What fish finder features do I need

I’m new here, new to my lake and am hoping for advise about choosing the important features for a fishfinder. I’m thinking I want GPS assuming it will help me relocate good fishing spots and I would like good graphics down to 100 feet so I can tell if I’m over various structure. Also I’m not sure what “down imaging” and “side imaging” would do for me but I assume it would contribute to accurately identifying structure. Are there features, not mentioned, that are necessary? The boat is a 21' Tracker pontoon. All advise will be appreciated - Bill

GPS with map card is great. High resolution with 320 vertical pixels minimum. 480 is better. 640 is great. Side imaging allows you to scan a swath hundreds of feet wide and sure makes finding bottom structure easier. Color is nice but not 100% necessary if you are fluent with sonar.

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Originally Posted by DCNMA

I’m new here, new to my lake and am hoping for advise about choosing the important features for a fishfinder. I’m thinking I want GPS assuming it will help me relocate good fishing spots and I would like good graphics down to 100 feet so I can tell if I’m over various structure. Also I’m not sure what “down imaging” and “side imaging” would do for me but I assume it would contribute to accurately identifying structure. Are there features, not mentioned, that are necessary? The boat is a 21' Tracker pontoon. All advise will be appreciated - Bill

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HOW you fish is a big factor in what features you may want in a DF. Where you fish can also require certain features.

SI gives you a side to side view of the structure below & to the sides of your boat, showing the cover on the bottom and fish relating to those features. (approx 180deg range)

DI gives you a down view of the bottom, and picture quality image of whatever comes into the viewing range of the fan shaped DI sonar ping. (approx 45deg or 75deg range, depending on whether your using 455kHz or 800kHz)

2D gives you a cone shaped sonar ping, and pixelated representation of whatever appears within the cone.

GPS gives you current location of the unit. It allows you to mark a spot & return to it, even if it's offshore and/or has no other object nearby for location purposes. Boat speed and travel direction are also given via GPS. Most units with GPS have base maps, showing the water as a flat blue patch on the map. Map cards/chips can be purchased, that give depth contours, some down to 1 foot increments.

Water Temp capable transducers come with various units. They can be quite useful to find areas of water with higher/lower surface water temps, as the situation or season dictates you needing to know.

The higher up the scale of capabilities of any unit or system, the higher the price range. Finding a unit/system that has the maximum amount of capabilities for the lowest price range, can be a daunting task. Figuring out how & where you fish, and what capabilities you'll need to have in a unit/system, and how they'll help you find the cover & fish, is step one. It's also why there are so many different units & "combos" with varying degrees of capability, within each brand .... including or excluding things like GPS/mapping, & color ... not to mention screen size.

Where you intend to mount the transducer, and the size & shape of the transducer, is also something to factor into your choice.

... cp :kewl

figure out how much you can afford then put another 500 with it and buy the model in that price range and learn to use it and u will never be sorry

Thanks for the replies. Some definitive info here for me and clfarms1, in the end I think that's the only way I'll get what I would really like. Better screen resolution is always a good feature but I havn't noticed one with 640 vertical yet, they must be beyond my price range. Thanks for the clear explanation of the SI and DI crappiepappy, and you summed it all up very well. So far I've focussed on Hummingbird because a friend told me the Lowrance were hard to use but I think I'll have to decide that on my own, lots of folks seem to like them. I'll be shopping and hope to decide soon - Thanks

GPS, si,

How are you going to use it? What is your budget? What features can you live without? Once you figure out the answers to those questions find the models from whatever maker you're interested in and a store that has them. Go push the buttons and check them out. I don't put much faith in what in what the salesmen at the big sporting goods stores have to say about electronics, for most the only experience they have with them are reading the specs and pushing the buttons on display units. When you pick out a specific model ask questions to the guys that have or had them.

There are board sponsors that sell electronics also, they can be a very good source of unbiased information. Also their prices are usually much lower than the big chain sporting goods stores. I've bought three HDS units from Brian at BBG marine and highly recommend him. :twocents

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Originally Posted by DCNMA

Thanks for the replies. Some definitive info here for me and clfarms1, in the end I think that's the only way I'll get what I would really like. Better screen resolution is always a good feature but I havn't noticed one with 640 vertical yet, they must be beyond my price range. Thanks for the clear explanation of the SI and DI crappiepappy, and you summed it all up very well. So far I've focussed on Hummingbird because a friend told me the Lowrance were hard to use but I think I'll have to decide that on my own, lots of folks seem to like them. I'll be shopping and hope to decide soon - Thanks

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To me Hummingbirds are hard to use, your friend is obviously just more familiar with birds. Right now for the money it's gonna be hard to find something that'll beat Lowrance elite 7 hdi... it's best to play with some units and see what you like.

