Budget Depth Finder

What would y'all consider the best budget depth finder on the market?Preferably around 200$ but can move some if you believe it's really worth it. I pretty much fish DBone so this is my reasoning for asking in the Louisiana forum as my main use of it will be in the channel. I used a 30$ pawnshop special last yr that told me strictly the depth.. Sometimes, and did rather well but that screen has blacked out and now I'm needing a newer model. I'm completely uneducated on anything to do with depth finders so talking in depth finder language will do nothing but confuse me. Plan to mount transducer on tm. Thanks for any input

I used a little Humminbird Pirhanamax series for a lot of years. Small Simple, easy to use and read. and plenty good for depth and finding structure. I see they have em for $70 at Bass Pro. Plenty cheap and sounds like it would be a lot better than what you've grown accustomed to. They have a separate transducer you can buy just for trolling motors. hockey puck shaped that is lot less susceptible to breakage in the stumps. I found one for $30 on ebay. Hope this helps

Never used the Piranha, but I have used several different Hummingbird units and all of them have been very good units. I have two Lowrance units on my boat. The one in the dash is mounted on transom an is an X-4 Pro. The one I have mounted up front on my trolling motor is a X-Mark 5. It even has GPS so you can mark structure. The X-4 Pro runs about $150.00. The X-Mark 5 runs around $200.00. Good luck trying to decide. By the way, Walmart carries a couple of different Lowrance units under $200.00. Either one, Hummingbird or Lowrance, will be good for what you want to do with it, in my humble opinion.

If you did good with that one I would just stay with the cheapest one you can find. To keep the screen from blackening, try to keep it out of direct sunlight and that should help. I think I payed $79 for the hummingbird I have and it serves the purpose.

If you look around you can find a lowrance elite 4X DSI for just a little over 200.00
or you can get the Elite 4X for around 160.00

I have freinds that have both and they are very happy with them.............But I have never used one.

What features would y'all consider most important on this budget? What is the difference in a 4x DSI and Elite 4x

DSI stands for Didigital - Side Imaging --- They usualy run about a thousand bucks or more -- and are not as simple to learn

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Originally Posted by Fish on Line

DSI stands for Didigital - Side Imaging --- They usualy run about a thousand bucks or more -- and are not as simple to learn

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nononononono That's very inaccurate, DSI stands for Down Scan Imaging and in the 4 series its just over 200 bucks or so.
SI alone means Side Image.

Humminbird is coming out with a new Helix model early this winter, 2D sonar and GPS will be under 300 bucks. I am waiting to see them before I decide on a bow unit.

When you buy, Get a unit that is Color. When the fish are deep in the Channel The fish stand out from the bait and are easy to see. My Brother has an older Gray line type unit and it misses half the fish when the shad are thick like they are now in The Bonne Even the Cheep units have GPS.... Like said Before try E-BAY

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Originally Posted by loggybayouboy

What features would y'all consider most important on this budget? What is the difference in a 4x DSI and Elite 4x

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DSI is Down Image and the Elite is 2D sonar.

True Enough Rees Guide!!! I been Looking at all the stuff on the Main Forum under Electronics..... That Has so many Posts on what all the new stuff can do it does Boggle the mind. It reminds me of a big Catfish wrapping up 6 poles Spider Rigging

My suggestion would be to go to a Bass Pro or Academy (as well as others) and take a look at them. Fool around with them since most are plugged in. In that manner, you can make a wise decision since you are on a budget instead of reading propaganda in some catalog.

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Originally Posted by Fish on Line

True Enough Rees Guide!!! I been Looking at all the stuff on the Main Forum under Electronics..... That Has so many Posts on what all the new stuff can do it does Boggle the mind. It reminds me of a big Catfish wrapping up 6 poles Spider Rigging

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I understand and wasn't trying to be a butt about it but he needed correct info. It is so much happening in this market rite now that it is crazy. I find the Humminbirds easier to operate in the newer models across the board.
Randy hit the nail on the head, go mess with them and if you can get in the boat with some one running what you are looking at, that's good advise no matter what you are shopping for.

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Originally Posted by Pastor

Never used the Piranha, but I have used several different Hummingbird units and all of them have been very good units. I have two Lowrance units on my boat. The one in the dash is mounted on transom an is an X-4 Pro. The one I have mounted up front on my trolling motor is a X-Mark 5. It even has GPS so you can mark structure. The X-4 Pro runs about $150.00. The X-Mark 5 runs around $200.00. Good luck trying to decide. By the way, Walmart carries a couple of different Lowrance units under $200.00. Either one, Hummingbird or Lowrance, will be good for what you want to do with it, in my humble opinion.

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After walking out and actually looking at my boat, I must make a correction. The depth finder I have on the trolling motor is NOT an X-Mark 5; it is a Mark 4. I apologize for any misguidance. Please forgive me.