03-31-2017, 06:48 PM
[#0000FF]Welcome aboard. You sure do gotta lotta questions.
You state that you have no experience with sonar. For that reason I might suggest starting simple and learning as you go. For float tube fishing a lot of the bells and whistles are non-essential extra expense with little added benefit for tubing.
I have probably gone through at least a dozen different sonar models on my float tubes in the past 15 years. Plus, I have fished on quite a few boats with different systems. I don't know it all but I have a pretty good feel for what I want and need...for my style of fishing.
Most tubers and tooners fish in water less than 30-40 feet deep. So a wider cone is better...to give a broader footprint in shallower water. I like the dual cone models with 20 and 60 degree.
Side scan can be a help if you are casting to fish cruising above the bottom...like fly fishing for trout. But if you are fishing for species that stay closer to the bottom the side scan is not as helpful when fishing from a tube. On the other hand, when you are motoring along at slow speed in a boat...looking for fish...the side scan can be very helpful.
Unless I am positioning myself over bottom hugging fish and vertical jigging I seldom see the fish I will be catching on sonar. But I can see at what depth they are holding or cruising so that I can present my bait or lures at the right depth...or keep my tube in the right zone.
The primary info I want to get from my sonar are depth, bottom contour and composition...and temperatures. And, of course, seeing that there are or are not fish present. You can't catch them where they ain't. But finding fish is no guarantee that you will catch them. But the pulses from sonar has never seemed to be a detriment. I catch plenty of fish right under my tube...even in shallow water.
GPS and mapping are good to have...if you want to spend the extra $. These are especially good for learning new waters and for safety...in the event you get stuck in a fog or other impediment to finding your way back. Also helpful if you have a chance to note waypoints of underwater structure during low water periods on your fave pond...or for finding that special spot you clobbered the fish on another trip.
I am using a Humminbird Helix 5 right now...bare bones model. No SI, GPS, etc. It's color, which I like. The display is different than I have used in the past but once I learned to read it I have been happy with it.
If you are going to be packing it in to high lakes, you might want to look at a "Fishing Buddy". They take smaller batteries and are fairly lightweight. You don't want to carry several pounds of battery to power a sonar. And they will give you all the info you need on those small lakes.
Feel free to pop back in with any new questions.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
You state that you have no experience with sonar. For that reason I might suggest starting simple and learning as you go. For float tube fishing a lot of the bells and whistles are non-essential extra expense with little added benefit for tubing.
I have probably gone through at least a dozen different sonar models on my float tubes in the past 15 years. Plus, I have fished on quite a few boats with different systems. I don't know it all but I have a pretty good feel for what I want and need...for my style of fishing.
Most tubers and tooners fish in water less than 30-40 feet deep. So a wider cone is better...to give a broader footprint in shallower water. I like the dual cone models with 20 and 60 degree.
Side scan can be a help if you are casting to fish cruising above the bottom...like fly fishing for trout. But if you are fishing for species that stay closer to the bottom the side scan is not as helpful when fishing from a tube. On the other hand, when you are motoring along at slow speed in a boat...looking for fish...the side scan can be very helpful.
Unless I am positioning myself over bottom hugging fish and vertical jigging I seldom see the fish I will be catching on sonar. But I can see at what depth they are holding or cruising so that I can present my bait or lures at the right depth...or keep my tube in the right zone.
The primary info I want to get from my sonar are depth, bottom contour and composition...and temperatures. And, of course, seeing that there are or are not fish present. You can't catch them where they ain't. But finding fish is no guarantee that you will catch them. But the pulses from sonar has never seemed to be a detriment. I catch plenty of fish right under my tube...even in shallow water.
GPS and mapping are good to have...if you want to spend the extra $. These are especially good for learning new waters and for safety...in the event you get stuck in a fog or other impediment to finding your way back. Also helpful if you have a chance to note waypoints of underwater structure during low water periods on your fave pond...or for finding that special spot you clobbered the fish on another trip.
I am using a Humminbird Helix 5 right now...bare bones model. No SI, GPS, etc. It's color, which I like. The display is different than I have used in the past but once I learned to read it I have been happy with it.
If you are going to be packing it in to high lakes, you might want to look at a "Fishing Buddy". They take smaller batteries and are fairly lightweight. You don't want to carry several pounds of battery to power a sonar. And they will give you all the info you need on those small lakes.
Feel free to pop back in with any new questions.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]