Depth Finder (Fish Finders)

[SwampDog]

I know that this question has probably been asked over a 100 times. So here's 101.... Which depth finder is best bang for you buck? I've looked at the Hummingbird model's and the Garmin. Are there any other reccomendation's? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any input.

[Crapbie]

lowrance/eagle

[Kokanee King]

I second that!

[Moose1am]

I like the humminbirds myself. Jerry Blake likes them also. Richard Willams like the Garmins. Larry from Southern IN like the Lowrances.

I have use the little green box that Lowrance first came out with for fisherman on a retail level. It worked good for all the years I owned it. I finally sold it to a guy. Now I wish I had kept it for old times sake. LOL

I have used Humminbird Flasher and now the LCR unit and they have served me well over the last 30 years. I have had my Humminbird LCR 8000 since about the mid to late 1980.s That over 25 years of faithful service. It's been in the shop one time in all those years and it was repaired and back in my hands in less than 7 days. All for only $50.00 no matter what the problem was. Fifty bucks got me a new unit or a remanufactured unit that worked. I paid over 800 bucks for the thing brand new. Humminbird has a good reputation for fixing their units. Ask Jerry Blake and he will say the same thing.

If I had 500 bucks extra I would go for the Humminbird LCR Matrix 47D. It's got something that No others have. It shows the bottom in three dimentions on the screen. Now that way you can tell which side of the boat the fish are located. That's very important when finding the crappie. If you fish ten feet away from the crappie or that long tree or stump you won't catch as many as if you fished right over the top of the tree or stump where the crappie were.

And it helps to know the exact depth of the fish too. Just because the depth finder says that the fish are at ten feet doesn't mean that they are only 9 ft deep. They may be ten feet away from the transducer in a line of sight kind of way. But they may be suspended at 8 ft deep below the surface. If your bait is at 9ft and the fish are at 8 ft you may not get any bites. Crappie like to feed looking up at the baits and from what I have read they don't like to look down for their food a much as they look up. So that one foot could be a factor in a limit or not. Knowing how the depth sounder works is critical at times. Not always but on some occasions.

I know that this question has probably been asked over a 100 times. So here's 101.... Which depth finder is best bang for you buck? I've looked at the Hummingbird model's and the Garmin. Are there any other reccomendation's? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any input.

[unknown 5]

I made my vote with some cash. I just bought a Hummingbird Matrix 37. I haven't hooked it up yet but I like the fact it can be updated by downloading from Hummingbird's web site, it has other features that can be hooked into it, and Hummingbird has a solid reputation.

[Don G]

I have owned Eagle & Lowrance and they gave me no problems. I now, and for the past few years,use Garmin products. I think the Garmin units are much easier to use. I don't think they are any better electronically than other units.

I have never owned Humminbirds but I like what I'm reading on the board about them. I might try one later on.

[TAE73]

If I had 500 bucks extra I would go for the Humminbird LCR Matrix 47D. It's got something that No others have. It shows the bottom in three dimentions on the screen. Now that way you can tell which side of the boat the fish are located.

Moose if you still want that simuliar feature as the 47 and want to save a few $$$$, look at the 37. It does not give you a 3d view like the 47. But you can get to one of the screens and it gives you a split screen with a typical view and then a top view looking down. This top view will show brush and fish and to which side of the transducer is located. This is a good unit and I have been very happy with it. It is steps ahead of the units 2 or 3 years ago that humminbird use to make. The pic that I attatched shows this split screen.

[unknown 5]

I can't wait to get mine hooked up and out on the water. I bought my Matrix 37 at Boatersland Marine Electronics for $268, $280 with shipping.

[TAE73]

I can't wait to get mine hooked up and out on the water. I bought my Matrix 37 at Boatersland Marine Electronics for $268, $280 with shipping.

Did u get the coupon for the weathersense? I bought mine when they came out 2 years ago at the time they didnt have that promotion. But went ahead and bought the weathersense. I dont know if really helps or not but maybe after logging enough data I can put it to some use.

You will be happy with the unit, I am thinking about buying a 97 unit next for my dash. That unit is also compadiable with the same transducer that comes on the 37. That keeps me leaning to buy another humminbird.

[unknown 5]

I downloaded the coupon to send in for the weathersense unit. They claim it is a $79.99 value and all I have to do is iclude $5.99 for shipping and handling.
I reckon a fellow should keep a log of weather conditions, barometer readings, wind direction, and fishing results. I would bet some trends could be discovered.