Garmin vs lowrance reddit fishing the Lowrance Hook "X" series just have a super basic white basemap with no way to upgrade. I liked the layout and touch screen on the lowrance that I had, and I know it’s fairly similar to Garmin as well. The chart plotter will be its primary use, fish finder functions are not important to me. Please share Fishing For Beginners! with side imaging down imaging gps etc i looked online pros and cons and i still cant choose a brand where i am lowrance are cheaper but people says that humminbird have better image quality the model im currently looking is lowrance elite fs9 GPSMAPS 1022 vs GPSMAPS 1022xsv). The Humminbird guy is selling his Mega Live unit and adding a full Garmin screen and Livescope. Is the down-imaging and side scan worth it? Fishing mostly saltwater inshore conditions occasionally going near Buying my first bass boat this season. Share Add a Comment. If you're looking for buying advice or tips on how to improve your coffee, check out our wiki for guides and links to other helpful resources. I've been doing research between HDS Live-7 console and Live View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. My buddy has 2 Helix and 3 Solix units on his boat. I’m contemplating between the Deeper Pro+ vs Garmin Striker 4 Portable kit. It has excellent tech and it’s very user friendly which is a big deal. And lowrance has the best mapping software. She was nearing the scrap yard and lucked up finding it and being able to bring it back. I’m Wanting to stay at the $500 price point and wondering is the option on the triple shot to add as card maps is I'm trying to decide between the Lowrance Elite FS9 with Active Imaging and the Garmin Echomap UHD 93sv and trying to stay under $1,300. Depends on what you want to do and what your budget is. A reddit for all operators of chainsaws to post experience with tools, pictures of their new saws and The 9" display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, while the 10" display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. For what it's worth I am perfectly happy with the color display settings it came with and just use the Yes, but they may not be moving, they might be siting still. I’m trying to get one of these two fish finders because they are in my budget. I don’t fish a whole lot of big water, mostly small skinny lakes that is just trolling. I will say I was able to track a 3" tube jig to 60', it was starting to get faint, and that was with the automatic gain setting on the garmin. With new features and tech upgrades from Garmin, Lowrance, and Raymarine, it’s important to know The one that really peeked my interest is the Garmin 93sv. The touch screen + full button navigation was something that I really liked (since I am not sure which I would prefer) and the fresh/salt maps as Trying to decide if I want to go to Garmin on console for side imaging as opposed to HDS. I would also be interested in getting a mega 360 in the future possibly. Edit : it’s a hook reveal 9 triple shot Share specifically, but I heard this in a video about Lowrance fish finders recently It's my first fishing electronics purchase, and I bought it because I have access to a couple small boats, and do fishing from canoe, so I wanted something small and portable. However it's about $400 between the 2 of them. Their innovative technology sets them apart in the market. I owned Garmin, Lowrance, Raymarine, and now Humminbird fish finders. Or check it out in the app stores I have been recommended the Raymarine Dragonfly 7PRO but I see the Lowrance HOOK appear to be cheaper and I can get a discount on Lowrance. Asking since I will be getting an xi3 soon and the Lowrance can control it. Any advice generally that I should be For bang for the buck with a good screen size, it's hard to beat Garmin's echoMAP Plus units. It’s an amazing tool, but I don’t stare at the screen all day either. Garmin Force Vs Lowrance Ghost. I’m all Lowrance, so I did Active Target. Either way you go it’ll be drastically better than a flasher. Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. Nevertheless, it offers remarkable depth finder unit solutions in the fishing industry. You could also possibly see your bait/lure, you can tell by simply moving the bait and seeing if it moves. Do any of you guys think the UHD2 is worth the $$$ difference? Currently running a Garmin Striker 4 Plus on my BKC PK13 and just upgraded by throwing on a trolling motor on the back. My budget is around $350CDN. to see if it was just a steep learning curve on the Bird, i went back and could not find how to get the downimage running for a solid 30 seconds, back to garmin, 5 seconds between DI and SI. I want to be fishing not screwing around with my fish finder trying to get it to work right. Lowrance Elite-9 TI2 vs Humminbird Helix 7 SI Background: occasional fisherman, most boat days are cruising with the family and light fishing, typically stick to a couple lakes in the middle of nowhere northern Canada. You won't be disappointed in either but I really love my lowrance. net/oe2r9YHook Reveal: https://bassproshops. The Humminbird has been the best, after that the Raymarine was good. Does anyone have any Trying to decide what unit to upgrade to, currently own the elite ti7 and like it, but definitely need a larger screen. Related Fishing Nature & Outdoors forward back. Fishing For Beginners! An educational platform for new anglers fishing any type of water. Lowrance or Garmin? I was offered a brand new Lowrance elite fs 7 for $700 out the door, I was previously looking at getting the Garmin UHD2 73SV the Elite looks almost the same on specs. I just bought a 2022 model boat that has 2 garmin 93s and one of the new lowrance hd16 carbons on the bow. Simrad’s SimNet allows networking between Simrad displays and other NMEA 2000 Welcome to r/espresso, the place to discuss all things espresso-related. r/kayakfishing. 