# fish finder suggestions



## bamabill (Jul 15, 2015)

I'm looking to invest in a fish finder/gps combo. The humminbird helix 5 DI seems to fit the bill and my budget. Any thoughts or suggestions for units in this price range? Thanks.


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## Clint KY (Jul 15, 2015)

I just got the Helix 5 DI GPS and so far it is great for the $$$. I looked long and hard before I finally chose it. 

One note - they make the Helix 5 in lots of configurations. You can get just the Fish Finder - the Down Imaging Fish Finder and the combinations: the FF & GPS and the FF & DI and GPS and the FF SI (Side Imaging) & GPS. I chose the DI & GPS, as it fit my budget and I really am not sold on SI - I know you can see different things on it that may look different on DI but I was not convinced it was worth the extra $$.

The price was about the same in all the places I checked so I bought mine from the local HB dealer. It was a little bit less on Amazon but I thought I would shop local when I could.

And to answer one of your questions I don't think anyone else makes one that is comparable in the same price range. The closest thing in Lowrance's line has a much smaller screen. 

And the new Helix 7 is out which has a larger screen, but it costs more (of course).


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## Johnny (Jul 15, 2015)

I have the Humminbird Helix 5 DI and like it.
have had it about a year and still trying to figure out how
to use it to its fullest capabilities.
When you are fiddling around with a FF you aren't fishing.
What I really bought it for is for crappie fishing.
to find the "bait ball" of minnows in 30' of water and slam the slabs.
For bass fishing, I am usually in 5 feet of water or less
and only use it for water temp and GPS .
the speedometer is cool.
Hope to make it down to the Florida Keys this fall .....
THEN !! it will prove its metal.


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## bamabill (Jul 15, 2015)

Hey thanks guys for your input. I was leaning toward the HB FF DI GPS like you've got Clint. I used to bass fish and probably will still do some, I live minutes away from Wheeler Lake on the Tennessee River, but I'm older now and want to turn most of my attention to learning to catch crappie. What about the Lowrance Elite 5? It's a somewhat higher priced than the HB. What's the major difference?


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## Johnny (Jul 15, 2015)

Bill, this past winter, I bought my wife a "crappie charter" from Central Florida's
renowned Crappie King. IMO, you can not put a price on education.
My wife is more of a serious fisherman than me LOL. So this charter was her Christmas gift.
We paid special attention to his fish finder, tackle, rod holders, etc etc etc so that
we could incorporate his techniques into our boat and our way of fishing.
We have never just targeted crappie before. Just caught some here and there haphazardly.
He would troll around in a zig-zag circle looking for the "bait ball" of schooling minnows.
when he found it, it was LINES DOWN very quickly. Just a sinker drop-shot and the
standard crappie rig. it was AWESOME !!! BIG slab crappies. The most fun ever.
Most of the crappie were in 25-35 feet of water. Surface temps were 65-70*

So now, I made her her own Crappie Station on the back of our bass boat and she is
in Seventh Heaven !! I sit up front at the bow trolling motor and FF and she fishes LOL.
here is our set up. If I want to take it off to go bass fishing or salt water, just removing
a few screws and the whole assembly comes off in 3 minutes.

I am a member of www.crappie.com and there is a wealth of information there of how 
to target crappie.
Tight Lines !!


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## lugoismad (Jul 15, 2015)

Johnny - Thats a nice looking setup, but up here in Ohio that'd get you a nice big fine from the DNR. Only 2 poles allowed per person!


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## Johnny (Jul 15, 2015)

I really don't think Florida has a pole limit.
I have seen some boats that look like a Tuna Trawler with so many poles.
in my perspective, the two pole limit per person is adequate.
.


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## bamabill (Jul 15, 2015)

That's an AWESOME setup! I'd be in seventh heaven too! I may have to charter one for my wife as well, she'll surely get discouraged before I figure all this out. Trolling a spider rig setup seems to be the thing around here. Are you river, lake (reservoir) fishing, or what? Wheeler is fairly wide where I live, but the river channel is only around 25'. Deeper near the dam.


