Hey guys,I'm getting ready to get my first fish finder,I have a budget of $600 and I can get a new Helix 7 Msi (on sale) but I have read this unit requires a bit of know how to get it dailed(i have never really used a fish finder.)The Striker 9sv can be had for around 600.The unit will be going in a paddle kayak on a center pod so it won't in the way of paddling,would you go with the bigger Striker or the 7 inch Helix? Thank you.

I had a Helix 7 Mega SI/DI on my kayak and I loved it. The menus and setup are easier on the helix but I think the Striker might have just a hair better transducer So ease of use or performance? Weigh them both against each other and see what's more important to you.

I had the g3msi helix on my kayak as my first ff. It’s a great unit with awesome imaging. No regrets and I only upgraded when I added live imaging. 

Did you find that it took a lot of "dailing it in" for certain situations?

11 minutes ago, Bassnyak said:

Did you find that it took a lot of "dailing it in" for certain situations?

You really only need to worry about sensitivity and contrast to get good readings. There are a ton of YouTube videos that can put you on the fast track to learning some of the shortcuts. It’s really simple, honestly. 

I've got the Striker 9sv in a jon boat for about 2.5 years now, and it's been a fantastic product thus far.  

Catch a lot of fish using it especially in the winter and fall.   It has a mapping feature that allows you to map smaller lakes with contours, awesome feature.   

 

I think the Helix has better side imaging though.  

2 hours ago, Bassnyak said:

Did you find that it took a lot of "dailing it in" for certain situations?

Not really.  I like to play so I would do that when the fishing was slow.  But for the most part once you find the things you like it is just a little bit of contrast and sensitivity.  If the water is muddy or has a lot of plankton/algae then you up the contrast a little.  Hard rock bottom you might lower sensitivity a little so you’re not blowing out the edges.  If the lakes you fish are a lot of the same type (clean water and rock bottom for instance) you might not have to touch it at all.  Here is a snippet I always use.  the first picture is a crop from the second and even heavily cropped from an older iPhone and compressed to fit this site you can pick out the individual strands of grass in the grass bed.  

 

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

Not really.  I like to play so I would do that when the fishing was slow.  But for the most part once you find the things you like it is just a little bit of contrast and sensitivity.  If the water is muddy or has a lot of plankton/algae then you up the contrast a little.  Hard rock bottom you might lower sensitivity a little so you’re not blowing out the edges.  If the lakes you fish are a lot of the same type (clean water and rock bottom for instance) you might not have to touch it at all.  Here is a snippet I always use.  the first picture is a crop from the second and even heavily cropped from an older iPhone and compressed to fit this site you can pick out the individual strands of grass in the grass bed.  

 

 

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I've got the Striker 9sv in a jon boat for about 2.5 years now, and it's been a fantastic product thus far.  

Catch a lot of fish using it especially in the winter and fall.   It has a mapping feature that allows you to map smaller lakes with contours, awesome feature.   

 

I think the Helix has better side imaging though.  

 On the Striker are you able to play with the settings to get your images clearer if you have to?

Sure I can adjust the setting to clean up the image, but on the default setting it's always great.   I've never felt the need to dial in the clarity, even this time of year with all the pollen in the water.