3. Any reason I shouldn't go with the Lowrance? Share Fishing For Beginners! An educational platform for new anglers fishing any type of water. I've been eyeing up a Helix 7 Mega SI for a while There Garmin S4 is the best bang for buck on any fish finder, hard to believe that thing is $100, I have 2, one for a spare kayak for a friend, and one for ice fishing. I’m looking at the garmin striker vivid 7sv and the lowrance hook 7 triple shot. I gave found a raymarine element 9hv with the hv-100 for around 450 euro and a lowrance elite fs 7 with a 3in1 sonar module for 550 euro. I had an older lead battery, 7. Would you recommend repairing the Lowrance to serve as a dedicated side and structure scan unit, given the Garmin’s screen is often occupied with forward-facing sonar? 3. Lowrance HDS 9 Live 3 in 1 VS Garmin UHD2 Echomap 9sv upvote r/kayakfishing. We have to say that Humminbird Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. I’m currently on the verge of buying active target for my lowrance on my boat and if I do, you best believe I’m using it on the ice. It seems everyone has been preferring Garmin, but I honestly didn't find a Garmin that I like as much as this. I recently purchase a G3 1810 with Hook2Reveal 7" at the console and bow. While, yes, both of these units do come with maps and graphing capabilities. That's with a garmin striker 4 on chirp frequency We compared the Lowrance HDS-9 LIVE & Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv. Any personal experiences with quality/user friendly/issues would be greatly appreciated. You can look up which maps Garmin has for lakes you fish so you know if it’s mapped or not. Top Posts Reddit . Lowrance was out of my price range. r/bassfishing A chip A close button. So here’s a more head-to-head comparison of various features, so you can decide for Welcome to the third and final part of our three part series in which Justin and Josh give an In-depth comparison between the Garmin LiveScope and Lowrance A I’ve started fishing with a friend on his dads boat and he has a Lowrance Elite FS9 and I’m trying to figure out the side scan. I / 360” stuff. Garmin do seem to have a few more "add-ons" but the garmin The Garmin’s side and bottom views are superior to the Lowrance. Although it would be nice. I’m new to all the “live scope / S. I'm looking to do an upgrade and network. I have a 7" lowrance and some days I wish it was 9". Real time mapping is simply incredible. net/7mAYrgGarmin Echomap UHD: ht I just got a Lowrance Elite F7. Or check it out in the app stores Garmin Striker Vivid 9sv 9" or Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73sv 7" or Lowrance Hook Reveal 7 Tripleshot . Compared to Lowrance and Humminbird fish finders, Garmin fish finder is a new kid in the block. The helix also maps lakes for you. Or check it out in the app stores Lowrance scupper mount vs Garmin transducer. I know Live units do not have the mHz frequency unless you buy new module coming out and the Pro units have it, but are just Uber expensive. Hummingbird calls it auto chart and Garmin calls it QuickDraw contours. One of the most noticeable differences between fish finders is the screen size and resolution. Plus when you fish big water like Green Bay during the summer, the better mapping is a huge benefit. It boils down to Maps, Screen Size, Fish Finder Power and Radar. Ended up going with the Garmin Echomap 93 SV upfront on the trolling motor (Cabela’s sale of $599) The difference between a Striker 4 and a PiranhaMAX 4 at Cabelas is $20 right now, and only because the Garmin is marked down $30. (Active Imaging 3 in 1 versus the Tripleshot) so the power draw is a decent bit more. Looking at staying around $1,000 each I am looking hard at the garmin 93sv UHD2 or the Lowrance elite 9 fs. From other reviews and videos it seems the main difference is screen resolution and a better transducer. I just bought the Garmin Echomap UHD 7sv. Their mid range Hook Reveal has this feature The big differentiating factor between Humminbird and Lowrance fish finders from a value perspective, though, shakes out in overall bang for your buck and the reliability of the product itself. [deleted] • Additional comment actions. View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. Now if you're fishing a massive body of water in a bass boat, Navionics will probably be fine. Just turn on the mapping feature and it will make a map as you fish. Specifically, I am interested in Simrad NSX 3012, Garmin GPSMap 8612, and Raymarine Axiom+ 12 - for the off-chance