i'm sure this is covered somwhere been searching and can't find. i'm new to all this gps stuff, i've read several reviews and still can't come up with a clear recomendation. I don't want to spend a fortune ( up to $600.00) but what would you guys recomend for a good gps/sonar please help!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear ya on the brain fry. Shoot, I can't recommend ANYTHING
without condition... They've all got their weak (and strong) points.

For what it's worth, I'm running 787 and 797 Humminbirds.
If it were not for side imaging, I would probably be tempted to have seperate
sonar and gps, and the gps would most likely be a Garmin

After the last software upgrades, the H'bird sonar is really, really good in
my .02 Lowrance was always great, but I'm not liking
what I'm hearing about water intrusion and service issues on the new ones.
I've never heard a lot about Garmin's sonar models, but they don't seem to
have much of a following, at least round here

Vexilar makes a darned good stand-alone sonar too, comes the closest to
unconditional praise you'll see from me. Their customer service is EXCELLENT! Only bad thing I could
say about them is their color model is hard to see in the sun.

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Shoals Area Crappie Association

Here's a flat recommendation. Get you a 520C with an external antenae and you're done. Might could find one with an internal if that floats your boat. I can't yet recommend the HDS units because I haven't seen them, but in a 5" color with a very good GPS and excellent traditional 2D sonar, the 520C can't be beat....plus you're liable to find them on closeout somewhere since they've been discontinued and have enough $ left over to stock up on some jig poles.

At $600 you're out of the market for SI. To me, the Lowrance traditional 2D sonar is a better and easier picture to decipher. I agree on the Garmin being the best GPS but the 2D, to me, is subpar at least until you get in to the very expensive units.

Anyway, that's my story. I'm sure someone will disagree, but they'll be wrong as I am extremely sure this is what I recommend.

Wannabe...

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Life is too short to fish from an ugly boat

i bought the new lowrance cuda 350 s map from cabela's, it was 199 and i have to say i am thouroughly surprised, it may quit tomorrow, but for the last few fishing trips, i really love it, the small screen is my only downside, but for a gps, sonar, 1000 waypoints and 100 trailmarkers , and inland lake maps built in, for the price it is hard to beat, just my opinion

X2 on the 520C they can be had for around $400 on closeout! This from a guy who runs Humminbirds on his boat.

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FroggerZ

Red & Chartreuse Hand Grenades: Available at fine tackle retailers everywhere!

...it will have to be a used one. Lowrance discontinued the unit this year and that's something I think they will regret.

Even though my 520 has a great gps included, my primary is a GARMIN MAP76 CSX. I like hand-helds because I can transport my waypoints to another boat whenever I go with someone else.

Maybe one day the SIs will come down in price so that those of us with mortgage payments might be able to afford one....some day.

aj

i wouldn't buy lowrance

thanks for the info. finally got my daughter past all the traveln softball and she is now in college so it was time to buy a boat and start fishing again. alot of new stuff has come out in the last 15yrs, I'm trying to catch back up and of coarse got to have the toys. anymore suggestions are deeply apprieciated. thanks guys c u on the water.

Careful on the lowrance products as they have told several folks with problems that lowrance does not support any unit that is over 2 years old. They may offer U $250. or similar amount for your unit on a trade in buts that's it. Heard of a lot of 520 problems. Yes these comes from a unhappy HB 997 owner of 3+ years, yes Si is great but GPS needs a seeing eye dog. Yep that MOB-man over board button couldn't find its way back in a Goldfish bowl.