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.
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.
| Rating | 3.7/5 |
The Helix series features affordable, compact fishfinders that offer all of the features of the larger, more expensive models at the fraction of the cost of similar, older units. The Humminbird Helix 5 DI GPS in particular comes loaded with features that rival the Humminbird 859.
| Rating | 4.7/5 |
echoMAP 43dv is the new addition to the Garmin’s growing line-up of sonar products. Upon opening the box, anglers find the head unit, the power and data cable, the quick-release mount, GT20-TM/4-pin transducer, a trolling motor mount and all of the necessary mounting hardware in addition to the manual.
| Rating | 3.8/5 |
Dragonfly 5PRO is Raymarine’s latest offering and it comes with all sorts of bells and whistles such as CHIRP sonar. CHIRP is a wide spectrum sonar technology. It basically means more signals are sent into the water, resulting in better detail coming back to the unit. The end result is better clarity to help you distinguish what you are seeing.
| Rating | 4.2/5 |
Lowrance recently announced the addition of the affordable Elite-4 CHIRP series of fishfinders to the company’s lineup. The Elite 4 CHIRP comes equipped with all of the bells and whistles of the Elite-4 HDI series with the addition of CHIRP. CHIRP emits a modulated pulse via the transducer.
Every angler would rather be fishing than messing with equipment or trolling around looking for a good spot. Thankfully the folks at Lowrance kept this in mind when they designed the Elite 9 CHIRP fish finder and chart plotter. The simple set up, bright HD display, and easy operation make it a huge time saver.
| Rating | 3.3/5 |
In November 2014 Humminbird introduced a new series of fishfinders – Helix 5. The units feature a brilliant, extra-wide, 480 x 800 resolution display that depicts 256-colors on a 5-inch screen complete with backlighting that ensures clear, crisp images in all types of lighting conditions day and night. The new display is essentially the main innovation in the Helix series, the transducers and the software are borrowed from the predecessors – 800 and 600 series.
Using precision sonar, the Humminbird PiranhaMax 197c DI makes aquatic environments as clear as day. The fish will never rest easy again. A compact device measuring roughly 5.6 by 3.9 inches on the front and just over 1.3 inches deep, the new PiranhaMax features a 3.5-inch LCD monitor with 320 by 240 pixel resolution.
The Uniden MHS550 is a multi-band marine handheld VHF radio capable of transmitting and receiving on the Marine band and the Family Radio Service band. It will also receive on the AM and FM broadcast bands and receive aircraft band traffic as well. The radio body is constructed from die
The Lowrance HDS-8 is a multifunction display that serves as both a marine chartplotter and Broadband Sounder ™. It also contains an internal GPS sensor. The unit came preloaded with Lowrance Nautic Insight ™ U.S. Coastal cartography. The HDS-8 package includes the display unit, mounting bracket, dual-frequency transom-mount transducer, operations
The recently announced Garmin 78sc is at the pinnacle of the three model 78-series marine handheld GPS lineup. Not only does this unit float, it also features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, and two onboard sensors, an internal electronic compass and barometric altimeter. The “c” designation in the model number indicates
In the harsh marine environment only top shelf boat wire or marine cable will suffice. Start any repair or installation project by picking the right wire for the job by choosing good quality wire or cable properly sized and color-coded for the job at hand. Get the Right Type and
Lowrance Elite 3x comes equipped with an 83/200 kHz dual-frequency Broadband Sounder transducer that also features an LED-backlit color display. With a 240×360 pixel resolution, the screen is easily viewed from any angle. The dual-frequency functionality provides maximum visualization beneath the vessel.
| Rating | 3.3/5 |
Lowrance Elite 5 CHIRP combines the best of sonar, GPS mapping and Downscan Imaging. Using CHIRP sonar technology, the Elite 5 has been equipped with the tools to make it extremely sensitive to locating fish while providing an improved target resolution and noise rejection, making it much easier to see bait fish and game fish targets.
| Rating | 4.3/5 |
Garmin created the Echo 501c for quick installation and implementation into a fishing arsenal. Whether a novice, weekend angler or tournament professional, the user-friendly unit capably finds the fish. A power, directional/menu and enter button are all the controls needed to operate the device. Initial set-up merely requests that the user choose the desired language,
| Rating | 4/5 |
The processor found in the Elite 7 CHIRP is faster than that of its predecessor. The upgraded motherboard and processor along with the CHIRP software provide clearer views of bottom surfaces, plant structures and fish in greater detail, clarity and in real time. Equipped with advanced signal processing the Elite 7 CHIRP allows anglers to spend more time catching fish than having to focus images.
The Humminbird 959ci HD DI is built around an HD TFT display, which has a diagonal measurement of 8 inches. The quality of the screen—as well as the greater-than-normal width-to-height aspect ratio (16:9)—allows you to boost your on-the-water performance due to enhanced whole screen or split screen viewing.
| Rating | 4/5 |
The Garmin echoMAP 50dv has a 5-inch display, which provides VGA-quality imaging. Built into the echoMAP 50dv is Garmin’s trademarked High-Definition Identification target tracking technology. Better known as HD-ID, it provides a super clear image of the area under the boat.
| Rating | 2.3/5 |
The Furuno GP1670F represents the entry-level offering of Furuno’s fishfinder/chart plotter combo systems. It offers a lot of the advanced features found in the more expensive models. The unit is targeted at boaters who want the combination of accurate GPS/WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) performance and enhanced chart plotting and fish finding capabilities.
| Rating | 4.7/5 |
Garmin echoMap 70dv combines excellent sonar used on the echo series with the Garmin’s brand new DownVu technology, 10Hz GPS receiver, and a brilliant, touchscreen display. The echoMap 70dv has it all and is one of the finest fishfinders we have come across in a long time.