Hey guys, I just recently bought a 2011 Lowe 1652 SC boat with a 50hp mercury off a guy at work. Great running boat with low hours on it, the guy I bought it off only used it a month or so each year to run trotlines to stock up on eaters for the year and stored it under cover the rest of the year. Anyways, the boat is in great shape but had no fish finder or trolling motor on it. I installed my old Garmin I had on my kayak and thought I'd be happy with it but as I get out into open water more I find myself wanting to invest in a nicer unit. I've been doing some reading online and talking to some bass guys from work and now I'd like to ask for some advice on here.

Since I mostly fish on Lavon and usually in shallow water I'm interested in a Side Scan GPS unit. That seems to be what would suit me best. I also want a 7 inch screen at least, preferably a 10 and my budget is around $800 give or take a bit. Really the only fish finder I've ever used is my Garmin and it doesn't do a whole lot more than just give me water temp. and depth. The models I've been looking at are the Humminbird Helix 7 SI, the Lowrance Elite 7, and the Garmin 7 striker.

What do you guys think would fit my boat / fishing habitat the best?

I bought a Humminbird Helix 5 Di/Gps to fit my needs/want and couldn't be happier. The unit itself is easy to use and adjust. The side units are about $100 more , just not what I needed. Go to bass pro or cabelas and try them all out like I did and decide. I'm happy with mine so far.

Thanks for the info! Yeah the main reason I'm interested in a SI model is because I have heard that they better for use in shallow water and the DI scans are more effective the deeper you go. It seems like my eyes read a DI scan better/faster than SI but I would think that would come with time. I normally fish in water less than 30ft deep and mostly in water 8-12 ft. Would a DI sonar be effective in water around the 10ft range or would the SI models perform better?

I have the helix 7 and it's a fine unit and within your budget. Haven't used the others so I can't comment on them.

The HB Helix with SI, the biggest you can afford. You'll be happy.

I wound up going with the Helix 7 SI. It seemed to be the best option for what I wanted to do with it. I felt like the 7 was the perfect size for my console it seemed like the 9 would've been too much. Although I may regret that in a few months lol.

I guess my other question would be what to go with on maps for this area? I've only talked to a few guys at work and the guy at Cabela's and both suggested Lakemaster of Navionics. Is that what you guys run for maps?

Size matters. Get the biggest you can, even if you have to break out the plastic. You won't regret it. I have a 1199 on top of the console and a 999 on the bow. I wish I had two 1199s.