# Which fishfinder?? HELP??



## txc35 (Mar 29, 2007)

OK - I have been looking at fish finders and need your opinions and experience. What can you guys tell me about the following:
Humminbird:
597ci - 16 channel, color, with GPS, $570
788c - $650
385ci - 50 channel, color, with GPS, $400
190c - grayscale, no GPS, $230

Do I need color? Why? 
If I have a handheld GPS wouldn't this just duplicate it or is there some advantage I don't know about by having it integrated with the finder?

Thanks.
Tom


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## Flippin 416 (Aug 18, 2005)

I just put a 788ci on my boat this year....so far I love it. Color units are much easier to read with the all of the available colors that they use to distinguish between soft and hard returns. I think having a GPS intergrated (especially one with lake contours such as the 788ci) is cool because it shows your boat right on the water and you can follow contour lines and see how the compare to the depth readings you are getting. Humminbird is great with updates and their customer service (although I have yet to use them) is said to be second to none. Oh...if you get the 788ci...I think there is a way you can swap out the dual beam transducer with a quadra beam transducer before you mount it to your boat. The quadra beam transducer will point out which side of the boat structure is on. It's been dubbed as the "poormans side imaging". I will have one on my boat next spring. Whatever your choice...best of luck!!!


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

788c for $599 http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ...parentType=index&indexId=cat602012&hasJS=true

788ci $599 http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ...parentType=index&indexId=cat602012&hasJS=true


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## txc35 (Mar 29, 2007)

These posts are very helpful. Thanks to both of you.


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## BlueMax (Dec 3, 2006)

Get the GPS and color. The handheld while accurate is too small, (at least for my eyes), to read. Especially if you need it to get in in threatening weather.
I just installed a new Lowrance Elite 5 in my fishing machine. Used it for 1 trip but so far i like what I see. It has internal GPS antenna.
Found it for $519 shipped to my door. The color sonar outperforms the B&W.
Only problem is that I think it attracted sheephead.


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## triton189 (Nov 6, 2009)

If you select the 788 CI the cheapest I found is at just4electronics.com Also, choose the free shipping as it is 2nd day Fed EX. The same if you paid extra for the "noted" 2nd second day shipping.


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## triton189 (Nov 6, 2009)

Flippin 416 said:


> I just put a 788ci on my boat this year....so far I love it. Color units are much easier to read with the all of the available colors that they use to distinguish between soft and hard returns. I think having a GPS intergrated (especially one with lake contours such as the 788ci) is cool because it shows your boat right on the water and you can follow contour lines and see how the compare to the depth readings you are getting. Humminbird is great with updates and their customer service (although I have yet to use them) is said to be second to none. Oh...if you get the 788ci...I think there is a way you can swap out the dual beam transducer with a quadra beam transducer before you mount it to your boat. The quadra beam transducer will point out which side of the boat structure is on. It's been dubbed as the "poormans side imaging". I will have one on my boat next spring. Whatever your choice...best of luck!!!


You can swap out the transom mount for the quad beam. However, it is not an even trade as you have to pay extra as the quad beam is the poor mans SI.


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## txc35 (Mar 29, 2007)

Thanks. That is the one I am leaning toward.


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## OhYeah (Apr 29, 2005)

I too was looking at the HB 788c <with external antenna>. 

Flippin 416: Did you add a chip in order to see contour lines on the gps ? The display unit at West Marine did NOT show any contour lines.

Anchor Express has the 788c at 559.99

GR


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## triton189 (Nov 6, 2009)

HB 788 CI @ just4electronics.com- $528.06. No Tax- Plus Free FED EX two day shipping.


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## Star1pup (Aug 3, 2004)

Thanks guys. I was going to ask a similar question and this thread answered it. I also was looking at adding a color handheld GPS and a color sonar. Now I'm going for the integrated unit. I now have a Lowrance gray scale X-75 and an older handheld Garmin mounted on my pontoon. They are both hard to read in too much sun or at night. The color HB on the bow is much better. The nice thing about my older GPS is that I can plug it into the boat battery and not buy expensive AA baterries every few days. The integrated unit will solve this problem.

My only concern now is that there will be no GPS lake maps for the private 150 acre lake I fish, but as long as it shows my location in reference to marked structure I'll be okay. I think te included Base map should work.

I worked in TV so I know that electronics change fast so I think I'll wait for the 2011 models.


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## joee (Jul 14, 2007)

hi blu max. lookin 4 a good chip 4 this unit aiso. any recommadations. some erie fishin but mostly lakes by me . like detail and depths


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