I canoe and portage in Canada and am interested in buying a portable fish finder. Does anyone out there use them and/or make any recommendations? I don’t plan on mounting it at all.
Thanks
best or cheapest?
The best because of its compact size is the Boundry waters lc110 about $240 The best for the money is the hummingbird series about$140 it is much larger than the lc10 however.
Barrell
fish finders
Look on page 3 of this forum- previously discussed
Humminbird Smartcast
I use it out of my kayak. Pretty awesome tool. No mounting required. I attach the transducer/transmitter to my kayak with a short line and it sends the signal to my wristwatch video display. Good graphics, accurate readings. Got it for less than $90. I highly recommend one for paddle fishers.
Vexilar fish finders
I bought the Boundary Waters LC-110 by Vexilar (www.vexilar.com) last year. It works great and is very easy to portage at 2 1/2 lb w/batteries. As someone else said earlier, you have to decide whether you want the best or the cheapest or somewhere in between.
Dave
fishfinder
Hummingbird has a fishfinder you wear on your wrist for about $100.00 USA.
Do you troll the Smartcast
from the yak like a lure? How deep does it have to be to work, how long a line, etc? Sounds like a good idea. I don’t like the idea of casting the sensor all the time - risk of snagging and losing it seems likely. Tell all, please!
reply
radio shack fisheagle.i didnt like “casting” the sensor either.
finders
Have heard bad things about the portables (pirahnas in particular) that are powered by “d” cell batteries. Poor resolution, batteries die quick, etc.
Doesn’t take much to make a normal finder portable. $20 rechargable battery from Cabela’s and some suction cups. Not a bad option. I picked up another Pirahna 1 at wal mart on clearance for $30. Basic, but works for me.
Tim
Piranha 1
Hey Tim - I just saw a Piranha 1 on clearance at Sports Authority. Does the transducer read through the hull of a poly yak? I have a Scupper Pro, and would like to mount it inside the hatch on the floor. Do you have to mount an external battery pak somewhere or do the batteries go right inside the finder unit? I’m looking for something basic, nothin fancy.
pirahna 1
My transducer is currently installed in the hull. Have had some issues keeping it sealed down. When it is stuck, it works great. Need to find some different epoxy. Have used clear silicone and it doesn’t hold that long. I may remount it outside the boat. Haven’t decided yet.
The non portable Pirahna needs a separate battery pack. I use a little rechargable 12v from cabelas. Come’s with charger, lasts all day (easy) on a charge. I think it cost me $20.
Fish Finders
Pirahna portable with suction cup, good screen long battery life, but miss my fishing buddy II with side view which was nice while trolling. Paid $60 buck for the Pirahna at Walmart in Lake Cowichan, British Columbia while on vacation. Fishing tackle is very cheap up North.
Tim,
try Lexel for a better bond.Good luck!
hand held depth finder
I’ve used one that looks like a flashlite with digital readout. Put in the water hit the button read your depth. Uses a nine volt battery good for 300 readings. check cabela’s