Recommended Fishfinder

[basscatcher]

I was buying a Garmin 80 FF but the sale has fallen through.

Before I get one, what do you all recommend as the best model?

Info appreciated.

[johnlegg]

I've got to say ,it's all down to how much you want to spend, but make sure it is water proof
or at least water resistant. I have dunked mine twice now.
john

[basscatcher]

Dont some have a dual frequency transducer that allows a wider find in shallow water.?

I am wondering if one of these would be better than a mono Garmin 80.

I have also seen a 12v rechargeable battery with charger on ebay. Does everyone use a M Bike battery or has anyone tried anything else?

cgi.ebay.co.uk/High-Capacity-12V-1800mah-Li-on-rechargeable-battery_W0QQitemZ9700024487QQcategoryZ48632QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[zebra]

Hello mate make sure your battery is a sealed battery I use a jell one not acid sealed
.i use a garmin 120 ff it’s a great fish finder its been under quite a few times .it has a larger display than the 80 and dual transducer also has a few more features I find the larger display easyer to read at a glance when fishing .the new 160c looks good with colour display so that may be my next one .

[The Image ™]

I copied John Legg and got the portable Humminbird DX200. The transducer has a sucker on it and you just whop it on the kayak when you set out. It means you don't have to drill holes in your kayak to fit transducers and display mounts etc. Another good thing is that you can use it in different kayaks (or boats) with no uninstalling and installing. Very useful for me with a double kayak as I need to be able to position it in different parts of the yak depending on where I'm sat (front, rear or middle). It also means that if I buy a new kayak I don't have to unfit transducers etc and lleave holes etc. Best of all though I can still use it in both kayaks with no modifications. The fishfinder comes in a portable case so easy to transport and no fitting required apart from a bungy to hold the whole thing in if you capsize. Very neat unit and very popular with kayak owners.
I got mine for £50 and John got his for £35 so you can pick them up cheap.

It runs on those big square batteries used in torches so no need for fitting car batteries in your hull. Lasts for ages on the batteries and when they eventually do run down cost only £2.25.


Sucker type transducer means no drilling holes in your yak and fishfinder can be used from its case in any kayak without fitting and any part of the kayak (front or rear etc).

[speciman]

Hi Gilbo

Hard to say which model is the best.. down to personal preference and what features you require.

For the screen, more money usually means higher resolution (able to show more detail) and a screen in colour. Colour is not a 'luxury feature' & is of use - it can help you see details better under different light conditions and makes it easier to distinguish between features.

Garmin, Eagle, Humminbird, Raymarine all do finders which are suitable for a kayak make sure its rated as waterproof or waterresistant (eg ok if left underwater for 30mins at 1m)

A lot of the finders over £100 have dual frequency giving the kayak fisherman the ability to scan a wider area in shallow water.

The capacity of the 12v battery will depend on the unit in question. I think for most finders a battery of 2-5amps is sufficient . I'd stay away from the ebay item you listed - the postage is high ,the battery capacity is low and its design doesn't make for easy connection to the fishfinder power cord wires. Could be worth popping down to your nearest Maplins if you have one and checking the batteries and charges out there. Suitable chargers and batteries are around a tenner each. Make sure the battery is housed in a waterproof container or dry bag.

I'm fitting one of these to my next kayak: cgi.ebay.co.uk/RAYMARINE-DS-400-X-Digital-Color-Transom-Mnt-Fishfinder_W0QQitemZ7226269232QQcategoryZ29723QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Didn't buy from ebay but got it at a similar (keen) price. The screen is small but the resolution is high & its powerful.

How much were you looking to spend?

[The Image ™]

I'd stay away from Eagle.
Story time
My boat used to have a Humminbird 400. I dropped it in the sea and snorkelled 22ft down for it. Still ok! Put it on the roof of my car and drove off and saw it in my mirror bouncing along the road. Still ok! Left it on its mount on the boat over winter with all sorts of weather. Still ok! Sold it with the boat but on my next boat I got the Eagle 400 (Eagles exact version of my Humminbird). Opened the box and it dropped off my knee onto the carpet. Broke! Got a new one but it rained while I was fishing. Broke! Claimed my money back (what a job that was) and got a Humminbird Wide One. No probs with that. I now have the Humminbird DX200 and it's showing all the signs of a typical Hum, strong, waterproof, reliable.
I believe that Garmin are the same company as Eagle!

I spoke to a chandler and asked why so many chandlers sell Eagles when Hums are so much better yet the same price. His reply was that Eagle prices leave more commision to the retailer! Nuff said!