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## Johnny (Jul 15, 2015)

Personally, I am strictly a lake fisherman.
The St. Johns River is about an hour from me and that is where
the TV Crappie Masters tournament was held this past winter.

In Florida these days, it is extremely hard to find a quiet secluded fishing spot
anymore. Jet Skis, fast boats, water skis, wake boarders . . . 
all of them try to ruin your day. plus, it is already 85* at 7am..... very hot.
When it gets cold - all the kids are back in school and it calms down quite a bit.
then, in Sept - Oct the crappie turn on big time.
this year, we will be ready for them !!!
the fishing charter was awesome. $125 for 5 hours of education was priceless.


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## Clint KY (Jul 15, 2015)

Barefoot_Johnny said:


> the fishing charter was awesome. $125 for 5 hours of education was priceless.



Wow! A guide around here (Kentucky & Barkely Lakes) will set you back $300.


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## huntinfool (Jul 16, 2015)

I have the Lowrance elite 5 di GPS. I do a lot of different things with my boat. I fish, fresh and salt, I duck hunt, use it to transport hunters on deer and pig hunts up rivers etc, etc. So I needed a GPS on my unit. I wanted to have the sonar and DI to look at areas that I do fish, to see if I can determine what down there. I fish a lake where there is a lot of timber, so the DI would help me locate some of those underwater. 

When I bought my unit they were on sale for the same price as the Helix. I liked that I could add a chip to my unit too. 

In the end, the guy at Bass Pro said the Lowrance overall was just a better unit and much more customizable. So I went with it. Especially since it came with some free goodies.


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## Clint KY (Jul 16, 2015)

huntinfool said:


> I liked that I could add a chip to my unit too.



A point to remember - the Helix 5 will also take a map chip. My research shows that the Lake Master chip is FAR superior to the Navionics chip, at least around here. Much more detail and the unit will do much more with the LM as far as alarms and color changes (i.e. - You can change the color of all water from 10 to 15 feet deep a certain color if you want to highlight that depth).

And a warning - there are vendors that still have Version 2 Micro SD LM (the Helix takes a *Micro SD*) and are selling them for the same price as the Version 3.


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## huntinfool (Jul 16, 2015)

Clint KY said:


> huntinfool said:
> 
> 
> > I liked that I could add a chip to my unit too.
> ...


True both take a chip. I looked at both on my local make and they were about the same. I just liked the customization on the Lowerance. Especially on the GPS and how it lays a trail I can follow back or save a a route, which I think the helix does also. 
In the end it's just a personal choice. 

The OP asked about this unit, so I was just giving him my opinion.


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## Wyatt (Jul 16, 2015)

I have a Lowrance Elite 5 HDI myself and I find this unit invaluable. The GPS works flawlessly and like stated above, leaves a trail to follow back. The overlay imaging is a very nice tool once you dial in the colors to help distinguish the sonar and downscan maps. My uncle is a huge Lowrance supporter with over $8000 of accessories on his rig so I kind of followed along with his ways. I've owned a few Eagle units but find the Elite 5 HDI is far superior to anything I've owned. Sadly, I can't speak much on the Humminbird product line.


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## bamabill (Jul 16, 2015)

Wow, what a wealth of info everyone has provided. So, either unit will take either chip? Looks like it's coming down to a personal choice as someone said.


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## jethro (Jul 16, 2015)

I own 4 Humminbird clickers. A PirahnaMax160 portable, a 581 hd Ci, an ICE55 flasher and my Helix 5 HD SI GPS. Humminbird makes a great product. The Helix 5 is killing the market right now because no one else makes a 5" true widescreen model for less than $500. I promise you that Lowrance will do something for next year. Anyway, like all the other units I have the Helix is really great.


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## xXOnyxXx (Jul 21, 2015)

i also run the helix 5 di/gps i love this unit ... well worth the money!!


