Many kayak anglers feel they are "fishing blind" without the use of a sonar fishfinder unit. Depth, bottom contour and density, bait and fish location can all be critical elements towards fishing success. Sophisticated high-definition models with color displays, side imaging and high wattage for maximum depth use often can cost more than your kayak. Combined with the harsh environment and abuse to which we sometimes subject our electronics, it makes a certain sense to go the utilitarian route. Namely, buy an inexpensive unit that will get the job done, but not break our heart if it dies.

There are dozens of fishfinder models available on the market today. It almost seems you need a PhD to decipher which is which. Say you are looking for an entry level, no-nonsense fishfinder- where to begin? KFM weeded through many models to distill our list down to three units: the Lowrance X-4 Pro, the Eagle Fisheasy 245DS and the Humminbird PiranhaMAX 170.  Our criteria?

• Pricing of ~$100 MSRP, truly entry level
• 240x160 display resolution, the minimum we believe is needed for ease of use and effectiveness.
• Dual Beam Sonar, because two is better than one!  The 83 KHz beam gives you wide coverage, while the 200 KHz beam narrows the coverage down.

	Lowrance X-4 Pro	Eagle Fisheasy 245DS	Humminbird PiranhaMAX 170
Display Size	4 inches	4 inches	4 inches
Display Resolution	240 x 160	240 x 160	240 x 160
Grayscale	4	4	8
Sonar Frequency	83 / 200 KHz	83 / 200 KHz	83 / 200 KHz
Peak-to-Peak Output Power	1500 W	1500 W	1600 W
RMS Output Power	188W	188W	200W
Sonar Depth	1000 ft	1000 ft	800 ft
Temperature Display	Yes	Yes	Yes
Waterproof	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dimension, WxHxD (inches)	4.3 x 5.8 x 2.5	4.3 x 5.8 x 2.5	4.375 x 6.125 x 3.25
Power Supply	10-17 VDC	10-17 VDC	10-20 VDC
Current Draw (lights off)	170 mA	170 mA	100 mA

Of these three units, the Lowrance X-4 Pro and the Eagle Fisheasy 245DS have exactly the same specifications, not unreasonable considering they come from sister brands under the Navico company.  Their similar appearance differs only in bezel color and brand name. Operation and controls are the same on both brand models.

The Humminbird PiranhaMAX 170 differs from these models in a few significant areas.  At a grayscale of 8 vs. 4, the depth of image is "technically" better.  However, at these low levels, the difference in image quality is only slight.  The PiranhaMAX also has a much lower current draw of 100 mA ensuring days of operation on a fully charged battery system.  The power levels and depth limits vary as well. But, really, who is using these in the 800-1000 foot range?

No matter which of these three units you might eventually choose for your fishing kayak, all will serve the purpose of putting you on the bite and without taking a bite out of your pocketbook!