In the market for a fish finder for a kayak. Not wanting to spend more than 450. Any thoughts or lessons learned on what unit I should or should not entertain?

Garmin Stricker 4

i use the Garmin Striker 4 cv (clear view). it's easy to use. i don't think it's made me a better fisherman but i enjoy the features on it. i paid about $180 for the finder and $100 for the 10ah Noqua battery. with your budget of $450 you might be able to get something with a bigger screen.

Lowrance Hook 9 is what I run. I really like it. You could get a 5 (or maybe 7) inch display with mounts for 450 new. Whatever you get, I would go no smaller than 5 inches. GPS is a must as well. BOLO, Bass fisherman sell "old" ones all the time in the classified section.

I have a Lowrance Hook2-7 I’d let go pretty reasonably. Used it on my skiff for a few months. Let me know if you’re interested.

I used a Garmin Striker 4 as well. It's impossible to beat for the money. It gives you the depth, water temp and good visibility of the structure beneath.... All for $120 with intuitive controls.

I use a Lowrance HDS now, the features and graphics are better and it's fun to play with... The Sideview is very helpful, but most of the features are nice, but not necessary.

I have a Garmin 5CV on mine, with ram mount and battery have about 375 in it.

I bought a Humminbird Helix 5. I'm pretty sure these can be had within your price range. Mine came with down imaging (DI) and a chip that added to the internal mapping system already hardwired into the unit. I like it but since it's my first, I can't tell you it's "better" than other makes models. Good luck in finding one that suits your needs.

I ended up going with the Hook Reveal 5. Should be good for what I am looking for. Time will tell.