Lowrance Hook-5 vs Raymarine Dragonfly 5PRO - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

goldenglory18 · 03-23-2017, 09:26 AM

Lowrance Hook-5
loaded with Nautic Pro
$299.99

Raymarine Dragonfly 5PRO
loaded with Navionics Plus
$344.95

Discuss.....

TheBentRod · 03-23-2017, 10:49 AM

My preference is the Lowrance for features, but my Hook 5 is glitchy and keeps freezing on the water. The enter button keeps sticking which causes the thing to freeze. I am going to give it one more outing then, I am taking back to WestMarine for a store credit. I may upgrade to a better Lowrance or finally try the Humminbird brand.

The Dragonfly 5 Pro reads the terrain like a champ. No issues with the setup. Stock settings work great.
However the track back feature in Lowrance allows me to find the spots easily and drop in exactly where i saw the structure I want to hit.

MITCHELL · 03-24-2017, 05:36 PM

It locked up on me to....I wish fish marks showed up bigger.

Fishin Phil · 03-26-2017, 04:30 PM

I have a hook 5 and it works great. No problems.

octico · 03-27-2017, 03:09 PM

I really like my DragonFly.

goldenglory18 · 03-27-2017, 04:08 PM

Thanks for the responses.

It seems like the general community is happy with both units. I LOVE the look and feel of the Dragonfly, but the screen seems a lot smaller than 7" (at least it seems smaller than the Lowrance and Humminbird counterparts) and the mounting options arent nearly as yak friendly as the Lowrance.

On the Lowrance front, the issues guys seem to be having arent consistent, which from a manufacturing standpoint is more concerning than all of them having problems.

Again, thanks for the discussion. Keep the comments coming!

GTboosted · 03-27-2017, 04:24 PM

Add me to the list of Lowrance users that is having problems...

My Elite 5 HDI was working fine up until last Saturday. Now it's stuck on the start up screen. I will try to reinstall the software this week.

I wonder if we are experiencing defects or just that our use in a kayak is a bit harsh for them. Mine has been dunked completely in saltwater, and in every trip it gets splashed. Also, it just so happens that most of us have Lowrance so consequently you will see more issues with Lowrance.

GTboosted · 03-29-2017, 09:36 PM

So I updated my unit. Went from version 4 to 6. Dunno if the software did it or a freshly charged battery but it is working fine! Good cause I don't plan on upgrading till next year.

I really want to check out the total scan ducers but I don't think I can chase fish in a kayak so probably not even needed...

MITCHELL · 03-29-2017, 10:33 PM

And tear it open to fish...when I come in I take it off and store in dry box....always disconnect battery no matter what.

Harry Hill · 03-29-2017, 10:36 PM

I bought the Garmin SV 7, once I learn how to work it I think I will like it

goldenglory18 · 08-15-2017, 12:34 PM

I'm bumping this thread since I'm sure more guys have even more experience with the units.

Now I'm between the Lowrance Elite 5 and the Raymarine Dragonfly 7PRO.

Anyone paddling with the Dragonfly 7 feel the unit is too big? I see that its measured at 8" square. That seems like a huge housing height for a kayak, especially if mounting on something like a cellblok or a RAM arm...

da22y · 08-15-2017, 10:55 PM

I had 2 Lowrance Hook 5 died from water damage ( SD card slot) , WM warranty replacement got me to Elite 5 Ti, no water damage so far, but with other issues ( read my other post ).

Really like Hook 5 and Elite 5 Ti when they are functioning good.

Raymarine Dragonfly is much more waterproof than Lowrance , but I don't like the map zooming features, ( can't zoom in or out fine enough).

When they both work, I'll take Lowrance any day.

goldenglory18 · 08-16-2017, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da22y

I had 2 Lowrance Hook 5 died from water damage ( SD card slot) , WM warranty replacement got me to Elite 5 Ti, no water damage so far, but with other issues ( read my other post ).

Really like Hook 5 and Elite 5 Ti when they are functioning good.

Raymarine Dragonfly is much more waterproof than Lowrance , but I don't like the map zooming features, ( can't zoom in or out fine enough).

Great to know. I've had great experience with the Lowrance products I've had before, but I've also heard the same experiences from a lot of folks on their recent products.

Quote:

Originally Posted by da22y

When they both work, I'll take Lowrance any day.

That's a hell of a caveat. LOL

goldenglory18 · 08-16-2017, 02:45 PM

I decided to go with a Raymarine Dragonfly 7Pro that I got a heck of a deal on fleabay.