If you think you ever ever ever want to get a ipilot go with a bird so that you can hook them together.

You can see lots of interesting videos on youtube, too. Just type in "side imaging" or "down imaging" in the search bar

I have the Lowrance Elite 5 dsi. I really like it but wish the Elite 7 had been available when I bought. I love the color, the gps function and the water temp feature. I don't find the lowrance hard to use at all and I am sorta techno challenged!

I looked at the Elite 7s today and the 700 series Hummingbirds and I’m to the point where I can see it clearly. Choosing a fish finder/GPS/depth finder, without experience with one, gets more difficult with every bit of research you do. You go from knowing next to nothing to knowing just enough to be dangerous to just plain confused. I expect that by the time I know everything I need to know to make an intelligent decision I will have no choice but to go for the top of the line unit with all the options (very dangerous) because I will have learned I need it. :-J I’ll be better off in so many ways by taking clfarms1 first bit of advice.

Kidding asside I am serious about the elite 7 or related Lowrance and the 800 series HBs. At the moment the HBs are in favor.

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Originally Posted by DCNMA

I looked at the Elite 7s today and the 700 series Hummingbirds and I’m to the point where I can see it clearly. Choosing a fish finder/GPS/depth finder, without experience with one, gets more difficult with every bit of research you do. You go from knowing next to nothing to knowing just enough to be dangerous to just plain confused. I expect that by the time I know everything I need to know to make an intelligent decision I will have no choice but to go for the top of the line unit with all the options (very dangerous) because I will have learned I need it. :-J I’ll be better off in so many ways by taking clfarms1 first bit of advice.

Kidding asside I am serious about the elite 7 or related Lowrance and the 800 series HBs. At the moment the HBs are in favor.

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If GPS tracking is real important to you then go with the Hummer, was not impressed with the tracking on the Elite 7, other than that it was great. I use Lowrance only now but my Elite 7 lacked something in the GPS department. Good luck

I finally ordered a Fish finder/GPS so I thought I would recap how I came to my decision. Learning about all the possible features, some available only by way of options and some very pricey, was a good thing because it gave me the chance to understand more about what these units do. I considered all the advice offered by everyone here. Thank you.

I wanted a reasonably good quality unit because, this is it, I can’t be buying more of these. With a budget, I needed to be honest with myself about the features on my list. (It’s funny how things we “want” can quickly become things we “need”.) Fortunately my need list wasn’t too long or too limiting for me.

Want >Need List:
Large, wide screen, reasonable resolution and bright display
Both down imaging and side imaging
GPS capable of saving waypoints over side scan points of interest
GPS that takes external maps
Expandable e.g., Barometric pressure monitor (I liked this)

A GPS that takes external and updateable maps seems important to me. My home lake mapping may or may not be adequately detailed but if not, a later map might be improved. I also wanted a good high-res display and when I saw the barometer feature on the Hummingbird, I thought it would be handy.

It think that side imaging is a great feature, maybe more useful than down imaging. When side imaging pairs with a GPS feature allowing interesting locations to be marked and saved for future fishing they make an important, super feature.

All this said, budget and list in mind, I found myself focusing on the Hummingbird 798. The Elite 7 lost favor because it doesn’t include a side scan although it has a very good display. The side scan doesn’t seem to be available from Lowrance short of StructureScan which seems to be significantly more expensive. Finally, I actually purchased the 898c HD SI because the price from BBG was great and I thought the 7” display and the improved specs were worth the extra cost.

Well, I hope time proves I made a good decision for myself. I’m sure some folk will feel I am wrong on any number of points and I might be, but I can accept the 898 for what it is and what it can be and I know I will get a lot of use from it.

Great unit.

I don't know what you ordered but there is no such thing as a fishfinder.

The HB 898 arrived and I'm anxious to get it installed. For me this is a fun project. I was thinking about adding the barometer option. Does anyone have experience with this function?

Cane Pole - I'm thinking that what I bought is a useful tool to help me find some fish. Hopefully it'll help me bring home a few more fish than I would without it. I'm not a great fisherman, I need all the help I can get!