# Fishfinder question



## Snyd (May 5, 2004)

I am looking to upgrade from my 14 year old dephfinder/fishfinder. I have a very old hummingbird. Here is my question, If you had $400 to spend on some new electronics for your boat what would you get? I realize anything would be an improvement from what I have but was hoping those that bought a new one this year would chime in on what they got and what they liked and disliked about it.


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## michael.redmon (Aug 27, 2010)

I bought a 561 DI from Hummingbird for $200. Maybe this is just a crap unit or I dont know how to use "down imaging" but I question what i am even looking at. 

Just an FYI

Thanks for the information on the docks


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## Bimmer (Aug 12, 2011)

Really depends what all you want on a unit and size? For the $400 range a good sonar would be the Elite 5 if you are looking new. If used, you would have many options. Not sure about rebates now but many times Humminbird and Lowrance run rebates.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

I agree with Bimmer on the Elite 5 if you're looking for a depth finder only. If a DF/GPS combo, the Lowrance 5X fits the bill. Love the Elite 5 I have on my boat !!


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

Should be some good deals between black friday all the way through christmas. I picked up a Elite-5 DSI combo during that time. BPS had them $349 on black friday,then cabelas had them on sale a couple weeks later for $299.00
They're regularly $599,but I wouldn't pay that much for that particular unit. 

Not sure if you want the sonar only or combo with gps,but the gps is handy.It comes with temperature as well.Once you see some structure that you want to remember,just waypoint it. There's scrollback features that are handy. Say I ride over a submerged tree.I can put it in scroll mode and go backwards on the screen to find that spot and waypoint it for future use. I do use it in shallow water,so it doesn't pick out fish very well but structure shows up very well. It's a lot different than my last 13 yr old bird,but I'm really starting to like it.

When I checked out cabelas.com bargain cave/rock bottom sections yesterday,they had some good prices on some birds and lowrances.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

if you live close enough to a bass pro shop or a cabelas go in and look at the screen on all the units. when you find something you like have the salesman show you all the features on that unit. and keep doing this until you find what you want.

if there is a model like the elite 5 but your not sure, you can have the salesman show you all the features and get a good idea of what your going to see on the screen.
sherman


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

Here's the link to bass pro's black friday sale and they have the elite-5 with gps on sale for $299.99

http://blackfriday.com/stores/bass-pro-shops/flyers/black-friday


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I agree with saugmon. (post #5). GPS, scroll back, temp readings & split screens are all good things to get on a new unit. I upgraded my electronics a few years ago and after having GPS for a few years, I consider it a must. DI units are great and show a truer pic of what's down there but good 2D aren't a bad option either. My advice is buy the best unit you can afford and *then take the time to learn how to use it*. A lot of guys buy great units then don't take a few hours to learn how it really works.
I'm a Lowrance fan but Bird makes some great units too, so I would look at everything. For $400 you should be able to get something pretty nice. Also if there is something that cost a little more and you really do want it, I would save a little longer and get what you really want.
Like everyone said go out and look at the units in the store, push some buttons while you're there and ask lots of questions.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Humminbird 788. No DI, no SI. Just good ole 2D sonar. Which can also double as an ice fishing rig with the proper attachments available from Humminbird.


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## normd (Jul 5, 2005)

Snyd, maybe you would be interested in this? I have a 788ci for sale.

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=244960&goto=nextoldest


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## Fishman43078 (Apr 16, 2013)

I bought a lowrance elite 5 color combo. It is great for the price; however, I fished in a boat equipped with the structure scan side imaging and wish I had went with the HDS and had ability to add later. 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Snyd (May 5, 2004)

Just wanted to thank everyone for there input. I haven't bought anything yet but did get some gift cards for christmas to help out from Pro Bass. I have ordered and Hummingbird catalog and should have it in the next couple of days. Need to go through and see what features I really need and what I can live with out.


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## whjr15 (Jun 16, 2005)

Snyd said:


> Just wanted to thank everyone for there input. I haven't bought anything yet but did get some gift cards for christmas to help out from Pro Bass. I have ordered and Hummingbird catalog and should have it in the next couple of days. Need to go through and see what features I really need and what I can live with out.



I've owned a Humminbird 597ci HD DI for a few years now and love it. 

-The DI feature, to me, is more of a novelty than a necessity. Sometimes, when the fishing's slow, it's fun to switch over to the DI screen to see more detail of a weird "hump" or something that you pass over. I don't know how much the DI feature adds to the price of a unit, but if it's considerable, I'd go without. That being said, I wish I had SI (side-imaging)... But that's gonna be way out of the budget you listed.

-I'd definitely get a color unit. There are so many affordable color models now, there's no reason to settle for black & white with your budget!

-I'd also get a combo unit (GPS & sonar). It's nice to be able to mark locations; humps, points, drop-offs, creek channels, brush, etc, so you can return to them again! Also, if you do any trolling, it's also great for precise speed control, with the GPS speedometer. It's also nice to have when you go to a new lake, motor to a good looking spot, do some casting, then some drifting, then trolling, and then once you're done for the day, forget where your ramp is!! (Saved me once lol)


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## Snyd (May 5, 2004)

WhJR15 - Thanks for the info - Probably 65% of my time is crappie fishing so I was really looking at finders with the DI. Like you said not sure if I really need it but from what I have seen and read it looks like it may come in handy.


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## whjr15 (Jun 16, 2005)

Snyd said:


> WhJR15 - Thanks for the info - Probably 65% of my time is crappie fishing so I was really looking at finders with the DI. Like you said not sure if I really need it but from what I have seen and read it looks like it may come in handy.


Yeah, for me, it's just a fun thing to distract me when the fishing's slow! It can show you, with "ultrasound" (that's what it looks like to me, lol) detail, what the mysterious blob your traditional sonar screen shows. But unlike SI, you have to basically be right over top of it. With SI, you can find a stump field 75 (or more) feet off to either side. So there's really no search advantage with DI vs traditional.

Typical scenario of when I'll flip to the DI screen:

I'm trolling, and while looking at the screen for depth/speed/marks, I see something beginning to protrude from the lake bottom. For the hell of it, I'll flip to DI to find out that it is, in fact, a tree. Then I'll flip back to traditional sonar!  

"Seeing" fish with DI is damn near impossible, unless it's a school of them. Forget about individual ones!


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

i would pickup a cuda 350 gps/finder combo for $50 and then buy a color hummingbird di unit i think run around $250. i hate split screen is my reasoning.

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