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## cocopuff (Jul 31, 2015)

I'm in the same boat as the original poster. I've narrowed it down to the Hummingbird Helix DI, Dragonfly 4, or the Lowrance Elite 5 HDI (refurb). I'm leaning toward the lowrance just because it has gps which for $250 neither of the other two have. Glad to see both the lowrance and bird both get good reviews from people on this sight. Once I am ready to purchase a second unit I will probably get the Helix with side scan just can't afford this right now. For people who live in Tennessee be aware that cabelas doesn't charge sales tax if you buy from their online store and have $5 shipping right now so any of these would be $20 cheaper than bass pro. I was stoked to find this out about cabelas since there is one in bowling green an hour from my house if I have any problems with stuff I order from them.

EDIT: Cabelas and Bass Pro sold out of the $250 elite 5 hdi while I was making up my mind. Debating just waiting til I can get the helix si.


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## cocopuff (Aug 2, 2015)

Bamabill which unit did you end up getting? Any review on whichever one you get would be great


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## jethro (Aug 5, 2015)

Cocopuff, just be aware that no matter what device you buy, the GPS function will be amazingly basic unless you buy an accessory map card. If you want details like depth charts and what not, you need the cards. If you just want speed and a popcorn trail then you won't need the cards.


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## cocopuff (Aug 6, 2015)

Yeah I had talked to my friend about what map cards to get for middle tn and he said avionics was fine. I'm going to try and wait til the end of the Year and hopefully the cards will go on sale when they bring out next years. Cheatham lake where I fish right now isn't mapped on anything but the dragonfly links up to an app that can chart it. Once I hone my skills I will be moving on to lake Barkley and definitely want the contours for it. I just need to go to bass pro this weekend and play around with the units to make my decision :wink:


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## bamabill (Aug 7, 2015)

Coco I have t bought one yet. Got laid off two weeks ago so I'm trying to get my retirement worked out. I'll most likely go with the Humminbird though.


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## cocopuff (Aug 12, 2015)

Sorry to hear that man, hope everything gets worked out on your retirement. I went with the helix 5 si because I looked at a dragonfly 4 pro compared to one at bass pro and the dragonfly's screen was tiny in comparison. Instead of getting the dragonfly and tablet I went with the helix because I figured I'll always want an si unit and if I upgrade later on I can turn it into a dedicated SI viewer. I'll post a review here in the next couple of weeks once I get it out on the water.


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## bamabill (Aug 14, 2015)

thanks coco, everything's working out good. As of right now I also plan to get the Helix 5 SI. The best price I've seen online is $437. Have you found it any lower?


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## cocopuff (Aug 14, 2015)

I bought mine from jet.com for $430 shipping included and no tax. Apparently they are a website set up to compete with amazon, and by opting out of a free return for the helix and using a visa debit card I got this price (I think it's like $10 more if you want free returns I figure if I have any problems it will be going to humminbird under warranty). Best part is I ordered it tuesday night around 10 pm and it was at my door Thursday at like 5. To use jet.com you have to sign up for a free 6 month trial but you will not be charged a dime once this trial runs out (I emailed jet.com to be sure). To me they were a much more legitimate looking site than some of the others I found that had a similar price. 

Now I just have to mount a cutting board on my transom so I can get the transducer on there without throwing up a rooster tail like my current one. I am very happy with the screen size on it, definitely glad I did not get anything smaller.


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## bamabill (Aug 17, 2015)

I saw jet.com was up to 449. DigitalOasis was 435, but they are out of stock. I imagine they'll go up when they get some. I went ahead I ordered from Amazon, 449 and free ship. I still haven't gotten my head around the SI. Just have to keep looking at online videos. Next expense will be spider rigging setups.


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## cocopuff (Aug 19, 2015)

Yeah like I said only reason I didn't want to order from amazon was they charge tax in tn so thats an extra $40 compared to other sites. I've been trolling around on youtube for videos on SI and normal sonar. When you get your helix it comes with a dvd that shows you how to use it, haven't watched mine yet so not sure how good it is haha.


