MyFishFinder Forum
MFF US Midwest => Indiana => Topic started by: Teacherpreacher on Sep 21, 2019, 09:21 AM
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Ok, all you Locator experts, I would like your opinions. I've had a number of Locators over the years. Started with Lowrance "Little Green Box" a hundred years ago. Had a Hummingbird flasher. A Furuno which is used on saltwater boats and after much research, suppose to be a super unit with a bow mount. Never could figure out how to read it. Tore it off boat last week and threw it away. Presently have a Lowrance Hook 3-X on electric troll. Reads bottom well but as as far as showing fish I have my doubts. In 18' to 30' of water it shows small to medium sized fish at 8' to 20'. My buddy has a Lowrance $1,000.00 unit with side imaging. He cruised lake with me last week up in the UP and his unit showed NO fish at 8' to 20' like my Hook 3-X showed but showed fish in deeper water on breaks and in weeds? Sometimes I feel like I have a loop film that just keeps showing fish at 8"- 12'! ??? ;D
What do ya'll use on your boats and which locator would you recommend? I prefer to have transducer mounted on electric troll.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Teach
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I have the lowrance elite 5 touch screen and mine does the exact same thing it's hard to tell what's fish and what's not and to be quite honest I'm not happy with it at all and as soon as I get the extra money I'm going to upgrade to the Helix 7 or bigger. they say at Bass pro that the lowrance fish finders are the number one returned electronic out of all of them out there. A buddy of mine has the elite 7 and we use it on the river and I really like the downscan imaging and side Scan imaging it picks up structure very well as my lowrance does not
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Teach, I have used nothing but Lowrance for the last 40 years or so(just a guess) and have never had a problem of marking fish. Don't know how you set your units up but I never set mine up in the auto mode. I manually set my depth range, sensitivity and everything else manually. One other thing I see most people doing is using fish ID. I never used this function. It is not dependable. Forty years ago or so I never liked the Hummingbirds so I never bought one. From what I hear now, they make a much better unit now. Might try one some day. Like I said earlier, I fish in 0-80 fow and never had an issue marking fish.
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Humminbird Helix teach. On my second one just went to 7 gps mega down image sonar. Can read bottom at 30 mph + it is incredible in sonar and down scan What trolling motor did you get?
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I have a hummingbird that came on my boat. I have been fishing this boat for about 20 years. A couple months ago I noticed it had side imaging. Never knew it. Not to sure how good it is because I didnt think they even came out with side imaging back that long ago. I just go to down mode not side. Not even sure how I pulled it up on the screen cause it never registered before?????? Usually fish basin type lakes and there is no need in my book for the side image imo.
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Thanks for the info!
Princecraft, while up in UP last week I lost the bottom reading. Went to menu and had it set at 60 '. Had it on Auto. Maybe I need to get the book out. I'll try the manual setting and see how that works. I messed with sensaitvity and set depth at 60' and it started reading bottom again. But can't figure out why it reads fish at 8'-10' , ALOT!!! I don't believe it???
I bought another MinnKota Trolling motor, 45 pound thrust, Edge.
Teach
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Love my Helix 9 and my Helix 5 i use on the ice now. Have
my Helix 9 tied in to my I link and love it.
All the new ones are great compared to the older ones, just depends on
how much you want to spend, they are quite complicated so don't buy more than you can learn. LOL.
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I almost got the hook for my small boat but heard way too many complaints ended up with the Garmin 4 plus. If you are ready to change I would go helix 5 it is superior in every way. Widescreen is easier to see and if you go just sonar it is reasonable $. I went a little silly because I got a new boat so I got I pilot link terrova 80lb and helix 7 It is incredible. The basic helix unit is very simple to use I think you wouldn’t regret it
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(https://i.postimg.cc/c6QSSNTx/F0-EC64-B4-2886-4383-8471-01-CB928-CD192.png) (https://postimg.cc/c6QSSNTx)
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I've got a Helix 7 but not crazy about it. Too many bells and whistles. I wonder if I could get rid of it if I sold it really cheap?
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Your rite taxid , you prolly could and I will take it :laugh: heck I'd even trade my brand new eilte 5 touch screen lol
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I have a Lowrance HDS7 and HDS8 networked together the available ethernet cable and like them.
Both Gen2.
Really like the speed buttons on the 8.
I wanted a second 8 when I bought the 7 but they were out of production and nobody had any.
Nice setup that works fine.
I have the Navionics+ chip too.
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Your rite taxid , you prolly could and I will take it :laugh: heck I'd even trade my brand new eilte 5 touch screen lol
Make an offer and I'd probably take it! But you can keep your fish finder. I think I'll be looking into a Lowrance.
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I have been using a friend's lowrance hook 9. Just this weekend it showed fish solid from 5' to 8' everywhere I went. I messed with the sensitivity without much luck. Basically I just used it for a map. The map wasn't even very useful as it showed I was trolling through the woods in a couple places.
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Pm sent tax
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Got it!
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… I never set mine up in the auto mode. I manually set my depth range, sensitivity and everything else manually. One other thing I see most people doing is using fish ID. I never used this function. It is not dependable.
I do the same thing. I have a Lowrance M68C, and, based on my limited research, that model appears to have been released in 2003. I always go full manual, and it marks fish just fine even though it is older technology.. I will probably be upgrading soon though.