If the majority of your fishing is done in the shallows, I would recomend the vexilar then. Take a step up and get either the 12, 18, or 20 with the low power mode for fishing in weeds. This really helps being able to “see” through the weeds to the fish. If you get a vex too, make sure you get either the dual beam ducer or the 20 degree. This will make fishing the the shallow stuff a lot easier.
I’ve heard of a few reports from guys that use the birds and they say it’s an ok unit. The target seperation is alright, but he commented on how the screen doesn’t seem very sharp. It may be the 6 color sequence but they tend to blend…