Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I usually joke when people ask me where my fish-finder is. ..of course this is my first boat right ?

Like I know what a fish finder is ?

I simply tell them that it's at the end of my pole.

...but I really want to get one. Just don't really have any input as to which one is best. ...or at least best for teh money.

Any recommendations here ?

This is much like the question of "what toon should I buy" Rob.
What kind of fishing do you do, that would help to know, but that being said, I have a Lowrance HDS 8 with structure/sidescan and love it.
If I were to buy new knowing what I know now I would opt for a Hummingbird with at least an 8 inch screen and structure sidescan.
The prices are very similar and both are great units, but the Hummingbird seems to be a bit more user friendly (easier to learn) and from what i hear their customer service if their is a problem is outstanding.
If you just want to know how deep you are, water temp, and if there is "something" down there, the lower priced units will do that.
But I will never go back to that now that I have used my FF.
Love the info it gives you, but it wont make them bite.
You tube the two units or whatever else you are looking at and you can see what you will be seeing on the lake.
good Luck!

Rob, what Steve is talking about is an order of magnitude more expensive than a basic fish finder. Kind of like saying a Ford Focus and a Maybach are both passenger cars.
Along with what features are important to you, what is the size of your wallet?
I've had pretty good luck with Garmin, but there's a Lowrance and Humminbird cult out there that wouldn't use anything else. I had so many problems with my first Lowrance units I wouldn't have another.
If you have a good bait and tackle store close to you, go there and talk to fishermen who frequent the place. Most likely, somebody who works there is an avid fisherman and will be happy to impart their experience.

Since this is your first boat and first fish finder I would recommend a basic unit of any of the three brands. Get the largest screen you can afford. If you are night fishing then you probably should get one that includes a GPS.
Learn to use it well to find the bait fish on structure and your catch rate will go up accordingly.

If you can give a pricepoint we can probably do a better job of recommending something. The prices vary greatly.