Has anyone here any experience with the portable fishfinder called 'fishin buddy' ?  I have a 14' jon boat and can't seem to catch any fish out of so thought if I had a finder it might help.  Don't want to install a permanent one.  Just wondering if anybody knows about these.

I have a fishinbuddy 4200 by bottom line. Humminbird bought the line.

It works just as well as a regular depth finder. I use it often. A big plus is I can move it between boats.

I have an old, Bottom Line Fishin' Buddy as well. FB II, maybe? It takes 3 or 4 big D batteries but they last pretty long. Had it on my float boat and took it on a little aluminum a few times. It's all I've ever had, so I can't compare, but I can't complain either. It gives accurate depth and temp stats. Mine has the Side Imaging too. I don't think it's ever helped me catch a fish, but it's kind of cool to shoot it under a dock and see what it tells you. Although it clamps on very tight, I've never used it while motoring. But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for a small boat, especially if you want something moveable. However, I wouldn't count landing more fish because of it. It's not so much a fish finder as a temp and bottom contour finder.

Thanks for the replys.  I am going to try to locate a dealer and see about getting one of these, one with the side viewer.  I don't expect to be able to catch any more fish but perhaps I will be able to tell if there are any there.

Thanks again.

The horizonal sonar is called Side Finder and is nothing like Side Imaging. I had the full size version of the Bottomline Side Finder on one of my former boats.

HA! Pardon me. It is nothing like the new Hummingbird Side Imaging sonar. That's for sure! The Fishin' Buddy is the plastic flashlight you might find in the checkout isle at auto parts store. The Side Imaging units would be the stainless steel high-intensity discharge Xenon lamp that lights up a squirrel a mile away. But hey, either one will get you to the bathroom in the middle of the night, right?

Check eBay prices against your dealer prices too. There's always a bunch to find there.

They are a good portable fish finder, but more of a depth finder than a fish finder.  Great for what you are talking about, I use one on my 10 ft pelican.  Its also nice to take ice fishing with you.  If you turn the sensitivity up you can sometimes locate fish in your hole with it, but its not as sensitive or clear as some other screen may be.

I had one with my 12' Aluminum before I got my bass boat and it was a big help and I really enjoyed it.  It mounts easily and secures tight and the batteries last a long time.  It really helped me in fishing the right depth for the time of year and gave me an idea of the bottom structure.