I will be making yet another trip to the BWCWA in early June and I am interested in updating my OLD Green Box that has been on over 35 canoe trips. I am looking for recommendations for SMALL depth finders that I can use for my canoe trips. Needs to be able to use a suction cup transducer and I would prefer a type that uses AA batteries. Any suggestions?
i use a Eagle Fish ID128 made by lowrance. u can run it on 8D batteries or a 7AH that you would use on flashers. it comes with a suction cup ducer.
i personally dont trust it to mark fish, i mainly use it as a depth finder.
If you can find an old Vexilar Boundary waters for the right price, this would fit the bill.
-J.
I used the humminbird 597 with the ice fishing portable pack. Little heavy but worth it for me.
There is an article from James showing a showdown troller to chase trout up there. Would make a lightweight option
Does Vex still make those handheld sounders that look like a flashlight?
I have one that is gray from years ago and it still works fine.
Also those bobber style sonars are getting popular but you’ll need to take your phone with you (blue tooth) to use.
I use a Humminbird Helix 5 in a Genz Pack with a suction cup transducer. If you turn the GPS off, you can drastically save battery life. Prior to buying a Helix, I used a small eagle finder in a Genz pack with a homemade suction cup transducer. A single 9AH battery would last a whole 5 day trip with the little eagle unit. I imagine I will need 2 batteries to run the helix that amount of time.
I put my marcum vx1 in the canoe. Set the duecer on the floor of the canoe, tiny bit of water… Thru hull depth finder.
Since canoe trips usually involved rivers for me, I never wanted an external duecer to destroy and the vx1 has been great for this.
Best of luck on your trip!
I use a Humminbird Helix 5 in a Genz Pack with a suction cup transducer. If you turn the GPS off, you can drastically save battery life. Prior to buying a Helix, I used a small eagle finder in a Genz pack with a homemade suction cup transducer. A single 9AH battery would last a whole 5 day trip with the little eagle unit. I imagine I will need 2 batteries to run the helix that amount of time.
I too use the Helix 5, though i bought one of those aluminum brackets you can screw to the side of the canoe. Either way, its a game changer when it comes to understanding those lakes. Throw a lithium battery in there and it’s light as a feather.
Jake, what kind of battery life are you seeing on longer trips and how big of a lithium battery are you using? I am nervous bringing a much more powerful unit so deep into the woods, in fret on killing the battery on the first day.
I put my marcum vx1 in the canoe. Set the duecer on the floor of the canoe, tiny bit of water… Thru hull depth finder.
Since canoe trips usually involved rivers for me, I never wanted an external duecer to destroy and the vx1 has been great for this.
Best of luck on your trip!
This.
If you have an ice fishing unit, just charge the battery and go. Unless it is too much of a weight/space issue, it would work well. If my vex can go three days in the winter on a charge, a summer trip should be a breeze for 4+ days……
The Marcum Showdown troller would be about the best option in my opinion. Small, light, AA batteries, inexpensive, and it works great.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I will look into this one since it uses AA batteries. I basically wanted to avoid taking my 12v battery I use for ice fishing. That is not much weight/size savings than the old green box. Vex use to make on called the Boundary Waters – but they no longer produce it. We tried the Vex “flashlight” one once, but we were hoping to find something that is a bit easier to read and we can have it “mounted” to a thwart for when we go across the lake and not have to hold something in your hand.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I will look into this one since it uses AA batteries. I basically wanted to avoid taking my 12v battery I use for ice fishing. That is not much weight/size savings than the old green box. Vex use to make on called the Boundary Waters – but they no longer produce it. We tried the Vex “flashlight” one once, but we were hoping to find something that is a bit easier to read and we can have it “mounted” to a thwart for when we go across the lake and not have to hold something in your hand.
There is a Vexilar CLC Boundary Waters unit with box on Ebay right now…4 days left on the auction.
The Marcum Showdown troller would be about the best option in my opinion. Small, light, AA batteries, inexpensive, and it works great.
x2
The Marcum Showdown troller would be about the best option in my opinion. Small, light, AA batteries, inexpensive, and it works great.
This is what I use. The bracket that comes with the performance pack attaches to the thwart with two zipties very nicely. I remove the unit/ducer from the bracket and store in a small waterproof box overnight. Transducer shoots right through the bottom of my kevlar canoe as long as I put a little water in the bottom. Have never ran out of 1 set of batteries after hard fishing for a week, but I always bring an extra set just in case.
I have caught exponentially more fish in the BWCA since I started bringing this. Perfect for finding dropoffs/humps that walleyes love to hang out on. It even picks up your jig and will show fish coming up to get it.
this link is the article I talked about with the Showdown in the BWCA, does a great job showing how to mount it.
I run an Elite 4 HDI, the GPS/DI is nice. I can get a little over one, to two days on it depending how I use it and the battery size.
I’ve used an older Fishing Buddy that comes with a clamp for the gunwales and is a one piece unit and takes 2 D batteries I believe.
One vote for Garmin Striker 4, it works well for both fresh and saltwater, installed in minutes and runs forever on my small 12 volt battery, screen is crystal clear, small boat must have!
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