I'll keep everyone posted on how it works out. If I dont like it, I'll have a very lightly used Raymarine Dragonfly 7Pro up for sale. LOL

03-23-2017, 09:26 AM	#1
goldenglory18 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 861	Lowrance Hook-5 vs Raymarine Dragonfly 5PRO Lowrance Hook-5 loaded with Nautic Pro $299.99 Raymarine Dragonfly 5PRO loaded with Navionics Plus $344.95 Discuss.....

03-23-2017, 10:49 AM	#2
TheBentRod Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Murrieta, CA and Bonney Lake, WA Posts: 425	I have both My preference is the Lowrance for features, but my Hook 5 is glitchy and keeps freezing on the water. The enter button keeps sticking which causes the thing to freeze. I am going to give it one more outing then, I am taking back to WestMarine for a store credit. I may upgrade to a better Lowrance or finally try the Humminbird brand. The Dragonfly 5 Pro reads the terrain like a champ. No issues with the setup. Stock settings work great. However the track back feature in Lowrance allows me to find the spots easily and drop in exactly where i saw the structure I want to hit.

03-24-2017, 05:36 PM	#3
MITCHELL Sea Hunter Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Where ever I may roam where I lay my head I call home. Posts: 2,277	I have a hook 5 too last time out It locked up on me to....I wish fish marks showed up bigger. __________________ Duke Mitchell

03-26-2017, 04:30 PM	#4
Fishin Phil Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 288	I have a hook 5 and it works great. No problems. __________________ God, Family, Your Health, You're Fishing.

03-27-2017, 04:24 PM	#7
GTboosted Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Lake Balboa, The Valley Posts: 425	Add me to the list of Lowrance users that is having problems... My Elite 5 HDI was working fine up until last Saturday. Now it's stuck on the start up screen. I will try to reinstall the software this week. I wonder if we are experiencing defects or just that our use in a kayak is a bit harsh for them. Mine has been dunked completely in saltwater, and in every trip it gets splashed. Also, it just so happens that most of us have Lowrance so consequently you will see more issues with Lowrance. __________________ -Beto

03-27-2017, 03:09 PM	#5
octico Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: The city of Orange Posts: 1,278	I really like my DragonFly.

03-27-2017, 04:08 PM	#6
goldenglory18 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 861	Thanks for the responses. It seems like the general community is happy with both units. I LOVE the look and feel of the Dragonfly, but the screen seems a lot smaller than 7" (at least it seems smaller than the Lowrance and Humminbird counterparts) and the mounting options arent nearly as yak friendly as the Lowrance. On the Lowrance front, the issues guys seem to be having arent consistent, which from a manufacturing standpoint is more concerning than all of them having problems. Again, thanks for the discussion. Keep the comments coming!

03-29-2017, 09:36 PM	#8
GTboosted Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Lake Balboa, The Valley Posts: 425	So I updated my unit. Went from version 4 to 6. Dunno if the software did it or a freshly charged battery but it is working fine! Good cause I don't plan on upgrading till next year. I really want to check out the total scan ducers but I don't think I can chase fish in a kayak so probably not even needed... __________________ -Beto

03-29-2017, 10:33 PM	#9
MITCHELL Sea Hunter Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Where ever I may roam where I lay my head I call home. Posts: 2,277	I tape a plastic bag over the top of my graph when I launch..... And tear it open to fish...when I come in I take it off and store in dry box....always disconnect battery no matter what. __________________ Duke Mitchell

03-29-2017, 10:36 PM	#10
Harry Hill Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Yucaipa, CA Posts: 1,136	I bought the Garmin SV 7, once I learn how to work it I think I will like it __________________ you can't eat it if you release it

08-15-2017, 12:34 PM	#11
goldenglory18 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 861	I'm bumping this thread since I'm sure more guys have even more experience with the units. Now I'm between the Lowrance Elite 5 and the Raymarine Dragonfly 7PRO. Anyone paddling with the Dragonfly 7 feel the unit is too big? I see that its measured at 8" square. That seems like a huge housing height for a kayak, especially if mounting on something like a cellblok or a RAM arm...

08-15-2017, 10:55 PM	#12
da22y Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 265	I had 2 Lowrance Hook 5 died from water damage ( SD card slot) , WM warranty replacement got me to Elite 5 Ti, no water damage so far, but with other issues ( read my other post ). Really like Hook 5 and Elite 5 Ti when they are functioning good. Raymarine Dragonfly is much more waterproof than Lowrance , but I don't like the map zooming features, ( can't zoom in or out fine enough). When they both work, I'll take Lowrance any day.

08-16-2017, 02:45 PM	#14
goldenglory18 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 861	I decided to go with a Raymarine Dragonfly 7Pro that I got a heck of a deal on fleabay. I'll keep everyone posted on how it works out. If I dont like it, I'll have a very lightly used Raymarine Dragonfly 7Pro up for sale. LOL