Eagle Fishmark Products

[Papa Dawg]

I have an two Eagle Fishmark 320 depth finders. I have been looking at the Eagle Fishmark 480. They seem so similar I hesitate to upgrade. Any feedback on these two units and any preferences? I assume the quality of the picture is the only benefit of the 480 vs the 320.

Eagle has a color unit (I do't know the model number), so does anyone use it and can you pass on your thoughts?

Thanks for the comments.

[stinkies daddy]

the 500 and 640 are the color units and the diff between a 320 and 480 is resolution

[Wannabe...]

I have an Eagle 480 and I also had the smallest color they make, a 320C and I've been in boats with an Eagle 320. IMO, if you're going to the trouble and expense of upgrading, I'd skip the 480. Yes, it is much better than the 320 and the detail is finer. All other controls, power and function are exactly the same. If you're gonna upgrade, go up to the color unit such as the 320C. To me, the color and brightness of the screen is worth the extra 20 or 30 over the 480 price and to me, I can interpret the changing colors more easily than I can shades of gray. The 5" color is the ticket. Right now, I'm running the discontinued Lowrace X102C and it is the cat's meow for interpreting what's down there. I think the Eagle 500C would be very similar. If you're stuck with your budget of approx $400, I'd upgrade only one unit - the one at the front and spend the entire budget on it for the biggest color unit I could get.

Wannabe...

[Papa Dawg]

Thanks. Nothing like advice from experience.

[catch fillet]

I have the eagle color with gps all funtions are great--color separation sonar ai am very pleased with it.

[txtider]

go witht he color unit !

[TeqSheriff]

We've got a 320, and it's the only fish finder we've ever had, so I don't have any comparisons. But why is color a big advantage? I guess I don't interpret the shades of gray at all, just look at the bottom and hope to see a few fish between the boat and the bottom.

Also, we almost always leave our unit set on Fish ID, where it gives little fish symbols and the depth. We started that because we couldn't interpret the arcs. We used to fish a crystal clear lake, and we'd see arcs on the display, but look down in the water, and there was nothing there. If anyone has some basic tips on using fishfinders, I'd love to hear them. I didn't think there was anything more to it than seeing the contours on the bottom and see the fish suspended under the boat. Thanks!

[Scrapper]

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/archi...hangy-etc.html


Check this thread out...all you need to know...Jerry does an EXCELLENT job of describing what to look for and what you see and how to set it up. The 320 can do alot...you just have to learn to read it. Also go here and download the emulator for your graph...then you can play with settings and such on your computer without having to be out in the boat.

Product Emulators | Eagle


Good luck and ask whatever you need to. :D

[TeqSheriff]

Scrapper, Thanks for the info. I'd seen the article by Jerry Blake before, but it was much more meaningful given that I'd played with all the settings yesterday in the boat. I probably have some sensitivity issues (how "New Age"), and I'll try his suggestion of calibrating the unit using a 1/8 oz. jig head.

At the lake yesterday, I was anchored in some open water, and the fish alarm was going off like crazy. It was showing fish at varying depths and varying sizes. This went on for 20 minutes or so. I had popeyes tipped with nibbles and red worms hung over the side at varying depths--and could not get a bite on anything. I would love to know what was really going on down there. Could it just have been a big school of minnows or shad? I would think that if it were crappie or bluegill, I would have gotten at least a couple of hits.

Thanks again for reposting the link to Jerry's article.

[chaunc]

That could have been anything from leaves floating under water, tree branches coming up from the bottom, to the thermocline at that depth. Turn that beeper off even if you run on auto. Get rid of the fish ID too. It does the same as the beeper. It's easy to read your locator. A fish will show as a line if you're anchored. An arch or partial hook if you're moving. Look at your locator, dont listen to it. It should be more of a TV than a RADIO. Any finder with at least 320X320 pixels is good. You'll get a good picture of whats down there. I have the 480 and i can tell x-mas trees from stumps and also see the fish in or above them. I put my sensitivity on 75 and that works for me. Turn my ping speed all the way up too. Again i say, look at your locator. Dont listen to it.