GPS vs Finder

[FLATHEAD1]

I am going to purchase a basic GPS and Fish Finder however my budget only etends to purchase one item at a time. I fish only on Port Phillip Bay. What item do I purchase first? Your thoughts?

FLATHEAD1

[mackmauler]

GPS. Can't you see bottom in that bay

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

sounder.

Depends on your style of fishing. Your tag "Flathead 1" gives me an idea what you fish for.

Rob - "Mackmauler" is the curse of pelagic fish. In a mackeral or tuna's dictionary if you look up "death" it says "see Mackmauler". At a guess he stares at the GPS screen the most, tracking across the bay to the bar entrance then his trolling tracks outside.

GPS is great if you know the waypoints you are heading to - great for covering expanses of water with minimum fuel useage - great for travelling at night or low light if you know the track etc. - excellent for trolling patterns where landmarks are not apparent etc.

Flathead hang on the dropoffs & in depressions. A sounder is invaluable for trolling for them. Also some of the best fish I've caught have been travelling from place to place & spotting a bait ball on the sounder in the middle of nowhere.

Also a sounder will save your prop.

my opinion,

chris

[whiteman]

For daytime fishing, the Sounder for sure. At night a GPS can literally save your life.

Even if you have the best fishing spots marked on the GPS, the sounder will tell you if there are fish underneath. My Navman 450 with its zoom mode is extremely accurate - if there are no fish signals, I'm not getting bites! It's that simple.

[afro]

What do most boats come standard with? a sounder.

Even with a GPS all you need is another war and your lost, at least with a sounder you can see the fish, and also if your going to run into a sand bank. If you take your boat outside of your familiar water a GPS will be useless, where as a sounder will at least show you whats happening down below.
Just my thoughts, Cheers Justin.

[Volvo]

Definetly the sounder first mate as apart from fish finder its also a safetyy aid as far as im concerned .
Ive had a bottom of the range Eagle sounder for years now and its done the job good enough for me ta find fish and also navigate me way through shallow waters . Just waitin for it ta pack it in so's i can get a better one but the buggar dont wanna die lol.
Can purchase the buggars cheap enough nowadays ey.
Cheers

[adrian]

i agree with the others sounder first mate as the thing can save you from a sandbank or two as well as rocks

[FLATHEAD1]

Thanks fellas for your replies.

I was looking at the Navman Fish 4100 for $319-00 from Just Fishing and Baoting. Does anyone have any thoughts on this unit? The bay for most parts does not exceed 25m.

I chose FLATHEAD1 because all I seem to catch are those little flatheads. Rats of the Sea.

Cheers
FLATHEAD1

[mackmauler]

Even with a GPS all you need is another war and your lost].

Justin, I never noticed any accuracy probs, did you?.

Rob

[skippa]

G'Day Flathead1,

Mate I know what u mean, when I was a kid I used to fish with my dad around the southern end of PPB. Plenty of those small peskie flatties around then too!

Cheers,
Skippa 8)

[FLATHEAD1]

I endend up getting a Navman Fish 4100 and 500i GPS.
Fitted it all up and took it out today. Very easy to use. I don't know how I managed without it.

I did notice however when coming in to the ramp the depth reading went a little crazy. From 1.8 to 18 metres in the creek. I asume that this may be from the fresh/salt water.

Does anyone have any waypoints for PPB?

FLATHEAD1