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## bamabill (Aug 22, 2015)

So far Amazon hasn't charged me any tax here in Alabama. Their free ship is slow. Took five days just to get ship notification. Should have mine Tuesday. Wife and I caught a few bluegill and couple of cats the other day. I just wish we'd kept all we caught and boated all we hooked!


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## Wyatt (Aug 23, 2015)

bamabill said:


> I saw jet.com was up to 449. DigitalOasis was 435, but they are out of stock. I imagine they'll go up when they get some. I went ahead I ordered from Amazon, 449 and free ship. I still haven't gotten my head around the SI. Just have to keep looking at online videos. Next expense will be spider rigging setups.


A spider rigging setup is next on my list as well. I'll probably be going with a setup from Cumberland Crappie.


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## bamabill (Aug 24, 2015)

Helix 5 SI should be here tomorrow. I ordered Driftmaster Tbars and holders from Bottom Dwellers Tackle. They were very helpful. Got a left hand thread setup for left side of boat and a standard for the right side. $166 delivered. Only bad thing is the extensions are only 10". May end up modifying them.


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## bamabill (Aug 25, 2015)

Whoever came up with this CD manual for the Helix ought to fired.


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## jethro (Sep 2, 2015)

bamabill said:


> Whoever came up with this CD manual for the Helix ought to fired.



Haha! Yep, there is that. Lemme guess, you are over 50 years old? I love it, I downloaded the PDF file to my smartphone and now have the manual at my fingers constantly, but I hear that complaint from a lot of folks. All Humminbird products come with a CD manual now.


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## cocopuff (Sep 5, 2015)

Well my helix 5 shipped to me and I loved all the features, the sidescan was impressive...but it had a dead pixel smack dab in the middle of the screen. So it got shipped back and I'll hold off til spring to get one, hopefully they will go on sale when new models roll out.


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## 1lhorn (Sep 8, 2015)

I hear new, bigger Helix models (9, 10, 12?) are coming out early October.


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## 1lhorn (Sep 8, 2015)

1lhorn said:


> I hear new, bigger Helix models (9, 10, 12?) are coming out early October.



Lots of places are starting to drop prices on outgoing models like 899, etc. Previously $999, could have been had at Cabelas for $719 (with 10% off coupon). Hopefully will drop even more when the new Helix models are officially released.


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## bamabill (Sep 9, 2015)

Well I've been out a couple times with the new Helix 5. I still haven't done anything yet to have a manual in hand while I'm on the water. I tried that Document Pro, but can't get it to open a downloaded file. May just try and put it on my phone or print the pages I need. Anyway, I'm happy with unit so far. Hard to see in the sun no matter what palette I use. Structure looks nothing like the pics I've seen online or in the manual. My Mod V with 45 Merc will do 32 mph, but due to turbulence around the transducer I can't see anything at that speed or anywhere close to it. Still have a lot to learn, but I'm already in the market for a cheaper, smaller unit for the front of the boat. Maybe a Pirahna Max. Any other suggestions?


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## bamabill (Sep 15, 2015)

A couple guys over on Crappie.com suggested using no more than 60' range in SI. I assume that's 60 per side. They say the images are much clearer. Will try that this Thursday when my son and I go out. Also ordered a Lowrance X4 Pro for the front of my boat. That'll let me monitor any depth changes if I'm trying to stay on a drop off.


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## jethro (Sep 21, 2015)

bamabill said:


> My Mod V with 45 Merc will do 32 mph, but due to turbulence around the transducer I can't see anything at that speed or anywhere close to it. Still have a lot to learn, but I'm already in the market for a cheaper, smaller unit for the front of the boat. Maybe a Pirahna Max. Any other suggestions?



Huh, I have a deep V hull and even at my max speed of 28mph I can see everything clear. I use a Pirahna Max 160 on the front of the boat on my trolling motor.


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