help picking out a fish finder for a bass boat

[hscrugby]

Ermm, I suck at the interweb.
I couldn't figure out where to post this, and couldn't find threads like it. I just noticed there is a "top level" gear an tackle forum.
Wow.
If a mod reads this feel free to delete while I read the other exactly identical threads.
Cheers.



So I'm looking for a fish finder etc for this boat.
I have almost zero experience. (read as zero, since it's been a while)

So we were figuring somewhere between 150-400.
Obviously cheap is good, BUT I (not really my money) don't want to spend 175, and constantly kick myself because it sucks and for 250 I could have had a color unit that also reads me a bedtime story while catching fish for me.
Since the boat's a bass boat, it'll be on lakes, so we could use phones for gps if we get lost, or auto gps's well enough. (Just to get back to dock and know about where we are?)
But are the units with gps worth it? So we can put markers of where good spots are, etc etc? Download maps?

Are the color screens easier to see in the bright daylight?

Any brands to avoid, prefer? Local shops that are worth supporting? Forum supporters? Etc?

Or is it all just personal preference, and pick em out based more on price?

Thanks