my budget is about $800, seeking recommendations, love to cat and sand bass fish; will not be using maps or sd cards; installer recommendation will be apprecited also; TIA

I switched from Humminbird Helix, to a Lowrance TI2, and couldn't be happier. Catch rate has increased dramatically.

I have a Lowrance Hook 9 and I like it. I have it in a box so I can move it between my Jon boat and canoe. It is not near as good as the Lowrance HDS series, but it is in the price range you mentioned.

Shell, I have been doing some research on a new finder unit that has built in lake maps, GPS, and either side view or down view. After some in depth research and some additional conversations with those knowledgable on the subject, my next unit will be a Garmin Echo map 73-95 series. This unit is priced from around 699-899, and has all the aforementioned features, plus I have been told that Garmin's definition and clarity are second to none in the industry. I used to be a full on Lowrance guy, and now after using my Striker 4+ for the last couple years I will be going with a Echomap unit, and moving the 4+ to the front of the boat. I hope this helps.

Thanks Christopher, I will check it out; and forgot to ask for the name of a good installer;