You sitting on your Kayak and boat, searching for fishes desperately and doesn’t find one or very less, then what’s the point of spending your whole day and then ending up with nothing in your hands? How about getting a device like best fish finder that would help you in identifying the objects or fishes under the water? What if you get an apparatus that covers a wide range of water and can detect fishes in advance for you? Wouldn’t it be beneficial for you as an angler because it is going to save your time, energy, and gas expenses? If you agree to me, then let’s discuss it. I am talking about getting a fish finder. Of course, most of the readers know about what fish finders are, but few people don’t know. So let me explain it to them.
A fish finder is a device or you may say an apparatus that helps an angler to identify fish under the water. When you are hundreds of feet above the water, it becomes a little tricky to know that there is a fish near you. So the device basically gives you reading on its digital screen. There are different types of screens and other specifications that going to be discussed further in the blog.
Despite so many benefits of a fish finder, one wrong move in purchasing a fish finder can make your device useless and ineffective. So it is better to get a professional opinion before you spend your money on it. Since I’ve been a huge fan of the fishing adventure, I’ve almost every type of equipment required for fishing. I own a huge collection of fish finders too. And don’t worry, it is not going to be a bot review, instead, I’ll share my personal experiences too.
Best Fish Finders
Garmin GPSMAP® 942xs Fish Finder
When it comes to the fish finder or any other fishing equipment, connectivity matters the most. Yet, Garmin GPSMAP® 942xs features are built-in Wi-Fi with a most appreciated app Active Captain™ app, that allowed to me enjoy my fishing adventure from anywhere. You can easily connect your mobile device to it and enjoy the marine adventure. Its chart plotter screen displays important information like ENC, boat speed, where the boat or kayak is heading, and other information from the sensors like SONAR or Echolocators.
Chart plotter screen’s importance is undeniable. I feel a little relaxed with this fish finder because I know I won’t be missing any update. I can constantly monitor which way my boat/kayak is moving. It also notifies the physical situation of water; both, below and above. Something funny I remember is that I didn’t know that it would notify me about software updates too. So when the notification pop-up, I was a little curious to see what is it.
Moreover, SONAR GPSMAP® 942xs is a feature by SONAR and CHIRP ClearVü scanning sonar capabilities. All you need to do is add a transducer, and then it is all set to operate. You can also adjust what information to display on the screen and what not to display. So I guess this is something user-friendly. Otherwise, you get distracted by other random notifications.
To enjoy the marine experience to the fullest, you can connect to ANT. Yes, it offers built-in ANT wireless connectivity that is directly connected to Quatix. Also, one thing I am impressed with is that it constantly updates the location 10 times, each second. I felt that it is quite fast and responsive. This is something that sets it apart from other fish finders.
Something unfortunate about this doesn’t come with a transducer. You need to separately purchase it. However, I own a huge collection of fish finders so the transducer was not a problem for me. But I’ve seen people purchasing transducers, hence adding up into the cost.
The second sad thing about this fish finder is that it doesn’t support Navionics or C-MAP charts, where C-Maps are considered more reliable and accurate. Overall, this Garmin GPSMAP 942xs is a reliable and best fish finder but few things add up into the cost, making the angler to re-think about the product.
Lowrance Elite-12 Ti2 Fish Finder
Lowrance Elite-12 Ti comes up with various frequencies that make the fishing experience better. Its frequencies used in CHIRP technology is 50/83/200 kHz along with Structure Scan, that rests on 455/800. Also, its slide scan characteristic ranges between 100 to 300 feet.
I am impressed with its 12-inch diagonal display. The screen is massive, which enhances the fish hunting experience. When I used this fish finder for the first time, the weather wasn’t friendly with me that day. However, its functional backlight was a savior that day for me. I toggled the backlight and it worked for me.
Moreover, it offers 1280 x 800 V pixel resolutions to keep the image sharp and maintains the quality of the display received from Sonar. Its settings are very user friendly. I could access it all features single handily like of course my mind was diverted to other things too but its feature was very handy. Its Advanced Single Processing enabled me to continue fish hunting until I find the correct spot, till then the fish finder adjusted the setting itself. It is very intelligent, I must say.
This fish finder is the limitless one. The importance of Wi-Fi or internet connectivity is undeniable. Its Wi-Fi connectivity enables the angler to connect themselves to an app called GoFree app. This app plays the middlemen role by downloading and upgrading the software along with sharing hotspots with other anglers in the middle. You may call it helpful. Not only this, but you can monitor the entire scenario on your tablet and mobile screens via Bluetooth.