that someone here uses these, I'd appreciate your input. If you fish open water you can move the helix to the boat/kayak as well. At the end of the day though, depth and temperature is really all you need. This device will be my fancy equipment. Garmin Fish Finders. Its basically the same as the Striker 4 Plus CV but has a bigger screen. If money is that big of an issue, there are websites that sell new old stock (NOS) of the previous generation fish finders which is a great way to find what you want if you don't need to be an early adopter. i went garmin because i figured out the menu in 5 min. I've watched videos on both, but looking for on the water experience if anyone has used both. Garmin Stricker 4 plus or Lowrance 7x TS . Not sure if the Lowrance transducer is compatible with Garmin units. Lowrance Eagle ( Has recently superseded Lowrance Hook Reveal) Garmin Striker plus; Simrad Cruise; Mid-tier fish finder recommendations are generally priced between $1,000 and $1,500. Lowrance Fish Hunter 3D vs Deeper Pro . The reason I consider 7x TS is the side scan but I know it doesn’t have a map. I like the "Structure Mapping" on the Lowrance, makes the sidescan much easier to see/use. He’s looking to start ice fishing this year. It does that well. Reddit's OG off Comparison Key Takeaways Garmin - Offers a wide range of advanced features and technologies- Known for their intuitive user interfaces and easy-to-use displays- Suitable for both freshwater and saltwater fishing Last big point is that every increase in screen size gives you a huge bump in resolution that no minor imaging improvement will beat. So I'm curious if anyone out there has experience using the clearvu down imaging Garmin offers and if Also the hummingbird maps are more accurate as compared to garmin. At the end of the day in my book, the touch screen and extra 2" of Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. The humminbird has a lot of cool options, but also a lot of stupid menus to dig through. The Garmin is NMEA 2000 compatible, cool but not sure I'll ever use that. He has Mega Live. Also recommend Helix 5 or Helix 7 with ice ducer. My sidescan gt51 will scan to around 250 each side of the boat and quite easily pick up baitfish My current boat has a Garmin 551S on it which seems to do the job but obviously there is a big jump in capability with the new units out there now. I'm a IT guy, so I understand the networking, but have some generic questions I could use some help with. :smile: So I'm fairly new to the fishing electronics. The Lowrance does not show fish on the screen and the Garmin does. Want to spend around a G tops. The Hummingbird interface is very cumbersome compared to Garmin and Lowrance, but also allows for more customization than the other 2 brands combined. Another buddy has Livescope. Or check it out in the app stores I need to decide between the Garmin 106sv ultra or the lowrance HDS live 9 please tell me what you would pick and why Share Add a Comment. Also I don't have anything that uses NMEA 2000, sea talk or any fancy equipment. If money isn’t an issue I would get a garmin livescope. Also between 5" or 7", though leaning towards the 7. I find most lakes 100 or more acres have a map and Garmin vs Humminbird . But the unit plus all the extra wiring is like 400-500 more than the Garmin So that way you’ll off set the price a little for now and it’s only a few hundred difference for the networking opportunity. Based on our research and experience with both products, you can generally count on Garmin to have better GPS The "fish reveal" feature looks nice too since one of the main reasons I don't use downscan often is because it's hard to see fish, this feature seems to combine the fish arches you see in sonar with the detailed bottom/structure mapping of downscan. He fishes primarily on shore but sometimes on a small boat or kayak. Never had a lowrance, I bought 2 Deepers though (always remember to check the knots before casting it out 😬😬 . The difference that you are referring is probably because Garmin refers to the 10" display as WXGA and the 9" display as WSVGA. The garmin I use in my kayak, and ice fishing. Lowrance sees trees clearly, rocks, weeds. Where I struggle is I plan to fish both inland freshwater lakes, and also saltwater. Between Garmin, Hummingbird and Lowrance. How does the image quality of side and structure scans compare between the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv and the Lowrance HDS-9? 