fish finder on float tube

[salty fly 0]

I am going to put a fish finder on my tube, I really dont want to spend more than a 100 bucks or so. I kinda was looking at lowrance x-4. let me know what you think,if you are using one? what kind? does it help you get on fish? I never used a fish finder before, so I dont really know what I need to be looking for.

[Piker20 0]

A fish finder imo wont find fish. By that I mean you see fish symbols on the screen but these don't always equal fish. The echo finder IS good for showing depth, ledges, drop offs, creek beds. In other words fish holding features. If you fish a large water I recommend using a map of the venue a4 size, overlaid with acetate and you can use the overhead marker pens to note the features and mark where you hook fish. This helps you to link features to fish which will find you fish on other waters. To my mind you need your sounder to have a depth range appropriate to the venue you fish, you don't need to measure the pacific trough! And the wider the beam the more you take in at a pass. It is worth going out in your boat just to map features the first time so that you are not watching a screen and trying to steer and fish, that's how you run into the land!

[salty fly 0]

Ya thats what I am looking. To do.find the structure,temp, fish holding spots, trees, ya know. The lake I fish is not supper deep.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

What with water hazards ('gators, crocs, and sharks...) float tubes aren't very popular down here in south Florida.... If you do mount a depth sounder on your float tube will you please take a photo and post it here. Might be a good idea to take that picture before your maiden voyage....

[Piker20 0]

LOL. I know there are mounts available. This is one link to check out http://www.floattubefanatics.com/

[Peterjay 0]

What with water hazards ('gators, crocs, and sharks...) float tubes aren't very popular down here in south Florida.... If you do mount a depth sounder on your float tube will you please take a photo and post it here. Might be a good idea to take that picture before your maiden voyage....

 

ROFLMAO

[Phish 0]

I highly recommend hummingbird PMax 175. It a much better unit.

[salty fly 0]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Phish" data-cid="546984" data-time="1365366739"><p>

I highly recommend hummingbird PMax 175. It a much better unit.</p></blockquote>I was looking. At that also, have you used the hummingbirds pmax 175

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

I have a hummingbird portable I use ice fishing it works great

[Poopdeck 0]

Cheapie fish finders are not worth the money. Usually the resolution is so poor you can't see nothing on the screen on a sunny day. Shading them don't help much either.

[JSzymczyk 0]

I have a Lowrance Elite 4 but at the moment the exact model escapes me. It is color display with the GPS system. I have it in my kayak, don't know how much stuff you'd want to hang on a float tube before it just becomes cumbersome.

 

The unit is outstanding. Don't waste your money on a B/W display, get one with color. It is visible in direct sunlight. On many occasions found FISH with mine and caught them. Here is a screen shot of some bluegills I found while drifting in a local lake last summer- open water, middle of the lake, saw the fish and cleaned up on them. Got to remember that you won't see the nice little fish returns on your finder unless you are moving at a pretty good speed. Got to learn what you are looking for.

 

 

[Phish 0]

While color FF are super nice but you do not really need it to locate contours and structures. B/W will do its job so if money is not a problem get one.

 

The PMax is a good unit without spending to much money. I had the 170 on my Tarpon and the 175 is the newer unit that replaces it. So far I had a crap load of problems with my Lowrance unit and frankly it sucks and will be picking up a Hummingbird unit.

[ditz2 0]

What with water hazards ('gators, crocs, and sharks...) float tubes aren't very popular down here in south Florida.... If you do mount a depth sounder on your float tube will you please take a photo and post it here. Might be a good idea to take that picture before your maiden voyage....

 

 

hehehehehahaha......It takes the worry out of snapping turtles though

[mikechell 0]

What with water hazards ('gators, crocs, and sharks...) float tubes aren't very popular down here in south Florida.... If you do mount a depth sounder on your float tube will you please take a photo and post it here. Might be a good idea to take that picture before your maiden voyage....

 

 

hehehehehahaha......It takes the worry out of snapping turtles though

Oh yeah ... and the Alligator Snapping Turtles ... with coffee can sized heads and mouths that can engulf your whole hand ...

 

But I float tube here in Central Florida all the time. No need for depth finders here since "deep" water is 12 feet or so. Most of the water covered by float tube is cover fishing, not structure fishing. To find structure, a simple flasher unit work very well, if you know how to read it.

I think the cheap little "fishing buddy" hand held would work okay just to find structure, since you don't cover massive amounts of water from a tube, the search area won't be worth a lot of money. And the first time you drop it in the water, you'll be less heart sick.