good starter fish/depth finder for kayak?

I bought the Hummingbird Piranhamax 215, but wish I had sprung for the Eagle Cuda 350 S/Map. GPS is a handy tool.

http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/servlet/the-67/Eagle-Cuda-350-S-fdsh-Map/Detail

I personally own a Garmin FF/GPS map plotter.  It was pretty pricey even when I picked it up on E-bay, but I find that in our waters that the on-screen map is no gimmick but a nearly indispensible tool.  When you're out on the salt water, those waters are BIG.  And if you get out more than say 1/2 mile (all the time), all the land masses start looking like they run together... is that the island or just a hill that comes down to the water?

I know that a lot of guys have been really happy with the different Hummingbird machines, mostly because of resolution I think.  I have to admit that I'm not to familiar with their different models though.  But with just a glance at that Cuda-350, I have to tell you that it looks like one heck of a bargain for a FF combined with a mapping GPS at just over $200.  One thing that you might think about in your selection will be that the GPS together with sonar will run down your battery a lot quicker than just sonar alone.  But to me, since it's in a boat and not on my back, I'd FAR rather carry the weight of a little more battery capacity than to give up my on-screen map capacity.  "How much quicker" I can hear you asking.  Look to the amperage used to compare one model to another.

Fishin-T

This is the real thing to look at. My Cuda 250 draws a MAX of 250 mA using all the features and the backlight up bright. So, theoretically, a 10 hour day of fishing shouldn't present any problems.

Jay

And the Cuda350 is on sale at Fishermans for $190!

if i didn't have to deal with the furnace repair and newly busted taillight, I'd be picking one up! Been on my wishlist for months...

The Eagle Cuda 350 is a STOLE at $200. Its the only FF/GPS that has tide and current tables plus the rest of the nav aids and a surprisingly detailed map for less than $400. I like the color unit, but its more expensive and eats batteries faster (watch Ebay).

There a bazillion ways to mount your FF (look in drillin and cutting), CBY had a really nifty mount the last time I saw him that looked pretty portable. I don't use any glue at all for my shoot-through-the-hull transducer. It's just jammed in place under the seat with a length of pool noodle. Works great and it does not get any more portable than that.

  The standard power source seems to be a 12v 7AH gell cell that everyone has already mentioned, like they also said, its good for a solid 3+ days of fishing before needing a recharge. With the color unit it's only good for about 2 days (more like 1 1/2).
 
  My nickels worth in terms of wilderness power is build a 12v rechargeable AA pack like the one mentioned and bring lots of alkaline AA's. Not terribly green and you do have to carry them gong in and out, but you'll have an FF/GPS after the third day of a 5 day trip in the boonies (DAMHIK)* Alkalines last a looong time.

 Another simple quick and dirty system with amp hours to burn is two 6v Lantern batteries with their springs hooked in series. That combo has given me a week of service with a couple of days to boot. Alkaline 6v's are even better, but twice the price. You can also get them at the 24 hour Walmart when you realize that you left the dang gel-cell at home. Not terribly light or environmentally friendly though.






*No, I was not calling you country. DAMHIK is a local acronym for "Don't Ask Me How I Know"

Thanks guys. This is all really helpful. Sounds like the 350 is tough to beat.

I've been looking at the Eagle 350 with the gps also. I was in Cabela's yesterday and they have them for 199.00. I think that will be my birthday present, (12/27).
Dan

The Cuda 350 s/map is 199 at Cabela's. They have lots of them in stock.

wiring up my 350 wednesday 

Fishermans is back up to the $209 price they normally sell it at

if you don't want the GPS, the 300 is less than $70 right now!!

I'm trying to decide between the EagleCuda 300 vs a Humminbird Pirhana for about the same price.
I'm not getting a combo model with the gps, due to budget restraints. I have to "go cheap" here. Later, I might pick up a handheld gps that I can use for hiking and general trekkin' around, and mount it on a Ram mount like Lee did on his Tarpon 160.
I have a dash-mounted compass for now.

The various Cudas seem to be pretty dependable. My cheapie has taken significant abuse the last year+. Haven't heard the same for Pirhanas