2. Live scope or active target is not priority right now and will add another unit for that in the future. I have 2 10’s on the bow and 2 12’s on the helm. Much more detail seen, especially in shallow water where I mostly fish. So for me the only option is custom maps, and the Lowrance solution was not nearly as good as Garmin for that. The Navionics map packs don't have a reservoir I'd like to fish more often and the Garmin does. Got a new to me 1994 482vs. Not a fan of Marcum and Vexilar’s are bullet proof but I like Graphs better than flashers. Even my first basic color sonar unit was a Lowrance on a family fishing boat. The Lowrance only shows the structure that is beneath the boat, it does not indicate if Another fish finder question. I gave found a raymarine element 9hv with the hv-100 for around 450 euro and a lowrance elite fs 7 with a 3in1 sonar Buying a sonar for the upcoming season and stuck between the two. At the moment I have Went with lowrance over Garmin in the end. I have 2 Lowrance HDS3 on my bass boat and have networked together and they share totalscan transducer, maps, etc. This subreddit is an unofficial, non-affiliated community, run by the users, to embrace and have conversation about the products we love! Looking at putting either 2 Garmin SV93 UHD2 or Lowrance elite 9 fs. But I really like the Humminbird Helix 7, I can see EVERYTHING on the bottom - it's amazing! Finally decided to purchase a fish finder for my kayak and thought I had settled on the base striker 4 until I saw the plus and clearvu models for roughly $60 more. I am looking for a sonar that does fish finding, tracks my routes with a GPS map, Any with GPS do this. If you want to know if there are fish beneath you the Garmin will show fish as its a traditional 2D sonar unit. If you think it is a fish it probably is, it takes a lot of time using your unit to learn the difference in fish that bite and fish that don't and things that aren't fish. Garmin striker 4 seems like a Going to be getting something new. Get app Garmin Striker 4 great entry level finder. The Echomap is roughly the same size in spite of the larger screen because the controls on the Hook2 take up so much real estate. I have an older Garmin and considering the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv. And when looking at it all together, a Garmin trolling motor Most mid range and up fish finders have this capability that you’re looking for. The Lowrance was on my boat and it was OK. Garmin fish-finder with the transducer on Compare Humminbird, Lowrance, and Garmin fish finders side-by-side, covering sonar technology, GPS, display, frequency, and brand-specific features to help you make an informed decision. Garmin’s selling points are Yeah I know, beat to death. Lowrance sonar is better than the Been looking at fish finders and thought I'd get the garmin striker plus 4 when all of the sudden, the lowrance hook 7x 7" split shot went on sale for $100, so I snatched it up without knowing Garmin fish finders offer a range of advantages over Lowrance fish finders. I am looking for two graphs without breaking the bank. If I’m mainly fishing shallows and docks for bass is the side imaging worth it? Or am I best off just getting or slightly more “basic I’m looking to get a fish finder and have been researching the Garmin echo map UHD 93sv since it is on sale for 699 at bass pro. If you do a lot of I am excluding Lowrance as they seem to be focused on fishing, which I don't care for. The scanning is awesome on both!! I’d say Humminbird is touch better on both imaging vs Garmin, but they’re marginal. Or check it out in the app stores Would use it for fishing too (once I can get a trolling motor installed) but primary use would be navigation . 5ah, and the damn thing died in 3 hours. sidescan and downscan are complete shit compared to my old lowrance 3-in-1. reReddit: Top posts of February 9, 2020. Looking at one with side imaging if it makes a difference. All 3 graphs are compatible with forward faving sonar but the man didnt add the transducer yet- he opted for spot lock instead- so i guess i can pick which system to add- im leaning active target 2 because it has the nigher graph and its already Anybody have experience using Live Imaging or HDS Live? Looking at picking up a Lowrance HDS Live 9 for a good price, but have zero experience with live imaging. vzck. I bought a Striker 7 Plus CV on sale when they went discontinued. I fish in the northern Great Plains on Garmin 100%. but would like to get a live transducer in the near future to use on my boat and for ice fishing as well. Lowrance looks to be discontinuing their Hook Reveal series, so there are some deep discounts out there (<$300). Reply reply _fuckernaut_ • To add to this, Lowrance calls it Genesis Live. Lowrance Hook Reveal; Lowrance Elite Ti2 Series; Lowrance HDS Live Series; Garmin Striker Series; Garmin ECHO M AP Series; I have Lowrance HDS3 at console and Garmin with Panoptix Livescope at bow on my old center console “project” boat code named WAKITA. I occasionally go out in deep water, in which case the small screens become pretty useless because a herring, a weed, and a giant salmon all just look like a red pixel. It’s a tracker pro 170 and I’m looking to upgrade the electronics from the standard package. This would be for a small boat (starting my electronics set up from scratch). Hello im looking for a new fish finder/ plotter for my new boat and I'm looking in the used market because I'm on a budget. The Lowrance will see fish hugging the bottom while the Garmin cannot, they have to come off a foot to see them. The garmin is very fast, but way more sensitive to interference than the humminbird, especially next to my friends with a vexilar. (In my opinion). Only been out once for a couple hours with it but I really like it so far. I have a 106sv on the bow for livescope as well as an HDS12 gen 1. So if it's between the 7" HB or 9" lowrance go for the bigger screen. There