having both stern and bow transducers / sonars. Is it worth it?

[Cove]

Those of you who have this arrangement, or have researched and decided against it, tell me how often it is really helpful to have the bow mounted sonar in addition to traditional stern location. With an 18 foot boat, theoretically it is occasionally helpful to know which side of an abrupt drop off you are on. This option ends up costing fair amount of $$ by time you get a transducer built into bow electric, or do an aftermarket, with its floppy cables. then need to worry about frequency incompatibilities with the stern mount. So, any opinions welcome.

[Esox_Magnum]

We run both dash and bow units on all our boats, never had any interference issues... We primarily cast so both guys both have a unit to look at....

[h8go4s]

"This option ends up costing fair amount of $$"

Haven't you heard? A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into.

Actually, you can rig up a bow mount locator for very little money. Cabela's has 3 Humminbird Pirhana Max models under $100. I bought a used Garmin last fall for $80. And you don't have to have a trolling motor transducer, just strap the transom ducer onto the bottom of the motor with heavy duty tie wraps and run the cable up the shaft. Lots of us have done it that way for many years. It's well worth the money if you do any amount of fishing with the bow mount where you're trying to follow a weedline or other structure.

[JohnMickish]

Nobody said fishing was cheap. If you do get interferance from the rear sonar you can always turn it off.

[SpecialK]

Haven't you heard? A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into.

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[Deitz Dittrich]

I have a ducer mounted to the back of the boat and another on the t-motor up front.. The reason for the second unit up front to me is simple.. I want to know exactly what I am over, not what the back of the boat is over..

[EBass]

I run my FL-18 up front, but my Minnkota has a built in ducer. Then my Lowrance is on the stern.

I did it that way as I was always looking back seeing how deep it was and bugging my buddy and just got sick of it after a few years.

[Cove]

Thanks for the input, folks.

I just got back from dealer where I ordered a Terrova with built in transducer to which I will hook up my existing Lowrance 522c.

Then I got a Hummingbird 858c for the stern. Got the gps autopilot type system so this should be interesting. Even if fish not biting I can have fun playing with the gear.

[fasternu]

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You think a boat is bad? I used to have a racecar. That thing cost $150 every time it left the garage, minimum. Heck, I sold the racecar and boat a boat to save money!

[PerchJerker]

I have a sonar and gps located everywhere I fish or drive the boat from .... for me that is the console, the bow, and at my kicker motor.

[harvey lee]

I have one at the counsel and one up front by the trolling motor. Both Birds, gps-sonar -side imaging units.

I thought I would use the one up front alot but I now do almost all my trolling at the counsel and hardly ever use the bow mounted one by the trolling motor.

It is nice though if I want to get into some shallower water and not spook fish.