Finder/GPS Recommendations

[ECP1989]

Looking to spend between 5-800 on a Finder/GPS unit. I'd want a 6-7" screen. Preferred lake map software? Going in a 16' boat so it would the the only finder in the boat.

[CaptainMusky]

Elite 7 for that money.

[walleyeking19]

Elite 7 is a great unit. You could get a humminbird with a 7 inch screen for the same money. Plus I like the lakemaster chips for humminbird more than the lake insight chips for the lowrance units.

[fivebucks]

For me it came down to which chip I liked best. I fish mostly MN and Lakemaster just made the lake my cabin is on a 1' HD contour lake so Bird was the easy choice for me. I was in the same price range as you so I choose Side Imagining over the 7" screen plus with a 5" screen I can use it for ice fishing.

[CaptainMusky]

Plus I like the lakemaster chips for humminbird more than the lake insight chips for the lowrance units.

Curious as to why you would say this since the lowrance chips use the same data that the lakemaster chips do. Plus, ONE Lowrance chip will get you all of MN including Lake of the Woods and Rainy whereas thats multiple chips from Lakemaster costing you double.

[jerkbait]

Love my elite 7. Great unit in that price range.

[Kyhl]

Curious as to why you would say this since the lowrance chips use the same data that the lakemaster chips do. Plus, ONE Lowrance chip will get you all of MN including Lake of the Woods and Rainy whereas thats multiple chips from Lakemaster costing you double.

It's called brand loyalty. MN's are suckers for brand loyalty and marketers know it.

[BoxMN]

My two cents about the Lakemaster over Insight - there are more shading options (i.e. different color changes and options for shading contours for exactly how you want to see it) on a Bird with Lakemaster. If anybody has not played with this they are missing a cool feature. And this is comparing a bird 688ci hd di to a Lowrance Touch units (much better units but much more expensive) on the water at the same time.

The contour lines on LM are also more analog looking than the Navionics or Insights, meaning smoother and less digital looking. And honestly the Insight maps I have viewed on same lake at same time (big western MN lake) was not nearly as precise.

And I was a loyal Lowrance user for many years, and still have an Elite 5 on the boat. We just got a cheap 688 to try it out, and we like it. My son has Lowrance Touch 7 and Touch 9 and they are great units, but above my pay grade

To answer the OP, I think a Bird 688 DI with Lakemaster would easily fit into about a $500 pricetage, but doesn't have big screen, but does have DI, but it can't be linked to Mkota motor, need next step up. The Elite 7 would be nice as well. I would get DI for sure, and SI if you can swing it. But we got a smaller unit for less and kept a 642 unit next to it, so for $350 (was a rebate) and $100 for chip, we now have basically 10" of screen, and if one breaks (and they do) we still have something to look at while not catching fish

[ClownColor]

Lowrance hds7. You can find them under $800 and purchase ss/ds later when funds become available.

[walleyeking19]

Captain Musky, I like the lakemaster chip more because I fish only minnesota 99.9% of the time, so having lakes outside the state really does me no good. And I dont fish LOTW or Rainy in the summer, so again I dont need those chips. And the Lakemaster has more lakes that I fish on it than the Insight, and many of them are the HD maps which are amazing.

So the minnesota chip makes more sense for me. But each guy may be different

[CaptainMusky]

Walleye king the lowrance insight chip and the lakemaster chip use the same data. I have both of them and compared them side by side.

If you are talking the insight base map that comes on some hds units I agree, but not the chip.

[Northlander]

Lowrance, Humminbird and Garmin are all making some very nice units in that price range. Shop the net for info and buy what you like best at what you want to spend. Look at the end of the year at big box stores who will be offering some crazy deals. I got a Bird 957c about 8 years ago for less than half of retail at Gander.