I have an 11' plastic jonboat that i have engineered into a bassin MACHINE. anyway I really want to put a decent fishfinder on it with GPS. I have no experience buying fishfinders as this will be my first one. Im just thinkin that i want one with GPS and if it is feasable to get a nice one around $200. Any ifo would be greatly appreciated!!

My idea of using a GPS depthfinder is to get out in more open water and catching fish, I wouldn't take an 11 foot jon boat out in open water to catch anything, you could wind up drowned.  As to wondering the cost, you wont even get into super cheap ones until $400, much less a good one.

My idea of using a GPS depthfinder is to get out in more open water and catching fish, I wouldn't take an 11 foot jon boat out in open water to catch anything, you could wind up drowned. As to wondering the cost, you wont even get into super cheap ones until $400, much less a good one.

I agree completely with this.  With an 11' jon i imagine you'd be fishing small bodies of water where a GPS really wouldnt be needed.

I figured a GPS is for huge lakes that you can get literally lost on and never mind trying to get to find a pinpointed spot.

How big of a lake/s are you going out on?

As soon as you get 100 yrds of of a shore line a GPS is usefull, but the sonar is much more important.  A nice sonar should run $150+ and they dont make a $50 GPS yet.

I do understand about going into deeper water with my jonboat... I tried it. So i will stay close to the shore but i still want to be able to see cover, underwater islands, underwater points, and anything else that mite be helpful on the botom. i do take the boat out in water up to 12' and 15' deep so some sort of depth finder would help a lot. as for the GPS, i wanted it to mark spots on lakes and streams that i often fish but i understand if memory is the best option for that. any suggestions?

I do understand about going into deeper water with my jonboat... I tried it. So i will stay close to the shore but i still want to be able to see cover, underwater islands, underwater points, and anything else that mite be helpful on the botom. i do take the boat out in water up to 12' and 15' deep so some sort of depth finder would help a lot. as for the GPS, i wanted it to mark spots on lakes and streams that i often fish but i understand if memory is the best option for that. any suggestions?

depth of your water plays no role in it assuming you can swim and have a life jacket.  Open water is the big deal.  You don't want some idiot flying past you pushing out a wake thats going to send you flying.  Having a gps depth finder doesn't seem like it would do you a flip of good in my opinion, they arent all that good until you are talking about large open water that you can't easily just float over and find yourself.  But do let me offer up this advice.  If you don't have a depthfinder and you fish alot of different lakes that go up to 10-12 or more feet deep then you do want a depth finder.  If you just fish one lake then pass on it, you will learn the spot's quick enough if thats all you fish.  If you only want to mark spot's then just get a cheap handheld gps, you will find it to be cheaper, and possibly better for you.  For the price of these gps depthfinders now, you can buy you a lot bigger boat than what your currently in!  

to wrap up what I was originally saying....I wouldn't dare be out in your size boat on any lake that is large enough that they even make a lake map for your graph.  So if you get the notion to go out and get one, do make sure that your lake comes on the lake map software (oh by the way, theres enough $100)

I do understand about going into deeper water with my jonboat... I tried it.

    -I meant that i have found out about it being a bad idea. I was out on it for the second time when a few winds came all the sudden and almost turned me over!!!!

OK. So you dont think it's worth it for me to get a fishfinder or a sonar. Im not immediately disagreeing with you but I figured it'd help me find good bass cover in 12-15 feet but more importantly eliminate spots on the lake where no cover exists. If this isn't the right strategy, what do you suggest?

I'd pick up a standard fish finder and then get a hand held GPS unit. You can then use the fish finder to locate cover/structure and mark it with the GPS. You can get a decent ff for around $100 and a GPS for about the same.

I do understand about going into deeper water with my jonboat... I tried it.

    -I meant that i have found out about it being a bad idea. I was out on it for the second time when a few winds came all the sudden and almost turned me over!!!!

OK. So you dont think it's worth it for me to get a fishfinder or a sonar. Im not immediately disagreeing with you but I figured it'd help me find good bass cover in 12-15 feet but more importantly eliminate spots on the lake where no cover exists. If this isn't the right strategy, what do you suggest?

how many acres or miles of shoreline are the lakes your fishing?

I live in Omaha, NE and the lakes I fish are between 200 and 320 acres. I have found that 100 yards out from shore is managable. right now when Im out there, I use jigs and crank baits to get a feel for the bottom but a lot of my time is taken up by searching especially when It takes me half hour-45min to figure out there's no structure where im at.

Get a depth finder.  If visibility is only 3 ft then anytime you are deeper than 3 ft it is extremely useful.  

The fact that you rarely venture more than 100 yrds off of a weed line / shore meens that you can fairly accurately judge your position.  A GPS would be helpful for logging spots, but as long as you can remember the spot you will quickly find it again with the depth finder and looking at the shore line.  

Will,

I do agree one option is to get a decent locator and a handheld GPS.  I also know alot of the lakes you fish and know that most of their maps are available on the Navionics South chip.  Zorinsky, Wherspan, and Walnut are all on the chip.  One of the least exspensive units you could get that would be compatible with the Navionics chips would be the Eagle Fish Elite 642 iGPS.  It runs about $550.  Then you would add another 100 - 150 dollars depending on whether it's an '07 or '08 chip.  

What I would do in your situation is this:

I would probably buy an Eagle Fishmark 480, which I think is a great locator for the money ($200).  I would then get either a Lowrance iFinder H2O ($169), or an H2Oc ($269), both of which are compatible with the Navionics chips ($99).  Then you're set.  You could save waypoints, find dropoffs etc. faster, and locate fish.  

Hope this helps,

Jay

look at BPS they have one for 300 somethin

I'm probably going to get ripped for this, but here goes anyway.  Cuda 168 from Wal Mart.  CHEAP, no GPS, CHEAP, decent sonar for the price, most importantly on a small boat that you don't have or want a lot of money tied up in....CHEAP!  I used one for 2 years before I finally bought a "real" boat and upgraded to Lowrance.  I'm not suggesting that a fishfinder is not important.  It is.  I'm just giving you an option that will save you some bucks and is very simple to operate.  You can buy one for about $80 and nearly have enough left for a cheaper handheld GPS.  My solution to GPS was to use Microsoft Streets and Trips on my laptop in the boat.  The software with a GPS locator is only about $100.  There is a fishfinder and GPS for less than $200.  Assuming you have a laptop.  PS  laptops don't like water. :'(

The laptop GPS solution is a creative one but a little too risky for the likes of me. as for your walmart fishfinder...hey, my tacklebox is has dozens of lures and other bassin necessities in it; my fishing career began with a pole from wally world so you wont catch me knockin it. I appreciate all the suggestions and tips guys. keep em comin.