I recently bought a new Tracker 1648 Side console with a 40 hp on the back and am looking to accessorize it...

I've never owned a fish finder so I don't even know where to begin...thats where you guys come in?

As features go, I don't have the slightest clue as to what I ought to be looking for in a unit(s) or what a good budget to have is??

Any recommendations?! Thanks!

Google is your friend. Research, research, and more research. 

Fish finders is a term that dates back into the 60's for flashers, a sonar device that could  deterime the bottom depth suspended objects underwater within the signal area.

Today's sonar units can be a simple digital LED display of the old flashers to scanning sonar units with biult in GPS features that track your location with memory.

What do you want the unit to do? What is your budget?

Tom

I don't own one yet but I have two suggestions.

 

#1) Hit up YouTube to find some videos on how to read a fish finder. Bassresource and others have some videos you'll probably find helpful.

#2) Hit up your local Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas and toy around with the display models and see what you like. When I add a fish finder next year, I'm probably going with a Garmin because while they do not offer the best picture quality and might not even have a single feature that stands above the rest, I find they are so easy to use that it makes up for it (and the price is right in the BPS spring sale too)

You really need to do some research and get some hands on.  The bigger the screen the easier they are on you.  A gps opens a whole new world so research that also.  The flea market here has good deal when guys are trading up.

They are all easy to use if you spend a little bit of time with them. I use birds but can easily dial in my buddy’s Lowrance graphs.  Unless you are barely using them, stick to main features outside of ease of use is my opinion. 

Just now, MittenMouth said:

They are all easy to use if you spend a little bit of time with them. I use birds but can easily dial in my buddy’s Lowrance graphs.  Unless you are barely using them, stick to main features outside of ease of use is my opinion. 

Right, I would ultimately learn whatever I get but having a nice UI is valuable.

West Marine is running a sale on Garmin units, might want to check those out. I love mine.

On May 2, 2020 at 5:38 AM, Kyle S said:

I recently bought a new Tracker 1648 Side console with a 40 hp on the back and am looking to accessorize it...

I've never owned a fish finder so I don't even know where to begin...thats where you guys come in?

As features go, I don't have the slightest clue as to what I ought to be looking for in a unit(s) or what a good budget to have is??

Any recommendations?! Thanks!

It's been over 3 weeks since you started this thread, what have you learned?

Tom

I just put a humminbird helix5 SI gps on my boat and love it. It was the cheapest unit I could find that had side imaging, ability to load maps, and down imaging plus the regular sonar and charting. It’s not a big screen obviously but I’ll take a smaller graph with good side imaging any day over a larger screen without it. Got mine for 499, definitely worth the money imo.