As I mentioned above that this fish finder came to rescue when I was stuck due to bad weather conditions, the same goes here. It displays the identified fishes through fishing icons instead of arches. It eases the experience to find out and differentiate between target fishes and junks underwater.
One thing that could make this fishing rod stand out of the crowd is that its trans-portability is not that easy. It should be without a stand.
Also, you can flaunt about your fishing skills through this fish finder. It allows you to make your map and share your fishing experience with other anglers.
For me, Lowrance Elite-12 Ti is going to a fish finder, but if its portability could be improved, the experience would be something next level. Moreover, although this fish finder is an affordable one when I purchased the upgrades, that added up the cost. I believe if we are already paying for something, no further cost should be added up.
Lowrance FishHunter PRO
A 5-ounces, with a depth range of 45 m, up to 50 m of width beam, is known as Lowrance FishHunter Pro. It belongs to the family of Lowrance Hook2-4x. What differentiates both devices is that this FishHunter is wireless. Wire-free things are easy to carry and operate.
Another thing that attracted me towards Lowrance FishHunter Pro is its Wi-Fi range. You can easily connect this amazing fish finder with your mobile device through the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Okay, one thing that puzzles beginners, on their website it is mentioned that Lowrance FishHunter is more reliable on Wi-Fi because, in this method of connectivity, the angler doesn’t need mobile data. Beginners drive a misconception that maybe Bluetooth needs a data plan, which is not true. However, Wi-Fi is a more reliable source of connectivity.
When I used this fish hunter, I tried using both options (i.e. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). Honestly speaking, Wi-Fi has a better range than Bluetooth.
Just one step to begin with fish hunting is that you need to download Fish Hunter App from the Play Store (for android users) or iOS Store (for iOS users).
Its Sonar offers a trio-frequency transducer, offering 3 ranges; 381 kHz, 475 kHz, and 675 kHz. It gives you crystal clear results. Also, its battery has an amazing living time. it offers 10 hour usage time and you can simply recharge it through USB cable.
Another advice for beginners is that, as a newbie angler, it is better to use Fish View mode. This is because Fish View mode gives you a simple and plain view of the water column and indicates the fish by placing an icon on the fish. Also, it gives a very clear depth-reading about where the fish is located. This mode is beneficial for both; either a newbie or a pro. On the other hand, the other mode displays every detail captured by its sonar scan technology. You can notice everything happening down there. I guess minor details are not the pre-requisite for the fish catch. So it is better to use Fish View mode.
However, I will never suggest anglers to rely on this fish finder if the weather condition is not supreme. I am stating this with my own personal experience. On my fishing day, the weather was not cooperative, hence this fish finder also decided to not support me. It did to some extent, but its range was getting distracted.
Simrad GO5 XSE
As I upgraded my collection, Simrad GO5 XSE was the next best fish finder I added to it. Highly recommended for beginners because its interface is very simple to use. It is as same as using a touch screen phone or a tablet. Simply tap to select an option or pinch to zoom in or zoom out. Seems interesting, right? That is the reason why I always recommend this fish finder to beginners, so they don’t have to struggle with learning new options. Its 5-inch display gives a clear picture of under marine environment. I can easily detect the fishes and catch them. Hence, again recommended.
Get updated 10 times per second with Simrad GO5 XSE Fish Finder. It is highly efficient because it features 10 Hz moderate speed. Your location will be upgraded 10 times after each second. I prefer this fish finder when I have a speedy boat or kayak. Otherwise, if your boat or kayak is slow, you can go for other options too. What else you need? Isn’t it too efficient?
I’d highly recommend it for conditions when sea or lakes are freezes (also called ice fishing). It’s HDI Skimmer Transducer uses FishReveal and CHIRP technology. Due to the HDI Skimmer Transducer, I could easily track the depth of water, whereas its CHRIP technology made it possible for me to get a clear picture of fishes. This improves the fish catch experience.
As I mentioned above that beginners are actually going to enjoy this fish finder because it is as simple as operating a mobile phone, and everyone knows that. So yeah. But one thing that irritates me is that for touch screen phones, you need to wipe your wet hands, and only then you can operate it. So you need to keep a dry towel. Moreover, what I experienced is that its transducer is only suitable for small boats. I guess if you are a beginner angler, you’ll only be taking a small boat or kayak with you, so Simrad GO5 XSE Fish Finder will work for you.
