Help me pick out a fish finder

So the fish finder on my Pontoon boat is the one that came on the boat in 1998. Needless to say, it could use an upgrade. Plus its finally gotten so bad that you cant hardly see the scree. I've narrowed it down between the 7 inch Hook2 and the 7 inch Elite touch screen. Which one would be better? Also, is side scan really worth the extra cost? This is going on the console and I fish for crappie, catfish, and troll for stripers. What I really want in a fish finder is maps that show the contours so I know when i'm coming up on shallow water while trolling. having 6 rods hang up at the same time is no fun, and it would be nice to know the depth of water where i'm pointing the boat.Anything is better than what I have, i'm just looking for the best bang for the buck. I'm on a limited budget but I want something good.Thanks

I personally would go with the 7 inch garmin instead of the lowrance. I have the 9 inch on my pontoon. Side scan is best used for finding structure and can be used to find bream beds. The garmins come with excellent maps

Any brand of unit that has GPS will have map capability .... some come with a map card, others come with a base map & card slot for a map card, while others come with the ability to make your own maps. Their pricing will reflect what they have.

If you want Side Image ... be prepared to save some money & get the biggest screen you can afford.

Keep your eyes on the Personal Classifieds Forum & you may get a good deal on a used unit. They pop up on there from time to time. Or if you just aren't sure what you want, but you are sure of what you need it to do & how much you can afford .... you might want to contact Brian@BBGMarine (member's screen name) and talk to him. You can PM him, or look up his contact info in his signature line ... and you can find that in his post on the Member Sponsors Classifieds Forum.

hook 7

7 elite touch screen with lake insight, or I'd look around HDS 7 Gen 3s are pretty cheap right now they are closing them out, lot more features for a little more money.

Go for 7 Elite but if you really are starting out which I assume then maybe have you considered Deeper smart sonar? I think its great for anyone starting out with a limited budget. Anyway, a fish finder marathon is great for beginners. You will find it a great learning experience especially if you are just starting out. Rest is up to you.

IDK how fast the Hook2 is compared to the old Hook7 but I know the Elite 7 Ti is a lot faster than the older hook7.

You have to zoom out a lot at speed with the older Hook7, the E7Ti should handle maps much better as should the Hook-2 7.

THE ELITE 7 AND 9 DI WITH GPS ARE WAY TOO SLOW ON MAP EVEN WITH THE UPDATE ,LOOK AT HUMMINBIRD HELIX OR HDS LOWRANCE

Whatever you choose, there will be a better model next year.

I have 2 hook 7's one hds 9 gen 3 and one hds 7 gen 3. The HDS's for sure are better units but for 300.00 bucks the hook 7's are hard to beat. IMHO

Thé HOOK2 is very different from the HOOK. Easier to use with different transducer and the interface is like the Elite Tiand the HDS

What about Garmin striker 7” echo maps ?


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Cv or SV?

Lowrance HOOK2 7X Splitshot: Wide-Angle Broadband sonar 40degr.(200kHz) & DownScan Imaging (455/800kHz) with plotter

And the HOOK2 7 same specs but with high definition build-in chart and the possibility to use Navionics map

And the HOOK2 7 Tripleshot: Wide-Angle HighCHIRP, SideScan & DownScan Imaging (455/800kHz) possibility of plotter only (7X) and high definition mapping on the 7

Partial to navionics+ card


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Those are bundles (comes with a Navionics+ Canada+USA)
Lowrance part#: 000-14294-001 HOOK2 7" Tripleshot and 000-14290-001 Splitshot

Late father in-law filled up 3 tractor trailers full of crappie with the hummingbird 100 that came on his 1996 bassbuggy!!!!!!! He had earlier fished the Redman Bass circuit and spent $$$$$$$$$$'s on the latest and greatest for bass fishing. Simple with experience is cheaper than keeping up with KVD and the rest. Remember the pro's are sponsored!!!!!!
s

I'm not.....

But I'm no pro.:biggrin

I sponsor myself. Or should I say I indulge myself. Maybe I overindulge? Ima no expert either. When I need to know something expert, I call Billbob. I only need 4 fish per outing. I don't have a network of free loaders to feed anymore.

I like gadgets though. Bout time for me to git another round of gadgets. Mine are now obsolete. Waiting on answers here. Waiting is awful.

Still waitin'.

I'm a Raymarine guy but Humminbird Helix is by far best in that price range

Me likey gadgets too TL, as much OR MORE as a tinker-master as you!

Happy New year Sir!