Fish Finder Help!!

[seameister]

Im having trouble picking out a FF for my Hobie Quest kayak.
Its gonna be used in the bay and ocean front as well.

Dont know anything about them.
I see there are single beam, dual beam, 83/200Khz , 200Khz.
Which one would be good for me???

1. Eagle cuda 300 , 242 , fisheasy 245ds
2. Lowrance x50ds
3. Eagle cuda 250 with tha map is too much $ for now but its in my mind.
4. Ill take any ideas!!!

Thanx guys!

[ped579]

I have your #2 choice.  Once it is set up it works great.  But I have to tell ya the only thing I have used it for and I fish mostly during the day is to show me the drop offs.  I fish (and not via kayak for very long as I'm a newbie)behind IBSP and I have to tell you you can see the fish the water is so clear.  The main reason and this was told to me by a very wise man Kayak1 his main reason for the FF is to tell him when it is okay to step out of the kayak on a dark night.  Other wise you have no idea what you are stepping into.

Now if I can only get the fishing channel in that darn thing I will be okay.

[kayak1]

Seameister.... All the names that you have here are all good.... But if your going to be using a fishfinder for the first time... then get the one that is most easy to use......

The main reason for me is depth that I'm fishing in.... I have been out fishing nights and some days and was only fishing in a foot of water....because I didn't know....and with a kayak you don't..... I would go with the Eagle but nothing over the top....

[barrell]

The hottie this year is the Hummingbird 170

[DAK]

I would definitely go with a dual beam. The single beams are usually 30deg cones, which does not cover much ground in shallower water. I just did the math: if you are in 10ft of water, a 30deg cone gives you a 5ft diameter circle of coverage on the bottom. With a dual beam the second beam is usually 60deg, which will double the diameter.

I just installed a Humminbird 323, and have not used it yet, but I don't like the mount and electrical connections - they do not look like they will be very resistant to salt water, and I already cracked the mount apparently be bending it too far back.

[barrell]

You should have picked up a RAM  mount to mount the Hummingbird mount on top of. Ive never istalled a fishfinder mount directly to a kayak. Always a RAM in between. The fittings are fine. We have installed at least 50 Hummingbirds with zero problems. I always put a dab of silicone greese on the connections of all FF'S.
 One thing to consider when buying a fishfinder is the company service. Hummingbird and Garmin are great. Lowrance and Eagle sucks.

[DAK]

Thanks barrell, I will try the silicone...