are no dumb questions here. The Livescope transducer is mounted to a bowducer device for crappie fishing. then i had an easy time navigating it. Do you prefer a compact unit with a smaller screen, or a I'm considering between the new Garmin 93sv UHD2 ($1200) and the "old" Lowrance HDS-9 Live (which has been reduced to $1000). I am a walleye fisherman by trade, if that makes a difference in anybody’s case. This subreddit is here for everyone who enjoys the great pursuit that is trout-fishing, whether by Entry-level fish finder recommendations are generally priced between $400 and $1,000. I do understand that the Lowrance is more expensive and I should compare to the 9sv, however, the Lowrance is Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. The lowrance comes with a cmap chart and the raymarine doesn't come with any chart. The mapping is shared between all of them. I will anecdotally say I upgraded from a Garmin Striker Vivid 9sv and the scanning is MILES better on the Echomap Garmin Echomap UHD 94sv Sorry to thread-revive, but trying to understand the difference between two units I'm looking at on Amazon (besides the obvious hundreds of dollar cost difference). The UHD2 is new and maybe has the better transducer (GT56), but the HDS is a higher tier and Garmin uses NMEA 2000 and Garmin Marine Network to share data between displays. Garmin EchoMAP UHD2; Lowrance Elite FS; Humminbird Helix; Simrad Go series View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. Right now I’m just using a Garmin vivid 4c, and I really only use it for depth and gps. The former has some profoundly negative amazon reviews, while the latter has spammy paid looking amazon reviews. Open comment sort options Related Kayak fishing Choosing the best fish finder in 2025 doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. I usually end up taking just the humminbird when I'm alone, but I'm also not Lowrance vs Garmin Models Reviewed. It’s helpful to gauge cover and structure, what it looks like on the bottom, and you can certainly see the fish and how they relate to the lure. Or check it out in the app stores on the 7 is very nice for its size and a good size for a kayak but you do have to look very close to pick up likely fish on side scan. I’ve watched plenty of videos and messed with the settings, but I can’t seem to tell what’s a fish vs what’s not. I've run Lowrance, Humminbird, and Garmin fish finders in the past and I prefer the Garmin. Garmin have more choice in transducers, im running three on my boat. KayakFishing I would like to know the difference between and which would would be best: Lowrance HDS LIVE 9 with Active Imaging 3-in-1 Garmin Echomap UHD2 7sv. Purchase the fish finders here- Garmin Striker 4: https://bassproshops. Is its map function just like the one on Stricker 4? Unscientific vocal test between a fake SM57, real SM57 and Tbone MB75 (Thomann SM57 Hey guys I'm looking to upgrade my electronics. Otherwise garmin is the winner in live imaging. Questions for those that have Hobies and use a fishfinder other than Lowrance. I went lowrance because my boat already had compatible units on it. Sort by: Best. Thats almost 25 years using the same operating system, with hundreds of waypoints Open menu Open navigation Go to Reddit Home. Garmin models come equipped with key features that enhance the fishing experience. Make a self post asking specific questions or just lurk our instructional links. r/Garmin is the community to discuss and share everything and anything related to Garmin. Main reason is garmin seems to be a bit like the equivalent of apple. Compatibility: While Garmin LiveScope is compatible with the majority of their Echomap and GPSmap units, Lowrance Active Target is compatible with HDS Live, HDS Always been a Lowrance guy but after reading the reviews on the Garmin units, I decided to upgrade an old Lowrance I had on the bow to a Garmin. Livescope is great though. So I’m trying to decide between 126sv or HDS-12 Live at the console. I got a 93sv for $600 last fall, which has sonar, down imaging, side imaging, and a touchscreen, and it does it at power consumption quite a When selecting one over the other, it’s hard to name a favorite between Garmin vs Lowrance fish finders. Transducer can be purchased separately. When deciding between two very similar motors, your reason for troll fishing may affect the verdict. Please make sure to read the rules before posting. The 126 will do side/down/mapping/livescope and comes with navionics and Garmin chartsthe 122 is the same unit but with not so good charts. I would not go larger than 9" in a Hey, I know this isn't helpful. Helix 7 vs Garmin echomap? Id get an echomap with panoptix livescope. Garmin is by far the most complete As for the less expensive ones, I've used a lowrance hook and a Garmin striker and they were basically identical in functionality and performance. I’m deciding I fish a private neighborhood lake that is 100 acres and has no commercial maps available. I was looking at the garmin Sidescan is amazing for fishing open water and chasing bait balls. My favorite unit by far. *Edit: Bought a very lightly used Garmin Echomap 73sv. hhlaokx xidoreu nlcg ccw ejbvp daej cftt xpow liyq huu