Lowrance 350A vs. Bottomline Tournament Master

[Twulff]

Any suggestions on which fish finder/gps unit works best

[Scooter]

I was in the same position about 1 year ago & went with the Bottomline GPS & was very dissapointed with it. Having already owned the graph I figured I would try Bottomlines GPS aentena.
I mean you have to be a complete genius to operate it & I am addmitatley no genius. But the bottom line unit really is hard to operate & cost i think $4oo. The 350 is without a doubt a better unit. As you may have guessed I ended up with both units. The bottomlin & a 350. Regreting buying the bottomline GPS. If you already own a bottomline unit you need 2 graphs on the counsel or wherever you mount them on your boat, but the 350 is "idiot" proof. It is very easy to operate just follow the manual.I have 2 tournament-master-hrs and to be honest I dont think I would ever purchase them again. I'm not bashing them totally but have had several problems with them. Hope this helps.

[Box]

I have a (broken) BL Tourn Champ, and used it for 4 years. Just last night I was i a boat with a 350A for the first time. Hands down, the 350A kicks but in my opinion.

Display was MUCH better (search for other post on my rant about BL display) and the fish marked MUCH better.

The 350A is a space hog though... :)

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[Czar]

I have the Hr with the GPS and love it. Don`t know what scooter was saying when he said the GPS was difficult to operate cause I find it very simple to use. 1 button controls all. I also like running in multiple screens. Up to 4 at a time. The resolution is outstanding. I have had mine for a year with no problems. I paid $849 with GPS from Cabelas. If I were to get another unit it would be the 5300 or 6500 Bottomline. Good luck with your purchase.

[Doug Burns]

If you would like a to test drive a Bottom Line unit or have any specific questions feel free to email me. I have been running them for 6 years with no difficulties and find them to wonderful depthfinders and GPS units.

Doug Burns

[Fallsman]

I'm with Czar, I have the BL TM HR with GPS and find it easy to operate. As for it not marking fish, well that is a difficult one to prove unless you had both units on the same boat and you knew those marks were indeed fish. Mine does mark fish, in fact my partner for that day asked me what was he seeing on the screen and was amazed when I told him it his 1/8 oz jig. I'm sure the 350A is a good unit but the BL has a larger screen that you can also break up into 4 different views, reg sonar/GPS/zoom/etc..

[Box]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-01-01 AT 09:19AM (CST)[p]I never said the BL didn't mark fish. In Fact I have said (in other post) that it has quite good detail. And yes, it is hard to compare without them on the same boat. But in general, the 350A (which I don't own) "seems to me" like a much better picture than the BL, and I used the BL for 4 years, and had a BL 211 before that. And truly there is no comparison between the displays of Lowrance units and BL units - the Lowrance are much easier to read with much less messing with contrast, and I have had both brands on the same boat at the same time to compare this.

The large size display of the BL is nice, but the 350A has a large screen as well. They both are nice units and I would never say to NOT get a BL. It has worked for us for 4+ years.

I bought my BL TC HR before I really saw it on the water. I am just giving my opinions on both units after using each. For any who are buying and spending that much money please go out in a boat with each and check them out, and not just the simulator function. Then decide which you prefer better. I wish I had done that. :)

Good fishing,
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