Fish Finder for 2013

Hope this is not an overkill type of question: What is a great fish finder for 2013? I know technology changes monthly; however, I am going to spring for a Hobie Revo 13 real soon and was wondering what would be the ulimate (within a decent price) fish finder. Thinking of mounting it forward and yet my eyes are not the best even with my glasses.

I just switched to a  elite 4 and I love it. Chart plotter and finder in color, and not too expensive.

Just my 2 cents

Just tested an Elite 4 a few months ago.  Great unit.  Holding out for the 5" for my AI.  So +1 on the Elite 4.  Go Elite 4 DSI if you fish the lakes or shallows

+1 for the Lowrance Elite DSI series. I've got the 5 and love it. Customer service is good too.

I am saving all my pennies for the new Lowrance Elite 7, might be a little overkill for the kayak though..

http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Fishfinder-Chartplotter/Elite7-HDI-en-us.aspx

And there's always the options of the Hummingbird's with the side imaging.. finding the right fish finder is alot of work

ZB, that Elite 7 is the best of both worlds. I put my order in last week.

No matter what brand you choose, the gps feature is a must if you fish the salt at all.

No matter what brand you choose, the gps feature is a must if you fish the salt at all.

My biggest regret in a FF is not getting gps. If you fish freshwater its invaluable to mark structure, holes, creek beds, etc...

if your eyes are not as good as it use to be i would get something with a 5" screen and color.and if your opting for a down scan,down imaging unit then keep in mind some brands switch from 2d or 3d and some dont.so go out to the shops an look at some

If you are close to Bass Pro Shops they have a bunch of different fish finders on display set to demo mode so you can compare them. 

Head over to sportsmans warehouse, the have most FF on display. If they don't have it out ask if its in the back. West marine has some also. I would go with the elite 5 in the mast hole or elite 4 mounted closer. Im constantly playing with mine so I mounted it within reach.

I just bought a Humminbird Piranhamax 175Pt. I have not used it yet but is low end compared to the models you guys are talking about. I have a hand held GPS so I did not go for the high end models.

I'm also looking for a new FF to replace my Garmin 200. I'm leaning towards buying the Elite 5 DSI "Gold" with the Navionics pack/card preinstalled here: http://www.thedigitaloasis.com/LOWRANCE-ELITE-5-DSI-GOLD-COMBO-WITH-TM_p_3779.html

I'm on the fence about dropping $450 for a FF/GPS. I've read mixed reviews, and it seems that everyone either loves it or hates it. If anyone could give me their opinion on the unit, I would greatly appreciate it!

I am very happy with my Lowrance Elite 5 combo. I can see a 1/4 oz jig on the screen at 40 feet as I was jigging it up and down.  I moved away from permanent goop in hull to water bath for the transducer.
I was missing a lot with the goop method.  I didn't care for the DSI when I was doing my evaluations.

I am very happy with my Lowrance Elite 5 combo. I can see a 1/4 oz jig on the screen at 40 feet as I was jigging it up and down.  I moved away from permanent goop in hull to water bath for the transducer.
I was missing a lot with the goop method.  I didn't care for the DSI when I was doing my evaluations.

I've also been using the water bath method using duct seal, and it's very convenient to me. What didn't you like about the DSI? From everything I've seen (online), it seems to provide great detail, and while it doesn't seem to be as effective at marking game fish, it does show baitfish and structure with amazing detail. However, this is all based off of what I've read, so please correct me if I'm wrong.