Fish Finder Choices

[Bigbazz]

Hi guys just signed up and looking forward to meeting you all.

I am currently looking at the Lowrance HDS 7 with the 3 in one transducer it comes with. Comes with the C map .

Any advice on other or better set ups/brands. Budget is 1500 dollars  and boat is a 560 makocraft plate alloy half cab. 

Thanks for any help available.

Cheers and happy fishing to all.

[ellicat]

Hey @BigBazza, Welcome to the forum.

I think most in your price range will do what you want these days. I have a Lowrance and am happy with it now. At first I wished I bought a Garmin as the menu took some getting used to.

The Lowrance with CMaps allows you access to Genesis live mapping which gives you super detailed bottom contours. It also has community mapping which is great for planning a trip or looking for likely spots to fish. Both are great features. I believe Navionics has a similar community mapping thing - maybe another member could give a run down.

Hope you enjoy the forum.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Bigbazz

Im not too sure on the specs on any sounder, but an option would be to go to a showcase type thing where they talk about different Sounders. Then you get a really good idea off people who really know about them (unlike me, haha). 

Cheers Hamish 

[Do$tylz]

5 hours ago, Bigbazz said:

Hi guys just signed up and looking forward to meeting you all.

I am currently looking at the Lowrance HDS 7 with the 3 in one transducer it comes with. Comes with the C map .

Any advice on other or better set ups/brands. Budget is 1500 dollars  and boat is a 560 makocraft plate alloy half cab. 

Thanks for any help available.

Cheers and happy fishing to all.

Welcome to AFO!

I just went through this activity a few months ago and now have a lowrance 7 elite ti.

I bought 2nd hand and instead of paying ~$1100 brand new, I picked it up for $500. Win! If I had more money - I would like to have gotten a bigger screen because that would make it much easier to see some more detail - rather than gone for the HDS.

So - in a wrap up, I would consider watching the 2nd hand market and consider the need to get HDS vs a bigger screen.

[Old Scaley]

I have a Garmin Echomap 95sv and love it, but I have never owned a Lowrance so can’t offer an opinion on relative merits. The Garmin  has good maps, easy to use, clear sounder screens (regular sonar, downvision and sidevision) and comes with an app so you can access your maps, marks etc from any of your mobile devices, as well as download updates to the map and the device via Bluetooth. You can also steal your mate’s marks while you are on their boat.  It is a 9” screen and my ageing eyes really appreciate the extra realestate on the screen. You should pick up a new one in your budget.  Also has the community mapping and you can add livescope, but I haven’t done that yet.

Good luck with your search. I am sure you will be happy with whatever you get.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Old Scaley

[Drop Bear]

+ 1 on Old Scaleys one but I think that any 9inch quality will do you well if you can afford it.

We just bought the 10 inch humminbird but it don't know how to use it yet.  

[Junky]

Get the biggest screen you can, or get 2 units. 

I run garmin so I knew what brand I wanted, however for the price of a brand new 9 inch touch screen job, I got 2 older 820sx' and networked them together. Luckily garmin still had stock. 

 

Another thing to consider is the touch screen units.

If you can, go out with someone who has one first. I'm glad I did. 

I don't like touch screens. Terrible in rough weather. Very stressful stopping all the time.

I like a physical button. Much easier, for me anyway. 

[Drop Bear]

10 hours ago, Junky said:

I don't like touch screens

+1 for this on an open boat. The screen gets a few drops of water on it and wiggs out. 

[Old Scaley]

My Garmin touch screen is pretty good with wet hands or drops on the screen. Much better than my iPhone. But you can use the buttons if you prefer.

[GregOug]

On 07/12/2020 at 2:56 PM, Old Scaley said:

You can also steal your mate’s marks while you are on their boat.

And so @Old Scaley enters the list of those never invited out on their mate’s boat ever again.

[Bigbazz]

Thank you all for the input. I have decided to go with the Lowrance HDS 7 . Appreciate all the replies guys.

[GregOug]

52 minutes ago, Bigbazz said:

Thank you all for the input. I have decided to go with the Lowrance HDS 7 . Appreciate all the replies guys.

Good luck with that. That’s what I’ve got.

[Bigbazz]

1 hour ago, GregOug said:

Good luck with that. That’s what I’ve got.

How do you find it?

[GregOug]

1 hour ago, Bigbazz said:

How do you find it?

A pain in the behind really. Had a Garmin previously and found it much more user friendly. I find auto -routing in particular very hit and miss with the Lowrance. On the plus side, it reads the bottom even when doing a fast speed.