Hello! I am looking at getting my first fish finder for my kayak, my budget is kind of flexible, I want to spend around $300.

I mainly bass fish in lakes.

I have been looking at Lawrence and Raymarine. I wanted a Humminbird at first, but I do not like that they don't have "real" down imaging. My friend has been giving me **** and just telling me to get a humminbird or lowrance because those are the best, but he has never even heard of raymarine. 

The ray marine I was looking at has the frequencies as "CHIRP 170-230; Down Vision: 320-380", but from research, that doesn't seem like the best for shallow/lake fishing right?

Also, Gander Mtn has a really good deal on an Elite 5 HDI, but it does not have CHIRP. How important is that for the type of fishing I do?

Thank you, any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

 

Your looking has been incomplete.

Humminbird's DI units have Down Imaging just like the Raymarine DownVision, Garmin DownVu, and Lowrance Down Scan HDI have.

Depending on the display size, you can get a Humminbird DI unit with or without GPS. All the DI units have dual beam 2D sonar also.

Most of the Humminbird Side Imaging units do not have dedicated Down Imaging. The ONIX and ION do.

The down looking imaging is just as restricted as 2D sonar is in shallow water. Even more so since an imaging pulse is very thin front to back and wide to the sides. 2D sonar pulses are a somewhat inverted cone shape.

Two of my Humminbird units have 2D CHIRP, I don't use it.

 

 

Get the HB Helix. Best in that price range

i just picked up a Lowrance Hook 4 with a $50 rebate , i think that deal ended recently but they are now offering a free lake or Nordic Insight chart card if that works for you 

http://lr.factoryoutletstore.com/cat/68405/Lowrance-HOOK-4-Series-Fishfinders.html