 Lowrance vs. Garmin sonar
I have been reviewing the forum and the archives for a few weeks regarding the sonar capabilities of both the Garmin and Lowrance units. I want XM weather but could go with a 376C (with or w/o a GSD-20) for that. Or I could get the 376C and then a Lowrance combo unit, if their sonar is better. I ask this because I have seen several threads here reporting that Garmin sonar isn't as highly thought of as some of the other brands. I plan to use this in fresh water only (Great Lakes), and in depths less than about 200 feet.
I do have a Wx Worx weather module for the car, and I run it on a laptop so this would be another option--though I would have to buy a tablet PC and put it inside the center console on a small platform or something. But then you also have a bigger screen for mapping software as well.
So I have several options available, but I really need to be able to find bait fish and the thermocline in <100 feet of water. From what I have been reading, it does apprear that any of the better units will do this. I currently have a Garmin 178C unit but haven't had the chance to use it to find baitfish much yet. I don't know how much radar will play into this in the future. I had intended to get the 3006C or 3010C network, which would allow for the possibility of adding a 2KW radar later. I would suppose there will be times that I will be fishing at night, or in foul weather, so the radar possibility may become important.
Opinions please? Thanks...
TB | 
