Great Lakes Fishing
New Locator, Please Help!
4/23/13 @ 7:01 PM
I have between $700-$1000 to spend on a new locataor and would really appreciate some help/advice on which one to get. I mainly fish lake michigan and need it for marking fish, baitfish and marking waypoints. So basically a fishfinder and chartplotter all in one. Ive checked out Lowrances Elite 7 and I like what I see but are there better? Maybe a Hummingbird or Garmin? Please give me some feedback on what you would get if you were in my shoes. Thanks and good luck this year, it's getting real close!
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I have had Lowrance units and liked them --- UNTIL I needed customer service.. Because of that when I was ready to purchase a new - large screen type unit - I went with Humminbird.. Their customer service is very good and their units are as well....858 HD DI.. and 958 HD SI... and the lakemaster chips are ultra detailed....When I was looking to buy someone from L/L suggested http://www.universalmania.com/ -- they have good pricing..
Friends dont let friends do Lowrance.
been using my Elite 7 HDI for a few weeks now and switched from my Lowrance LCX15 and I love this unit. very vivid and crisp screen. super sensitive and picks up all fish! go with Navionics plat plus great lakes for a card as I bought the lakeinsight pro 13 and not very good for Lk Mich. 
get a slightly older model used....get a bigger screen....for less.
color and biggest screen you can afford would be my suggestions...i think lowrance, garmin and hummingbird all make good locators for lake michigan...as others have said....you don't need side imaging IMO.
i have always run lowrance with no issues but i know others that run the other type of locators and love them also.
Down and side imaging on the Great Lakes is does not help a lot. Traditional sonar marks fish better. DI just shows small white dots as fish, not very easy to see while fishing. DI is good for showing bottom structure but you don't fish the bottom when salmon fishing. The big screen is good for GPS and 2D sonar.
I was the same way only having about 1000 to spend. After a lot of research and talking with reps. I picked the Elite 7 HDI and love it. I think the structure scan works pretty good so far. Picked up rocks, standing weeds and tree branches on the lakes and rivers I have been on so far.
I have a Lowrance HDS Gen 2 that I really like. Next year I plan on adding the structure scan so I can get the side imaging. I think that would be nice out there to see if there are fish off to the sides that I should try to turn around and make another run at. I was thinking of getting the Elite 7 HDI but don't think the down imaging is quite as crisp as that with the structure scan on the HDS. The HDI also doesn't have any side imaging option. Humminbird makes some nice units as well. IMO the regular sonar on the Lowrance is a touch better and the down imaging on the Humminbird is a little better. Just my thoughts.
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