[SoCalEDC]

If you are bass fishing I would say side scan is a worth while investment. You will have to make sure you can mount the transducer on your kayak because it will have to have a 180° plane of visibility for it to work, i.e. it can not shoot through your hull.

Frequency matters. For traditional sonar go with something that has a high and a low/mid frequency, i.e. 83/200, 77/200. the lower frequency will serve you better in deep water but the high will be much better for detail in shallow water such as ponds and small bodies of water. Your DI and SI will likely be 455/800 which is a much higher resolution but it will show a tremendous amount of detail.

Consider how and where you will mount the unit. If you are going to mount it 3 feet in front of you a larger screen may be worth the investment, but if its going to be on one of the gunwales on your right or left just a foot or so away you may not need that (personal preference). Additionally choose how you want to interface with it i.e. touch screen vs buttons. Things to consider with touch screen is that if the ff is in an area where water can pool up in the screen it can be difficult to use, or if you are fishing in a cold climate it may not register your input as accurately or reliably, but if you do go with touch screen its typically going to yield you more screen relative to the over all size of the unit and has less entry points for water (less buttons).

IMO gps is invaluable on the water, especially on big water. Its tough to navigate in the fog and when you can't see any landmarks or hear any boats to indicate where land is having that gps will be VERY helpful. (you should also have standard nav tool like a compass for this reason).

Any of the big guys will have a unit that fits the parameters and is likely wiithin your budget.

Just my thoughts. Good luck.