Need some input on new fishfinder - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

bigbarrels · 06-13-2011, 09:31 PM

hds 5 base model with Fish n Chip is SWEET! Expensive but worth it.........get the price on Anchor Express and print it out and West Marine will match the price and they offer an extended warranty....can't wait to use it in the A.M.

petemaranda · 06-14-2011, 07:31 AM

I bought a Humminbird Piranha Max15 about 7 years ago as my first FF because it was cheap ($85) and I wasn't sure what to do. The thing has take so much abuse over the years and still performs like a champ. Every couple of years, the power cable contacts finally corrode and the power cable (which is separate from the xducer cable) must be replaced for about $15.

Don't know if this is typical for all Humminbird products but this one is a rock. I wish I could turn off the water temp feature but that is the only drawback.

Good luck!

FishinReelDeals · 06-14-2011, 10:04 AM

Thanx to everone for your input. After some research I'm going with the hds 5. I'm sorry to hear the humminbird HD series is not working out to well. Thanks again!

RK · 06-14-2011, 10:06 AM

Awesome "fish finder"....

cowboybill · 06-18-2011, 02:39 PM

I have a HDS 5x, and I love it....

But, I have noticed that my temp is not accurate with a glue in transducer..

and common sense says it cant be accurate that way...

If the sun is out, my temp reading goes up...if it is cloudy, it seems close. What I am getting is an average reading of Hull air temp mixed with transferred water temp.

I have verified this with a mini thermometer.

Point, dont judge the temp unless you have a transducer mounted in the water..

Cowboybill

IB Fish"N" · 06-19-2011, 06:04 AM

I got the Elite 5 and its awsome also.

tagyak · 06-21-2011, 09:52 AM

i just finished using my hummingbird 597 ci hd di. after using it for the third time, i discovered that this isn't so bad after all. i originally paid $579 for it and for me to upgrade to the lowrance hds 5 it would cost a little more.
i was out on the water on sunday and after fiddling around with it i learned that it does work and work well. i saw lots of bait balls and squid too. with the bait saw lots of marks for larger fish.
one thing that i would do different is possibly not get the di. with the di you can't use dual frequency. one of the freq is used by the di, but beyond that it is a good unit, especially for the price.
also their customer service is nice too. you have to wait on the phone for awhile but once you speak to someone they will assist you as best they can. i requested for a new transducer and a new wire management plate. to order this separately it would have cost me $100. i had thought my reading was off, but after sunday i think it works great.

06-13-2011, 09:31 PM	#1
bigbarrels Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Vista Posts: 1,111	hds 5 base model with Fish n Chip is SWEET! Expensive but worth it.........get the price on Anchor Express and print it out and West Marine will match the price and they offer an extended warranty....can't wait to use it in the A.M. __________________ The shorter you are, the bigger your fish appear

06-14-2011, 07:31 AM	#2
petemaranda Junior Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 8	Humminbird I bought a Humminbird Piranha Max15 about 7 years ago as my first FF because it was cheap ($85) and I wasn't sure what to do. The thing has take so much abuse over the years and still performs like a champ. Every couple of years, the power cable contacts finally corrode and the power cable (which is separate from the xducer cable) must be replaced for about $15. Don't know if this is typical for all Humminbird products but this one is a rock. I wish I could turn off the water temp feature but that is the only drawback. Good luck!

06-18-2011, 02:39 PM	#5
cowboybill Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Santee, CA Posts: 103	about Temp I have a HDS 5x, and I love it.... But, I have noticed that my temp is not accurate with a glue in transducer.. and common sense says it cant be accurate that way... If the sun is out, my temp reading goes up...if it is cloudy, it seems close. What I am getting is an average reading of Hull air temp mixed with transferred water temp. I have verified this with a mini thermometer. Point, dont judge the temp unless you have a transducer mounted in the water.. Cowboybill

06-21-2011, 09:52 AM	#7
tagyak Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Alhambra Posts: 506	update on hummingbird 597 i just finished using my hummingbird 597 ci hd di. after using it for the third time, i discovered that this isn't so bad after all. i originally paid $579 for it and for me to upgrade to the lowrance hds 5 it would cost a little more. i was out on the water on sunday and after fiddling around with it i learned that it does work and work well. i saw lots of bait balls and squid too. with the bait saw lots of marks for larger fish. one thing that i would do different is possibly not get the di. with the di you can't use dual frequency. one of the freq is used by the di, but beyond that it is a good unit, especially for the price. also their customer service is nice too. you have to wait on the phone for awhile but once you speak to someone they will assist you as best they can. i requested for a new transducer and a new wire management plate. to order this separately it would have cost me $100. i had thought my reading was off, but after sunday i think it works great.

06-14-2011, 10:04 AM	#3
FishinReelDeals Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: High desert Posts: 130	Thanx to everone for your input. After some research I'm going with the hds 5. I'm sorry to hear the humminbird HD series is not working out to well. Thanks again!

06-14-2011, 10:06 AM	#4
RK Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 736	Awesome "fish finder"....

06-19-2011, 06:04 AM	#6
IB Fish"N" Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chula Vista, CA Posts: 49	I got the Elite 5 and its awsome also.