Need help selecting Fish Finder and wattage

[Crappie Fever]

Been meeting a bunch of fellow crappie fisherman on Percy Priest and have noticed I am a little short on watts. I have had my boat 2 years, installed a Humminbird Parhana and have been having trouble ever since. As I increase speed the unit looses contact with the bottom and is unable to indicate depth.

One of the guys I met out there said I was short on my wattage. He believed to fish Percy Priest you need a 600 watt unit. He said bubbles were getting under the transducer and if I had more wattage this would stop. He also said he is able to see brush and structure with his unit which helps him find the fish. I priced 600 watt units and they seem to be around $1000.00, prettty steep for me. As far as he was concerned I could trash the Pirhana.

I need a unit that will read the floor as I am running and give good definition to structure as well as identify fish. Suggestions please!!!!

[CatFan]

Wattage has almost nothing to do with your problem. Most likely bubbles blowing off an aluminum hull. The only solution is to move the transducer to where there aren't any bubbles. Are you in an aluminum boat with a riveted hull? It can be very tough to find a spot that is clean enough to read at speed. Concentrate on your installation. By the way, you can get a Garmin 240 which is 800W P-P for around $200.

[PanMan_VA]

Try and adjust your transducer to get it a little further below the bottom of your hull. Also, angle it so it looks ever so slightly foreward. These two adjustments will help eliminate the problem of bubbles interfering with the signal while on plane.

[Tim The Lippa Rippa Mon]

Invest in either an Eagle 320, or a 480, any Lowerance unit, or any Matrix sytem and never look back.

BTW Your buddy gave you good advise about the Pirahna. Sorry if I pinched any toes, just my honest 2 cents after wasting hundreds of dollars in the past.

<,"}/>{ Rippa

[Barnacle Bill]

http://www.humminbird.com/generic2.asp?ID=428

[fiddlefarter]

Buddy of mine has a Pirahna also. I do not like it. There are many Humminbirds that I have used and I do like them. I just don't like that model. I have an Eagle 320 on my trolling motor that I got not long ago, and I like it very much. I also have a Garmin 240 at the wheel and I like it too, but I think I like the Eagle more. But I haven't used it at high speeds. Personally I don't think you need the 600 watts and you definetely don't need to shell out a grand on a depthfinder. On PP (or most lakes) a good low to mid grade unit will suit you well. You only need all that power in deep water. Transducer set up and mounting is the most common problem if you have interference. Try some of the suggestions the others have offered before you go buy new.

[Cane Pole]

Been meeting a bunch of fellow crappie fisherman on Percy Priest and have noticed I am a little short on watts. I have had my boat 2 years, installed a Humminbird Parhana and have been having trouble ever since. As I increase speed the unit looses contact with the bottom and is unable to indicate depth.

One of the guys I met out there said I was short on my wattage. He believed to fish Percy Priest you need a 600 watt unit. He said bubbles were getting under the transducer and if I had more wattage this would stop. He also said he is able to see brush and structure with his unit which helps him find the fish. I priced 600 watt units and they seem to be around $1000.00, prettty steep for me. As far as he was concerned I could trash the Pirhana.

I need a unit that will read the floor as I am running and give good definition to structure as well as identify fish. Suggestions please!!!!

I got one of those Pisronnas. It is a piece of crap. Don't bother moving the x-ducer. Won't work. I am gonna mount mine on my robot boat. Works ok at trolling speeds like you stated.

[VietVet68]

When I got my "toon" the previous owner gave me a Pirahna with it. Since I was putting a Lowrance 332c transducer on my trolling motor I decided to leave the Pirahna transducer on the back to give me 24' separation on my depths. About 20 minutes into the "toons" maiden voyage, I disconnected the Pirahna and without thinking twice threw it in about 35 foot of water. Why Humminbird would have ever put a piece of chit like that on the market is beyond me. My opinion is, when they put that piece of junk on the market, I made a promise I would never buy another bird. Having a Pirahna is right up there with having sex without a partner.

[Small Minnow]

I have had one of those dumbbirds along with a couple of others. After you get a new Garmin, you will be happy. I mounted my transducer on a long piece of aluminum, which I mounted on the transom above the water line. That way you can slide it down another quarter inch without making all those holes in the boat below the water line. Good fishing.
Small Minnow

[whizkids]

As I increase speed the unit looses contact with the bottom and is unable to indicate depth.

One of the guys I met out there said I was short on my wattage. He believed to fish Percy Priest you need a 600 watt unit. He said bubbles were getting under the transducer and if I had more wattage this would stop. ----------------------------------------------------You don 't say where your transducer is mounted. If it is outside, it is difficult to keep from getting bubbles ( turbulance)
on some boats. Wattage will not solve that problem. If it is inside, wattage may be some of the problem. Dependening on what article you read a transducer can lose up too 25% of it's power reading through a fiberglass hull. A higher wattage unit will give good performance even with the loss.
I am a Lowrance man myself, but I know other manufactures make a good unit. $500.00 will provide you with an excellent Lowrance unit an X52
http://www.lowrance.com/Marine/Products/X52.asp

A Humminbird® PiranhaMAX20 Fishfinder has 100 watts RMS (800 Peak to Peak) power output the X 52 has 1500 watts peak-to-peak (188 watts RMS) transmit power .

An Eagle® FishMark™ 320 Fish Finder has
1,500 watts peak-to-peak power with depths to 800'
and is on sale now for $139.00
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...rTarget=browse

I am sure similar quality units in Bottomline, Garmin and Huminbird will also do the job. I have used Lowrance / Eagle products for 40 years my first unit which I still have was the green box. Others will differ but I use and recommend Lowrance / Eagle