Top 5 Editorial Picks

Five current fishfinders chosen for distinct buyer needs—from compact value to a premium expandable system. These are editorial selections, not Amazon or reader ratings.

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  1. 1
    Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv Fishfinder with Transducer - 4-inch LCD Display - Easy-to-Use Scanning Sonar - Color Palettes, 11.2 Ounces (010-02550-00) 4 Inch STRIKER Vivid 4cv Transducer

    Best Compact Value

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 4cv

    A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.

    • CHIRP and ClearVü scanning sonar in a compact package
    • A sensible pick when you do not need a chartplotter or SideVü
    • Best fit for budget-conscious small-boat anglers
  2. 2
    Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv, Easy-to-Use 7-inch Color Fishfinder and Sonar Transducer, Vivid Scanning Sonar Color Palettes (010-02553-00) 7 Inch STRIKER Vivid 7sv Transducer

    Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 7sv

    A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.

    • CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü sonar for fish and structure
    • Simple setup with a practical 7-inch screen
    • Strong value for most general boat anglers
  3. 3
    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv with GT54 Transducer, 7” Touchscreen Chartplotter, Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland 7' Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland with GT54 Transducer

    Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade

    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv

    The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.

    • Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland mapping and touchscreen control
    • Ultra High-Definition ClearVü and SideVü sonar
    • A better fit than STRIKER when charts matter
  4. 4
    Humminbird XPLORE Series GPS Fish Finder MEGA Side Imaging+ & HD Touchscreen Display Transducer Included) 9-Inch Display

    Best Side-Imaging Upgrade

    Humminbird XPLORE 9

    A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.

    • MEGA Side Imaging+ and MEGA Down Imaging+
    • 9-inch display with touchscreen and keypad control
    • Recommended configuration: 9-inch, transducer included
  5. 5
    Lowrance HDS PRO Fishfinder/Chartplotter with Smartphone Integration and Preloaded C-MAP U.S. & Canada Charts 10 Inch ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1

    Best Premium Expandable System

    Lowrance HDS PRO 10

    A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.

    • Active Imaging HD and C-MAP charting
    • Wide networking support for integrated electronics
    • Ready to expand with ActiveTarget 2 and the Lowrance ecosystem

Humminbird 398 SI Review

Rating
3.8/5
 
Humminbird 398 SI has an average rating of 3.75 out of 5 based on 4 user reviews.

humminbird_398si

Vendor Price
WestMarine $499.99
FactoryOutletStore $449.99
ISave $449.99

The Humminbird 398 SI comes with side imaging and down imaging capability in addition to a 3.5 inch screen with LED lighting. Also included is internal GPS chartplotting capability compete with built-in UniMap cartography. There’s also a card slot for when you want to add maps and save waypoints and a Tilt and Swivel mounting system. Here’s a list of the main features:

3.5″ display with LED backlight
4000 Watt PTP power output
GPS Chartplotting
UniMap cartography
Enhanced angling experience with Tilt and Swivel Quick Disconnect mounting system
Compatible with Navionics® Gold, HotMaps™, LakeMaster®
Internal antenna

The 3.5 inch LED backlight screen is now easier to read, and detection is enhanced with DualBeam PLUS, Side Imaging® and Down Imaging®, which allow up to 86° and improved depth. You can take cool snapshots of your favorite locations and save them with the screen snapshot function. All sonar readings are recordable so you can catch up on your free time.

UniMap covers a wide area; specifically the entire continental US coastline, rivers, inland lakes and the resolution is set at 30 meters per pixel. Should you need upgrades to Navionics® or LakeMaster®, the SD slot has you covered. In addition, it saves the waypoints and any other relevant spots.

Find the fish before they see you, and have a blast while you’re at it with the Humminbird 398ci Side Imaging Combo. You can get it in black and gray. Cartography upgrades are not included with the product, but a manual upgrade can be done and saved on the SD card. You can get a great deal on Humminbird 398 SI here.

 
 

User Reviews

Posted by Eric Yeager

  • 1/5
1

3.5′ screen for side imaging fishfinder is way too small. The display for the 598 and 798 models is twice wider than 398 and it still is too small. Save your money and buy yourself a bigger display unit.

Posted by Crappie king

  • 5/5
5

Guy above is nuts this is awesome and easy to use

Posted by Dylan Sam

  • 4/5
4

This unit is great for down-imaging and side-imaging. In the side-imaging mode you have to limit the scan area to about 20 feet, otherwise you will have too much clutter on the screen. This unit wasn’t showing depth at higher speeds when in GPS mode but when I switched to split-screen with GPS and sonar, the depth started working.

Posted by EAllen

  • 5/5
5

It is a good value for the money. Bigger screen would be nice but it is easy to read and has a lot of features. Bottom scan and side scan work as promised. GPS is a really nice. Actually has two screens for GPS. It has more screens than advertised. Well worth the money to get into side imaging. I would buy it again.

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