how important is a fish finder/depth finder?

is it a invaluable piece of equipment for fishing pacific city? i know it is a border line necessity for open ocean fishing but haystack rock looks like it might be doable with out one and still have a decent chance for success? only asking because the semi dry suit might be the last big investment of the year for kayak fishing. unless i am a idiot for not buying one. i will get one but might not be for awhile

Tough choice. I don't know your area, but i would go for the safety first. I have a B and W Humminbird that could get you going cheap if you are interested.

People have fished for centuries without a FF, depth finder, etc.  I have not fished the salt from a yak, used to do quite a bit from small boats, never had a FF. Things I would consider mandatory before an FF, drysuit/immersion gear, VHF, compass, (not just on your phone). Go here, http://www.charts.noaa.gov/InteractiveCatalog/nrnc.shtml, download the chart for the area you want to fish. From the chart you should be able to find some good areas of interest, get a good idea of landmarks to situate yourself with from the water, ie; point of land, large building etc:
People from the forum should also be able to provide some areas to try. Good luck
John

safety first and foremost, so get your immersion gear taken care of before venturing out.

that said, having a sounder is damn near essential, in my opinion, for successful bottomfishing, and you can get a perfectly good FF and transducer for around $100, if not less so on the secondhand market. ex: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lowrance-reg-Hook-X-Sonar/2185965.uts?productVariantId=4478883&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=45-149733205-2&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04353948&rid=20

I went my first year without a ff and was fine but get emersion gear first and if you ONLY go out with someone that has a VHF you will also be ok without that but a good compass is always a safe bet even if it's a small handheld. Post up your availability when the seas calm down and I'm sure someone will let you tag along including myself I have successfully taken a few newbs out of PC and they all returned safely 

got a dry suit and will have a vhf and another compass before venturing into the salt. thanks for the replies i will definitely post when we finally go out.

If you want to hit Tillamook bay for a little salt preview let me know when your interested and I'll try to find a good day and go out with you.

They're not essential and arguably not very important.  Having one can make a difference to your fishing success and - now that I have one - they are nice to have.  Take care of your personal safety first and foremost.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this going to be your first venture into the Pacific?  You shouldn't go alone.  Fish with a partner who has a fish finder and you'll do well.

I sing this same old tune a lot, so one more time shouldn't hurt: if this is your first kayak, it wouldn't hurt you to log a lot more time in calmer bays and freshwater before putting out to sea.  This will be my third year dedicated to kayak fishing, but my first year in the sea.

Anyway, gear up for safety, go with someone and get a fish finder when it fits your budget.  Be safe and have fun.

If for financial reasons you need to choose between a fish finder and safety items, I recommend that you buy the safety items first, particularly a drysuit.

You can certainly fish from a kayak without a fish finder.  And a fish finder won't be any help for some kinds of kayak fishing such as fly fishing or casting into weeds for pike or bass.  But a fish finder with GPS can be invaluable for many kinds of kayak fishing.  After a couple of fishing trips where you are blundering around fishing blind without a fish finder, and the kayak anglers you are with have fish finders and thus know how deep the water is, where the underwater structures are located, what kind of fish are in the water, where those fish are located in the water, and can easily go to or return to a precise point out in the water with the help of the GPS features of their fish finders, you'll probably fire up your credit card and add a fish finder to your arsenal of fishing toys.

I haven't fished with sonar on my kayak yet and I've done alright. I actually just got a setup I'm going to test out soon, so this will be my first year with sonar (since I sold my powerboat).

Fishing without sonar will force you to pay a lot of attention to other cues to decide where to fish, and I think that can make you a better fisherman. That said, I won't lie; there are times when having a fish finder is going to make the difference between a good day and a skunk day and there have been plenty of times I wished I had one. But you can get a lot of fishing done without it, especially if you target fisheries where it is less important.

In my opinion Pacific City is actually an ideal place to not have a fish finder. The structure is very obvious and by watching your orientation relative to the land (the rock, the cape, etc.) you'll start to find spots where the fish like to be.

Fishing without sonar will force you to pay a lot of attention to other cues to decide where to fish, and I think that can make you a better fisherman. That said, I won't lie; there are times when having a fish finder is going to make the difference between a good day and a skunk day and there have been plenty of times I wished I had one. But you can get a lot of fishing done without it, especially if you target fisheries where it is less important.

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