Portable sonars?

[trigger7mm]

I am looking to get a portable sonar unit for my car topper boat. Can anybody please give me some advice as to which ones might be a good choice. I just need something for when I'm fishing small pothole lakes. Thanks for your help.

[Landlocked_Newfie]

I just picked up a Lowrance 4x CHIRP. I've been using a Garmin 100 fish finder since 2001. For mounting your transducer on car topper boats, mount it to a strip of plywood and a c clamp to hold it. My boat is a fold-a-boat. It works great. This year I'll run the Lowrance on it. Easy on easy off. Powered by trolling motor battery of forget to charge smaller ones. To mount screen I've mounted on my Garmin Box, but a small size cooler will/would work great. Mount bracket to top, battery inside. May need a couple holes drilled in cooler for the wires.

[Big Red 250]

Google Hummingbird 110 Fishing Buddy. I been using this one for several years now, but it's best to lift it out of the water if moving boat too fast. It's perfect for jigging, drifting and not too hard on batteries. Don't have to drill any holes in the boat or lug heavy batteries around. I like mine as showing depth and bottom composition, is also a side finder. Is adjustable for different depth of boats.

[7magtime]

I have the Eagle Cuda 168 Portable which sounds similar to Big Red's. Nothing too fancy but shows what I need, simple to use and no big battery to haul around(uses AA's)....

[needmoretoys]

get a Humminbird Helix 5 or 7 in the ice pack and just add the suction cup transducer. You then have the best of both worlds.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by needmoretoys

get a Humminbird Helix 5 or 7 in the ice pack and just add the suction cup transducer. You then have the best of both worlds.

100% agree - this is an outstanding unit that has the benefit of having the portable case with battery all ready in it for you to take with you on your small boat for pothole lakes, use it in a camp boat on a trip, and use it when you are ice fishing (with flasher mode).

It also has AUTOCHART, a GPS to locate and re-locate great spots, and a host of other great features that will never leave you feeling like you are missing something.

http://www.humminbird.com/Products/I...X-7-SONAR-GPS/

The smaller, and slighter less expensive Helix 5 is also available.

[RavYak]

Yeah the helix ice pack with another suction cup transducer is one of the better options. If you just want basic sonar you could get the Elite 3X All Season Pack which comes with both the ice transducer and suction cup transducer for under $400.

[needmoretoys]

I have a Helix 5 Ice Pack and actually like it a little better for perch fishing then my Ice 55. both are great units, but liked the GPS, live chart, flasher mode and the ability to use it in the summer too.