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[Spawn Sack]

Have had new (to us) jet boat for about a month now. Came with an Eagle Fishmark whatver f/f. Had nothing but issues with it so swapped it out for one my dad had lying around, a Hummingbird Matrix 10. It works okay I guess, but loses the proper depth quite easily once you start moving/cruising.

My dad only used this f/f for lake fishing and had no issues with it, however, he would keep it turned off when cruising, and only use it when trolling at a slow speed.

I printed the manual off online for the Hummingbird and am going to try and fart around with it a bit and hopefully get it working better. If no luck we're going to have to buy a new one as we don't know the Fraser well at all and like the added security of being able to get a bottom depth reading while cruising.

Wondering if ya'll have any recommendations for a solid f/f. Criteria is:

-will work well at cruising speed! I don't expect it to read the changing depth wide open at 40mph or whatever, but it does need to be able to read depth at "average cruising speed" (whatver that means )

-not be too terribly expensive. I dunno...under 500 bucks? More like 300-400 would be better.

-don't really care if it has 3-D side imaging and all that jazz. GPS function might be nice to see speed, save good fishing pots, save routes to diff spots on the river, and so on.

-not partial to any brand. I kind of like Garmin stuff. Have a Hummingbird Fishing Buddy that I quite like so I guess I like Hummingbird too (although the Matrix 10 is currently pissing me off).

Also, I think I would pay to have it installed. I like to do this kind of thing myself to save $, but if I get a brand new one all wired up and it does the same thing as the current one I think I'll lose my s**t!

Is there a place (preferably not terribly far from Chilliwack) that has a good rep for doing an A+ install on this type of stuff? I am new to boating and have no idea who to trust.

I've been looking through Steveston's catalouge at f/f's and the choices are pretty overhwelming!! Just looking for a solid, go-to f/f that a lot of guys use and like.

[ShaunO]

I had a huge reply all typed out, but I deleted it and instead decided to select you a fishfinder.  I played with this unit all weekend in saltwater and it was solid.  Take a good long look at the Lowrance Elite-5x CHIRP fishfinder.  Its a 5" colour screen with good frequency range and features.  MSRP is $299 US for just the head unit, plus about another $100 for the transducer kit.  If the Canuck buck hadn't taken such a dive, you could easily get into this for under your budget.  Lots of places around town (Steveston Marine, Wholesale Sports) are able to get in Lowrance, but you have to specify fishfinder ONLY as they have other Elite-5 models with all the bells and whistles and you'll fall out of your chair at their prices!

http://www.lowrance.com/en-CA/Products/Fishfinder/Elite-5x-CHIRP-en-ca.aspx

Good luck on finding what you need and getting it wired correctly.

[andrewscag]

I've been looking at the same ff. Seems like the best bang for your buck.  You may also be able to find an elite-4 HDI for around $300 but not many places carry it. It's basically the same but in a smaller package.

One thing to check with your current fish finder is that it's getting clean power. Even an old unit should work at cruising speed.  Mine was having the same issues as yours until I noticed that the PO wired the power in from the gauge cluster.  I ran a line straight back to the battery and all is well. Worth a shot in the mean time.  Running the transducer cable from the back of the boat with the other lines will do the same thing sometimes too, apparently.

[DionJL]

Humminbird Helix 5. I'd suggest you just get the sonar and GPS version. I got the Down Imaging and GPS. I find the down imaging hard to interpret and not as valuable for the types of fishing we do locally. I typically use the sonar with bottom-lock while I'm sturgeon fishing. If you dial in the sensitivity you will get nice clear images of sturgeon on the bottom like this:



On top of that, having the GPS functionality allows you to mark spots where you get fish, or mark routes so you know where to run if you're travelling in fog or low light. I would not buy a fish finder without GPS. Skip on the down or side imaging, but don't skip on the GPS.

[Spawn Sack]

Thanks guys. Both FF's look pretty sweet. I'll do some research on them and try to find a few reviews etc.

