Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Just wondering if most here use a depth finder, which do to you use, and do you like it's features?

I'm looking at a "Humminbird 385ci Combo" for the pontoon I'm hoping to buy. It's color, will mount/built in the control console, and does depth/fish and GPS.

10' stick of PVC pipe

Oh, I wouldn't leave home without the GPS/depth finder/fish finder. It's a Eagle Cuda 350SMaps... simple, black and white screen, lake maps (without depth), leaves trail... inexpensive, does exactly what i need... - so far. sure, i'd love to have the huge, color ones, with the built in map software to tell depth, hazards, etc... I guess I'll just have to drive careful.

One day, when I'm rich and famous, I'll download apps, and turn my iPod and iPad into gps/chartplotter.... But I'll still need a depth finder.

ScottE wrote:Just wondering if most here use a depth finder, which do to you use, and do you like it's features?

I'm looking at a "Humminbird 385ci Combo" for the pontoon I'm hoping to buy. It's color, will mount/built in the control console, and does depth/fish and GPS.

I have that model the new ones added the lakemaster chip stuff I wish I had it for mine like all functions of mine when fishing I wish screen was bigger but on a flush mount that will be Sweat. Only dislike at high speed at doesn't keep up. The depth just flashes. Mine is no drill removable so I really only use it when fishing (wifes stipulation) or on new bodys of water we use it.

I always have my depth finder on I have a Garmin Fishfinder 140 it doesn't have GPS but it's cheep works really well at any speed and if I need a GPS I just get the Garmin out of the truck, select off road and I can see where I am and where I going no problem.

I think every boat should have a depth finder and also a GPS if at all possible. I've had about all makes over the years and I like my Garmin the best. If you get a chartplotter/sounder get the biggest screen you have room for.

Mine is busted so I use a paper chart and just look over the side every once in a while. The water here isn't deep so you can pretty much tell the depth by the color changes in the water. A new depth finder/GPS is on my wish list, but it's not a necessity at the moment.

I never have used a depth finder. Our lake is very wide (1 1/2 miles) and deep (up to 100'). Until you get 10 miles upriver, it remains deep enough for recreational boating. I've never crunched a propeller in the last 25 years due to my knowledge of the lake bottom.

We're fortunate that the maximum water level differential is no more than 3', and the bottom of this lake doesn't change like rivers can from season to season.

If it's 5' deep, it's deep enough to boat in.

I have a Humm 385 ci It works well but I would like a bigger screen.

I've got a humminbird 597ci HD, I love mine and it's saved my butt countless times with this pastyears drought! The gps is also extremely helpful because when you explore a new body of water you can go as far as you like with no worrys about getting back! I'm fine with my screen size because I'm going to flush mount it in my console only thing I wish I did was get the 700 series so I could have side imaging.

We have the Hummingbird 788 fishfinder/GPS color combo unit and we love it.

i have a humminbird wide eye thats ben in used for 15 years

All my boats have them, the bay has lots of shoals that shift frequently and you need to keep watch...

I have found that good aerial photos (particularly the USGS infra red false color ones) are better than depth finders for spotting the holes and the bars. You can see them before you are on them.
It was also all we used for a 2 week exploration of the 10,000 island area.
I have about 28 years in a fairly small patch so I just use my local knowledge more than anything else.
I have a GPS and a HumminBird but I didn't even bother to mount the transducer the last time I painted (10 years ago). I do want to take my GPS out there to get a real speed reading some day but it is not very high on my list of things to do.

This is a resized USGS picture. They are huge with very good resolution.

Is there a website you can order those Greg? I have been looking for something like that.