I bought a Eagle Cuda 350 last year, but just yesterday tried it on the Kayak first time. If I knew how easy it was going to be I would have used it sooner. I was under first impression I would have a pain installing the transducer sanding and epoxy while also a complicated learning curve on usage. Nothing could have been easier as I found out. Using it with a Lowrance portable unit just had to install (8) AA's, plug transducer wire to unit, quick snap unit to portable box, and the portable suction cup stuck transducer to kayak and held perfect for 3 hour trip in high winds.

I could see how the GPS isn't required, but sure was nice to see the trail tracking as I was drift fishing to see what water I had covered and then also creating a waypoint (in this case I just called it "1 LB" and there is automatically a date and time stamp on it. As I use it more I will mark stuff like "BP" and "Pt" or "Ledge". It will also give you speeds and total distance traveled.

This unit will also come in handy on my boat house for Crappie fishing. The transducer suction cup held tight for 3 hours in high winds, it didn't move at all or fall during the trip. It also kept a perfect signal. The portable unit fit nice between my legs out of the way and I only had about 3 feet of the transducer wire running under my foot platforms and over the side and under to transducer.

I didn't even read the manual before I went, but menus and pages were user friendly and default automatic settings for sonar seemed to be spot on. The bottom definition and fish marks were great. Really don't think I have any complaints yet.

My only question would be since this is the only unit I'm familiar with for the kayak are there any others out there that do better? I know this one is at least a year dated.

i have the hb 570 di which has a regular fishfinder but also a downscan. should help with crappie. we will see.so im selling my pirahnamax 220 dual beam. selling for 60 bucks if anyone needs one. good shape

http://www.basspro.com/Humminbird-Fishfinder-570-DI-Sonar-Fishfinder/product/10210564/-1764752

that down imaging is awesome! but I definitely need GPS, for my drift fishing it helps me know my track and then also creating structure and caught fish waypoints. if they don't have it already, I bet there will be something that has down imaging and GPS soon. thanks.

I also have the 570DI. The only thing that I miss is GPS. At the time I didn't want to dish out the $$$ to have both. Sure wish I did now.

This looks like a great FF for the price. The only negative that I read about is that you are not able to update the maps. Does anyone have experience with one of these and DFW area lakes? Are the maps adequate? I mainly fish eagle mountain.

I guess I dont really need a map, but it would be neat to mark way points.

I got a fish easy 350c on sale for 149 at Cabela's. Used it on Friday and it worked great! No GPS and no Down Imaging though but its also half price of the down imaging.

I bought the 597ci HD DI and wished I would have got the side imaging now. I have the color version with gps of the 570. Again, wish I would have waited and picked up the SI now.

If you don't want to spend the money then the one you have should work just fine.

With side imagaing though wouldnt you have to have a way to mount the transducer on the outside of the kayak? I didnt think SI would work correctly with a "shoot thru" installed transducer. Also having a fish finder that is worth more than the kayak it is installed on seems a bit overkill to me but that is just my opinion.

Just mount it over the side. I understand that some of you guys may not care for it but it will make all of the difference in the world bass fishing. I can tell you with the DI I can see schools of fish in trees that I wouldn't have been able to tell that were there on a regular sonar. With the DI I can see the trees, branches, fish, grass bottom, rock bottom etc...

I would like to have the SI b/c I can cover water more effectively and to see what the fish are holding. With the DI I can only see what is below me instead of to the sides.

I put this over the side of my kayak for my transducer for the DI.

Good looking set up. I am on a poor man's budget. Gonna have to make due with decent "regular sonar" for a while. Your transducer mount looks like the perfect height. No problems when in shallow water or launching?

Not yet.