My current FF is wired up to the main battery. However, obviously, it is not the only thing hooked up to the + and  - of this battery. I've through about adding another battery so the FF can have its own power. Could work, meh, who knows.

Honestly I'm kind of done dinking around with them. Spent hours farting with the Eagle the boat came with, concluded it was NFG. Spent several hours uninstalling the Eagle and installing this older-ish Garmin which we are currently using. It works and is an improvement but can't read bottom depth at low-mid cruising speed which peeves me off.

I'm going to try and move the transducer depth (not angle) up/down a bit (loosen off mounting screws and adjust) and see if that helps. If that does not fix it then I think I'll be ready to say F-it, buy a new decent one and pay a professional to install it. Maybe the way the wires are being run is causing issues. The transducer wire runs along the other wires on the driver's side, which apparently may cause issues, unfortunately that is the only sensible way I can see to do the wiring.

I would expect if I'm paying a couple hrs labor to have one installed they would guarantee that it will be able to continuously read bottom up to a certain speed? If I paid a bunch of money for a new unit, plus install fees, and it did the same thing as my current free-to-me cheapie I would be pretty angry!

Has anyone paid to have one installed and can recommend a good shop in the FV? 

[Spawn Sack]

Looking for any final recommendations before I go FF shopping.

I like the looks of the Lowrance Elite 5 with CHIRP and the Hummingbird Helix 5. I would lean towards the Hummingbird just because I have had a few on my smaller lake boat and I like the brand. But in the end it would come down to staff recommendation, price (possible sales), and so on.

I like the idea of the GPS but honestly the only thing that I REALLY care about is that the damn thing will show an accurate bottom depth at cruising speed. I have farted with the transducer height on my current older Garmin Matrix. Lowering it a bit seems to have helped a BIT, but it will still lose bottom once the boat is up on plane.

A few random thoughts....

-Will a shop only want to install a FF that you bought at THEIR store? For example buy one on sale at Wholesale, get installed at Cascade. Bad idea?

-Yes I can wire one up and install a new transducer so it will work. But I think I would have a nervous breakdown if I installed a new $500ish one and it had the same issues as they two FFs I've already had on our boat (that we've only had for a couple months!). Willing to leave this one to the pros.

-Would ya'll have a separate battery put in to run the new FF from? Current set up is FF runs off starting battery.

-Would a shop guarantee that your new model will read bottom up to a certain speed?

-Is it likely they will get the install bang on the 1st time, or might I have to bring the boat back for some "tinkering" of whatever (transducer height, etc). If it may need some tinkering I think I'll forget bring the boat to Stevenson's or wherever and stick to Chilliwack (Cascase, Venture, etc).

Just want the "best" place to do it. Or is it all the same and a piece of cake for any boat shop? Sorry for lame questions I'm just nervous about paying for a new spiffy FF + install and still having similar issues 

[skaha]

--the trouble with trouble shooting is just that. The problems you mention may exist with new finder.
--the solutions are as varied.
--using a dedicated batter is something I am conscidering as on my boat I already have 4 batteries as I am running a 24 volt bow mount electric.
--Adding another battery with weight and space just makes me nervous. I was thinking I may try a smaller Ni cad or lith  as some have used on smaller boats. The hassle of charging. I have built in charging systems so would rig up something that I could charge the battery and disconnect once charged to keep it isolated from the other batteries.

--Looking forward to the day that light weight Lithium batteries come down in price. I picked up (not purchased) a 12 V at a trade show and they were shockingly light but the price was just as shocking.

[Spawn Sack]

Haha well that is NOT what I wanted to hear! I would be beyond peeved off if I bought a new $500ish FF, and potentially paid to have it installed, and the stupid thing had the same issues as the current one!

I think on my next days off I'll drive to Langley, check out some models at Steveston's and WSS, and also pop into Cascade and Venture in Chilliwack and see what they have to say/reccomend.

I don't expect a new one to read bottom wide open, but it would be nice if I could have some assurance, before I buy one, that there is a pretty good chance it will read bottom up to Xmph crusing speed. Is that too much to expect?

