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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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.
Technology has begun to permeate every aspect of modern life and understanding how to make the best use of the tech available to you can be a huge performance booster. I remember the first fish finder we put on the old red family boat – I think there were about
Tips and Tricks for Trout Fishing Trout are a very special kind of fish that live almost exclusively in fresh (not salty) water. However, some species of trout, like the rainbow trout, can spend up to two years in saltwater and spend most of their lives in brackish water. Trout
The Basics Crappie is one of the most common fish in North America. There are two types of crappie fish: white crappie (pomoxis annularis) and black crappie (pomoxis nigromaculatus). The two types are often mistaken for each other, but there are some distinguishing differences between them. The black crappie is
Fishing Tips and Tricks While it may not be a sport that many people think about as quickly as football or basketball, fishing is an activity that requires just as much skill and practice as any other sport or hobby. Even though fishing might look easy or seem easy from
| Rating | 4.6/5 |
Humminbird continually surveys product consumers for suggestions in order to make their line of fishfinders more in tune with the needs of anglers. In response, for November 2015, the company introduced a new series of Helix units that include the Humminbird Helix 9 DI. Whether you enjoy an occasional day at the lake or are a professional angler, the new Humminbird Helix 9 DI was designed to make your efforts more productive.
| Rating | 3.4/5 |
No one wants to waste time casting their line into an empty stretch of water. The Garmin Striker 4dv is designed to be easy to use while eliminating the guesswork, so fishermen can focus on the true challenge of the sport. The Garmin Striker 4dv has a compact form that fits easily into any size of boat.
Contents IntroductionWhat to Look ForPixels, More is BetterPower, More Might Be BetterTransducersCone AngleFrequencyDisplay ScreenPowerGPS CapabilitiesScanningManufacturerPortabilityDesign And DurabilityPriceBest Fishfinders for 2020Lowrance HDS 7 Gen3 – Best Fishfinder Under $800Raymarine Dragonfly 7PRO – Best Fishfinder Under $500Garmin Striker 7SV – Best Fishfinder Under $400Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP DI GPS G2 – Best
| Rating | 4.2/5 |
Here it is, the Humminbird model anglers around the country have been waiting for – the 7 inch Helix. The technology is a step up from the 5 series and provides anglers with brighter, clearer, faster and bigger images. The Helix 7 is appropriate for fresh or salt water use to depths ranging from 150 to 1,500 feet.
[rwp-review-recap id=”0″] The Icom M73 is a nice handheld VHF radio that has some nice features. It has 6 Watts of transmit power giving folks the longest communication range a handheld can give. It has the best waterproof features and has been tested submersed under water at 4.9 feet for
The freshwater sonar market has become very competitive in the last couple years with Garmin and Raymarine becoming major players. If you’re looking for a fishfinder/GPS combo for under $700, you have three great choices: Lowrance Elite-7 HDI, Garmin echoMap 50dv and Raymarine Dragonly. Let’s put them all to the test and find out which one is the best.
It’s Saturday morning, very early. It’s quiet, enough to hear a pin drop in your boat. The lake is like a mirror, and you marvel at the silent beauty as you float along. But wait, there’s something missing in this scene, something quite important. Where are the fish? If your instinct can’t find them, don’t panic–technology can.
We tested the Vegas 10×52 out in the British Virgin Islands and were surprised by the good quality of these binoculars. We were most surprised by the clarity of images during very little daylight. The diopter scale is located conveniently at the bottom side of the right eyepiece with plus
[rwp-review-recap id=”0″] The West Marine VHF 55 is a compact, lightweight, and inexpensive handheld marine VHF radio. It weighs in at just under nine ounces and will fit in your hand nicely. The included AC charger will fully charge the 1200 mAH Lithium Ion battery used in this radio in
Our Editor’s Choice Award for the Best Side-Imaging Fishfinder goes to the Humminbird Helix 5 SI GPS. The Helix 5 series offers anglers a range of pricing and options to fit any need without breaking the bank. No other manufacturer can match theses versatile units on functionality and value.
| Rating | 3.3/5 |
The Garmin echoMap 53dv has a 5 inch high-contrast color display with keypad control and a MicroSD port. The LakeVu cartography and mapping solution provides you with instant access to over 17,000 lakes and rivers throughout North America.
Our Editor’s Choice Award for 2015 goes to the Raymarine Dragonfly 5PRO. We feel that the new Dragonfly offers superior CHIRP imaging capability that surpasses other units on the market. The wide spectrum CHIRP sonar pulses across multiple sonar frequencies simultaneously. With more sonar pulse entering the water, the Dragonfly can see
Lowrance Mark-4 CHIRP is a great choice for everyday anglers who are looking to gain an upper hand on gamefish without spending a lot of money. The new Mark 4 is an inexpensive addition to any angler’s toolbox. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with some excellent fish finding features.
| Rating | 3.5/5 |
New for 2015 is the Garmin echoMAP 73sv fish finder/chartplotter. The unit comes with the power/data cable, a quick-release and flush mounts, a protective cover, the GT 40-TM, 12-pin transducer, all of the necessary hardware and an owner’s manual. The quick-release mount is exclusive to Garmin and enables anglers to permanently install the swivel mount and cable.
| Rating | 3.4/5 |
Raymarine recently introduced the Dragonfly 4PRO in the latest generation of affordable fish finders. Though new to the market, the product has already garnered attention. Pacific Yachting recently awarded the Dragonfly 4 “Best in Show” at the Vancouver International Boat Show.
Combining GPS with sonar and detailed mapping, Garmin has created a fishfinder unmatched by any rivals in its price range. With the Garmin echoMAP 93sv, the challenge of guessing where the fish are is virtually at an end, and the fisherman can focus on the real sport of getting the fish to take the bait.