[teambigbucks]

I am thinking of purchasing a Lowrance Elite 4 HDI with the down scan imaging. I have never owned a fishfinder before and never really felt the need for one. I have a 1548 G3 Jon Boat. I have mainly fished local bodies of water that I am confident fishing without one. However, I am starting to do more inshore fishing in the creeks of the Pamlico, Pungo, and Bay River. In the warmer months I am mainly fishing the shorelines and not go out in the deeper water. Somebody convince me why I need a fishfinder. Is it like air conditioning, DVR, and high speed internet? One of those thing you don't appreciate until you have had it? Does it really help locate fish in these areas?

 

[Fishin Technician]

It will keep you from running aground if nothing else- esp in the fog or at night. It finds dropoff's, ledges, structure- so a Definite YES from me.

 

[catmaster]

Absolutely...unless u like fishing blind.

 

[countryboyjlm]

I just orderd me the elite 5 HDI cant wait till i get it so i can try it out this weekend i will post back and let you know how i like it.My brother has the elite 5 and he said he like it. He is also looking at getting the elite 5 HDI.

 

[NCStateFisher]

definitely a crucial piece of equipment fishing inshore to help you find bait structure and depth changes

 

[sundrop]

Even if its a basic model, once you have it, and get used to it, you will love it. I look for drops, holes and structure with mine if nothing else. Water temp is good to know also.

 

[Gremlinsrus]

I use the simplest model (lowrance x-4) on my yak just to see drop offs and mark fish so I am not blind. The gps, down imaging, and way point functions would be nice IF i fished a particular area more often. Any FF is better than none IMO.

 

[trigger22]

When I am fishing for reds, no I never use it. I do good to turn it on. Fishing for trout and flounder yes.

 

[brickphil]

Heck yea you need it!! If you want to up your body count in the cooler..

 

[NCflatfish]

I prefer Side Imaging to Down Imaging. I use regular sonar when looking down. One good piece of advice I heard somebody say is that a good sonar will not necessarily help you catch more fish, but it will definitely help you know where they are not. There is a lot of dead water out there that you can avoid by using the right electronics.

 

[teambigbucks]

Thanks for the all the replies. The answer appears obvious. I guess now I have to figure out to work a fishfinder and get over the fear of drilling holes into my boat.

 

[Twystedweb]

Got any recommendations for a decent one that isn't too expensive for mounting in a kayak? I've never used one and don't know how to read them, so I always just fish the bank but I figure I could probably be more productive if I knew what was down there...

 

[Snoike]

I use the RayMarine DragonFly with Chirpvision http://www.raymarine.com/dragonfly/. It's a really nice unit for around $600. I found that during the cold months especially it was really helpful in finding submerged bait.

 

[cnoffsin]

Thanks for the all the replies. The answer appears obvious. I guess now I have to figure out to work a fishfinder and get over the fear of drilling holes into my boat.

It will come most likely with a transom mounting bracket which is really no big deal to do. And as far as how to work it, telling how deep a spot is and what the water temp is is really easy. What lines are a fish and what are a stick or bubbles from the motor I am not great with.

If you have a bow mount trolling motor you could get a transducer that attaches to the trolling motor and then no drilling necessary.

 

[ice cream man]

You can also glue the transducer in your hull on a fiberglass boat ( like I did - pictured )
My buddy has problems with his transducer reading on his jon boat. Just something to consider. ........ ICM

 

[biglenr]

I just bought a Lowrance Elite 4x DSI... It's $200, combines sonar and down scan imaging. A battery is another $20 (12v, 7AH, sealed lead acit) and will power it for days.

IMO, if you're buying a FF today, you probably want either down scan or side scan imaging with your sonar. They really give you a lot of detail on the bottom.

I'm not the expert, though.... I did TALK to a dozen different experts while I over-researched this before I bought it. My ex-wife said that my researching for the best buys (price/value point) sucked the fun out of every purchase.

 

[SnowCamp]

Search the forums for kayak and fish finder, there have been a lot of threads on this over the last few years and lots of installs shown with extensive pictures. I have Humminbird 386 DI installed on my Pescador Sport 12 kayak with the transducer inside the hull secured with plumber's putty and a cup or so of water to fill any gaps that may exist. Temperature gets within a degree or so in twenty minutes or less and the hull does not appear to affect the down imaging. Get what appears to be the same picture of the same structure with a transom mount on my Pelican 10E. 7AH gell cell will power it for several days of fishing.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

I have the Elite 7 HDI and love it. I use all the elements of the unit and it helps to narrow down areas to fish or not to fish. At times I fish big water and want to return back to the same location..GPS.

 

[Neilslure]

I couldnt fish without a graph. Knowledge of water depth, structure, water temps and knowing if there are any signs of life in an area are all assets to eliminating water and finding fish. As far as settings go, the default settings and everything set to auto will do very well most of the time.

 

[catmaster]

The set up ...for my Jackson big Rig and Dragon Fly went on in 5 minutes out of the box...transducer hangs over the side on a sliding track system...so sick.
And of course Gps.