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I am looking into upgrading my electronics and only spend about $700 on a new combo. So far, I am leaning towards the Lowrance Elite 7HDI. Does anyone have good or bad things to say about this machine? What machine would you prefer in this price range? Your feedback will be greatly considered in my purchase.

MIAcanes44 wrote:I am looking into upgrading my electronics and only spend about $700 on a new combo. So far, I am leaning towards the Lowrance Elite 7HDI. Does anyone have good or bad things to say about this machine? What machine would you prefer in this price range? Your feedback will be greatly considered in my purchase.

I would deffinately consider the Garmin 740S. I have the unit on my boat and it has been great. Very easy to use and the preloaded maps provide great detail. The 740s can be bought new in your price range now that Garmin is phasing this model out and replacing them with the 741XS.

I beleive you would have to purchase the Lowrance Navionics Gold card to have the same map features that are standard on the Garmin.

Maybe I should add that I mostly fish inshore and the rivers.

MIAcanes44 wrote:Maybe I should add that I mostly fish inshore and the rivers.

I exclusively fish inshore. To me a good chart is more important than the fishfinder features. In 2' of water a fishfinder is not much help. However, having a good chart that allows you to plan safe routes through skinny, rocky water alleviates some concerns of loosing a lower unit. The more detail that is in the chart the better, as you can avoid oyster bars and other navigational hazards.

Thank you Squirm88. I agree with you about having a good chart and that is the main reason for wanting to upgrade.

I personally like the Lowrance and yes, you would need the Gold Navionics chip. I think the Lowrance reads better in shallow water, but I guess you use your eyes for that too.

I have had one of these units for six months and I am very happy with it. I would get the navionics gold for sure.

Here is another vote for the Lowrance. I have the Elite 5 DSI model and have had it read down to .7/.8 feet while drifting and while running I think maybe between 1.5-1.7'.

I bought my Elite-7 with navionics gold and DSI earlier this year. I love the features, but the DSI leaves something to be desired on the flats. It worked great while looking for deep water brush piles on the Tennessee River, but in shallow water you can hang it up. It also works well while under way, which was a huge must for me, but transducer placement is crucial.

I like the garmin. Charts included, nothing else to buy, and I prefer the built in antennae.

Thanks everyone. I believe I am going to go with the Elite 7. I like the Garmin 740s but at $799 without transducer that is a little more than I want to spend. You can get a mail in rebate for either $100 or $200 at Bass Pro for Lowrance products and that pretty much buys the Navionics gold.

I think you will really like it. I got the Elite 5 Gold DSI recently and I'm amazed by the detail on the fish finder and gps chart. I find it more useful for bottom fishing or deeper water river or lake fishing but then that's true of all fish finders. The cone of a fish finder in less than five feet of water is only about the size of a five gallon bucket. On Lake Seminole I was amazed at how well it did show the hydrilla in shallow water. I could easily tell the bottom from the plants and at what depth the stems went from a solid mass to just scattered stalks floating above. Once I got out on the Flint and Chattahoochee areas the channel ledges and humps and any timber looked like a video of the bottom instead of just blobs on a screen. Pretty amazing!
I've used it once bottom fishing in 90 feet and it did a good job showing the bottom and finding the small artificial reefs. You'll get much better readings running under 8 mph but mine worked when I ran it up to about 45 mph but I'm sure it's not going to show any finer detail at those speeds. The GPS charts with the gold card are excellent.

If you want to fish offshore, in unfamiliar waters, get something that is compatible with Navionics chart data. That technology can make a new comer into an "efficient fisherman" in most new areas.

That technology will "show you/lead you" to where to spend about 10 mins looking, then drop heavy leads, try a drift, and see what's home. Nothing? Then move on to the next plot. You can plot all those new "fishin holes" at home, in the peace and quiet, minus all the distractions of 2-4' seas and 50 degree weather! That is amazing technology.......especially if you did it the hard way 30yrs ago. Navionics will show a sharp 3,4 5,6.... 15' rise in 25-200'. Trust me, that's hard bottom if: it's in over 25 ft, rises 2' or 3+', and is over six miles from shore.

As for recorders/fish finders, transducer location is paramount, Regardless if it is a $300, $400, $600 recorder/fish finder It should perform at 25knts, just as well as 5 knts. The view will be compressed due the speed, but it should show what is down there regardless of any reasonable speed.

If you would like, send me a pm. Retired salt water fishermen.