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.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Best Compact Value
A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.
Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder
A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.
Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade
The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.
Best Side-Imaging Upgrade
A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.
Best Premium Expandable System
A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.
| Rating | 2/5 |
I love to fish, and I transform into a complete geek when I discover new fish finding technology. The moment I saw that a friend of mine had a Lowrance Hook 4 Sonar/GPS fish finder on his boat I went straight to it and starting examining its capabilities. My buddy
| Rating | 3.5/5 |
Deeper has taken the sonar fishfinder world by storm with their groundbreaking castable, smartphone fishfinders. With Deeper sonar fishfinders, you can fish from the shore, a boat, or even ice fish. The ability to have sonar while fishing from shore is by the far the greatest quality of a smartphone
| Rating | 2.4/5 |
The differences between personal and marine electronics continue to fade as manufacturers take inspiration and technologies from the smart phones that are an increasingly significant part of our lifestyles. The electronics we want on our boats are becoming more connected to the technologies the cloud provides access to, and we see the benefits in not just increased performance and user-friendliness, but in the flood of data we have even out on the water. Nothing exemplifies this more than the Simrad GO7 XSE
One of the most prized American game fish is the rainbow trout, and its very close cousin, the steelhead. These fish are natives of Asia, the Pacific coastal area of North America, and the tributary rivers that empty into the Pacific Ocean. Steelhead are the same species of fish as
When I tell people I love ice fishing, they assume I am from Wisconsin, Michigan, or Canada, and are surprised all the times I went out on the ice; it was on top of lakes in New England. Like all hunting, ice fishing requires patients, but unlike deer or duck
Smartphone fishfinders give the angler without a boat that can take a hull mounted transducer a piece of the action when it comes to fishing with the aid of sonar fishfinders. Whether you fish from a smaller vessel, such as a canoe or kayak, from the shore or bridge, or
Smartphone Fish Finders The market of fishfinders is dominated by units that are designed to be used in conjunction with a hull mounted sonar transducer. These units have come along way from the early days of sonar and sonar fish finders, and they pack an awesome amount of power. The
Bluegill fish are among the easiest fish in the world to catch. Even a beginner with virtually no skill can hook a bluegill. That said, this article will help improve your chances of hooking a bluegill. This freshwater fish is a native of the Great Lakes, the Mississippi, and the
The perch is one of the most common fish in North America. It’s relatively small, usually only reaching a length of 15 inches and a weight of just over 2 pounds, but it’s very delicious and is a favorite in many restaurants. This freshwater fish is most likely to be
When it comes to fish finding sonar, your choices have exploded in recent years with advancements by leaps and bounds. In this article we will be quickly looking at two important sonar types used in today’s new fish finders: Down imaging sonar and side imaging sonar. These two innovations have
There exist various fish finders on the market which possess sonar capabilities. Most modern-day fish finders are equipped with both Down and Side Imaging mechanisms. However, only the Down Imaging will be singled out here. To begin, what does Down Imaging really mean? Well, it is a fish-finding technique that
Seated among the greatest high-end sonar technologies that can be integrated into a fish finder is Side Imaging. This intriguing feature presents users with the opportunity to get a more enhanced view of the structure of the water bottom. Additionally, it allows for better pinpointing of where fish are located,
Are you a fish lover who’s in need of a great fish finder to fit perfectly into your budget? Maybe you’re working with a low budget and you want a fish finder that could actually perform up to its cost. Well, I’m here to help. There are several cheap fish
Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3 has an average rating of 5 out of 5 based on 12 user reviews. Fishing tech has come a long way in the years since I saw my first fish finder. I can still remember seeing the big and small fish icons on the
| Rating | 2.4/5 |
The new Hook 5 by Lowrance is part of their new Hook line of fish finders designed to cater to anglers of any budget. The Hook 5 is a combination fish finder and GPS chart plotter developed for anglers wanting a great value, but who are not willing to sacrifice on quality. It delivers on both counts with features generally only found on units costing significantly more money. The Hook 5 fish finder is a 2016 upgraded version of the very popular Lowrance Elite-5 HDI released in 2013.
| Rating | 4.6/5 |
Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 73sv has a widescreen display resolution of 800 by 480 pixels from a 7-inch screen which gives it more than enough real estate for crystal-clear viewing. Perhaps the main selling point of the echoMAP CHIRP 73sv is its built-in CHIRP (Compressed High-Intensity Radiated Pulse) sonar capabilities. CHIRP does not just send one frequency at a time. Instead, it sends a continuous sweep of frequencies on a low-to-high range. This puts more pulse onto the target than traditional sonar, and consequently provides more detailed returns.
Muskie are some of the largest and most elusive freshwater fish. They’re sort of legendary in that many fishermen want to catch muskie, but few seem to actually do it. This freshwater fish is native to North America, and is most common in the areas of the Great Lakes, the
| Rating | 2.1/5 |
The Lowrance Hook 7 takes the best features of its fishfinders and puts them into a convenient, easy-to-use package for any angler at an attractive price. The essential features that help maximize every minute spent on the water whether on solitary creeks, inland lakes, or offshore waters, are built into the Hook 7.
Tips for Catching Lake Trout Lake trout is one of the largest freshwater char, or cold freshwater fish. Lake trout is most often fished for sport, and in many areas of the world, has been overfished, so check your local area for any fishing limits. This fish is quite delicious
Furuno is a company that designs and produces marine electronics and global positioning systems (GPS), as well as other high-tech products. One of these products is the Furuno FCV587 Fish Finder, which has 600W/1kW Power, an 8.4-inch LCD in color, and Bottom Discrimination capability. This is an exemplary product, adapted