Bottom Line Fishin' Buddy 1101

[deja vu]

The boat transducer for my LX-3 went on the fritz last week. About $65 for just a new transducer… Ouch!

Since I usually fish from a very small boat (Grumman Sportcanoe), the salesman suggested I try one of the lightweight Bottom Line portables. Apparently these units are popular with canoeists in the BWCA? So I picked up the least expensive model (~$100) for a 30 day trial.

I’m fishing for walleyes, crappies, panfish in small, shallow (< 25’ deep) lakes. I’m still experimenting with adjustments, but this grayscale unit appears to be working properly. I especially like the composite gunwale clamp arrangement, designed for small tippy watercraft… much better than the older cast aluminum Lindy transducer clamp I’ve been using.

How dependable are these units? Are the two higher-priced Bottom Line models more dependable? Or, as the salesman suggested, should I be looking for a Lowrance Eagle portable at over twice the cost?

Appreciate any response…

[nytelyter]

i had used the 2200 for quite a few years before i upgraded to the lx3tc a couple of years back. the thing was great but i did loose the sound onit. no biggie tho. i even bought the nice travel case forit. i did somehow seem to break my mount bracket. again tho for me no0 biggie as i had a custom mount for it in the portable and rarely used it for open water fishing. the thing is collecting dust now. when i used it it worked just fine and i liked the sidefinder on it too. ... paul

[Ufatz]

I've had the little units like you describe and recently bought the Eagle. Man, what a piece of gear. It's just great. I am making a small case for it and its battery etc. It is a VERY nice little machine. Jury still out of course on how long it will last.

[Powerstroke]

I had an 1101 way back when they first came out. I really like it for my canoe or a rowboat. It worked really well for $100. Its final demise was me leaving it sit with batteries in the handle and one of the batteries ruptured. Everything in the handle was destroyed and I couldn't repair it at the time.

I think they are a decent unit, but they are a little clumsy sizewise.

[RobertELee]

I'm just curious as to why you are buying a whole new unit for $100 dollars when it sounds like the unit that has been treating you well can be made to work for $65? What are you going to do with the LX-3? Let it sit on your shelf while you use a truly inferior product? I say that you have already paid the $300-$400 for the LX-3, get the new transducer.

[deja vu]

Thank you all for responding. Like Paul, I sent my LX-3 icefishing unit in for the True Color (TC) upgrade when it became available. That’s the only aftersale payment I’ve ever made, even though MarCum has provided me with two replacement ice transducers over the years. I’m very satisfied with my LX-3 and with MarCum’s customer service.

Many years ago I purchased a Lindy transducer clamp for my Si-Tex paper graph unit. This cumbersome aluminum casting was designed for use on the transom of a larger boat, certainly not for use on the tumblehome gunwale of a Sportcanoe. It was always a PITA to reach over the side and into the water to disengage the catch holding the transducer in position under water, then flip the aluminum tube and transducer up out of the water… Shortly after I picked up the LX-3 unit, I purchased a separate boat transducer and modified its hardware so it would also fit on the Lindy clamp. Works fine, but still a PITA to swing up the transducer every time you want to row swiftly, or run the motor.

The lightweight Bottom Line composite clamp design is so much better for my outfit. I’ve only use it twice, but I can’t understand why I didn’t look for something like this year’s ago! I can understand why Powerstroke and those guys up in the BWCA like this arrangement.

Mr. Lee, I do plan to continue using my LX-3 for ice fishing. But even when the unit is working well with a boat transducer, it’s still little more than an expensive depth finder.

I guess that’s why liquid crystal screen units are so popular with open water fishermen. In my specific situation, this lightweight Bottom Line unit replaces an LX-3 unit sitting on the boat bottom or on the middle seat. It does as good a job as a depth finder; it even tells me when there are lots of fish in the area, although not how to catch them… And previous users continue to think well of the product!

I’ll probably keep it… Thank you all.

[RobertELee]

Sorry deja vu, in your first post it sounded like you were going to junk your Marcum just because the new 'ducer was $65. I'm glad your happy with the new finder and hope you have good luck with it.