Need fish finder advice

New to Florida crappie and crappie lakes. Most of my freshwater fishing was lakes and rivers in Pa., NJ, NY and Canada, crappie fishing definitely different up there. Anyway I want to replace my current fish finder, a Lowrance elite 4 DSI. My complaints being a too small screen, and really difficult to see in bright sunlight on an open deck and, I believe I need side scan imaging. I'd appreciate some suggestions on a unit for fishing our lakes, primarily I'm longline trolling but also tightlining. I'd like to keep it under $1000.
Thanks
Mike

Might want to check the "Fishing Electronics and photo " forum.

https://www.crappie.com/crappie/fish...d-photography/

Thanks Yelim and I have but hoped to hear from Florida guys.

I live in NE Florida.

My fishing buddy and I have been happy with Garmin's EchoMap SV93 Plus (be sure to get the Plus version) units. SI, DI, regular 2d and chartplotter. And it is just under your budget.

Call Brian at BBG Marine. bbgmarine

He's a great guy and beats the advertised price. Also offers military discount and has a great reputation on the main Garmin forum board.

And when you want to add Liveview, it is fully compatible. Look up garmin Liveview on YouTube if you want to see some impressive shots.

Tom

LOOK AT MAPPING!!! The lakes you plan to fish in Florida find out if they are mapped on Lakemaster (humminbird) or Navionics (Humminbird and Lowrance). If Lakemaster has your lakes mapped then to me it is a no brainer, Humminbird all the way. If they don't but Navionics does then it is a toss up between Humminbird and Lowrance. All three of the major ones, Hummingbird, Lowrance and Garmin, have good SI, Di, and sonar. For me it pretty much comes down to mapping and the adjustments you can make to the Lakemaster stuff makes it worth it's weight in gold some days. Also, as you learn to use the maps you will find yourself using the map screen a lot, I always have a map window open on the screen whether using SI,DI or sonar, always.
Good luck with your choice, some awesome deals right now and you will be well pleased.

I started with a Lowrance elite 4 dsi so I know your pain. I upgraded to a gen 1 helix 10 si right when they went on sale. That was due to gen 2 mega coming out. Gen 3 was just announced. You should be able to get a helix 9 or bigger g2n mega if you look around really good. Might go over your budget just a little but it is night and day better with such a big screen.This was a quick search but timing is on your side right now.


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Also being a Lowrance elite 4, however, HDI owner, been a great little unit, but agree, strain on the eyes. Was building my boat at the time & thought other things were more important & knew technology would be in my favor when upgrading. Researching I have to keep in mind 90% of the fresh & salt water I fish in Florida is less than 10 ft. deep, thus Side Imaging has intrigued me very much so. Currently I only use GPS for trolling speed & monitor depth, at new lakes I will use mapping for contour info, points, drop-off's...so yes important as well. Garmin is the cheapest, but why=mapping... I've found after spending extra (for mapping) what already comes on other units is Garmin really cheaper? That leaves Lowrance, Hummingbird, & I'll throw in Raymarine for there dragonfly series....only:twocents I can offer is never have heard anything bad about the Hummingbird SI, & recently have been told there inshore salt maps have come a long ways, but have to confirm...Good luck, they don't catch fish...but certainly help...

I'm not sure where all the info about Garmin lacking "mapping" is coming from. Certainly not Garmin owners with CURRENT models.

Not only do they have a LARGE number of North American lakes, rivers and coastal charts included in the price of the EchoMap SV93 Plus, they also allow you to create your own. You can map and save contour charts of any body of water you fish. You record the data right on the unit and can download it to computer. Make your own contour charts of any place you fish. It also allows you to update the contour maps provided with your own up to the second recordings. Any quick look at the available contour charts available on new Garmin units will demonstrate that they are well covered.

Last, although Humminbird is usually top notch, go on any Humminbird forum and search out the "shallow water" problem. They have a real mess at present because their Helix units go nuts in shallow water. They tried an update about a month ago that didn't cure the problem.

I'm lucky. My fishing partner has a full suite of Humminbird gear on his boat including the new 360. But he is having a real problem in shallow water. Which most all of Florida is by the way. His problems with the Humminbird issue is what caused me to look at Garmin in the first place and I'm glad I did. And after fishing on my boat, Don bought a Garmin AND a Liveview box. And is happy with it.

Plus, Humminbird's 360 cannot even remotely compete with Garmin's Liveview. Nothing can... yet anyway.

Tom

T_om, exactly what do you mean by shallow water? 2' or 10'?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by T_om

I'm not sure where all the info about Garmin lacking "mapping" is coming from. Certainly not Garmin owners with CURRENT models.

Not only do they have a LARGE number of North American lakes, rivers and coastal charts included in the price of the EchoMap SV93 Plus, they also allow you to create your own. You can map and save contour charts of any body of water you fish. You record the data right on the unit and can download it to computer. Make your own contour charts of any place you fish. It also allows you to update the contour maps provided with your own up to the second recordings. Any quick look at the available contour charts available on new Garmin units will demonstrate that they are well covered.

Last, although Humminbird is usually top notch, go on any Humminbird forum and search out the "shallow water" problem. They have a real mess at present because their Helix units go nuts in shallow water. They tried an update about a month ago that didn't cure the problem.

I'm lucky. My fishing partner has a full suite of Humminbird gear on his boat including the new 360. But he is having a real problem in shallow water. Which most all of Florida is by the way. His problems with the Humminbird issue is what caused me to look at Garmin in the first place and I'm glad I did. And after fishing on my boat, Don bought a Garmin AND a Liveview box. And is happy with it.

Plus, Humminbird's 360 cannot even remotely compete with Garmin's Liveview. Nothing can... yet anyway.

Tom

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Don's Humminbird Helix 10's (he has three of them on his boat) gives false bottom readings in 10 or 12 feet of water and less. We fish a lot of lakes where 10 or 12 feet is the deepest water in the lake. Dead Lake, George's Lake, Newnan's Lake, Lake Sampson, etc.

Tom

Well that's concerning. Mine is no deeper than 16. Thanks!

I would love to get side imaging, but I worry about the gigantic transdeucer hanging out the back getting tore off on an oyster bar or mangrove root. Little one I have now takes enough of a beating. Use mine more for location and speed than anything on di. Offshore on reefs I use the di more than any other time.

I went with the advise of getting as much screen size as one can afford...... with that being said....... I went into it understanding that with the average depth of Florida lakes being let’s say 10-15 feet deep? That’s not leaving a lot of covered space as far as a ‘fish finding’ function goes. I prefer to use the charts and new auto chart functions more then my DI or SI. Obviously if I shot docks more often, the SI would come into play more down here. I’m not big into high tech.....I’m into easy relaxing and paying more attention to poles than screens. With that being said I’m happy with my Helix birds...... great deals abound out there now...... 7 inch screens maxed out, or 9 inch screens ........Bigger is better.

Yep I like my LiveScope on a stick. I move it to T_om's boat when we fish from it. I have 3 Humminbirds also. Two 10" Helix megas on the bow along side the Garmin and a 9" Helix Mega and a 10" Lowrance HDS on the console. I have a liveScope ducer and the ducer that come with the Garmin on a stick on the port side of the bow and a stick with the 360 on the starboard side. The two other ducers is one on the stern and one on the trolling motor. The Livescope rocks I can check the depth of the weight and jigs on all 8 poles on the bow and can even see my fishing line going from the surface to the weight. It is just to cool to see a crappie come up and look at a jig then take it. Not co cool when it just turns up it's nose and swims away. BTW did I ever say I like electronic? LOL Don