EAGLE CUDA 168 (Review)

[TubeDude]

[cool]I have been using the "low end" Eagle sonars on my flotation craft for several years. They are inexpensive (around $100), mount easily to a float tube or 'toon and provide all the features and information needed by our kind. True, they do not have enough power to show your lure being jigged directly below your tube. That takes a megapower model...usually three or four times more money, and a lot more battery consumption. I had been happy with the Eagle Fish Easy, but couldn't resist a good price I was offered on one of the new Cuda 168's. By the way, the 168 refers to the vertical pixels on the display screen. They also make a smaller and less expensive model...the 128. This is the unit, complete, right out of the bubble wrap package. It was harder getting it out of the plastic than setting it up. Note the simple mounting bracket to the left of the display screen. I love the design. You can snap the screen onto the bracket and adjust the angle by squeezing on the buttons at the top, on either side. Here's a pic, showing the back of the display unit, and how I mounted the "skimmer" transducer onto an 18" piece of 1/2" PVC pipe. I have more descriptive pics and instructions for anyone who might want to give it a go. Note that I did not cut out the excess transducer wire, as I have in the past. I just rolled it up into a small bundle and taped it together. It adds weight and bulk in a float tube, but leaves your options open for hooking it up to a boat too. The mounting bracket of the sonar display has been screwed onto a 5" piece of 2" PVC pipe. This allows me to just slip it into the front "drink" pockets at the front of my main tackle pocket...on my Fat Cat. For mounting on other types of craft, you could either run a strap through the 2" PVC, or screw the mounting bracket down to a wooden base...to be strapped or otherwise secured to the tube. The transducer cable runs up through the 1/2" PVC pipe. The connector end is small enough that it fits easily and pulls up through before bolting the transducer to the pipe. Display on the front, battery in the pocket (along with the extra wire for the transducer), and the transducer pipe clipped into a couple of broom clips on the rod rack. This allows easy setup and takedown...when launching and beaching...to protect the transducer from being cracked by a rock or landing on the pavement in a parking lot. The simple adjustment on the mounting bracket allows for tilting the display for easiest vision. Fisherman's eye view, when mounted. I actually keep the battery in a small filing card box in my tube pocket...to minimize potential for knocking one of the terminals loose during fishing. My Fat Cat has big pockets, which allow me to stuff the display and the transducer shaft inside for transporting back and forth to the vehicle. OPINION: I still need to play with the settings more, but I am impressed with the ease of use and the quality of the output. I could easily discern the small shad...individually and in schools...and fish on or near the bottom were easily identified. The problem (as always) is that I saw a lot more fish than I caught. With the adjustable sensitivity, the new transducer will view up to a 60 degree cone angle. That is great for shallow water fishing, as is common in tubing. There are also manual adjustments for "gray line" (bottom composition)...Zoom feature...fish alarm (not recommended)...etc. There are actually more features than I will use. The good news is that the auto settings work fine for those who might be intimidated by electronics. If you are the kind of person whose two year old VCR is still flashing 12:00, you will like the Cudas. All you have to do is push the power button and the auto settings will keep you up on what is going on below. There is also an easy to set "backlighting" feature, for fishing at night or in low light conditions. After keeping a swimming pool thermometer hanging off my craft for years, I really enjoyed being able to maintain a constant readout on the water temps, right on my sonar screen.. I was surprised to note the differences in surface temps from the shallows out to the deeper water...and especially when the wind blew in cooler water from the open lake. During transitional periods, when waters are warming or cooling, fish will often react noticeably to changes of only a couple of degrees. So..easy on the budget, easy to install and easy to operate...with a good picture of the bottom and structure below. Can't ask for much more for a "thrifty" (cheap) float tuber. My new Cuda 168 will be welcome on my craft until something better comes along...and Tube Babe approves the scorch marks on the plastic (credit cards). [signature]
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