Fish Finders and GPS
 

So with all the Fish Finders on the market and the combos of GPS, I have hear the arguments that you don't need the GPS, that you do need the GPS, and some that say you don't even need the systems at all. I personally love having my FF/GPS to help increase the odds into my favor.

What do you all think? What's your system of choice Humminbird, Lowrance, Garmin, Raymarine? Why?

Hds 5

No more. No less.

I'm still running an Eagle Cuda 350s only because I'm saving up for HDS 5.
As for GPS..... I will never buy anything without it. I personally don't use the GPS as much as a lot of other guys but I have been surprised by a couple fast moving fog banks that took away any sense of direction and gave me only 15 feet of visibility. If I didn't have my GPS to turn to so I could find my way back to shore I would have been really screwed.

I'm highly thinking of getting the HDS 5. I've been a Humminbird person for a very long time, but I'm leaning toward the HDS 5.

I will never be without the GPS mostly for the safety reasons.

I was Lowrance for a long time, we still sell tons of them... The Raymarine clarity is ridiculously better though. Even over the Lowrance Chirp stuff there is no comparison. (This is obviosuly for the Sonar part)

The new FF/GPS combos are awesome. Ability to backscroll on your sonar and put a GPS point exactly on structure is money. For my money I will do the Combo units, way easier to use them as a single unit IMO

Anyone run their hds 5 thru hull?
 

If so any issues?

I second what Mike said.

Also as a redundant safety item I have a Richie compass mounted on deck.

I remember a LJ tournament years ago where the radio chatter was full of experience kayakers lost in the fog with a couple dangerously close to the surf on the outside. I could see my position clearly on the GPS map.

Add the ability to mark your waypoints, seeing tracks to redo good drifts, and recording sleigh rides make it money well spent.

I just bought a Lowrance HDS 5 and took it on it's maiden journey yesterday in the Big Bay. Kinda confused as to what settings I should be using. I know I need to change em based on conditions, but for you HDS 5 users, can you give me som insight as to what your general, go-to settings are for the sonar? Thanks!

yeah i have to say I love my Dragonfly.. I haven't seen the new chirp finders from Garmin or Lowrance but the dragonfly is so easy to use right out of the box.. You can also download vector saltwater charts from raymarine for free to load into the Dragonfly(they also offer Raster charts)...

Humminbird 798ci SI HD, side imaging is a great feature.

After much research and talking to experts in pretty much down to either the dragonfly or lowrance HDI with chirp. Either one is good