Howdy everybody.  I'm gonna give as brief a background as I can, so ya'll can give some useful info back.

I fish with my kids and grandkids on a local lake, here in Central Texas, both from the shore and from an old boat.  We enjoy the time spent together fishing, and while we aren't real serious about catching the "record" fish on the lake, we do enjoy being able to say " mine is bigger than yours " from time to time.

My Question for ya'll involves all the "electronic" gadgets used to find decent fishing structures and likely places to fish.

I've been reviewing different makes and brands of the "fish finders" but don't really know how to choose the one I need.

What I am looking for, in a nutshell, is a unit that anybody in my family can use and read, telling us there are "fish" down there.  I'm wanting to buy and use a unit that my 4 year old granddaughter can look at and say " Pappy, there's a real big fish down there."  To me, the price is relative. Kinda like those adds for the different credit cards you see, where the cost is displayed, and then the message that something seen or experienced is "priceless".

So with that idea in mind, are any of the 'electronic fish finders', chart plotters, gps units, etc that we see advertised, worth the money, and actually as easy to use as claimed in the ads, or are they a waste of time and effort, for the "casual" fishing style we use?  Are any of em easy enough that a 4 year old can look at em and tell me we need to fish a certain spot ? 

Have any of you used one and had a child be able to read the dang thing and tell ya to fish for "that big fish down there " ?

That's the kind of Info I'm looking for, and I offer thanks to anybody with useable information to share.

Jaek1951

My wife and I have been foster parents for the past 25 years  ( at last count over 100 children have passed through our home during those 25 years) I've taken each and everyone of them fishing as it's a great way to get to know them ,  plus I have 8 kids of my own and 6 grandkids that love fishing  LOL   to answer your question with regaurds to depth finders from my point of view they are great for finding structure and depth that might hold fish  and are not dependable when it come to seeing and catching what you think is a fish beneath the boat  ( I have a depth finder on my boat but seldom have time to look at it with a boat full of kids let alone teach them how to use it) LOL I'm to busy baiting hooks taking fish off and untangling lines LOL

Kids like to see things first hand especially the younger one as they don't understand and get bored easily when fishing is slow... we all know kids like watching TV... my suggestion would be to get a underwater camera I got one two years ago the kids have a ball looking for fish and or things on the bottom when fishing is slow,  when we locate a school of fish, their faces glow with excitment, when they watch the  fish take their lures..

Take Care

God Bless and good fishing

Thanks Rod Tender.  That's the kind of info I was wanting, even though an underwater camera wasn't really on the list of things I've been looking at.  Now that you mention it, that will most likely do the best job, so far as the young'uns are concerned.

Are there any certain makes or brands that are simple and easy to set up and use ??  I'll have to start looking at the different kinds available.

Howdy Jaek,

I think what your asking for is 2 different things.

An item that will allow a 4 year old how to identify fish under a boat and a depth finder that will show fish.

My first "fish finder" was a hand held that I used out of a inflatable boat. I quickly realize that "fish finder" was a misnomer and that they don't find fish. They do, however, display bottom depth and structure (this is where you come in). These items offer a "fish revealer" that make a beep and show a fish traveling across the screen. Since this is so easy to see a 4 year old will be able to use it. They will in turn get excited and be willing to fish more "seriously".  You can then use the depth finder to identify likely structure that will hold fish. The kids think the "fish finder" works and you will give them a means to be more active in the "hunt".

The second advantage to these hand held devices is you can use them from shore. Mine had a 16' cable attached to the transducer and I could throw it out from shore to identify drop offs, rocks, grass, stumps.  

You just have to keep in mind that these are depth finders and not "fish finders".

Gaidin

HI jaik -

Just saw your post, and I agree with Rod Tender on the activity of kids.

Cabela's has the Underwater fish video system in the Bargin Corner... priced at ~$100

When I take young kids or 'New Anglers' out, I always head out for the pan fish.  It only seems to take 1/2hr of not catching anything and you get the "I'm NEVER gona catch a fish!" from the back of the boat. lol - just never fails.  I have an expensive Lowrance and my pre-teen kids can't read it any better than my $50 Piranah!  But, they are learning what on the screen may look to be a good hiding spot combined with what is next to that area... aka weeds, lilly's.. etc.

As for the Older Anglers.... I am thrilled with the Lowrance LCX-38HD - you can install an overlay of favorite lakes depth and hotspots, GPS mark a spot you liked, and using the colors instead of B&W... not quite night n day... but purtty close ;).   Only you can weigh the cost vs how often and what features you want to have available to you.   I like to pre-fish for the young'ns and mark 4-5 good hot spots - nuthun like 5 lil kids and 5 fish on!  omg - gata remember the aspirin next time

Good luck in your descision!

"Yer neva gona catch a fish with yer fish'n pole lay'n in da boat"