Sonar Equipment

[Bduck]

What type of sonar are you using? I have a Lowrance X100C color. I bought it at Cabelas when they were on clearance. Not at all disappointed. It has NMEA capabilities. Depth penetration to 900ft. 2400W peak to peak, High performance transcom-mount 200kHz skimmer transducer with built in temp sensor. 5" display high resolution bright color 320 X 240 pixel. It has been a great unit since purchased. Also have a Lowrance 5200C chartplotter seperate. It can be uploaded with upgrades. Happy with it too. I bought a Eagle Cuda 128 a few yrs ago and it does a good job. Still running strong. I keep it in the boat as a backup.

 

[Kokanee Killer]

good ole lowrance 552igps

 

[Fishon18]

LMS 332c. Excellent unit for the price.

Scott

 

[SuperD]

FF/GPS units have to be worse than computers. You buy something and it is outdated a year later. I bought a first generation big screen, 104C and it does everything I need it to. In fact, I can't use half the features. But those new high def units sure look cool!

 

[SilverBullets]

Upgraded to color a couple years ago, what a difference! Got the Humminbird 777C2. Has 640V/480H pixels, 4,000 watts peak to peak, GPS, and the WeatherSense upgrade for checking barometric pressure. Also has the Quadrabeam Plus Transducer, which combines 20 and 60 degree downward beams with two 35 degree beams pointing down and to the sides, forming a 90 degree cone.

 

[BlackTalon]

Fishfinder

I have the Cuda 168 that came with my boat. Can't really afford to upgrade yet. I don't how to really use the one I have so I guess I shouldn't complain.

I can dream though.

Silver Bullets - that sounds awesome. I don't know what you are even talking about but I am impressed.

Evan

 

[HiTechKoke]

Upgraded to color a couple years ago, what a difference! Got the Humminbird 777C2. Has 640V/480H pixels, 4,000 watts peak to peak, GPS, and the WeatherSense upgrade for checking barometric pressure. Also has the Quadrabeam Plus Transducer, which combines 20 and 60 degree downward beams with two 35 degree beams pointing down and to the sides, forming a 90 degree cone.

Hey SilverBullets - How do you like that unit? They seem to have come of age the last few years but I haven't found anyone that has one that fishes for Kokanee. Can you tell the difference between Kokes and trout, assuming it is in a raw return mode?

I have a 26CHD Lowrance unit and have no complaints but would like a newer Lowrance with the new wider cone as part of the package.

Kevin

 

[SilverBullets]

Hey SilverBullets - How do you like that unit? They seem to have come of age the last few years but I haven't found anyone that has one that fishes for Kokanee. Can you tell the difference between Kokes and trout, assuming it is in a raw return mode?

I have a 26CHD Lowrance unit and have no complaints but would like a newer Lowrance with the new wider cone as part of the package.

Kevin

Seems to be working out pretty good. Had a couple issues when first purchased. Kept getting false depth readings throughout the lake, some of which I think was due to not being able to read through the thermocline. The unit is very sensitive, and after talking with Ric from Kokaneemart (read he was useing the same unit) he helped out and gave us a couple tips to try out, been working fine since...Thanks again Ric! I really haven't spent alot of time looking at the screen, my Dad is alot closer to it then I am, but as far as I know, you really can't distinguish what kind of fish your looking at...just arches. We can see the downrigger balls now, and even jigs going up and down while anchored up jigging.

 

[Fallriverguy]

I have a Hummingbird Matrix 27. I works fine for me, but I sure would like to upgrade to color. SB, I have had the same problem with false readings. Last year at Paulina in the spring is was particularly bad. Care to share the tips you got from Rick?

 

[SilverBullets]

I have a Hummingbird Matrix 27. I works fine for me, but I sure would like to upgrade to color. SB, I have had the same problem with false readings. Last year at Paulina in the spring is was particularly bad. Care to share the tips you got from Rick?

From what I recall it was mostly a sensitivity issue, maybe Ric can add to this if he's around. It was definitely a issue up at Paulina early in the season last year. I think it might of had to do with the late ice-off...the thermocline was all mixed up from what I have seen in years past. The year before we noticed it happening in just 2 areas of the lake, and figured that it might of had to do with underground springs or algae blooms? We sent back the transducer thinking that was the problem, but got the same readings from the new unit.

 

[Bduck]

If you are running 2 sonar units, they will work up to a certain depth. Once you start going deeper, both units start interferring with each other. I get a lot of erroneous readings at which time I have to completely unplug 1 unit. You would think they would work at all depths but everything gets all FUBAR. stomper Has anybody encountered this problem before?

 

[SilverBullets]

If you are running 2 sonar units, they will work up to a certain depth. Once you start going deeper, both units start interferring with each other. I get a lot of erroneous readings at which time I have to completely unplug 1 unit. You would think they would work at all depths but everything gets all FUBAR. stomper Has anybody encountered this problem before?

Are you running two sepeate transducers? Do both units have the same frequency? Maybe that could cause this problem...as you go deeper their overlapping each other? If they are compatible units, you might be able to hook them up useing one transducer. Of coarse you wouldn't be seeing below both ends of the boat, but you could keep both fishfinders running.

 

[Bduck]

Are you running two sepeate transducers? Do both units have the same frequency? Maybe that could cause this problem...as you go deeper their overlapping each other? If they are compatible units, you might be able to hook them up useing one transducer. Of coarse you wouldn't be seeing below both ends of the boat, but you could keep both fishfinders running.

I was told that the frequencies were different from each other that both units should operate. I'm good with them up to 35' - 40', before crossing over each other. Its crazy! I put the second 1in since I'm always facing my downriggers. For now I'll keep them separated.

 

[Ryno]

Upgraded to color a couple years ago, what a difference! Got the Humminbird 777C2. Has 640V/480H pixels, 4,000 watts peak to peak, GPS, and the WeatherSense upgrade for checking barometric pressure. Also has the Quadrabeam Plus Transducer, which combines 20 and 60 degree downward beams with two 35 degree beams pointing down and to the sides, forming a 90 degree cone.

Silverbullets, I bought a Hummingbird 727 a couple of years ago, and found the same issues with false bottoms. It doesn't happen all the time, but I noticed if I run the unit on the split beam (20/60 cones) I don't have an issue. Also, the only time it seems to happen is down in the canyon reaches of the Gorge. Other than that, I'm real happy with it. I bought a optional cord, so I can use my Garming Legend GPS as the antenna for the sonar unit. Adding the Garmin allows me to view boat speed and save waypoints to either the GPS or the sonar. Kinda cool, because I can mark spots and the handheld GPS and take it with me if I'm going in someone else's boat or hitting the ice later in the year. Now I wish I just had the color!

I attached a pic showing the resolution. You can see the cannon balls with kokes stacked just above them. That was a great day of fishing.....Ryno