[speciman]

Lowrance and Eagle are part of the same organisation. The Eagle Cuda series are a popular and proven finder with many kayak fisherman in the US.

[The Image ™]

I owned two Eagles. Both broke within a fortnight. I've never managed to break a Humminbird and God knows I've bounced them.

[harryo]

A boat shop in Plymouth advises on Eagle. In the pub I asked him why and he said more money in it. Didnt understand what he meant but the posts above clarify it. I also opted for humingbird and got the humingbird 600 back in 1991 and its still going strong but has a lot of scratches on the screen and dints in the body. The pixles are a bit blocky by todays standards but it does the job.

[speciman]

I like the quick release mount on the Humminbirds and the way the cables are tucked neatly underneath the mounts base.

[basscatcher]

Thanks for all the advice. I am looking to spend less than £100 and it would appear the hummingbird would be the way to go.

[martinw]

i had the eagle cuda 240 gps and sounder combined fitted to my boat, the first one died on me, got a replacement and that one stood the test of time, i suppose its just the luck of the draw with these things eh??

[hursty]

i've got the Eagle Cuda 168 on my prowler. Bought it from JK Max navigation in Devon (Great chap , loads of advice) . Use a 12v battery bought from Maplins , with the transducer mounted via the noodle/vaseline method. Whole set up cost around £120. Works fine!

[basscatcher]

Noodle Vaseline Method?

[martinw]

noodles? ok for the wok, but how do you stick a transducer on to your kayak with them?? ;D

[basscatcher]

Just seen what the noodle and vaseline is on another Kayak site.

The noodle is a tube of foam in which you sit the transducer. You then heat a pot of vaseline until its runny and pour it inside the noodle. This must give a sealed and better contact for the transducer to work in.

Seems like a very messy affair and surely on a hot day (if we ever get them!) the vaseline goes all runny again!

[hursty]

This is Britain not Florida! You need boiling water to soften the vaseline and your Hull is always kept nice and cool by the Seas off our coasts!! A little messy to fit(dont wash your hands after with cold water like I did!!) but the big advantage is if you change kayaks your transducer isnt Araldited to the Hull.

[zebra]

what happens if you store your yak on its side hursty or in a hanger will all the vaseline run out or go to one side .?.
i have used all kinds of ways to fix my transducers and so far have found poxy by far the best and most reliable once its fixed you can forget about it the only drawback i can see of epoxy is that it is very hard to remove the transducer once it is fixed with it should you sell your yack.
but dont use araldite rapid as it cures it gets quite hot and you would be using quite a big amount could result in damaging the hull not worth taking the chance .

[hursty]

drys into a very solid lump! just tip a jar of vaseline upside down and leave overnight and you'll have non leak!

[The Image ™]

What about if your kayak is left in the sun. I expect that the inside of the hull could get very very hot indeed. Or am I picking at hairs here?

[starvinmarvin]

The noodle method uses a noodle coupling to hold the vaseline and then the noodle is pushed inside to lock the vaseline inside, even on the hottest day the vaseline is going to go nowere the fit of the two pieces is very tight.

Yes it could be messy but if you follow the instructions on AnglersAfloat it shouldn't be.

www.anglersafloat.co.uk/Prowler_Fishfinder.htm

Have recently got hold of the Humminbird 141c finder it is a smaller unit than the 565 but with a colour screen, going to put this one on the Malibu II XL and am looking for an alternative method to fit the transducer, may go down the water immersed method, but that may be a pain having to refill each outing and drain afterwards, don't really want unneccessary water inside the hull.

As for which one, buy the best resolution you can afford, the better the resolution the more detail you will see.

SM

[zulu]

Gooped mine in, No problems at all, I struggled to get clear Marine goop in the UK - got mine off ebay - chap in Germany sells it regularly via the inter-net.

Just roughen the area where the tx is going to be mounted - good dollop of goop and add a bit of weight to the top (bag of flour worked for me) 24 hours later its sealed and works great.

I got an external tap, frost protector from focus- fits nicely over the tx and adds stacks of protection.
Gooped it down as well......................................



Regards
Mike

[starvinmarvin]

Marine Goop is the business if you can get hold of it, Germany is the nearest stockist, although there is a distributor in Ireland but he doesn't seem to want to sell any. Spent 6 months trying to get some from here, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, US, and Canada. The Germans didn't want to sell it to me either, bought for their own kayaks (custom builders and outfitters). Ebay, tried the .com but never saw any.

SM