Curious if anyone has any experience with this unit.

Looking for small, out-of-the box simplicity (read: I am technologically bankrupt) yet still accurate. Thanks in advance for any feedback/suggestions.

Never used one or even heard of this company.

You might have a little more setup and learning curve but you can get an introductory unit from Lowrance for about 1/2 the price. The 4-inch basic sonar model of the Hook2 series is like $99 I think. Additional effort necessary would include wiring up a battery pack and figuring how to mount the transducer.

You could get one of these for $89 after rebate.

Thanks, guys. The money is not really the issue; I want something that comes out-of-the-box ready to connect to an AA or AAA source as I have no electrical skills and no desire to tinker. Used to have a Vexlar Boundary Waters LC-10 that ran on 8 AAA batteries out-of-the-box, and that is what I am looking for.

Frenchy19: "Thanks, guys. The money is not really the issue; I want something that comes out-of-the-box ready to connect to an AA or AAA source as I have no electrical skills and no desire to tinker. Used to have a Vexlar Boundary Waters LC-10 that ran on 8 AAA batteries out-of-the-box, and that is what I am looking for."

I know of no other unit that comes ready to go with a AA or similar power supply. If you just want to know depth and if there’s something down there between you and the bottom, this would probably do the trick. Just felt like it’s over-priced in comparison to entry level models from the major sonar companies like garmin, humminbird, and lowrance.

thegildedgopher: "

Frenchy19: "Thanks, guys. The money is not really the issue; I want something that comes out-of-the-box ready to connect to an AA or AAA source as I have no electrical skills and no desire to tinker. Used to have a Vexlar Boundary Waters LC-10 that ran on 8 AAA batteries out-of-the-box, and that is what I am looking for."

I know of no other unit that comes ready to go with a AA or similar power supply. If you just want to know depth and if there’s something down there between you and the bottom, this would probably do the trick. Just felt like it’s over-priced in comparison to entry level models from the major sonar companies like garmin, humminbird, and lowrance."

Thanks again. Maybe I need to face my fear and figure out how to create a connection to a set up using 8 AA batteries rather than a 12 volt...

I have a Hawkeye unit that is handheld and about the size and shape of a flashlight. Point it into the water and it tells you the depth. Keeps you in about the right depth for whatever you are trolling and is easy to haul around and put away. I bonked a walleye on the head with it and it stopped working so don’t do that. I had to buy another one. They are $89 or something like that and use two AA batteries. Tells you the temperature also.

I bought the unit that does not have the color display last year. Worked fine for telling me depth of water. Fished with it for five straight days, on over 8 hours a day, did not have to change batteries once. I will be curious to see how many trips I can squeeze out of it.

JohnH and Warty-Thanks! I can get the color unit for $130; not a huge hunk of cash. I I am primarily interested in structure, depth and water temp. So, I think I will go ahead and purchase the thing. Looking forward to playing around with it on a week long solo in mid June!

I have the Fishtrax 1C and have been very happy with it for depth and water temp readings. very small and easy to use and the battery life is great.

Rock1: "I have the Fishtrax 1C and have been very happy with it for depth and water temp readings. very small and easy to use and the battery life is great. "

Thanks! Online reviews are generally pretty solid, so it is on my list for my upcoming trips.

Frenchy19: "Curious if anyone has any experience with this unit.

Looking for small, out-of-the box simplicity (read: I am technologically bankrupt) yet still accurate. Thanks in advance for any feedback/suggestions. "

I have one, and I love it for fishing from a canoe. Small, light, easy on the batteries. I use lithium AAAs. Replacing the batteries is a bit of a hassle, especially on the water, but not that bad. You need a screw driver blade to do it. With the color unit, you have the option to run gray-scale to save some juice. Bear in mind the unit is small, it does not have the resolution of a bigger, more powerful unit, but that's by design. I shoot through the hull with the transducer; if I want water temp, I chuck the 'ducer over the side for a minute.

I have a little super mini-tripod I screw into the base; the tripod attaches perfectly to a thwart with velcro. I've used it from both the stern and bow of the boat and been pleased.

I have that unit and it has worked well, like other have said. I used it on a trip last year and was able to see depth and structure very well. I tended to run it grayscale to save some battery life. Not as pretty, but doesn't seem to impact the resolution on the screen at all. I put in a fresh set of batteries when I got it and don't think that I have changed them out yet. I think I got mine on e-bay almost new for less than $100.

I have a HawkEye Fishtrax (non color version) and love it. It is very easy on batteries. I used it extensively on a three weeker last year and did not have to change batteries. I mount the transducer to a swivel mechanism so I can tilt it when landing the canoe. It will mark fish although I bought it for depth and temp.
Safe travels..........

I’m about to pick up a 1C and few accessories for my coming trip. Warty, Rock1, rpike, bfurlow, mpeebles, and anybody else who has one, I’m curious as to how you mount your transducer and unit in your canoe and what accessories you guys use. Some pics would be nice also.

Thanks.

i currently use a suction cup mount I had from an old humminbird piranha 1. I am interested in the through hull method , and may give it a try this year?

Just ordered the locater on Amazon for $110 and the suction cup mount on ebay for $20. Will use it on a mid June trip and will report when I get home. Thanks again to all who posted reviews!

I bought last year, great unit, small, battery life is OK, the suction cup didn't like to stick to my beat up hull on my Old Towne, but just dragging the unit worked for what I used it for, looking a stick unit for the transducer. Use my GoPro spider tri-pod for the display unit.

Our group of 6 used the Fishtrax 1C unit last year on a trip down Ottertrack. For the money, I thought it performed really well.

I bought a clamp you would typically use with cameras and tripods, and was able to attach the unit to the thwart with no problem. To secure the transducer on the bottom of the canoe, I used electrical insulation putty. I made a donut with the putty, filled it with water, and pressed the transducer down into the middle of the donut. Didn't have to mess with it at all while on the water.

This was the first time I had ever used a fish finder, and it was a little confusing at first to figure out what I was looking at, but it marked fish and helped us catch some nice walleye while slip bobbering. Helpful for figuring out what depth the fish were at, especially in August when they were down deep.

Frenchy19: "Just ordered the locater on Amazon for $110 and the suction cup mount on ebay for $20. Will use it on a mid June trip and will report when I get home. Thanks again to all who posted reviews!"

Just wondering about your experience with the Fishtrax. Recommend it?

Yes! Very easy to use, small and light. No regrets at all.

Old post, I know, but thought I'd chime in...

Ya'll can stop building battery packs out of disposable AA batteries - 12V lithium ion rechargeable power supplies are everywhere these days. Stringing together 10 of the best lithium AAs provides about 3Ah of power but you can buy a 12V 6aH pack, that can also change your phone, camera, GPS, etc. AND be recharged using a solar charger on the water - for around $30. Go to Amazon and search: "rechargeable 12v 6000mah battery pack"