EDIT: I emailed a guide I know and asked him what he thinks about this. His reply was...

"...sounders are a pain in the butt, they are hard to setup right on a lot of boats. Problem is air gets under the transducer and it doesn’t read until it gets clean water with no air or you stop. Basically I don’t use mine for reading bottom when I am cruising only until I am actually fishing looking for a sturgeon spot do I pay attention to it.

You can try setting the transducer down a bit but then you risk having it knocked off by a floating object. Basically the deeper down the transom hull it is placed the better it will be able to read the bottom, less air.

You can take it to a shop if you’re not comfortable installing a new one but it really isn’t difficult, even if they do it you may end up with the same prob as now..."

[ShaunO]

Your guide friend is telling you some good advice, particularly the part where you have to have the transducer mounted low on the transom.  Air bubbles will affect the operation of the transducer as air is a poor medium for the signals generated by the transducer.  Mount the transducer at least  below the transom.  Take a look at these pictures.  Having it below the transom will put it into "cleaner" water when moving and give you a clearer picture of the bottom.  The majority of transducers are hinged or have a mechanism that will release if they hit debris in the water, preventing damage.  Depending on where you place it, it can be a PITA to pop it back into place.  Use a paddle or a boat hook and you should be fine (unless you have a swim grid!).

[cglasgow]

I bought the dragonfly 7 and I couldn't be more satisfied, I bought the gps/finder while I was in power squadron because I got in on sale knowing I would get a boat soon. The shop at milltown marina installed it for me for around 250 bucks I had the same issues as you with my old finder on my small tin boat, it only worked at a dead stop or otherwise it was just completely scrambled. The dragonfly gives me almost a picture perfect view of the bottom, and you can split screen a live gps map with way points and routes, it came with navionics gold north America with  a wealth of extra features, other users can place unknown hazards on the chart and when you update the charts in your computer the notes from others will be on your charts when your out boating, perfect for the ever changing river. Sometimes you have to pay to play but I honestly feel like you could not get a better value for the quality of the product

[nevertoolate]

so far I have seen quite a lot of fish on my hummingbird fishfinder (the black and white one).  Never caught one so I dont know what the advantage is in knowing they are there

[GordJ]

I have a Humminbird 7something with gps and side scan. Might be a 798c? Anyway, I have replaced the gps puck twice now. The first one died after the warranty was up and there is no warranty on replacements. I won't be getting a Humminbird when this one is up for replacement. Everything else works okay, just the gps puck sucks. $150 apiece.

[canso]

You seem to be more concerned about the bottom tracking then anything else. That is mainly transducer depth, and the boat bottom needs to be smooth giving you clean water, Any fish finder will accomplish this.

I think GPS and charts are more important at this point in the game, you can explore with more confidants. Plus my best sturgeon holes were from looking at my chart on the gps.

What ever fish finder you get, make sure you get gps, and also buy charts for it.

[Spawn Sack]

Yup you are correct. I'm new to the Fraser and as I explore new pieces of water it would give me more confidence to know if the water is going from, say, 9 feet, to 5 feet, to 3 feet, etc. Yes I know you should be paying more attention to the water, obstacles, looking for water that looks deep, and so on. I guess if I just can't get my current FF, or a new FF, to work as I'm hoping then I guess I'll just have to accept this and force myself to become more comfortable crusing around without a lock on bottom.

Honestly dont reeeeeally care that much about side imaging and all that jazz, however if I were going to buy a new one I figure I might as well get something half neat/cool. I would likely go fro something like the Helix 5 with GPS.

For now I think i'll just tinker with my current one as it seems there is only a marginal possibility that a new FF will read bottom at speed better than my current FF.

Appreciate all replies

[Spawn Sack]

This is probably a dumb question but....

What exactly does sonar do on a FF? I understand what a GPS does (duh), I get the dual beam, side imaging and so on, but I don't really get what the sonar option does that as lower end model with no sonar will not do.

If I buy a new FF I know for sure that I want one with GPS, just not sure if sonar is something I "need" if it is an optional upgrade.