Has anyone used one of the portable Hummin Bird fish finders and if so how did it work? I am trying to decide if it would be using from the bank.

Welcome to the TFF !
I do have one of the Humminbirds, the RF10 the old one.
It is kinda nice to be able to see the contours, dropoffs etc. Not sure how "real time" it is as far as a fishfinder. Nice "toy" to have though.

I am thinking about getting one that mounts to the rod

I am having the second rf20 (rod mount) now. The first one worked great for 4 months and then it stopped sending signals. The replacement worked for several min and freezed up a lot. I'm going to exchange another one and if it doesn't work out, I'm going to return it.
when it worked, it worked well most of the times. The past Wed i fished a dock using it, i only found one fish on the rf20. i dropped down a line and caught it.
however, the problems i am having are annoying. i don't know if it's common issues with them or i'm just not lucky.

Forbiddenbling,

I can't remember the rod mounted name brand but I do remember seeing it at Walmart for about $65. That was in the Rufe Snow location under the glass. Abouit 1/2 price if I recall.

i bought it at academy for $58. it should be still available in many locations. but academy is about to clear it out.

I have used every model. The wrist mount is convenient for bank fishing, etc. I like the Piranha MAX 30 the best, nice size screen, water temp, more contrast, portable but not as convenient if you need mobility. And it has capabilities for wireless or cabled transducer. I use the wireless from the bank and the transducer on my boat.

Tried two of the Hummingbirds, the wrist mount and the pole mount. Had trouble with both of them and returned them. Got a HawkEye FF3300Px from Norcross and it is marvelous. It doesnt mount on the rod or wrist, but has lanyard to hang around your neck or a belt clip.

I have used them all. The Norcross is junk, in my opinion. Screen is too small, programming is awful, and depth hardly ever registers correctly. I used the Humminbird rf10 both in ponds and lakes. Not good for finding small fish, but GREAT for finding schools of fish. we use it when we crappie fish from our dinghy. Man, it works great out there. The RF15 is superior to all those mentioned so far. It's really a step above. I'd go that route.

TR

Never used them....

Looks interesting!

More information:
http://www.humminbird.com/products.asp?ID=387

Reviews:
http://www.paddle-fishing.com/reviews/humminbird.htm

and

http://pierandsurf.com/faq/productreviews/smartcast.shtml

and

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.C...ectType=article


There are many others....

The Hawkeye ff3300px has a screen that is twice the size of the Hummingbird. I could hardly see the Hummingbird graphics. The Hawkeye is much larger while it isnt wireless it was a lot more reliable than the Hummingbird. I dont know what model Reaper was using.

I got the hawkeye ff300px from ebay (marketed through sharper image). It was only $40 total. It does three things decently, tells me how deep, how cold, and generically if fish are around or not. I am glad I got it!

However, unless you are fishing off of a very steep bank it is best for use around a pier or off of a boat. If you are sitting from a bank you ought to get the humminbird so you can cast and see what is up.

I picked up a Hummingbird RF 20 yesterday and so far I like it.

RTL, do you know if there is a web site for more information on the Piranha Max?

It's made by Humminbird and this unit is much more advanced than the other units that utilize SmartCast technology. It's worth the extra money. I was not as happy with the other models but I love the Piranha MAX 30.

I do still have the SmartCast wrist mount and use it when bank fishing and need to be really mobile, it has been accurate for me and shows bottom contour.