If You Had To Choose Between Two Features On Your Sonar.....

[bigchromedog]

Would you choose to have GPS or Down Scan Imaging on the front of your boat. My budget has me looking at a depth finder for the front of the boat with one or the other. I have a pretty simple Hummingbird unit in the back that I use for basic structure etc.. for when I am on the move. I have a 14' aluminum v-hull that has a front deck with trolling motor and I would like to add a sonar up there. But, I am trying to decide which would benefit me more as I can't afford a big unit, with everything I am doing to the boat this spring. So if it was your choice, would you opt for DSI or GPS?

I am trying to decide between the Lowrance Elite-4x DSI Color Imaging Fishfinder or the Lowrance® Mark-4 Fishfinder/Chartplotter. Both are about $199 and I have been going back and forth.

Thanks in advance for the opinions.

 

[wasilvers]

Hard one - I have both and use them. I think I'd get GPS, just because of what I fish. Here's how I would decide...

GPS, if I fish breaks and deeper water far enough from landmarks to find them effectivly. I use this a lot to find my way back to the ramp, and find my way back to holes or track where I trolled already.

DownScan, If I can refind the spots easy enough, but like to know what's under there better. I only use this once in a while to see what weeds or bottom structure is like - mostly on new places to fish.

 

[fender66]

Will is right. You're making this a pretty tough choice.

If I had to pick...I'd put downscan on the front. That's where I am when I fish. I use GPS from the console to get me to where I want to be. Then...up to the front to fish the DScan.

 

[Butthead]

If I had to choose, I'd get DSI over GPS...
But that's because I mainly fish shorelines, don't cover vast areas on huge bodies of water, and almost never do any type of trolling.

 

[wihil]

Man that's a hard choice.

I'm torn too right now with getting a new FF. I'd love to have everything, but that's gonna smack the check book pretty hard.

I fish big water - I don't fish a lot of rivers (though I'm hoping to do branch out and do a lot more of that this summer), so finding landmarks are a real pain with just a flasher and a few paper maps.

At the same time, I really like to fish for walleyes and small mouth that love to hug transition points on the lake. Sometimes just being a few feet off the rock/mud/weeds will really make a difference if you're on the fish or not.

Don't forget if you do get the GPS, you'll really need to get a map chip for your area too - and that's another hundred bucks or so if you really want to get the most of the areas you're fishing.

Nutshell, if you're not fishing big water - DSI. If you fish lots of open water, GPS. If you do a little of both, I got nothing. :lol:

 

[200racing]

maybe down scan and a handheld gps.

 

[JMichael]

I've been looking in to getting my first FF this spring as well. For me it would hands down be the DSI. I fish mostly rivers and small lakes that I'm very familiar with and have no need of GPS. And should the time arrive that I do need the GPS, I've got my garmin hand held that I normally use for hunting and it would work just fine.

 

[dyeguy1212]

Downscan up front, and gps at the console if I had to choose.

GPS sure has its place up front, but majority of fishermen (myself included) would benefit more from downscan IMO.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

Some very good points here. I'll add some additional ones to consider:

- To effectively see DD/DI or SS/SI at the bow, you need a large screen. Having a 4-5" screen at the helm with a 2' viewing distance is OK, but move that to the bow, where you typically have 4' or more, makes seeing those details, especially in bright sun, useless.

- Do not sacrafice 2D to get DS. DI/DS is great for identifing structure, but hard to use to find fish. The most effective way is to use a split DI/2D screen. Find it in 2D, clarify what it is in DI.

- Running a DI/DS on a trolling motor, will get more blured images from stop/go and large direction changes.

- Consider the new unit for the transom, and main navigation, etc, and moving the small unit to the bow. Especially if it has a big digits option. That's the way I run 99% of the time, even though I can swap the 2D/SI/DI/GPS unit to the front station. When I move into a spot, I know what I am looking for, as far as depth, to know if I'm on the rock pile, stumps, hump, brush pile, etc. I only glance at the screen when at bow. You're at the bow, its time to fish, not watch videos.

Also, as stated above, small water, or shoreline fishing only, less need for gps. Even though that is the main water type I fish, think I would go gps over DI/DS. But gps is easier to add at a latter time.

 

[vahunter]

maybe down scan and a handheld gps.

i agree...depending on what type of phone you have you can get an app for gps navigation. I just got the Navionics app of my iPhone for $9.99. It doesn't have the 1ft topo depth lines but it also allows you to track, route, mark points, and shows channel markers, wrecks, tide, current, etc.

 

[wasilvers]

maybe down scan and a handheld gps.

i agree...depending on what type of phone you have you can get an app for gps navigation. I just got the Navionics app of my iPhone for $9.99. It doesn't have the 1ft topo depth lines but it also allows you to track, route, mark points, and shows channel markers, wrecks, tide, current, etc.

Actually, it does have 1ft contours for the lakes that have them. Just most lakes don't have more than 5ft contours. $10 is a steal, but it will kill the phone battery quickly.

 

[dyeguy1212]

maybe down scan and a handheld gps.

i agree...depending on what type of phone you have you can get an app for gps navigation. I just got the Navionics app of my iPhone for $9.99. It doesn't have the 1ft topo depth lines but it also allows you to track, route, mark points, and shows channel markers, wrecks, tide, current, etc.

Actually, it does have 1ft contours for the lakes that have them. Just most lakes don't have more than 5ft contours. $10 is a steal, but it will kill the phone battery quickly.

That's why you put a ram mount and a 12 outlet next to your fishfinder 8)