which fishfinder

daveyboy · 16 October 2010, 10:55

ok guys new to this website and sib ing!
Been out a few times now fishing in the North wales area and caught erm nothing. We are getting to the areas where other boats are but still nothing and i honestly believe it is not my fishing methods but the areas i am targeting.
Question is, are these small portable hand held in some cases fishfinders any good? I am probably thinking in the upto £150 range. Are they worth the money.
Thanks in advance and please dont get too technical for me!
DD

Channel Ribs · 16 October 2010, 11:59

Hullo and welcome

In my humble opinion the handheld fishfinders are not worth the hassle, I have fitted small fixed-sounders to SIBs and it seems to pay off in ease of use.

Garmin do two small black and white screen models that work well, both are well under a 100 quid including transducer (the bit you get wet).

If you want to spend all your budget then go colour for about 150.

I know very little about fishing, but when I go out with people who do they seem to be less interested in the little fish symbol than in spotting an interesting bottom feature. Yes Wilk, I am now going to say crevice.

daveyboy · 17 October 2010, 12:01

Thanks Malthouse, I had heard these things are more for for finding features on the sea bed,logically i suppose this is where the fish hang out?
Can anybody recommend a particular one that they have had results with.

Jizm · 17 October 2010, 12:43

You won't go far wrong with a Garmin in my opinion.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_trkpa...&_sop=15&_sc=1

astra · 17 October 2010, 13:59

Eagle cuda 300, Thats what I had and it found fish in bristol docks. That impressed me quite a lot didnt catch anything but i could see they were there. Quite cheap as well.

Channel Ribs · 17 October 2010, 15:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

That impressed me quite a lot didnt catch anything but i could see they were there.

If you didn't catch them how do you know they were fish?

wavelength · 17 October 2010, 16:00

Quote:

If you didn't catch them how do you know they were fish

good old optimism, a man who's cup is always half full.

I increase the sensitivity on my sounder when I am in need of cheering up. Loadsa fish then

astra · 17 October 2010, 17:23

Because there was small and big fish shapes on the screen, So i thought that they were fish, And the sensitivity was turned down. What else could it of been ?

BogMonster · 17 October 2010, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

Because there was small and big fish shapes on the screen, So i thought that they were fish, And the sensitivity was turned down. What else could it of been ?

Kelp used to show up as a fish on mine, some big ones too

wavelength · 17 October 2010, 19:19

Quote:

What else could it of been

trust me-lotsa echos show up that aren't anything real at all. Handy things for showing the features and structures and some chance of fish echos but unless you are paying big bucks for a hi end bit of kit I would never trust that any midwater stuff is actually there. We hear it all the time here with someone calling his mate up "come out here loadsa fish!" But when the recipient asks how many he has actually caught the answer is usually "none but there are loads on the sounder". At which time all the boats around have loud peals of laughter ringing out.
The only radio call that makes for a bigger laugh is when someone says they have caught a good dogfish! Now that really is a contradiction in terms.

hadd · 17 October 2010, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveyboy

Thanks Malthouse, I had heard these things are more for for finding features on the sea bed,logically i suppose this is where the fish hang out?
Can anybody recommend a particular one that they have had results with.

Hi daveyboy ,i use a garmin 140 they are very good for the money ,you can pick them up for about £80 of ebay

Hightower · 17 October 2010, 22:25

I've been using a Navman 4150 for years and it's been great. Yes there are echoes that show up as fishes but to be honest it could be anything really. When I'm working a deep lure, it shows the lure on the screen as I work it (not a fish symbol). So is very handy in showing what depth of water I'm working the fishing lure in. I never go with the fish symbols but would rather look at the sea bed features that hold fish.

The other thing I like about it is that it's got water temperature and shows the SOW (speed over water via a paddle wheel), when used with a GPS you can calculate the speed of the tide flow.

Oh and did I mention. . . I'm selling it in a couple of weeks

Channel Ribs · 18 October 2010, 06:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by hadd

I use a garmin 140 they are very good for the money, you can pick them up for about £80 of ebay

And from a variety of legitimate retailers.