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I am looking to outfit my Kayak with a fish/depth finder. Any suggestions on what to get? Thanks in advance!
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The answer to your question depends on many factors , ie what you're willing to spend, what you want to see below you, color/bw. I have the Lowrance elite 4 dsi/sonar/gps ($349) I like it a lot, but you might not want to know where you are or see structure under you. Humminbird makes the Piranha max which is a B/W unit for $99.00. Lowrance also has the X4 B/W for $84 and the Elite 4X color sonar for $169. All prices listed are from Cabelas.com All of the above units work well on a kayak, it's up to you what bells and whistles you want. Remember you'll need a battery to run it and a charger. Cabelas has a 12v 8ah battery packaged with a charger on sale now for $24.99. That's a good deal and an excellent battery.
Shop around for better prices. Hope this rant helps.
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Both Tyler and I have the Eagle Cuda 350 S/map. It is about $120 on sale I think. B&W, has a map and tracking function with waypoints. Also pretty small. Of all the fishing kayaks we see with fishfinders, the Eagle Cuda 350 seems very popular.
Also, we mounted the transducer on the inside of the hull and it has worked out great. I took a piece of foam and cut a hole the shape of the transducer (tight fit). Sanded the spot on the hull, glued the foam using marine glue. After that dried I filled the hole in the foam with about 1/2 inch of silicone and pushed the transducer in (push hard and get ALL the air bubbles out). Gotta make sure the silicone fills under and all around the transducer. I did this on both kayaks and it has worked great. We travel a lot with the kayaks and it hasn't come loose yet or degraded in performance.
Good luck.
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Awesome... thanks for the help!!! I am going to go with something smaller and cheaper for mine as I don't feel like I need all of the features of a $300 unit. I am planning on spending 100-150. Determining the brand is the hardest part as I have never owned one. Greg, that Eagle model seems harder to find. I'll have to do some research and maybe hunt for that one!
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But I do want to find a smaller one which includes GPS
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best bet for finding what you want is e-bay or posting on kayak sites hoping someone is about to upgrade. thegpsstore.com has this b/w combo for $195.00. All of the ones I listed above are smaller units mainly for kayaks. Bass Pro sells Eagle units, but their combo isn't as small as the others. You can find the Eagle Cuda 300 online for under $90.00, but it's depth/fish finder only.
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I've got two Cuda 350 S/maps for my kayaks. There was not a less expensive model with GPS when I got mine. I pretty sure they no longer make these and they're hard to find. The Lowrance Mark 4 is comparable, but unlike the Cuda it can be loaded with a microSD card with maps.
Probably won't do any better than this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EAGLE-CUDA-350- … 484710b700
Last edited by T. (Sep-28-12 3:47PM)
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If the Mark 4 has the ability to load detailed maps (with depths contours, etc) through the microSD card, then that could be worth the extra few bucks. The GPS maps on the Cuda 350 S/map are just basic outlines of the body of water you are on.
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adding the chip adds $150 - 200. It also adds a lot of detail, but might not cover the waters BillyBigMouth wants to fish.
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Ouch! Good points Osprey.
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Navionics lists all the lakes covered by their chips. So, check out that list before you buy it, it probably isn't worth it if the waters you fish are not covered. A big disappointment (for me) is that the Occoquan rez is not covered by Navionics (or anyone else). I knew that before I bought the chip (it does cover almost everywhere else I fish regularly, the Potomac, Briery, Sandy river, Burke), but still. That's a major fishery to ignore, particularly when they do have coverage for such small water lakes like Orange, Brittle, Barcroft, Burke, etc. That is a bit frustrating, as they are the only game in town until Lakemaster publishes a chip that covers VA.
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GregF wrote:
we mounted the transducer on the inside of the hull and it has worked out great
So, do "we" hire out? I will need a new system for my new-to-me Hobie.....
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I have an Eagle Cuda 300 (The current equivalent would be the Lowrance X-4 Pro), which doesn't have anything special beyond a sonar that gives depth, and a temperature read out. It was my first fish finder that I got 2 years ago on sale for about 60 dollars and it is working great. I've used it in freshwater lakes, tidal creeks, and the bay. It's gotten wet numerous times, but still works today.
The Eagle line has been replaced by Lowrance units, and the Mark 4 is probably the cheapest you'll find for sonar + GPS or sonar + DSI (note that the Mark 4 comes with one or the other. Some sites that sell these units won't distinguish between the two. I think the Elite 4 will give you both.). If I were to get a new unit today, I'd probably get a Mark 4 with GPS.
Also, don't forget that there are some other expenses that you have to factor into your purchase - a 12v battery (probably the most expensive in this list), something to charge your 12v battery with, possibly some duct seal (depends on how you will mount your transducer), a box of some sort to protect it from water, and some connectors.
Last edited by Sun (Sep-30-12 4:00PM)
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I have a lowrance mark 4 GPS/depthfinder. It is b&w but works great and I love having the map. Get the warranty though, I killed one already and I have only had it since May! I tend to take a lot of water over the front and it gets hit a lot. I sealed the map chip microsd slot and temp spot on the back and I'm hoping that will help!
Ernie, let me know if you need a hand!
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Thanks a lot for the info!!! That's a shame that Navionics does not have the Occoquan in their database because that is one of my favorite spots. I am thinking about probably going with the Lowrance Mark 4
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Redfish12 wrote:
lowrance mark 4 GPS/depthfinder.
Same transducer that comes standard?
Redfish12 wrote:
Ernie, let me know if you need a hand!
I may need to take you up on that....
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Same transducer that comes with the unit. It's small and compact, but is plenty large for the kayak! Let me know Ernie or anyone else for that matter, I'm always happy to help.
Does Navionics have it in the lakes/rivers chip? There are several different models. I use the base maps, they show contour lines and are pretty accurate.
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Ernie,
I would be honored to help you with the kayak. I even have some of the materials left over. Going to Miami this weekend (offshore fishing). Let me know when you are ready.
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GregF wrote:
Going to Miami this weekend (offshore fishing).
Need a translator?
GregF wrote:
Let me know when you are ready.
Will do!
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Pacemaker wrote:
GregF wrote:
Going to Miami this weekend (offshore fishing).
Need a translator?
LOL!!! I hear there is a bustling Arabic speaking community there as well.... you may need me to come along and translate as well, you know just in case... LOL!
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Sorry, I am already going with an oil tycoon (Mobil exec) staying in a very nice condo at Trump Towers in Miami. Hopefully will bring back pics of the trip AND of some good fish. This is a trip with myself and 2 other coaches of my son's hockey team and our three 16 yr old kids. How much trouble do you think we can get in!!!???
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