In the end, to wind up I’d suggest that this fish finder is more suitable for beginners as compared to pros. I am really impressed by its speed. But don’t forget to keep a dry towel with you, because you’ll need to wipe your hands.
Axiom 12 multi-function
Hi mobile phones, oh a mobile phone like a fish finder known as Axiom 12 multi-function with 7-inch and 9-inch displays available in the market. Just like old times, when mobile phones were just used to stay connected with people through calls, but now mobile devices let you do a lot more, but staying connecting is the core purpose. The same is the case with Axiom 12 multi-function fish finder. It helps you in catching fishes, but also offers a lot more. Keep reading in order to know its functionality.
The first thing that impressed me was that it is very speedy! Yes, it offers a very efficient fish catch facility. Its quad-core processor offers a jaw-dropping speed. As I have used multiple fish finders, what I felt that this fish finder has an amazing speed. On the other hand, other fish finders are a little lazy as they take 3 to 4 seconds to update the screen. This might not sound a huge difference to be judged, but when you are in the water, you’d realize its importance. So thumbs up for the speed.
Also, we have good news for small boats and Kayak owners. Axiom 12 multi-function fish finder comes with preloaded DownVision, SlideVersion, or RealVision3D. This means, in order to run High CHIRP sonar, you don’t need extra black boxes. This feature is beneficial for small boat and kayak owners because they have very little space, so it becomes a little difficult to manage the space of additional modules. Moreover, this proofs to be an effective and cost-cutting way. Another thumbs up for this handy feature.
As I mentioned above, it is as handy as using a cell phone. I use up to 4 apps in one single screen. This fish finder lets you enjoy customize screens along with displays through different apps. What actually blows me away in this fish finder is that while running all four individual apps, in the single page, together, while all information is being released from a single transducer! You won’t stop praising.
Axiom 12 multi-function fish finder is bad news for Linux users because it runs on Android only. Another unfortunate part is that as this fish finder is a touch screen one, it becomes tricky to handle touch screens in harsh weather situations. For this purpose, my seller suggested me to buy RMK-10 remote keypad to avoid difficult situations.
ECHOMAP Plus Series
ECHOMAP Plus Series has come up with a whole new collection of fish finders to ease the marine experience for anglers. Something I’ve noticed is that slowly and gradually the fish finders are slipping into touch-screen models. The evaluation seems like a mobile evaluation. Like slowly and gradually, mobile phones were converted from thick keypads to touch-sensitive screens.
This series have 73cv, 73sv and, 93sv. 9 and 7 versions carry an Ethernet port, that lets you share the waypoint with other Ethernet enable units. Sadly this feature won’t work on smaller plus units or outdated ECHOMAP. It requires sufficient speed for sharing the connections. Not the only waypoint is sharable, but sonar data is also shareable through other Ethernet enable units.
Well, this series has more stylish physical dimensions, the shape hasn’t changed but the old-school corners have been updated by angular edges. I really like this update in the physical dimensions. It gives Hummingbird Helix series look. The device is mostly covered by glass, to give a better touch screen experience to its user. Also, to ease the mounting experience, the connectors of this device are directly connected to the mounting bracket.
Well, during fishing my mom is super anxious, I don’t know why. She always wants me to stay connected with her. This fish finder features an app called ActiveCaptain Mobile App. This app lets you link more maps, update and purchase the new maps whenever you feel like. If you are fond of fishing just like me, then this app is for you. I keep on exploring new maps. So it is like a huge bounty for me. Also, this app keeps me connected with what is going on my phone. I get calls and messages update on my display screen.
The transducer has been updated from CV52HW – TM too, GT52. This update is a jaw-dropping one. Because, the previous transducers used to display image through 2 sided crystals, on the other hand, this updated transducer draw an authentic image through the respective sonar crystal. Also, along with this update, SideVü imaging is unchanged. You will still achieve bright CHIRP results with this new transducer.
Conclusion
You get what you pay for. There is a variety of best fish finders in the market. It all depends on your budget, specifications, and needs. Since I am a regular fish hunter, who is always looking for an opportunity to pack my bag and leave for a fishing adventure. Whereas, there are people who occasionally go for fishing.
I don’t think so occasional anglers need to invest so much in the fish finders. They can go for basic ones, whereas the pros need to get their hands on the best fish finder in the market.
For beginners, I’d recommend Simrad GO5 XSE fish finder because it is easy to operate.
I tried my best to cover every fish finder, however, if you feel like I have missed any, comment down and let us know. The next blog will be on your suggested fish finder!