Good stuff Jim and much like you I have fished depending only on a Lowrance X135 and so need to pull the trigger on a unit like you are talking about, dang those rascals are pricey.

I do finesse fish quite a bit and I like it but if I don't get on them pretty quick I find myself migrating back to my strengths. I usually read water pretty well, fish habits, bait patterns using the channel's and depth contours, and water temps to tell me what to do. But when I see some of my buddies on those big units just flat finding them and marking them i know I'm missing the boat. I will have to have somebody patient to show me how to use it though and I mean patient....

Last year my buddy and I had a ball whacking brown ones at St Clair on drop shots but its almost to easy up there but so much fun.

Quit smoking brother I speak from experience and have seen what it does at the end of ones life, stop now pal do it for your wife and let that motivate you.