InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Electronics Packages for the Modern Center Console

April 29, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

helm of a 37 center console

By Capt. Adam Peeples

Selecting an electronics package for a center console is no simple task. Multi-Function Displays (MFDs), sounders, transducers, autopilots, radar, forward-looking infrared (FLIR), and boat handling technology such as Yamaha HelmMaster give the boat owner a seemingly endless list of options to choose from.

Settling on the package of products that works for your situation, involves wading through the sea of choices and ultimately selecting the manufacturer and components that suits your needs.

Garmin, Simrad, Furuno, and Raymarine are the primary manufacturers of complete electronic packages for center consoles. I personally prefer Garmin electronics, as their user interface is extremely intuitive, and I have the most experience operating Garmin systems. All of the top marine electronics manufacturers make a solid product that can get the job done.

The electronic systems on your boat should aid in navigation and increase your ability to find and stay on your target species. Electronics should make your boat a safer and more effective fishing platform. When outfitting a boat, it is wise to ask the question, “How will this system help me?” If there isn’t an easy answer to this question, you could bypass the addition of the product or system.

While brand preference is a personal choice, the basics of a center console electronics package comes down to two things: navigation and fishing capabilities. The electronics you install on your boat will either help you navigate or catch fish. Any systems that do not accomplish one of these things aren’t necessarily not needed, but are excluded from this article.

The Multi-Function Display is the piece of equipment that ties all the electronic system together. After installation, the multifunction display is the part of the system that most users will interact with most often. While it is possible to get by with only one MFD, the ideal setup will have two or even three. This will allow you to monitor multiple systems such as the chart plotter, radar, and sonar easily, while giving the crew the added safety of redundancy. Being 50 miles offshore and having your boat’s only MFD go south is not a good scenario.

Garmin’s GPSMAP 8612xsv is a 12” touchscreen monitor that is NMEA 2000 network capable. Packing a wide array of features, this MFD networks sonar, radar, cameras, and media such as Sirius satellite weather services and is available from 10” to 24”. It offers wifi capabilities to pair with a smartphone app through which users can monitor and control all the systems on the boat. Other manufacturers offer similar, equally capable MFDs.

In my opinion, it really boils down to which user interface one prefers. Once you have decided on an MFD, the rest of the process is a bit easier. For many boaters, the rest of the electronic systems on the vessel will be from the same manufacturer that produces your MFD. At this point, where you fish and how you fish will dictate the requirements for the rest of the electronics package.

Radar is a must have for navigating at night and during periods of limited visibility. A high-performance open-array radar such as Garmin’s GMR 606 xHD provides not only
the safety of navigational and weather reading capability but is also powerful enough to find birds working tuna schools. A smaller and more compact dome radar, such as the Garmin GMR 18 xHD, has ample power for close range navigational use and weather reading out to 48 miles.

A good sounder and transducer are vital to just about all types of offshore fishing. While products like Garmin’s XSV line of MFDs contain processing capability for your bottom machine, a sounder such as the GSD-26 will allow you to get the most out of your transducer.

Compressed High-intensity Radar Pulse (CHIRP) technology transmits across a range of frequencies—traditional sonar relies on a single frequency. CHIRP provides better target distinction at depth. Rather than seeing a single mass of tuna 300’ under the boat, CHIRP allows you to see the individual fish while distinguishing between the target species and bait returns.

The advantages of CHIRP over traditional sonar make it a must have on any offshore boat. The transducer is the key to bringing the entire fish finding capabilities of the system together. With bilge space being tight on most center consoles, a compact CHIRPready transducer is ideal for most systems.

Craig Cushman, the Director of Marketing for the AIRMAR Technology Corporation, says that the most popular AIRMAR transducer for center consoles is the B175 series of thru-hull transducers. Requiring a hole of only 3 7/8” hole and taking up minimal space in the bilge, the 1kW B175 supplies powerful CHIRP capabilities in a small package. I have a B175H and a B175L on my Cape Horn.

They perform well for bottom fishing, deep dropping, and daytime sword fishing. For larger center consoles such as Captain Shane Toole’s 42LR Freeman Necessity, the option for larger and more powerful transducers exists. Fishing out of Orange Beach, Captain Toole describes AIRMAR’S R599 3kW CHIRP-ready in-hull transducer as his “secret weapon” for projecting a high-quality return of structure and bait.

