While not the flagship model of the brand, the Lowrance Hook2 4X is definitely an intriguing fishfinder that offers plenty of value at an incredibly reasonable price point. That said, with increasingly stiff competition coming from Garmin, Helix, and Humminbird, Lowrance certainly has its work cut out for it to remain relevant in an increasingly crowded and competitive market.
The Lowrance Hook2 4X is actually the lowest end of Lowrance’s revitalized Hook2 series. That said, it still provides a surprising amount of value for most of your basic needs, though it is definitely more suited for certain types of fishing. For instance, it is not necessarily going to blow you away with loads of bells and whistles–that’s what the Hook2 X12 is for–but it will provide a reliable experience in low-lying freshwater with the ability to handle some deeper lakes as well.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Lowrance Hook2 4X actually comes in 2 different models: one with a GPS antenna and one without. While this will not affect the Hook2 4X’s ability to detect the fish in any way, it will either provide additional course tracking options or not. Considering the difference between the two models generally ranges about $20 and both models cost under $150, there is little reason not to opt for the Lowrance Hook2 4X with the GPS antenna.
When it comes to judging fishfinders, the single most important factor is how well it detects the fish. While this may seem a somewhat simple consideration, there are actually a whole host of features and qualities that ultimately influence and determine a given fishfinder’s ability to actually detect fish. In this regard, the Lowrance Hook2 4X performs admirably for its price point, though the transducer may leave a bit to be desired for more serious fisherman.
Beam
This quality is definitely a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the Hook2 4X does offer a wide-angle sonar beam. On the other hand, this fishfinder only provides a single beam. What this means is that you will likely not miss detecting a fish within a wide range of area, but neither will you be provided with exceptionally detailed information when directly above the fish either.
Frequency
This is definitely one of the areas where the Lowrance shines. Along with Garmin, Lowrance has been one of the companies instrumental in making the CHIRP sonar technology become nearly a must have for most worthwhile fishfinders. While higher-end models will certainly want to be able to isolate frequency channels for specific settings, even they too will often include a CHIRP sonar system as a general approach alongside whatever specialized systems they include.
The reason for this popularity is that the CHIRP sonar does not actually use a single frequency and instead sends out a range of frequencies in ascending order. The most common frequencies to be included in a CHIRP sonar are 50, 83, 192, and 200 kHz. What this does is allow the sonar to provide varying levels of range and detail which are then collated by the fishfinder’s software to present the most accurate representation that it can.
While the Lowran