fish finder for OK trident prowler t13

I am ready to step up my game after many years of fishing by braile and get a sonar gps combo fishfinder but dont know where to start . would really appreciate some advice I also need a vhf beings I spend a lot of time offshore and am now taking my 12 yr old with me for safety reasons. thanks

Your budget would be the place to start. Once you know what you're willing to spend, then start comparing units. Hummingbird and Lowrance are the most popular brands, and Garmin popularity is on the rise as well. They all make good products typically starting around $300'ish for a combo unit. I'm a Hummingbird guy and use the 597 HD CI DI (I think those were the letters). I also own a 383CI, and a 365I. Color isn't necessary, but nice to have. And if you want down imaging, make sure you can switch between your DI and regular 2D sonar. They both have their place, but if I had to pick between full time DI or 2D, I'd stick with 2D. DI is really nice to have when bottom fishing structure though!

Hope this helps to get the ball rolling

around $300.00 do you have a special transducer for your kayak I found a lowrance elite 4 HDI on sale for 180.00 transducer included plus it has internal GPS

No special Xducer required. What comes with it stock is all you need. Use the search function here on NWKA for Xducer mounting options/instructions. If it's the chart plotter with both 2D and Down Imaging, $180 sounds like a smoking deal!

If you want to mount your transducer in the scupper hole pocket in your Trident, be sure to get the transducer which is designed for that pocket.  Humminbird makes transducers designed for the Trident's scupper hole pocket; I don't know if other brands of fish finder produce a transducer for the Trident.

The kind of fishing you like to do determines which fish finder features you will find helpful.  If you tend to fish close to shore, shore features will help you return to fishing spots, and GPS may not be helpful.  But if you fish away from shore, GPS is extremely useful, and will help you return to underwater features or to fish which you saw on your sonar.  I don't find down imaging very helpful, but if you fish in relatively shallow water with a lot of underwater vegetation, logs, and other features, it may help you.  Side scan sonar transducers have to be mounted below the level of the keel of a boat or kayak, or behind the stern of a boat or kayak, which means that if you want a fish finder with side scan capability, you'll probably need to mount the transducer on a boom which hangs over the side of your Trident.

All great suggestions mentioned, however there are a couple caveats... I have the 597 HD CI DI on my Trident 13 also, and have learned a lot along the way.

1. A Humminbird DI transducer will not fit in the scupper pocket built into the Trident. only the 2D transducer that is meant for kayak mounting will.
2. If you do the foam puck installation you will lose temperature accuracy. (may not be a deal breaker for your use.)
3. I have had a significant amount of trouble with getting a good reading through-hull with the DI.
(With consideration of 1-3 above I have since gone to a deployment arm on my Trident and not looked back since).
4. The location of the "Sonar Shield" of the Trident is out of arms reach. Too far to be of any useful convenience for fiddling with all the features of a full featured combo FF. Consider different mounting options.

On your VHF question, go with what your budget will allow, but I would strongly encourage the "floating" type.

3. I have had a significant amount of trouble with getting a good reading through-hull with the DI.
(With consideration of 1-3 above I have since gone to a deployment arm on my Trident and not looked back since).
4. The location of the "Sonar Shield" of the Trident is out of arms reach. Too far to be of any useful convenience for fiddling with all the features of a full featured combo FF. Consider different mounting options.

My Humminbird 597 ci HD DI transducer is mounted in the transducer pocket on my 13' Revolution.  I'm real happy with the performance of the regular sonar, but haven't been impressed by the performance of the down imaging feature, and have been wondering if the lackluster performance is because the transducer is in the pocket.  If anybody else has mounted a down imaging transducer in a Hobie transducer pocket, how has it worked for you?

I also own a 13' Trident, and agree with Browneyesvictim's comment about the inconvenience of the Trident's sonar shield as a place to mount a fish finder.  You have to slide forward in your seat and reach in front of your feet in order to operate your fish finder.  As a result, it's harder to see the screen, and you may not make full use of your fish finder's features.  On my Revolution, I have my fish finder mounted next to my knee, and am way happier with that location.