FF for $150 or less?

My brother is in the market for a fishfinder and he's got a max of $150 to spend. Mostly, he fishes (from a kayak) for bass in the midwest. Any suggestions as to make and model would be appreciated. Thanks.

http://www.basspro.com/Lowrance-Mark4-HDI-Fishfinder-Chartplotter/product/13091106262010/

The reviews on that one look sketchy

tough as nails for me and super simple to use..shows fish...shows structure down there..shows bait balls...marks each fish with a # for how deep and sizes them....oh and shows f.o.w your in...nice big screen..takes 5 minutes to install...epoxy the transducer to the inside of the yak  in a foam cut out  surround and fill it with water before paddling out...any 12v 5 or 5 ah battery will work...spray the connectors in the head with oil or grease em once a week.....cheap /great unit--they will warranty repair too
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Humminbird-561-DI-Fishfinder-/121611419397?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c509aff05

http://www.basspro.com/Lowrance-Mark4-HDI-Fishfinder-Chartplotter/product/13091106262010/

Thanks. I just saw the other thread on this one. The price certainly looks great, given all of the features.

tough as nails for me and super simple to use..shows fish...shows structure down there..shows bait balls...marks each fish with a # for how deep and sizes them....oh and shows f.o.w your in...nice big screen..takes 5 minutes to install...epoxy the transducer to the inside of the yak  in a foam cut out  surround and fill it with water before paddling out...any 12v 5 or 5 ah battery will work...spray the connectors in the head with oil or grease em once a week.....cheap /great unit--they will warranty repair too
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Humminbird-561-DI-Fishfinder-/121611419397?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c509aff05

Another good candidate. Thanks.

I own an Eagle 250 and 350 which I have had for almost 10 years. Heavy saltwater use and surf launching and they just keep running. I have owned Humminbird and Lowrance also but none could take the punishment and were not as reliable. Unless you are tournament fishing, basic sonar works fine. Personally, I think it is better to learn how to fish without sonar first, then add sonar after you learn how to read the water.

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Eagle-Cuda-300-Fishfinder/productDetail/Clearance-Fish-Finders/prod9999002557/cat114615

My brother is in the market for a fishfinder and he's got a max of $150 to spend. Mostly, he fishes (from a kayak) for bass in the midwest. Any suggestions as to make and model would be appreciated. Thanks.

Since he is your brother.  Maybe loan him a 100 bucks or if possible get him a gift card? It make a nice gift and years of use for a FF with more features.

Im sure overtime he catch a fish or use it he would think.. Man what a great brother I have.

I got a Raymarine dragonfly 4pro for 250. I think it was a introductory price. Maybe ebay has deals.  It has all the features and easy to use.  Price varies depending if he needs a chart plotter or not..

The reviews on that one look sketchy

I can attest that this is a solid unit for the $.  Most of the "bad" reviews, if you dig deeper than just what is posted (such as repair files), you will find that most of them are customer error in installation; corrosion because they didn't wire it correctly, transducer flip up because they didn't use all the parts correctly to install, transducers pre-maturely dying because of no preventative maintenance for corrosion, & "bad" saltwater readings because this kit includes a "freshwater" transducer on the 83/200 freq. range.  Not saying that 100% of those "bad" claims are real or not real.  It electronics on the water ... things do happen & will happen!  Nothings perfect.

For this price ... I would jump on this while they are still available.

If all he wants is a FF with no GPS ...  He can get the Elite 3x for ~$100.  Current model .... color screen.  Another good option in his $150 price point is the Lowrance Elite 4x HDI (which is FF only, no GPS).  If he can come up with a little extra, he can get the full-featured Elite 4 HDI (FF/GPS) while there are still a few available.

Lowrance Elite 4x HDI would get my vote.

Lowrance Elite 4x HDI would get my vote.

It would be the most versatile for the lakes in the Midwest & is in color.  GPS may not be a "needed" option there.

The reviews on that one look sketchy

I can attest that this is a solid unit for the $.  Most of the "bad" reviews, if you dig deeper than just what is posted (such as repair files), you will find that most of them are customer error in installation; corrosion because they didn't wire it correctly, transducer flip up because they didn't use all the parts correctly to install, transducers pre-maturely dying because of no preventative maintenance for corrosion, & "bad" saltwater readings because this kit includes a "freshwater" transducer on the 83/200 freq. range.  Not saying that 100% of those "bad" claims are real or not real.  It electronics on the water ... things do happen & will happen!  Nothings perfect.

For this price ... I would jump on this while they are still available.

This is the one he decided to go for. It does seem like a fantastic price. Thanks for all of the suggestions.