Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: mastercaster on May 11, 2006, 03:02:04 PM

Title: fish finders
Post by: mastercaster on May 11, 2006, 03:02:04 PM
I've used a fishing buddy 2 for the last 10 years and had no complaints for the first seven but the last couple have broken down quickly.  I am wondering what others think about the humminbirds?
How are the portables like the pirahna max10's?  Or what other model would you suggest for boat, pontoon, and float tube?  Are they better than the fishingbuddies?  Any info on this would help me in choosing my next finder.
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: Bone on May 11, 2006, 03:10:01 PM
Don't know much about Fishing Buddy 2, But I have the Humminbird Priahna max 15 and find it well worth the money. The Pirahna Max 15 has the dual wide beam, to get a larger area of readings.
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: Terry Bodman on May 12, 2006, 06:44:25 AM
I have Huminbird Piranah2 that I have found useless for finding fish but an excellent(and expensive) depth indicator.I use it essentially for setting my strike indicator when chronomid fishing.
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: Xgolfman on May 15, 2006, 05:58:01 PM
What are the costs on these? I'm finding that i'd rather have one on my watermaster then dunking my hemo's. Would one work on a float tube? don't care much about fish finders just want the depth and bottom surface one...Thanks.
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: Bone on May 15, 2006, 08:04:18 PM
What are the costs on these? I'm finding that i'd rather have one on my watermaster then dunking my hemo's. Would one work on a float tube? don't care much about fish finders just want the depth and bottom surface one...Thanks.

Hey golfman, fish finders run around $130. Didn't you say you run back and forth over the border? They are cheaper at walmart... around $99. I think it would be easy to rig up a fish finder to a float tube.

bone.
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: newsman on May 16, 2006, 04:24:59 PM
I have a Humingbird and found the same thing as Terry. To tell you the truth as a fly fisherman I have found my fish finder almost useless. Too many times I have been out on a lake and seen nice fish rise around my canoe that never registered on the finder because they were above the beam. Great for reading structure and almost as good as a TV in the boat for entertaining the kids, but limited in finding fish. I find that I find far more fish with my compass and a thermometer (I talked about my compass trick in this weeks sport fishing column).
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: flyfisherman on May 16, 2006, 05:53:19 PM
I've had my Humingbird 300D for 15 years and it still works fine, as mentioned it will pick up fish and you dont get into and and the you see no fish and get into fish ::) use it as a depth finder anyway as structure and shaols, droppoffs is what were looking for, mine will pick up fish in holes and around ledges where one would expect to find fish.
My finder has been submerged for a number of hours at some unfortunate times, open it up and it looks brand new, they make them well sealed.
Bought mine for close to 350.00 got it with the temp sensor and speedometer(little wheel) next to the transducer, has a trip log,bottom alarm fish alarm and a bunch of other stuff I dont use.
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: Xgolfman on May 17, 2006, 06:32:12 PM
thanks bone, ill check them out...don't want it as a fish finder as much as a depth and structure finder...

Damn Jeff, we don't get the paper down here, clue us less fortunate ones in...
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: newsman on May 17, 2006, 09:32:16 PM
Rod posts my column on the report page, for all of you who don't get the papers that my column runs in.
Title: Re: fish finders
Post by: John Bigbooty on June 24, 2006, 09:58:35 AM
The fish buddy works OK for finding depth but with a cone angle of only 9 degrees, you don't see a lot of bottom.  I adapted a Pmax dual cone to portable use and am much happier with it.