Starting Electronics

I'm 19, and I've been fishing my whole life and looking to move past bank busting and into catching some real fish. I feel like the first move is buying some decent electronics that will help me find where the bait and fish are. I've done research and cannot really find any guides on what I should be getting for starting electronics.

mor info. Do have a boat or a yak? Garmin has some goood stuff out now...the 93 series is goood for the price.

I have a boat, mostly fish on ray roberts

What is your price point? The Garmin Striker series are good introductory units. If you have a little bigger budget then the echomap series is great for the price with mapping.

SE Kansas grass grower

The Lowrance Hook 5 or 7 will give you maps, 2D and down imaging and they don't run too expensive. I have heard great things about the Raymarine products but have no personal experience with them.

I would be looking at the Humminbird Helix units but Lowrance and Garmin both make great products too. The Helix is just what I'm used to.

I prefer Hummingbird, but have used Lowrance and Garmin also. You will see a lot of feedback for all the major brands because they all have good features, strengths, and weaknesses. Garmin Striker, Hummingbird Helix, and Lowrance Hook all have models which range in price depending on features from a couple of hundred dollars on up. Some thoughts when you look at units to think about:


- Down Imaging and Sonar - For finding fish, bait, brush, etc. the quality of the sonar and DI is key. You will look at this a lot once you put on the boat, so make sure you go to somewhere like BP or Cabelas to look at all the models actual demo's.

- Screen Size - Makes a difference, trust me this was a mistake I made. Going from 5"-7"screen helps, but again depends on budget.

- Mapping - If you fish Ray Roberts, or other lake with trees etc. waypoints, route recording is really nice to have. Being able to follow old paths/routes can make your fishing day better.

There are a ton other items to think about, just my top 3 from errors I made in the past.

Wait until November.

Marine electronics usually have a one or two year production cycle.

Right now, fish finders are at their peak retail prices.

November, the previous year's models start to go on clearance as the "new and improved" models are released.

As water temps increase, the closer we get to summer, look for isolated brush/trees in 6-12fow
Use a fiberglass stake out pole to measure your depth.

When we get to summer, look for where the tree lined creek channels bend and swing back. Those are a good places to cast or drop a lure down.

Learn to fish deeper without electronics first; you'll gain confidence in your instincts rather than relying on electronics.

Forget everything I said
Today is your lucky day
Flash sale at Dicks’s ends this evening

you can find good deals on gen1 helix units.

Like the other poster said go to BPS or Cabela's and demo one. Highly recommend though that you get one that is made for either a Navionics or Lake Master chip. Those chips make a huge difference as far as finding structure, cover and navigation.

There's a Lowrance Hook 4x posted in the kayak classifieds .

Agree on the Lowrance Hook line. Not too expensive with maps, and work well. Also, don't be afraid of used, refurb, eBay. Usually get a good warranty period, or buyer protection.