it in an insulated box (cooler) kept it alive and well all day. It is not powerful enough to show your jig in "real time" display, but it does let you know how deep the water is and if there are fishies in the area...and at what depth. That's usually enough to help me adjust my presentation and ice some fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have seen some really good deals on the Cudas. If you shop around you should be able to score one at a good price.[/#0000ff]
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[sjgabby]

Thanks for your help.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I happen to be an Eagle fan, but I know of a lot of tubers and 'tooners that swear by their Fishin' Buddies. They are light, compact, simple and they provide most of the info you need for the kind of fishing we do most. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are getting a sonar strictly for looking down, and want to see a wider angle, then the 9 degree transducer is not as effective as a wider one. However, having the ability to look around you, for stratified fish, is definitely a plus.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If nothing else, the Buddy will help you learn the functions and the capabilities of sonar, so that if you ever lust for greater power and readout you will have some experience to guide your next purchase.[/#0000ff]
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[Fishhound]

Hey Micheal,

You should regisiter and become a BFT member.

Anyway, I have a Fishing Buddy(older model 2255) with 360 * side finder, water temp, and navigational compass. It's a sweet unit, but it does have some limitations. As you noted it has a rather small 9* cone. But on the good side, that 9* cone has a much smaller blind spot as compared to finders with larger cones - like my other fishfinder that has a 90 * cone.

The good thing about a large cone is what it can show you that is higher in the water column - you can see more suspended fish because of the greater cone size.
The down side to the larger cone is looking at the bottom and the size of the potential blindspot there.

The good thing about a small cone is you can see more on the bottom because of the smaller blind spot. The down side to the small cone is the overall coverage in the water column.

The blind spot on a fishfinder is evident when passing over structure or slopes, and can be very limiting while anchored or stationary. In other words, you could see more with a small cone than a large cone in those situations.

Let me try to explain this if I can(I'll leave out the tedious math parts and techy talk). All transducers read from the nearest point. On flat even bottoms, a wide cone can cover more area than a small cone. On a drop off or over any structure, a sonar's cone will be measured and displayed from the point nearest to the transducer or the top of the drop off or top of the structure. If the nearest point is straight down, there will be a blind spot around the edge of the cone.

Example: Let's say you're drift fishing along a smooth flat area(assume no rocks or any structure) with your 60* cone(I'm only using 60* because there is mathmatical correspondence of about a 1 to 1 depth to cone size ratio) on the bottom in 10 feet of water. You would be looking at a circle on the bottom that is roughly 10 feet in diameter - the nearest point to the transducer would be directly under you(in a straight line). Then, you slowly drift over a drop-off that goes down at a 45* angle from 10 feet to 40 feet in depth and drop anchor at a point that is exactly 5 ft from the top edge of the drop-off - so that only the very edge of the cone is now still at the 10 foot depth level. Now the nearest point to the transducer is at the edge of the cone that hasn't gone over the drop-off yet - everything else is in your blind spot. You now that a 10 foot diameter cone that is no longer on the bottom and eveything(like fish) under it is not going to be displayed because it's in the finders blind spot. That's a bummer because lots of fish like to hang out right in that kind of area.

Example 2: You are trolling along a 10 foot deep smooth flat area with your 60* cone that displays a 10 foot circle on the bottom. You come across a rock that is 3 feet in diameter - the second that the rock enters the edge of the cone(the rock will be 5 ft away still), your depth reads 7 feet(you havent even gone over the rock yet) and every thing that is on the bottom( below the 7 feet on your display) disappears from your screen. That's bad because fish hang out next to structure(rocks and such). At the moment your cone hit the rock and untill the moment your cone completely passes the rock your blind spot is everything under the top of the rock(in essence, you have a blindspot that is about the size of your entire cone from the top of the rock all the way to the bottom) - That unfortuanately, is exactly where the fish would be holding and you would never see them.

There are advantages to both large coverage transducers and small coverage transducers. You type of fishing will determine which will work best for you. I have both.

I hope that was understandable - if not, feel free to ask. I realize my description might not have been well presented. I might try to work up some graphics to make this more easily understandable - I have been asked to explain this on a number of occasions and I don't think I've ever done it that well. You know - a picture can be better than a thousand words.
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