PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant VBA_SCRIPT - assumed 'VBA_SCRIPT' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in ..../includes/functions_navigation.php(802) : eval()'d code on line 1 Not the same old sounder question?
In the market for a new sounder somewhere in the $800 -$1200 dollar range. But instead of the old "which sounder is best" type question. How about some.
What is the most useful features you have found on a sounder ?
How has it changed the way you fish?
What is the most useless piece of marketing hype you have found on a sounder?
Hopefully this will be informative thread and we learn a bit.
Colour and I like the side imaging on the Humminbirds. Shows up snags and bait schools without having to drive straight over them and spook any potentional fishing ground.
Billyboy
Definitely colour, It gives a much better picture of the kind of bottom your fishing over ie distinguish coffee rock form coffee rock with weed/soft coral growth over it. Colour even goes a long way to trying to distinguish different types of fish under you. A good zoom feature is also a big help. No doubt most sounder in that price range should be up to the task.
How big of a display can you fit on your boat and how big of a display can you afford? I have never heard anyone complain that they got too big of a screen. How far away will you need to be able to view the screen? Buy as big a screen as you can afford. Do not scrimp on screen size or you will not be happy.
What kind of transducer set up will you need? Transom mount, thru-hull, or in hull? This is an important question because not every sounder has alot of transducer options.
What kind of fishing do you do? Most important question. If you are fishing the deep blue then you will probably not want a side scanning sonar, but if you are fishing estuarys, 20 to 25 meters or less then you may want to consider side scanning. If you are fishing deeper than 30 meters then you will probably want a dual frequency sounder with features like bottom lock, white line, and full manual overides.
The deeper you fish, the more sonar power you will need. 500 watts RMS is a minimum, 600 is better, and if you can afford it, go with 1kw. Make sure you check the power rating at RMS not Peak.
Do you want color? Yes you do! The best monochrome unit displays in 16 different shades of gray. The best color units display in 256 different colors. Makes it much easier to decipher what the sounder is telling you. Hard bottom is much easier to spot and appears totally different than soft bottom. Structure, bait, fish, all appear in more vivid colors again making it easier to determine what the sounder is telling you. IMO color is the biggest advancement in sounders in the last 10 years.
Will your sounder need to interface with your gps or other electronics and will you need to expand to chartplotting, radar, vhf, autopilot, in the future? Mulit function displays are the way of the future. Will you need fuel computers now or in the future? Just things to consider.
What is your budget? If your budget is small, you're not going to be able to get any advanced features so I would not worry too much about anything but screen size and sonar power.
Some of the cool features I like:
Humminbirds side imaging. I have the Humminbird 997 on my bass boat. If you need to cover alot of shallow water in the shortest amount of time then side imaging is right for you. I use mine in 35 feet of water or less and it has increased my fishing productivity and helps me maximize my time on the water. I fish in tournaments on lakes I have never fished before and I pull up to a potential spot and I can check it out quickly to determine if it will likely be productive. I can even pull up to docks and I can see if fish are holding under the dock and know exactly where to cast for them. Be prepared for a learning curve. The side imaging display is totally different than anything you have ever seen but once you get a handle on it you will be amazed at what it can show you. You must get the 8 inch screen for side imaging. The 5 inch screen is just too small for all of the information to display.
On my saltwater boat I have a Furuno FCV-620. I do alot of bottom fishing so I am really focused on the bottom and the bottom 20 feet of the water column. I also have used Sitex, Raymarine, and many other sounders. Some of the features I really like are:
White line - This features turns off all of the bottom characteristics and displays the bottom as a white line. This makes it much easier to spot bait and fish holding just off the bottom.
Bottom lock - This feature will only display any portion of the bottom and water column you choose. For instance I set it to display the bottom and the water column to 20 feet above the bottom. It takes all contours that the bottom may have out, so you can see the bottom as flat, again making it easier to mark targets such as bait and fish.
Manual overides - Once I am marking targets or good hard bottom, I go to manual mode and make adjustments. The Furuno has a dial that makes this very easy, so does Raymarine C and E series. Everyone has their own favorite settings. This is something you have to play with, but I can't recommend it enough.
I like units that will interface with a gps so if you run over a school of fish or bait that you want to be on, you can put a cursor on the target and the gps will put you right back where you want to be.
Digital Filtering - New technology available on Furuno, Raymarine, and some Garmins. The digital technology filters out unwanted noises. Without getting techno, it really works and doesn't display the crap you dont want to see.
There is not alot of hype features in sounders today. Side Imaging is probably the most unknown technology but ask anyone who has one and they will tell you its amazing in certain conditions.
All of the other hypes are power, digital, color, big screen, and they are all worth every penny!
Not the same old sounder question?
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