I’m a Humminbird guy. I’ve got six of them currently and never had a problem with any of them. Base maps are always going to be garbage. There just isn’t enough detail but you can’t hold that against the manufacturer. They sell them around the world so trying to load detailed maps for the entire world would take up a ridiculous amount of memory for no reason. That’s why they make chart cards. If you end up with Humminbird I would definitely suggest the Lakemaster cards. They have all the detail you need plus added advantages like depth offsets and depth shading. I have Lakemaster cards as well as Navionics and almost always opt for the Lakemaster.
If you’re looking for a deal the Helix 7 SI G2 is on clearance at Bass Pro right now for $399. It’s not a MEGA model but is still a great unit. If you’re willing to spend the cash the MEGA is really nice as is getting a larger screen. The Helix 7 MSI G3 is what I’m running on my kayak right now. I wouldn’t go with anything smaller than a 7” screen if you’re looking for a unit with side imaging.
Also, the reason there is such a price jump between the Helix 7 MSI and the Helix 8 MSI is due to the 8” and up screens having true down imaging. There is a separate piezo for down imaging on the 8” and up where as the Helix 7 MSI uses the SI crystals to create a composite image that is displayed as down imaging.
Living in Moncks Corner but looking forward to moving back to the West Coast in 2020 where there are more ducks and less duck hunters!! LOL
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