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New here so maybe I am posting in the wrong place . Here is my question for the people who have used them . I am going to purchase one or the other . Will have both eventually. What do you guys recommend the fish hawk or the Garmin Tr-1 gold . Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks guys . Don’t know if it makes a difference but I fish Lake Erie for walleyes 

Edited by srharrison
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I just got my x4 this season. Game changer. I use my electric for autopilot and couldn't be without it now that I have it. I'd ask yourself this, do you want to catch more fish or do you want a handsfree troll ? If you have somebody worthy of driving or handling lines / fish, get the probe, if you have friends / non regular fisherman on the boat alot, get the autopilot.

Sent from my XT1650 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

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I’m not to up to speed on the wallet in Erie, seem to be not as critical to temp? Speed might not be that critical as your shallower with your baits, I think I’d go with the auto pilot, it’s just a nice thing to have, if you were after trout and salmon, I’d might change my mind.


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When fishing for walleyes lure speed and depth run can be critical to success. On Erie you are not always fishing them shallow as you might be in someplace like Honeoye where the max. depth of the lake  is about 30 ft. I know we tend to think of making fishing easier with the autopilot but it offers little in the way of information about actually catching the fish....it is basically nice to have and especially if fishing solo The ones geared to electric trolling motors do offer a special ability if you can hover over fish and stay on spot while jigging . On big lakes like Erie the walleye suspend a lot in some deeper water than other shallower lakes. In the summer months especially, temperature and lure speed can become very important in catching them. Although the autopilot can be helpful in navigating to specific spots and also returning to port from distant spots, the Fishawk X4D combined with a good fishfinder  can become invaluable or crucial in locating and targeting active fish. Personal opinion take it for what it is worth...:*

Edited by Sk8man
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In my opinion. This is a list from most important to least important.
1) fish finder- if you don’t have a fish hawk fish your marks.

2) gps- if not built into the fish finder.

3) kicker motor- for bigger boats.

4) autopilot.

5) fish hawk XD4

I’ve always been able to catch fish without a fish hawk. I would really like to have one but it’s not in my top 4 things I must have.
Just when you think you have the fish figured out you realize you don’t.
I’ve caught fish way out of preferred temp.


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  • 10 months later...

I put auto pilot on my boat a few yrs ago. it makes fishing so much easier than before. I would much rather have the auto pilot. you can still catch fish without the fish hawk. but with the auto pilot you can keep your course without someone having to fight the wheel. by the way I don't have a fish hawk and I have no trouble catching walleye on erie once I find the fish.

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