Do you really use these things to troll around in a kayak waiting for a fish to pop up? Just seems like more work than fun. I am sure I am missing something. What are the advantages of have a FF on a kayak?

Gives Depth,water temp,structure, and contour of the lake bottom....I mainly use mine when catting (80% of the time) but when im trolling for sandies,hybrids it lets you know whether or not you have a good chance at catching some fish!.....y fish a area with no activity, Yes its always nice to get out fish, but its always BETTER when your catching and not just fishing!

oh and the FF really doesnt require any work, all the work it requires is connecting the batt and hitting the power button....then.......

perfect answer chess

I will be fishing for bass 90% of the time. I guess it would help to know where the underwater structure is. cover for bass. Thanks for the reply!

I've only had a fish finder for the last three months (I've been kayak fishing for about 14 months now). I never really desired one until recently, and now that I have used it, I'm here to tell you that it changed the way I fished, especially lakes.

I use a FF in my tarpon 140 and cover a lot of water figuring things out. Later I take one of my sons with me in a tandem without a FF and just fish (they don't get a paddle, just a rod). You would love it if you put one on your yak.

I don't rely on the sonar so much when largemoutn bass fishing, except to monitor depth when trolling crankbaits or check water temp., but I do rely on it for white bass and crappie in lakes where underwater humps or brushpiles must be located.

If you don't want to get a FF and you plan on fishing lakes, you might consider a hand held GPS so that you can at least see the contours of the lake.

While I realize that lots of kayak fisherman get along just fine without a FF, I have a Humminbird PiranhaMax 180. This unit has 90� coverage which is more than most FF. The temperature feature is also useful. I use it to follow contours and to work structure. It also helps me to get my lures to the right depth while trolling. If the lures are hitting bottom at a certain depth then I know I have it right.
Seeing fish on a FF is no guarantee you are going to catch anything, and there is no way to distinguish species, that I know of.
I caught plenty of fish before I had a FF but I think that the FF has improved my fishing. This is especially true since I do a lot of trolling.

It will be more beneficial to you then, especially water temperature in the spring/fall and being able to find the thermocline in the summer.

I don't think I would have had a chance to boat the big blues that I have(34lb,42lb) without a FF to locate structure and the masses of bait.My PiranahMax 240 gives me a wide view,allowing me to quickly detirmine whether or not the area has the structure,or contour features that produce fish.It also allows me to see the thermocline,very important in the summer months

Those same structures can hold big bass as well, big deep diving crank baits and Carolina rigs with 7" or larger baits.

main two things I use my fishfinder for:

1)Finding the exact locations of brushpiles and humps that I know are "right around here somewhere"

2)Finding the exact locations of creek channels so I can drop my jug lines right next to them.

Everyone seems to very happy with their Fishfinder purchase. What are some of the appropriate finders for a kayak? is there a model or type that works best? Are they easy to install.

Thanks for all the responses! I am getting anxious to start fishing out of a kayak. I have a inflatable boat now and its just too much to handle when i am by myself.

Just got my second PiranhaMax, I like the 170 better...I don't use them much though.