New Marcum Showdown Fish finder

[Mac_attack]

I am thinking of buying the new Marcum Showdown fish finder. I have seen it work in deep water fishing for Mac's, but have not seen it work in shallow water.

Has anyone used this finder in shallow water for trout? I am wondering how it works. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Count me as a fan. I bought (and returned) one of the older models. Just did not perform well. But I have been following the upgrades in technology and quality and decided to try one of the new ones this year. Glad I did.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There will always be diehards who would never give up their Vex or Marcum. No problem. A matter of personal preference and what you are used to. All systems take some learning and getting used to.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The Showdown is arguably one of the easiest to use and understand from the first use. No circular dials to translate from...a vertical display, just like real life. No flashing colors to make your eyes go wacko or give you a headache. Some folks DO suffer from those things after watching the other models all day. The Showdown is simple black and white...with varying thicknesses of lines to help indicate size or proximity of fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the things I took advantage of this year was being able to "shoot through the ice". The transducer works great to shoot down through clear ice...and with a little water dribbled on the ice to make a good connection it will give a pretty good reading of both the bottom and any fish that are down there. Used that at Starvation to more quickly find a channel and the quick rise to a productive shelf I was looking for, without GPS.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The zoom feature works great, but is not needed in shallower waters. And it is good to watch the whole water column to see fish going through at different depths. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Easy adjustments for sensitivity and to eliminate noise if there are other sonars nearby. You can quickly fine tune your unit to show even the smallest jigs without having to endure a bunch of garbage on the display.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One downside...if it is one...is that when a lot of fish come through at the same time your depth reading will change to read the top of the fish school rather than the bottom. Had that happening in a school of Utah Lake white bass and again several times with hordes of perch at Starvation. But that's a GOOD problem to have.[/#0000ff]
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[Mac_attack]

Wow, this is exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you very much for the feedback. I was very impressed with the one I saw up at Bear Lake. Darrin Pugstone was showing me his and caught this beautiful Bear Lake Cutthroat while we were fishing.

He was using the new model (5.6, dual beam) when he coaxed this one up for the take. It is the first time I have seen this model, and I was very impressed.

Looks like you have helped me make up my mind!

Thanks again TubeDude
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[CRM801]

Not to steer you away from the showdown, but I purchased a lowrance x67 icemachine a few weeks back and man am I impressed. I've tried the finder out 3 times now twice at echo and once at causey. This machine is also very easy to use and is deadly accurate! My catch rate went way up I definitely love my new finder and can't wait to get out with it again!
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[Mac_attack]

Thank you H2O and 801. I don't want to move too fast, and I appreciate all the information. I really like the "stand" idea to keep it out of the ice and snow, and at eye level.

I can see that I am going to need a bigger sled!
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[Hookinup]

I am telling you Mac Attack, if you buy one I would be happy to take it out so your wife doesn't see it just sitting there. [:p] Anything to help a brother out....[sly]
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[JohnnyTheHook]

Yep, what tubedude said. I love mine.

I am having an issue with mine not turning on every so often but it is being resolved. I believe it is just a loose wire or bad connector so I am taking it back once the replacement comes in. I just have to fiddle with it sometimes but it always ends up working and when it does its Fish on!
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[Mac_attack]

This is what separates you from all the rest. Always thinking about others instead of yourself! You are such a "giver"!!!

[twinkielk15]

I will completely agree with all the positive reviews. I bought mine about two months ago and my catch rates are through the roof. I won't say anything negative about any other finder since this is my first one but I'm in love. I've used at DC, Fish Lake, Rockport, Jordanelle, Utah Lake, and even off the bridge in soft water at Salem Pond. Great unit!
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[zig]

Tube Dude I appreciate all the excellent unselfish information you always provide. Maybe I can riciprocate your help a bit regarding the problem you mention with your Showdown reading a large school of fish as the bottom. I got a Showdown this year and when a large school of suspended fish like Kokes or trout came thru the unit would toggle back and forth from the bottom reading to the school depth. Drove me nuts. Finally after reading the manual I realized the unit was on auto range mode. The solution is simple. Just switch to manual range mode by pressing the range button. This will cause the depth scale to flash on and off. Then simply press the up or down button to select the range scale you want -- say 0 to 40 feet for example. Fish coming thru at 15 feet will show without losing your bottom signal. If you move to a deeper zone in the lake you will have to re-select the appropriate range to pick up the bottom signal again. Really easy. Love my Showdown.

Again hats off to all your helpful posts.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. I wondered if that might be the problem. But since I move around a lot...from different depths...I have usually just left it on auto. I guess I can make the change if it becomes a problem.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thanks for the kindly comments as well.[/#0000ff]
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