Best Fish finder/Plotter

Have you looked at social maps to see if your area is mapped? If it isn't, a couple trips out recording the sonar on a lowrance and you mapped your spot. Best option as you are recording actual bottom. Not a filled in map you purchase. Try gofee, social map. It gets better every year.
 
the best way to get detailed charts is do your own mapping of an area
the nav charts are close but not detailed enough and can some times be way off ....
insight Genesis is one that comes to mind...
 
Thanks guys, good ideas there. I do want to load maps too because I am starting to fish new areas.
 
Check gpscentral in Calgary (they have a website). They had a great deal on the farming 942xs a couple of months ago. About 40% off IIRC. Blue chart visions g2 card for East/west coast van island about $300.
 
If you go with an iPad make sure to have a dedicated 12V charger, mount and an external GPS http://gps.dualav.com/explore-by-product/xgps150a/ . A good buddy who owns a dockyard wishes he could buy tablet for every boater out there, he gets so many repairs from guys who have ran their boats aground while messing with their tablet navigation. We did the same in my buddies new boat but fortunately just tapped the leg at high tide :(

Hummingbirds or Lowrance Hook's often look like the best deals when they come as a package. I have been partial to Lowrance HDS units as they are easily added to with extra transducers/radar/2nd units (an HDS 7 Touch Gen 3 can be had for $650US plus transducer so a little more spendy) and they apparently have a great upgrade to their fish finding capabilities https://www.lowrance.com/help-and-support/software-upgrade-nos59/

If you can get someone to take you out fishing on their boat with their setup if you narrow it down, worth $50 in gas to learn from them anyways!
 
Funny you should post for his thread as I was looking at plotters online at the same time... I think I might amazon purchase a new garmin 6” echomap plus that doesn’t have a transducer. I have a nice 7” Garmin fishfinder with CHIRP already so I just need a second screen for the maps. It’s $479 but I’ll need to buy the bluechart card on top of that. Not a cheap hobby we have here!
 
I bought a Samsung tablet for around $200. Built in gps receiver which is extremely accurate. Takes me right to my slip in the harbour. Navionics app was about $18 I believe. More detail than you will ever use. Plug it in on my boat with a ups adapter. Bought a RAM holder for it and it looks real good. It does have a feature where you can mark your spots when you want. Just have to get used to using it. You can even mark the closure areas by using the "route" feature at home in your leisure. 10 inch screen. Way cheaper than anything else I've looked at. Been using it for over 2 years now and am delighted with it's accuracy and detail and ease of use.
 
I bought a Samsung tablet for around $200. Built in gps receiver which is extremely accurate. Takes me right to my slip in the harbour. Navionics app was about $18 I believe. More detail than you will ever use. Plug it in on my boat with a ups adapter. Bought a RAM holder for it and it looks real good. It does have a feature where you can mark your spots when you want. Just have to get used to using it. You can even mark the closure areas by using the "route" feature at home in your leisure. 10 inch screen. Way cheaper than anything else I've looked at. Been using it for over 2 years now and am delighted with it's accuracy and detail and ease of use.
You bought it new or used?
 
Which app did you purchase for your Samsung tablet?,looking at the app store for iPad the cost is $75 for a membership.
I currently have I NavX, however you have to renew every 2 years for about $115 US.
I only use IPad as backup and for at home.
 
Which app did you purchase for your Samsung tablet?,looking at the app store for iPad the cost is $75 for a membership.
I currently have I NavX, however you have to renew every 2 years for about $115 US.
I only use IPad as backup and for at home.
Just opened my Samsung tablet and went to the app store. Navionics, Boating US & Canada, $16.99. Apple may be different as my buddy has one and he had to buy a separate gps antenna. He also paid over $100 to get the program. Android is different. If you get the right tablet they have built in gps receivers which also gets rid of an external antenna and you can get an Android tablet without the cellphone option, which makes it cheaper. Just use the WiFi at home and the tablet should have an option for an app store then type in Navionics. You can even try it free for two weeks. I've got a Galaxy Tab E. Works great. Haven't had to renew as of yet. The program is downloaded to my tablet, I don't think I need to renew unless I want upgades. Even then it's $16.99. Haven't had to do that. I also have a Bayliner, Trophy Cuddy, hardtop and have had no receiver/antenna issues. Seems to be flawless tracking satellites.
 
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Just opened my Samsung tablet and went to the app store. Navionics, Boating US & Canada, $16.99.

The Navionics app and tablet is definitely a good option. I saw one of the previous posts about making your own map and that is possible through the app with Navionics SonarChart Live. I connect my ipad to my Lowrance via wifi and map all the time. It looks like this at first then sends the data to Navionics who then adds it to the existing map data and makes it clean for your next update.

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Costco has the Samsung Tab E tablets on sale for $227. That would be cost effective upgrade rather than buying larger screen MFD.
 
Costco has the Samsung Tab E tablets on sale for $227. That would be cost effective upgrade rather than buying larger screen MFD.
Yes. Mine is a Tab E bought 2 years ago. 9.6 in. Roughly same price. Built in gps receivers for north american, glonass (russian I believe) and chinese satellites.
 
Get a Garmin 74 cv while they're on sale. great fish finding and a great chartplotter.
 
Keep your Garmin for a depth sounder. Get a cheap 7" Android tablet and download the standard Navionics app. for less than $20. You only need the HD Navionics app for larger screens and it is much more $$. The detail on the Navionics app is far better than anything you will get on a chartplotter unless you spend over $3000


tablets are not bright enough in open light.
 
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