[fishinnut28]

Im lookin into buying a fish finder this year after my last one finally broke it was an old hummingbird.

I dont have a boat i rent boats a lot. Im lookin for a good fish finder. What kinds do you suggest. Im not looking to buy a lowrance thats 600 dollars (yet). Im just looking for something thats affordable. 75-150$. Something that i could bring on a boat and give me accurate readings on depth temp and fish loaction and structure. I have one of those wristwatch finders, thats decent but its annoying having to cast and use a rod.

What kind of fish finders do you have.

Thanks
Dom

 

[BassMasterErik]

hummingbird pirhanna models are great, you can get em with portable suctioncup attachment transducers. they are usually 70-80$.

p.s. a nice tip.

i fish alot with my depth finders and hate fussing around with double A batteries all the time (nothing worse than dead batteries in a depthfinder when you need it most), so i re-rig my portable Hummingbird depthfindrs with those big lantern batteries. the lantern batteries last a whole season and then some. I modified a small soft cooler to hold the batteries, and mount the display on the top of the zip top of the cooler, i can then pop the screen off and throw it into the battery case, and it makes for a waterproof easy to use case, and holds the transducer as well.

 

[twoglasseyes]

The Humminbird 12v portable that runs off the 2 lantern batteries, and comes in the hard case. It has done well for years. And you can get an extra battery cable for using a boats battery if you desire.

And I like that conversion Bassmastereric. I am currently working on something like that for an old hummingbird flasher off a boat, to make it portable for icefishing. Cabelas sells small 12v batteries like the ones in a vex, that are rechargable, for $20. I dont know how much you spend on lantern batteries, might be worthwhile.

 

[Gutterball]

If you can scratch the $600-$650, i would recomment it. T he Lowrance LMS 522C IGPS portable unit is great. You should be able to get it from Cabelas as a kit or just the head unit from anywhere and the portable kit from Lowrance. I got one this summer and it' s freakin awesome, i paid almost $800 it's all on sale this winter GO FIGURE. The portable kit also comes with a ice transducer for winter use. It's sonar and GPS.

 

[fishinnut28]

The Humminbird 12v portable that runs off the 2 lantern batteries, and comes in the hard case. It has done well for years. And you can get an extra battery cable for using a boats battery if you desire.

And I like that conversion Bassmastereric. I am currently working on something like that for an old hummingbird flasher off a boat, to make it portable for icefishing. Cabelas sells small 12v batteries like the ones in a vex, that are rechargable, for $20. I dont know how much you spend on lantern batteries, might be worthwhile.

i just had one of those for the past 8 yrs. It was a great fish finder

 

[twoglasseyes]

i just had one of those for the past 8 yrs. It was a great fish finder

It lasted you eight years? I would definately get another. I looked at a few cheaper ones, and they were ok, but that Hummingbird is sweet.
Also, you can use any humminbird model in the 500 series with those portable bases. You may be better off just buying a 525 or 535 for a boat, and mounting the new display into you old case. :wink: Save a few bucks maybe.

 

[fishinnut28]

i just had one of those for the past 8 yrs. It was a great fish finder

It lasted you eight years? I would definately get another. I looked at a few cheaper ones, and they were ok, but that Hummingbird is sweet.
Also, you can use any humminbird model in the 500 series with those portable bases. You may be better off just buying a 525 or 535 for a boat, and mounting the new display into you old case. :wink: Save a few bucks maybe.

thats not a bad idea ill look into that