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I am going to buy a new sonar and I would like one that will display the depth of my lure for when verticle jigging, etc.
Can anyone make any suggestions? I will be using this ice fishing as well as mounting it on my pontoon.
I was looking at the eagle cuda 240 but don't know if this one has that capability.
thanks.
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if it was me i would get a lowrance X135. in my opinion its one of the best all around finders out there.
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Looks great, only problem is my budget is $200 for the setup. 
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$200 bucks will buy a great finder on ebay.
you saw my finder the garmin 160 the have been discontinued and they have them at walmart for $150 bucks
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Yup, considering getting yours or the new model equivelant actually. Looked to be a good one. 
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If i wask you, i would save my money and get the lowrance x135. I went last year and bought the x125, though i like the 125 and has gotten me into some fish already the 135 has more wattage and some features i wish i had.
Another fish finder i would consider is the x98.
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I agree with Petty and Polo. I got the 135 last year and it's one of the best in the 400 buck range I've seen. Save your pennies and get the 135, you won't be disapointed. I got mine for under 400 on sale. The Garmin is a nice machine too if you have to have one now. Believe me I know how that is, it took all my will power to save a couple extra bucks to get the 135.
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I have an x135 and really like what it can do. I can see a 1/4oz castmaster or spoon at 70 ft easily. Smaller jigs have to be moving to see on the screen or on the flasher.
The only complaint I have about it is the contrast/brightness of the screen - it can really be hard to view on a sunny day and I have messed with the settings a bunch trying to get it better. The old eagle unit I had I could see really well but this unit ........ugh!
My next unit will be the color version with gps. They are a little to pricey right now for me.
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i realy like my marcum flasher i use it ice fishing as well as on o boat and its self contained and i can mark fish faster than the others i fisah with that have other type finders
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[cool] Sure gald to hear the good reports on the x135 as I just had Danzilla mount my new one for me.
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I use an Eagle Fish Easy 2. It is priced for $99 on clearance at Cabelas right now. I can see a 1/16 oz tube jig at 65 ft when you have the sensitivity turned up. When the sensitivity is turned up this high, it gives too much noise. 50 ft is the deepest I can go and see my jig while keeping the noise to a minimum. For Strawberry fishing (usually 20-40 ft), you won't need any more power than the 1200 watts this has. If you will be doing Mac fishing at the Gorge or Fish Lake, this won't be powerful enough for those depths. I have had mine for 3 years and it is very durable, much more than the hummingbird units I have owned. It is substantially better and more accurate than the fishin buddy series from bottom line. Only 2 problems, I couldn't see by jig below 65 ft at fish lake and water sometimes condenses on the inside of the screen when ice fishing. I can still see it, but it makes the screen cloudy. Anyone have a solution for this, besides spending $400 on a Lowrance x135?
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You guys must have been reading my mind. I was chatting (emailing) Tubedude yesterday/today about this very subject. You will get more opinions than you could ever hope to have on fishfinders from people who know just enough to sound like they know everything!
[#ff0000](Hey...I resemble that remark. TIO)[/#ff0000]
CBR, please PM me and I will respond directly to you about my background in sonar theory, etc. You can then make up your mind. I do agree though, using BFT members as field testers is a great way to go!
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CBR-
I've been doing alot of research on this subject for months. I settled in on the Humminbird 565 and I really like the sensitivity of a Vexilar and LCR type benefits combined. Here are my thoughts on the unit and it is $200.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=181596"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=181596[/url]
P.S. The Real Time Window is flat amazing!! [  ]
F4F
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If you are stuck at a $200 budget, consider an eagle fishmark 320 or 480. I have had mine for a year and have been extremely pleased. I can see my baited rat finkie at 62 ft. (the deepest water I have fished) and can see a split shot at 45 ft. It also has the fast track system which gives you "real time" information like a flasher. I got the 320 on close-out but there might still be a few kicking around. The 480 is a very nice unit for the cash too. The only complaint I have had with it on the hard deck is that the first 5-7 ft. shows some interference from the ice, depending on ice thickness.
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Ex,
I had the same problem with mine. I turn the contrast all the way down and the brightness all the way up and it reads great. The thing I keep forgetting to do is turn the auto contrast off. If you don't and it's sunny it's almost impossable to see the screen to make any adjustments. I made that mistake Sat, since I had it out night fishing the night before. I had to take it into the ice house so I could see the screen to make adjustments.
IFG
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I just got a lowrance m68 sonar and gps mapping unit. I can see my jig, my swivel and a single hook with a wax worm on it at 45'.(have not tried deeper yet) Its a color monitor which makes it easier to distingush between fish and lure. It has a multi color flasher for jigging and ice fishing. It has split screen zoom so you can see the whole water colum and zoom in on any portion of the colum(4x zoom) or bottom zoom in flasher mode, side by side. Bottom lock for trolling. And then ad all the map and gps stuff that I really haven't had a chance to play with yet. You can also display sonar and gps mapping side by side.
I've only had a chance to use it a few times on the ice so far, but I've found it easy to read and distinguish between fish types or should I say sizes by the color.
The big drawback is it won't fit your $200 budget. I was looking for a sonar for around $200 and my wife talked me into getting a better unit.(Boy did I do good picking my wife..)
This is my first sonar and I think it was a good choise. It was a lot of money for me to lay out but I'm getting alot for my money.
The one thing I don't like about there map is that Jordanelle is not on the map or list of lakes. I guess you can still plot your waypoints there (ie.dropoffs, ridges, honey holes ect.) but you just won't see a lake picture on your map screen.
Well Thats my two cents worth, for what its worth. I think I'd follow some of the previous advice and save my pennies for a higher end unit.
Well Good luck with your search. I hope I helped
Bigpapafish
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CBR if you have a tight budget the Garman 240 is the one you can know get them for about 189.00 and that is what I use on the gorge to fish deep water I can see a 1/8oz jig in 80ft no proablem hope I helped you desision.later FISHLEY
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Thanks to everyone for all the excellent feedback on sonars. I have gathered all the information given here and have made a cost effective decision that fits all of my needs.
Just ordered the Eagle FishMark 480 with Trolling Motor Transducer & Temperature sensor. Cabelas has a special that includes the sonar, above options and also a portable carrying case for $209.
This one fits my needs and will be compact enough to mount it to my pontoon with ease as well as allow me to move it on a dime.
Cheers!
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I hope that is a good one, because I just had the same model installed on my electric trolling motor (universal sonar) on my boat.
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I have the X125 and can easily see my 1/4 oz jig at 120 feet. I don't see why one would need the extra power of the X135. From what some of the knowledgable locals around here have told me, an old and wise Mac knows when it is being pinged. They can sense it with their lateral line. These guys will not use a finder with more than 800 watts. On their advice I have turned the finder off when I have had a fish on the screen that just wouldn't bite. It seems to work. The fast track feature is really nice. Does the Fishmark 480 have the fast track? Other than the watts of power, the Fishmark appears to be similar to the X125.
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