SONAR . don't leave home without it!

[sfw1960]

I don't know about you guys, but I sure do depend on my electronics BIGTIME!!
Everyone that reads this thread , please post what you use to fish ( Sonar , Cam , GPS , Etc.)

List the Make(s) , model number(s) and the pros & cons of what you have!

This could be a very educational thread!!
:evil:

[sfw1960]

OK - I'll post first!

Lowrance LMS332c - Great color , clarity & easy to use feature set - with GPS & a memory card to record all your persoanl stuff onto. (WayPoints)
No real complaints - pretty much does it all!
Eagle SeaFinder 320DF as a backup Sonar & an Eagle AccuNav SPort HandHeld GPS , great on the ice - poor kybd input functionality (hassle to enter alpha-numeric data) - but it's ten years old & Lowrance has certainly learned a few tricks to date.
AquaVu Z60 , what can I say ?? It will explain secrets your Sonar can't seem to!
It's a camera - you get a REAL picture.....
Can't fish & play Cam-boy @ same time.....
;)

[tkpolasek]

Lowrance X-15mt w/GPS and navionics chip on the back of the boat and lowrance x125 on the front.
On the ice a FL-18 vexilar and my Garmin Rhino 120 gps.
All units a very user friendly.
Tim

[jigworm]

Bottomline Tournament Master HR w/GPS on the boat ( love that wide screen and high resolution). Eagle Optima and a garmin 76s for the ice. Yeah it's a graph, but the optima works great on the ice and I can't see shelling out the bucks to replace it.

[waterfoul]

Eagle Fishpro120 portable for the Glastron. Not real impressed with it. Need a higher resolution unit some day. It also looses the bottom in less than 3 feet of water.... drive over a sand bar like at Freekmont the other night... then wait and wait for it to re-aquire the bottom once you are back in deep water. I find it is usually quicker to turn the unit off and back on than to wait for it to re-aquire. Not real confident in it's fish finding ability either... I've swam under the transducer while Vicky watched the screen and I never show up. Hmmmm....

[ESOX]

Chumminturd 3D at the console. I hate fish icons but it is great for tracking creek beds and drop offs.
Bottom Line Tournament with twin side finder beams at the bow. It has convinced me to cast to a spot repeatedly a few times when there really was a muskie buried in the slop or under a dock.
Garmin GPS Map 172C. The Bluechart software is great. Easy to read good sized color display. Has put more than one fish in the boat in unfamiliar territory. I use it more for finding fish than a sonar. Anyone using a sonar to find fish in shallow water like LSC is missing a lot of great spots.
RayMarine 56 with Shakespeare 8' 6db antenna. It is usually off with the antenna down, it gets in the way. Besides, anyone I want to talk to has my cell #. LOL

[Jason Adam]

Furuno FVC600L Dual Freqency Color Sonar LCD - Transom Mount X-ducer.
- Unbelievable Power and clarity. Not user friendly, but when you learn to use it, probably the best FF in its class.

Garmin FF80
- Backup cheapo but does the job if I need it

Lowrance Globalmap2000 GPS with chart reader and Sonar Access Module.
- SAM is burned out and lowrance wont sell replacement. Only use for maps till I get charts for JRC. Wouldnt put another piece of Lowrance junk on my boat if it were free.

JRC 1800CP color Radar\DGPS\Chartplotter
- Dont use the GPS functions much, but the Radar is absolutly invaluable. Works great.

Dell Latitude Laptop with Garmin BlueCharts and NMEA inteface
- Use to plot courses, check water depths, run AP, plus Internet at the docks

Garmin Model 12
- Handheld Backup GPS

Simrad SP14R Autopilot - NMEA to tie into all anvigational equipment.

Uniden UM525 VHF Full Function DSC with Loud Hailer Radio
- Selective calling, GPS Co-ordinate X-mission, etc..

Raymarine 52 VHF (Backup)

Uniden Handheld VHF - (Backup)

I think thats it..

[waterfoul]

Oh, Garmin GPS 72. I have many, many spots marked on this little unit.

[Hunt4Ever]

Lowrance LCX 19C with GPS

Best unit I have ever used. I'll never use black and white again. Learn how to use it, really use it and it has turned into a great tool. Only thing I would do different is to get two and use one for sonar and one for mapping.

Vexilar FL-18 with Dual Beam Transducer

Ice fishing will never be the same for me. If you have one you know what I mean.

Aqua-View Ice Pro

This is really nice but somewhat difficult to haul around. I call it "Fish TV". You won't believe how many fish come in and don't hit your baits and how many actually hit your bait and you can't tell.

[kroppe]

Raymarine 45 VHF

Eagle SeaDucer 320DF, awesome unit

Magellan SportTrak Pro GPS

Sony Cybershot DSC-S85 digicam

Motorola cell phone ;)

[k8vol]

new boat Lawrance X-51 works so so

old boat Chumming bird pirrana 10 portable can find bottom if you use it as a anchor (if water is not to deep) super low pixel count and eats batterys.
Steve k8vol. :lol:

[waterfoul]

new boat Lawrance X-51 works so so

old boat Chumming bird pirrana 10 portable can find bottom if you use it as a anchor (if water is not to deep) super low pixel count and eats batterys.
Steve k8vol. :lol:

Yeah Steve, there's been times I'd like to have thrown my portable overboard too!! And I solved the battery eating issue by hard wiring (well, sort of) a connection to the main boat battery. 12 volts is 12 volts, right? 8 1.5 volt D cells or one car battery.... and don't bother bringing the amps into it...

Been working fine this way for many seasons... other than the sucky pixel count thing....

[k8vol]

mike the little boat has no battery on it pull start only. but looking at maybe a new 30 hp for next year then i would most likely bring a battery . fish sat. late after noon Sandy got a nice eye and I got a nice male smallie went a little over two pounds one of the biggest males to date. hope al is well take care. steve k8vol.