Sounders for fresh water

[PNG1M]

I was just wondering if a depth sounder would be a worthwhile item for freshwater fishing (mostly creek & river). Does anyone here use a sounder when fishing fresh water?

I can imagine that they'd be pretty useful in the larger lakes & dams etc but what about the smaller waterways like creeks and rivers? Do people use them there?

I was thinking that a sounder might not be necessary in creeks as you can generally see the snags etc poking out of the water.

So, would a sounder be useful or not? Any thoughts or opinions on that?

[Shawn 66]

Bloody oath they are useful . In my opinion you do not have to break the bank to have a decent sounder . Even in a creek or river they are going to show you the depth , any underwater structure , bait schools etc . They are especially handy if the river or creek is cloudy or murky.
Shawn

[PNG1M]

Ok, thanks for the tips. Next thing on the agenda will be sussing out a suitable model that will somehow attach to the siide of a tinnie.

Any suggestions?? (Low to mid-range price bracket)

[Shawn 66]

Ok, thanks for the tips. Next thing on the agenda will be sussing out a suitable model that will somehow attach to the siide of a tinnie.

Any suggestions?? (Low to mid-range price bracket)

Mate ,
I have a Garmin 400s (I think) , about $600 to $700 . It dose the job. One thing you will have to watch is , if you are pulling your boat up and down the banks , you protect your tranny somehow.
Shawn

[Dan5]

You can get the 300c delivered from Koala for $225....with metric units off e-bay.........good little sounder for a small tinny.

[PNG1M]

Good, thanks for the info. I'll have a look around.

I also noticed a few second hand packages around that come with a sounder thrown in. That might also be worth a closer look.

[daki23]

Lowrance Elite-5x dsi is great... can also take it salt water fishing... good structure cans as well.. have a look at it... think i paid 550 delivered from canada on ebay

[bigbrian47]

mate i've got a lowrance /eagle portable setup that i've had for years runs on 8 d cell batteries (get a lot of hours) out of them
the transducer is on a suction cap that will cop high speeds if needed
i have used it many times at the swains in the dories and also glenlyon etc works fantastic
cheers brian

[PNG1M]

Thanks for that Big B, I have a few ideas now for sounders and I like the idea of the suction cap for the transducer.

The portable option also appeals...and the fact it runs on batteries. Sounds good.

Cheers.

[rabbi]

Hi mate.
I have a lowrance X4 which is worth around $100 and its as good as anything for freshwater use. u dont need an expensive unit to find fish. my old cheapo Eagle that I replaced a few years back used to pick up cod and yellas.
Steve.

[darylive]

I agree a simple sounder is a real advantage and worth the money spent. A simple rig will not cost a lot but do get one with sufficient pixels to provide a usefull image. The real cheapies used to look like lego images although most are pretty good now. I have a slide on the back of the tinny so the transducer slides up out of the way when necessary to avoid damage. Sicaflex holds it in place so no holes required in the tinny.

[PNG1M]

Great...super info guys.

Thanks for all the tips.

I'm looking forward to translating all these ideas into reality once the logistics are in place and I'm ready to rock n roll. Just a matter of time now..!

[hkconc]

I have a old 13ft quintrex and it has a old hummingbird fitted. Whenever you cross over a submerged log, 9 times out of 10 it will show a big sleepy cod or two besides it. Catching it is another story thou. The tranducer on the back dose get a bit of a floggin, thanks for the sicaflex its still there.