New fish finder selection

Hey guys. I am a new member and am interested in getting more serious about crappie fishing. I have mainly caught them only in the spring when they move to shallow water. I fish around Columbus, MS on the Tombigbee River and the associated lakes. I have a 16' aluminum stick steering boat with a hummingbird 525 unit. I have started putting out some attractors but am having a difficult time relocating some of them. I have not fished with anyone that has a side imaging or down imaging unit so don't know the full benefits of either. I could see how a GPS would help in locating the structure. I would like to mount a second transducer on the trolling motor and be able to switch between the rear one and the front one. Would that have an impact on deciding what type unit to buy?
Since I have a stick steering boat the unit would not move.

i just put a hb 898c si on my boat , it is awesome, the gps feature is very nice and side imaging is well worth the extra money , you will be able to find your sunkin brush piles as well as everything else that is there for fish to relate to , you will be able to save the location of anything you see on the screen out to 240 ft left and right of the boat then go to that waypoint and look it over with down imaging and regular sonar, yea i spent more than i wanted to but after one trip out i was over it and happy with my decision, brian at bbg marine.com gave me the best deal. not sure about all the models but on mine you can connect two transducers thru a switch , then just toggle the switch from front to back , you could just use a hand held gps tho to easily find YOUR brush piles

2d will show a "cartoon" animated type view of structure under the boat...
DI will show a "picture like" view of structure under the boat and out to the sides a few feet...
SI will show a "picture like" view of structure under the boat, out to the sides of the boat 100+ feet, and which side of the boat....
GPS will allow marking structure, and being able to return to it over and over..
GPS chartplotting will allow marking structure, studying underwater topography for potential fishing hotspots, and safe navigation...

The HB units can be set up to allow 2 xducers to be hooked to the same unit using the HB..
TS3 :: Humminbird :: Transducer Switch

Rickie

First, decide what you want/need in your new unit....you already have 2D (traditional sonar). Are you sure you are using that unit correctly? By that I mean do you have the sensitivity turned up high enough to spot cover under water? You then need to decide the price you want to look for. There are so many different units out there now, and the prices go from $200 to $2000. If you do decide you want a down imaging, or a side imaging unit (or both), you should get on your state board and see if someone will take you for a ride-along so you can see what you are wanting. You can also see a "demo" mode on units at the stores. I'd love to have an SI model, but just can't afford that now. I do have a DI unit and I think it's going to be great...haven't really been able to put it to the test yet tho. You will also want to decide if you want to go with a GPS unit and a unit with mapping as stated above. I think you are on the right track putting a transducer on the TM, but if you want the mapping feature you will also want a transom mount ducer. One thing for sure, you started looking in the right place!! Good luck

If you are putting out attractors and plan on fishing them the majority of the time, a handheld gps unit along with your current 2d unit might serve you better for less $$. A handheld gps will allow you to mark the structure and get on the structure very easily, and your current 2d unit will show what's there. DI will give you a better picture of whats down there, and SI will help you find new structure, and give you a better picture of structure you already know about. DI units are $500 or less depending on what you want/like, the SI models are higher $$'s.

I longline 99% of the time and fish the same areas/structure 99% of the time, so I have 2d and a HH gps and it works fine for me. If you want to explore new areas the SI is the ticket then as it will allow you to find the fish & structure much quicker. If you want the better picture quality of the structure. etc., the DI and/or SI is the ticket as well. HH gps units for $100 work great, some people still use their HH units along with the newer Si/DI units equipped with gps due to habit and various other reasons. Once you mark the locator(s) with your gps, you'll have no trouble getting back on them.

Thank you for your response. What model and make GPS do you use?

I have Garmin Etrex venture With latest GPS model about 1 yr old and Inland lakes Maps that show lake contoure lines installed
on the unit. Works great for finding marked structures. Will sell because I just bought Humminbird 587ci Hd DI from local Acadamy.

I second the recomendation for a handheld GPS if you are looking to save money over buying a sonar/gps combo. I use the Garmin 76(no longer made) and Garmin 72. They are waterpoof, float, and hold 500 waypoints each plus routes. They have no mapping capability that I know of. I just picked up a used Garmin 72 (looks like new) off E-bay for $77 shipped free. I have been happy with my Garmins for a no-nonsense bulletproof GPS.

Depending on the way your trandsucer plugs into your existing sonar unit, you may be able to buy an new transducer for the trollling motor and just swap out the plug when need be. You could buy a handheld GPS and transducer for under $200 I believe. Good luck with whatever you come up with.

Thanks a lot. I had done some checking and had narrowed it down to the Garmin 72. I am glad to hear from someone who own one.