Toole runs a full Garmin electronics package with two GPSMAP 8624s, a GHP-20 Autopilot, GSD-26 sounder paired with an AIRMAR B175H and a R599 CHIRP-ready transducer, GMR 606 xHD open-array radar, and a GXM-52 SiriusXM marine receiver. According to Toole, the capabilities of the system along with Garmin’s user-friendly interface increase his ability to find and stay on the fish.

Captain Adam Peeples runs the One Shot Charters out of the Destin, Florida area. In addition to running a first-class operation, Peeples is a combat veteran with two deployments in Iraq and a stint as an instructor at the US Army Sniper School to his credit.

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

    Filed Under: Electronics, Equipment, Featured Stories, General News, News Tagged With: airmar, Center Console, center point, electronics packages, Garmin

    Recent News

    yacht rescued by coast guard

    Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

    MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  A nearby go … [Read More...]

    operation sailfish winning teams

    Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

    … [Read More...]

    showing sportfishing boats returning to Palm Beach Inlet

    Palm Beach Inlet Boat Gallery

      January 16, 2021—Check out the gallery of some of the finest sportfishing fishing teams returning to Palm Beach inlet. Most of the vessels are competing in the Operation Sailfish tournament. Scroll to the bottom for a new video showcasing the … [Read More...]

    captain in boat tower

    Life After Being the “Big Skipper”

    By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie What is life like after being the “Big Skipper?” What do captains do when they want to quit traveling and spending many months each year away from home? Well, I have observed that many captains who have been at the … [Read More...]

    jumping billfish

    Know the Limitations of your Boat and Crew

    By Peter B. Wright Most amateur anglers and crews would be much better off not using dredges or multiple teasers, even though many of the top professional teams pull them most of the time. Teams that consistently win tournaments almost always have … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Sign Up for the InTheBite Newsletter


    Be the first to hear about the latest Sportfishing News, Products, and Services!

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite Magazine Current Cover

    Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

    Upcoming Tournaments

    Wed 20

    Islamorada Fishing Club’s Sailfish Tournament

    January 19 - January 21
    Wed 20

    Los Suenos Signature Billfish Series, Leg 1

    January 20 - January 23
    Wed 20

    58th Annual Buccaneer Cup

    January 20 - January 23
    Fri 22

    31st Annual Cheeca Lodge & Spa Presidential Sailfish Tournament

    January 22 - January 24
    Tue 26

    Reef Cup Invitational Sailfish Tournament

    January 26 - January 30

    View More…

    News

    • Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  A nearby good Samaritan saw the flares and reported to Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders the Santa Maria crew's distress. The good Samaritan... [Read More...]

    • Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Annual Gold Cup Team Fishing Tournament First Place: Canyon Lady, Capt. Bill Davis Second Place: Ditch Digger, Capt. Jon Brooks Third Place: Miss Texas, Capt. Matt Bierley Operation Sailfish – 1st leg of “Quest for the Crest” Sailfish Series First Place: Showtime/Remix, Capt. Nick Carullo Second Place: TEAM HMY, Capt. Trey Claus Third Place: Goin' Raptor, Capt. Paul Sabayrac Pelagic... [Read More...]

    • Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Silver Sailfish Derby  First Place Most Releases Overall: Miss Texas Second Place: Priceless Third Place: Doing It All/Hardway Fourth Place: Gator One Top Individual Angler: Mike Simko with 9 releases Top Meat Fish: George Moss, Lunático, with a 32.8 lb kingfish Top Lady Angler: Carly Desmond, DaySea  Pelican Yacht Club Invitational First Place: Waterman, Capt. Kevin Paul Second Place: Dakeri,... [Read More...]

    • Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16, 2020—With COVID-19 transforming Americans' recreational habits, a new study from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has found that millions of new or returning participants have taken up fishing & boating. Particular increases were seen among nontraditional participants, signaling the activities' increasing appeal among new audiences. Titled Who's On Board: Keeping New Anglers & Boaters Hooked,... [Read More...]

    • Captain Chris Sheeder Passes Away After Battle with Cancer

      Captain Chris Sheeder Passes Away After Battle with Cancer

      January 7, 2021—It's with a heavy heart that we announce well-known Hawaii Captain Chris Sheeder has passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to a public Facebook post from his brother. Sheeder's love for the water began at the young age of 11 when he took his first offshore trip out of Kona. This eventually led him to... [Read More...]

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings Logo

    View the current standings for InTheBite's Captain of the Year Cup... Leaderboard »

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2021 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.