Best Fish finder/Plotter

Stizzla said:
That's a good idea! i have the app on my iPad mini. Im sure theres a mount I can get so it's up on the dash. I might shell out for the HD version. Then I'll have a nice 8" gps screen and a very solid 7" fish finder.
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Get the Lifeproof Nuud which is a completely waterproof case for your iPad/iPhone but still allows perfect touch cababilities - https://www.lifeproof.com/en-us/apple-cases?prefn1=device_name&prefv1=iPad mini 4

Then get a Rail Blaza Screen Grabba to hold your device. - https://www.railblaza.com/products/screengrabba-ipadtablet-holder/

Then if you really want to do it right get a Rail Blaza Starport USB mount/charger so that your device stays charged and you can turn the brightness up all the way. - https://www.railblaza.com/products/e-series-usb-starport/

I saw that setup with Matt Watson from Extreme Fishing on YouTube. He networks his to his finder which is far less money than a second chartplotter. It also allows you to do a search or use it for music etc...

Good luck and post pics if you get it together.
 
Problem with the app on an iPad is you have no "man overboard" or "instant store" (mark where you caught fish). A good chart plotter will have these important functions available.
big bruce is very correct.
Also a $1200 unit is very very far from the best that is available - the OP quickly realized the shortcomings of the low budget option. $1200 will get you a pretty fair transducer for NW waters, but you could spend twice that for a very nice CHIRP transducer alone - not that one should do that or spend more than $1200 for the whole ball of wax, but one should not expect to be much beyond entry level at $1200.
 
The good news is, my Garmin striker 7 does have gps waypoints and man overboard feature, plus it is a chirp transducer. I really just want want the map for depths. I think I'll look into the mods for the tablet, and make a nice little sun shade for it. Should be just what I need. I'm also boring and fish the same spots (ish) most of the time. We have our 1st baby on the way so I can't splurge quite how I want to.
 
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Here is a good video. He has some awesome mods for his boat. The screen grabba is at about the 4:40 mark if you want to skip ahead. He mounts his up higher and tilts it down so that takes care of the glare. If you are able to plug it in you can turn the brightness all the way up as well. Those Railblaza mounts have a built in USB port which is pretty cool...

 
Yeah... that is a fine vessel! The Evinrude looks like it was stolen off of a space ship.
That iPad holder looks good. I don't have a nice high mounting spot like that, or the overhang from a hard top, so I'll make an upside down U and clad it in carpet or something. Thanks for the link!
 
Stizzla said:
Yeah... that is a fine vessel! The Evinrude looks like it was stolen off of a space ship.
That iPad holder looks good. I don't have a nice high mounting spot like that, or the overhang from a hard top, so I'll make an upside down U and clad it in carpet or something. Thanks for the link!
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Those Stabicraft's are fine vessels indeed! I looked into them. They are not outfitted like his is lol. That is completely customized. They seem to handle rough water extremely well for an aluminum...
 
I’m still leaning towards having a second screen (likely iPad) so I have a full size fish finder and a full size map.
 
Steely Dan you’re right. It was a good deal as I went back to the link and the item has sold out. What screen are you using these days?
 
Stizzla said:
Steely Dan you’re right. It was a good deal as I went back to the link and the item has sold out. What screen are you using these days?
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I' a bit of a ***** with 3x gen 2 hds screens in the new driveway ornament lol.
 
The best fish finder the guy running the gear...and the guy running the boat....if you can't do either of those well enough to start....to heck with the fish finder.

If I didn't have my sounder I wouldn't mind in the areas I fish. All I would need to know is water depth.
 
fishin_magician said:
The best fish finder the guy running the gear...and the guy running the boat....if you can't do either of those well enough to start....to heck with the fish finder.

If I didn't have my sounder I wouldn't mind in the areas I fish. All I would need to know is water depth.
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I agree for the most part. Most of the fish I’ve caught haven’t shown up on my screen. I do like to know where the bait is though!
 
fishin_magician said:
Depends on what the older unit is and how well it's built and what it is built for.
Both units work together and must compliment eachother.
Garmin is definitely your solution...P66 will suit most people's fancy.
Chirp units are good for target separation and work well in shallow water with the supplied transducers.
Where are you fishing?
If you're in the Lower Strait of Georgia contending with run off, freshet, algae blooms etc....many days even the P66 doesn't cut it. You're trolling around blind.

Airmar P66 at the minimum.
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Depends what day it is hey lol
 
Follow up question...
is your chart plotter basically as good as the map chip you put in it? Will a Lowrance have the same image as a hummingbird/garmin etc if they are each using G2 charts?
 
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