Lowrance Gps And Fishfinder
In search of a new Fish Finder?
I just purchased a new Bass boat and want to upgrade the Fishfinder. I’m at a complete stalemate as to which one to purchase.Hummingbird – Lowrance.I like color,I like black and white. Confusing.I would like one with fish symbols and fish depth verification.Gps would be a plus,but not needed.On the gps models, do you always ave to have em split screen? Better to have a single beam or a tri-beam? Something easy to read without a sun glare would be brilliant.Just thought I would see what everyones take on em was.
Ole fisherman- I ave a budget of bout 4- 500 tops ave any suggestions in that range and Oi “CYGNUS” if you can’t answer a question properly,piss off to something you know bout and stop wasting my time…
Last year my Bass fishing team went from 2 $150 Garmin 240′s to a $1200 Humminbird 898- http://www.basspro.com/Humminbird-898c-SI-Sonar-GPSWAAS-Chartplotter-Combo/product/10204782/-1648102
The difference was night and day.
Although the side-finding and HD “views” were excellent, (and is certainly nice to have), after a season on the water I’d say the most important feature was the GPS mapping technology. As a tournament Bass fisherman, it was AWESOME to be able to have a VERY distinct map of our local lakes and be able to mark where we caught fish, what side of offshore structure to approach & fish, Etc.
It truly “opened-up” offshore fishing for us. Even on local waters we THOUGHT we knew!
Nevertheless, at this point, we wished we had gone with this lower-priced unit- http://www.basspro.com/Humminbird-788ci-HD-DI-Sonar/GPS/Chartplotter-Combo/product/10210561/-1764756#prodDescription
The above unit hasn’t got all the side-finding bells and whistles,(like the $1200 model we purchased), BUT, it has Lakemaster/Navionics compatibility & a GPS. And we have ended up using THAT feature MUCH more than anything else.
Think about this:
If your fishing an unfamiliar lake at dawn or dusk, (or night), with the GPS/Mapping feature you can ALWAYS know WHERE you are when on plane. This becomes VERY important if the lake your fishing has sand-bars, shallow rock shoals, rip-rap, standing timber, Etc- no one wants to ruin their lower-unit because they hit a submerged rock or log! (In other words, you can move around a lake with more confidence.)
Also, being able to KNOW exactly WHERE you are in relation to a drop-off or long, underwater, tapering point can be VITAL to fishing success. With the GPS/Lakemaster/Navionics there is no “guessing” where the submerged island/drop-off/submerged point is; there is no,”Well, I GUESS we hit the whole sand flat”- you know exactly where you’ve been and exactly where your going.
In my opinion, if you can afford to get a Finder with GPS/with Mapping technology- GET IT! It makes a WORLD of difference!
EVERY semi-Pro/Pro Bass fishing guy has a GPS/Mapping finder. Go look it up!
Hope this helps?
PS- No, you don’t have to be on split-screen at all times. Tri-beam is better, obviously.
“GPS would be nice, but not needed”- A person that’s only eaten crackers could never comprehend or understand what a steak dinner tastes like. That is the difference me and my Bass fishing partner experienced after going from 2 G-240′s to 1 Navionic’s equipped GPS unit!
UPDATE: Well, like I mentioned above, I’d concentrate on getting a finder with either Navionics or Lakemaster mapping/GPS. (After experiencing the “steak dinner” I could never go BACK to the “cracker”- lol.) Lowrance and Humminbird ARE the best you can buy. But, sometimes, your budget makes it difficult to get “the best”. Here are a couple I found that have GPS/Mapping and good reviews:
1. Lowrance M68- http://www.basspro.com/Lowrance-Color-M68C-S/Map-Sonar/GPS-Marine-Mapping-Combo/product/52522/-1002742#prodDescription
2. Humminbird 385- http://www.basspro.com/Humminbird-385ci-Compact-SonarGPSChartplotter-Combo/product/10205389/-1648123#prodDescription
3. Humminbird 597- http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10210562_250003002_250000000_250003000?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL#prodDescription Save your money and get this unit. It’s only $150 over your budget. Why? The other two have minute screens.
In regards to Navionics/Lakemaster- If the description says, Navionics/Lakemaster COMPATIBLE this means you can purchase, (for around $200) a chip to install at a later date. Some finders come with basic Navionics/Lakemaster, some don’t. It’s ALWAYS a good idea to talk with a KNOWLEDGEABLE customer service person before making a final decision on a finder. I suggest you go to a Bass Pro Shops or a Cabelas. Generally, both of those stores have trained individuals on finders. ASK Q’s! Make them show you how it works! Sometimes you can get a deal, (like free upgraded Navionics/Lakemaster), from a floor model- http://www.basspro.com/Navionics-HotMaps-Platinum-MultiDimensional-Lake-Maps/product/10205395/-1648764
Hope this extra info helps?
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