Electronics
- Thread starter Don
- Start date
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
The only garmin I have are for the car and don’t care for them to much. As for the boat both my gear is humminbird.
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
I am a Garmin fan, this boat and my last boat had Garmin, all planned and installed by myself. However, brand does not matter when you are looking at entry level finders. They’re going to show you sonar, the older technology that everyone does very well. Amongst all of the major brands, I think you would find Garmin’s menu system a little more friendly than the rest. The fact that the 4 has some kind of mapping for that price, I’d say that units is worth its price and to go for it.
Melvinp
Well-known member
Only ever had one occasion that I actually caught a fish because of my fish finder the whole screen went black and it picked up bigger fish in the cloud (had to be baitfish)had a stellar day pounding bass,callico and Gill out of the darkness.I really don’t normally fish water that a finder really does me any good but that’s about to change.
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
I think this is the norm for most anglers. You get out there and fish, the finder tells you the depth and clues you in here and there.
I've gone off the deep end with it. If you guys ever have questions, I'll probably be able to answer them. It's just stupid what fishing things fill this head.
pabassman
Well-known member
I've had a lot of good days because of my electronics. Open water and ice. Surprising when ice fishing how high fish suspend. Before graphs I would be fishing under them. Now I can bring my bait right up to the level of the fish. Open water I can find deeper cover thats holding fish. Many times I have found schools of bait and there's always bigger fish around them. Shallow water they dont come into play for me at all but over about twelve feet they work wonders.
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
I’m not saying don’t get it. I do think you’ll like it. 
Put you on some nice holes.
Put you on some nice holes.
Don
Well-known member
There is room for folks "off the deep end" and we can all learn by your exploits. Let me tell you my goal and reasoning and you tell me if my reasoning is... reasonable.I think this is the norm for most anglers. You get out there and fish, the finder tells you the depth and clues you in here and there.
I've gone off the deep end with it. If you guys ever have questions, I'll probably be able to answer them. It's just stupid what fishing things fill this head.
1) I have around $100 +/- to spend
2) I have poor eyesight and must use dimestore readers when looking at a screen
3) My biggest benefit with any of these small units will be the depth sounder feature as I also have a physical paper chart in hand and using the fish finder should help me confirm my location over specific bottom features
4) a GPS will he handy for getting back to the same place, time after time, where I had previous success.
5) Once lakes turn in fall a fish finder will be more helpful in deep water.
All this being said I believe these units will best serve me as depth sounders.
I am beginning to plan a build (sea skiff of some sort) for a year or two from now and it will have the complex fish/finder systems on it.
thoughts?
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A-5
Moderator
For $200 you can get a screen that is 5”.
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
truecrimson
Well-known member
One thing I did wish right from the start was that I had gotten a bigger screen.
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
I would second the bigger screen and going to actually see some. I have both a small screen and a bigger one. For the depth and gps anyone with those features will work but there are times that a bigger screen (you may see better ) will show you some fish and finer details. When you need to.