Recently bought a new (to me) boat and I've used it enough to know I'm going to keep it for a while. Got all the little issues sorted out, time to put electronics on it.

I'd prefer not to break the bank but want FFS on the bow and side scan at the console. I don't need giant screens, just something to find my way around new bigger lakes I now have access to and help find some offshore bites. Budget around 2k, but I could go 2500 if I wanted.

For the bow unit, is the Lowrance eagle eye 9 any good? how much of a disparity is there between it and the flagship FFS units out there that cost much more?

For the console, I'm debating the Lowrance Elite FS 7 vs the Eagle TS 9." Seems like bigger screen vs clearer image to me, with the bigger screen being slightly less expensive.

It appears that you have made up your mind so just go for it.

The Eagle Eye 9 is a pretty good basic version of live sonar, but just keep in mind that the beam is not as wide as it would be with Garmin livescope or Lowrance active target. Also, the eagle eye 9 bundle is only compatible with the transducer that comes with; not interchangeable.

The really nice features of the eagle eye 9 are that it also comes standard with GPS mapping and 2D sonar. So it's kind of a nice all-in-one package at a very reasonable price point. Without having to worry about the "black box" too. It's basically just plug n play.

For the console, you didn't say if you intended to flush mount the graph or not. Some consoles have a limited space for that. If not, then just go with the bigger screen.