We start off this list with Garmin’s Striker 4. This fish finder looks a bit like a fancy video recorder because of the built-in flasher, which pokes out from the bottom. The majority of the space on the fish finder is taken up by the screen, which is surrounded by a dark-grey portion that sinks slightly into the fish finder. Below this is a selection of buttons, with directional keys placed on a notch on the bottom of the screen.
The transducer has dual frequency capabilities where details from each are shown on the screen (more about the screen later). It sends out two beams simultaneously, with the 200 kHz wave at a 15-degree angle and the 77 kHz beam at a 45-degree angle. The good part of this transducer, though, is that you can set the frequency to either 50, 77 or 200 kHz to maximize depth.
With all this, the transducer can reach up to almost 490m deep in freshwater, but the standard that you should get is around 250m. Lower frequencies offer more depth for less information so you will want a balance between the two. Unless of course, looking deeper is your thing in which case, you do you!
The transducer uses CHIRP sonar for enhanced imaging. Although you can only set it to medium or high CHIRP, it allows you to get more precise information and fish positions. It also means that you get information while moving, not that you will need that when ice-fishing though!
It also uses an awesome GPS, courtesy of the Striker line. All Striker fish finders have a high-sensitivity GPS installed in them which does a lot of cool things. You can find yourself quickly, you can mark high-catch areas and landmarks, and best of all you can see a trace of the path you are taking.
Regarding the screen, you can set it to split-screen mode to see both deeper and accurate information. The top left shows depth and temperature information. Meanwhile, on the right, you get a depth scale to tell the exact depth of each fish. On the bottom right, it tells you the mode it is set on and the transducer settings.
Overall, given the built-in flasher for better vertical use and the choices you are given, this is a solid piece of fish-finding tech that you will love.
Next on this list is the Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar. At first glance, it looks like a ball-like gizmo with an elegant, modern design. It is pitch black, with white font for the Deeper logo, and an orange line encircles it slightly below the middle.
As the name gives away on its own, it uses wireless connectivity to transmit data to your smartphone via Deeper’s app. It has a decent range because I doubt you would let it wander about 260 feet from your position. Heck, when it comes to ice fishing you are most likely going to drill a hole into the ice and put this in, so connectivity shouldn’t be a problem.
What will get you going is the sonar it uses! Not only does the design allow you to cast it using a reel, once it is in the water it goes scanning DEEP. To do that, it uses double-frequency waves of 90 kHz and 290 kHz, with angles of 55 degrees and 15 degrees respectively.
What this allows you to do is first find patches where fish are gathered, and then changing to a higher frequency allows you to zero in on the fish you found so that you can target the fish of your choice. I know, ingenious right? What makes it better is that on top of the depth that you get by reeling it into the water, it has an impressive 260 feet sensing range.
Now, the GPS is where all the magic is at. Using the GPs and mapping technology, it shows you a colored map with bathymetry lines (go look up Bathymetry lines if you are interested!) which is stored into the app once it gets there.
Plainly speaking you can look at what is in the water to a great degree of accuracy without having it on, and even after you are done fishing for the day!
On the app itself, you get two views, an aerial view of the area of water and a sideways view to see what is available throughout the depth of the water. Because of this, you will be able to pinpoint exactly where something and the particular depth. Basically, it gives you three-dimensional information.
And if all that pandering didn’t make you happy, it also has a separate ice fishing mode and color modes for day and night too. Ice fishing mode gives an extra, circular view to aid in fishing.
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