Fish Finders

Since you all are at home and got some time on your hands, I thought you might like to help me with purchasing a Fish Finder for my Kayak. I am looking at 5″ screens down from Raymarine (DragonFly), Hummingbird, Garmin and Lowrance. This will mostly be for shallow inshore fishing, but I will be taking it to deeper bridges and inlets as well.

Must have down imaging and CHIRP, which they all do. I am not interested in side imaging.

I’d like to have Navionics for plotting, but any map really will probably do. I don’t know if Navionics is a subscription based service that I would have to pay for every year or if I can just get a chip that won’t update after a year unless I upgrade. But I definitely want to set waypoints and mark spots. I also really want a unit that generates maps in real time, which in a kayak might not be the most useful, but I am interested in playing with it, especially since there are some shallow artificial reefs and shallow areas that are probably not accurately depicted on the chip.

I am also interested in special features that make them unique, gimmiky or not, that may sway me in one direction or the other.

Even if you have larger models, I would be interested in feedback from features shared with the 5″ and smaller models.

I’ve gone back and forth looking at all of these models and it really gets frustrating and confusing how to sort them all out. I am hoping you guys can give me good info to move forward with.

Thanks in advance.

I like Lowrance units. I had a hook 7, and for the price they’re tough to beat. I think the Hook 5 would do everything you need. I prefer the C-MAP chip to my Navionics chip in it, but I have both in my HDS units. Check out the Hook 5 here

I’d probably go with the Reveal 5 over the Hook 5 which I think is this years model? I assume the 4,000 lake maps are C-Maps and it has Genesis live, which I like. So if I buy with the 4,000 lake maps it isn’t a subscription I don’t think? But there are some online features you can purchase as a subscription. I have been leaning towards Lowrance.

Thanks for all the input guys.

I’m going with the Lowrance Reveal 5. Seems to have everything I need without extra cost. Now I need to figure out the battery.

Lol. Not sure if you’ve been paying attention but there are no knowledgeable fishermen on here anymore, they all seem to be COVID doc’s, researchers, and scientists.

I unfortunately haven’t researched these in a while cause I’ve had great luck with my lowrance HDS units.

I think keeping it simple and small like you picked out is good for a kayak…try to keep power consumption down. This way you can get a smaller lighter battery without sacrificing too much battery time. I know my HDS will run at least 6hrs straight on a standard AGM ice fishing battery, but that’s without sideimaging on.

Have you looked at the Garmin’s?

I think you have to get into a 6″ Echomap to get mapping, but you will have a ton of pre-loaded maps, and it’s super easy to make your own with Quick-Draw Contours. If you jump up to a 7″ it will have a touchscreen and you can get side imaging if you want too. I think the 6″ has just down imaging.

A 12amp hour Amped Outdoors flasher battery will run one all day and then some.

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I would probably go with garmin over lowrance based on past experience. But I don’t have experience with anything new besides the helixs, nothing wrong there either, but I think garmin will be next for me, possibly. I think they are all pretty good now, probably. Might get better feedback from a kayak specific sight, agree on the amped outdoors battery.

Im trying to figure out the difference in these 3 models
https://www.cabelas.com/product/GARMIN-ECHOMAP-PLUS-CV/3073246.uts?slotId=0
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/690184
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/690186/pn/010-02330-01

I see the $299 is 63cv the others $499. This is why I hated researching it, so many small differences that could lead to not getting what I expected.

Cabela’s one is a better deal with a different transducer, not sure what transducer is best? Plus version is newer too I believe.

mplspug wrote:

Im trying to figure out the difference in these 3 models
https://www.cabelas.com/product/GARMIN-ECHOMAP-PLUS-CV/3073246.uts?slotId=0
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/690184
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/690186/pn/010-02330-01

I see the $299 is 63cv the others $499. This is why I hated researching it, so many small differences that could lead to not getting what I expected.

CV means down imaging (clear Vu)

SV means side imaging

UHD means Ultra High Definition (new models out now)

The first one is the older model (non UHD) with a transducer

The second one is just a head unit with World Wide mapping

The third unit is the new Ultra High Definition unit (UHD) and transducer

When you’re on the page below, highlight the option you want and it will automatically pull up the model

The 62,63,64,65 means what maps are pre-loaded (worldwide, lakes, oceans, Canada)

You can buy/add more maps to any of them

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For a kayak I’d just get a 63cv plus (lake maps) (or the 64cv plus if you’re fishing coastal/ocean) and buy the battery I talked about earlier

Then all you need is a blank SD card for making your own contour maps on the fly.

Thanks, I appreciate the input, it helped, but I don’t want to spend over $300 on a kayak electronic. With a rebate the Lowrance unit comes to $300.

Look up “No Fish Nick” on youtube, I think you can message him there. He does quite a bit of kayaking, and has them outfitted with most everything. I kayak fished on the gulf coast for 7 years, by North Padre Island, but never had the need for electronics, as the inner coastal waters where I fished, ranged from 1-5 feet deep.

If you have a unit now I would consider sticking with same manufacturer. Less new menus etc to learn. I stick with HB since I am familiar with how they work.

Yeah, fishing the flats the finder isn’t required and may not be a huge help, but I want a toy. And I’m sure I’ll hit Bridges and inlets. I also know there is an artificial reef off the point by me. Lastly it will be nice to be able to mark the deeper part of the grass flats for sea trout. I definitely could get by without one, but I want a toy.

I don’t have a unit now. Once we get a boat this will probably end up on the bow.