December 13, 2009
Fishfinders on Review.
Before you can decide which fishfinder is the best one for you, you should know how a fishfinder performs.
Fish Finders use sonar technology to find fish-or any other reflective object-beneath the surface of the water. Sonar sound waves travel through the water. The farther the sound waves travel, the more they fan out into a cone shape and increase in diameter. Deeper water naturally causes the cone to fan out as it travels from it's origin. Whenever the sonar wave strikes against a solid object of any substance, it will send an echo back to the transducer. The time difference between when the sound bounces back from an object and it's surrounding area determine the shape and size. That shape will then appear on your fishfinder screen and you will be able to see a proximation of what the object looks like.
The next thing you need to know before you can determine which fishfinder is best for you is your budget. Figure out how much you would really like to spend on a fish finder. Then double that. This is more realistic and helps set an actual budget to work with.
Naturally, the budget isn't the only consideration. There are six other significant factors to help you to make the best choice for you. Review all of the following:
DEPTH RATING
Each fishfinder is rated for a particular depth. In other words, it tells you how far down the sonar or sound waves will reach effectively based on the intensity of the signal being sent. However, you should know that the depth ratings given are for ideal circumstances in fresh, clean, relatively clear water; unless it states otherwise. If you will be fishing in murky waters or salt water, that depth finder will not be effective to the maximum depth stated. Like everything else; the more power the higher the cost; so know that if you plan to fish really deep water you need to spend more.
A good rule of thumb and my recommendation is to purchase a fishfinder with a rating of 10% more than you plan to need.
TRANSDUCER INCLUDED?
You should check included accessories for your fishfinder diligently before you make your purchase. Some do not come with a transducer and you will need to purchase one separately. That will make a difference in the overal price. The two types of transducers are single frequency and dual frequency. Depending on what you will be fishing for and where; you may require one or the other or even both. Single frequency transducers work best in shallow coastal waters or inland lakes. For offshore deep water and sea fishing, a dual frequency transducer is recommended. This dual frequency transducer provides a second, higher frequency signal that shows you the fish or objects within a smaller cone-for deeper water. As an example; a 50kHz frequency transducer could have a 4 degree cone to provide a good view of the bottom in deep water and 200kHz transducer with a 20 degree cone would provide a better view of the bottom in shallower water. You need to purchase the correct transducer, because both will generate information on your screen, but you want the information to be accurate.
The method and location of installation must also be considered here. Another consideration is portability; will you leave it on one boat or move it from boat to boat. You also have to decide if you will transom mount it or go through the hull for optimum clarity.
Several companies make single frequency ducers. Each of these units is best suited for use on a small boat.They are generally used on small lakes, rivers and streams as well as coastal backwaters.
A transom mount unit is usually easier and less expensive to install. You can purchase transom mounts in both single frequency and dual frequency fishfinder models. Transom mounts are best for use in water that will not be very disrupted by a boat moving fast. They are usually not very effective once your boat exceeds a speed of 10 knots.
Best performance and clarity will be had with a thruogh hull transducer. But this does require putting another hole in your boat hull for installation. And they are really only warranted if you need bottom reading at very high speeds.
Through the hull dual frequency transducers are recommended if you plan to fish deep water and need to read the fish at high speeds.
Smaller boats fishing relatilely shallow water at slow speed can use a portable or transom mount. The money you save will be better served by using it to fill up your boat's gas tank!
POWER CONSIDERATION
As a rule, more power is always a good thing. When comparing units that are equal in all other features, the cheaper unit will almost always have less power. For the best accuracy and clarity go for the high power as that is what determines the speed of the sonar return signals.
After finding all other factors equal I recommend buying the unit with the highest power rating. In other words, consider units that have everything you want and then compare the power rating of all of those units to see which one has the highest power rating.
SCREEN RESOLUTION
Consider this when looking at different options for the display. Viewing in bright sunlight os better with a color monitor. A clearer image will be produced with higher resolution.
My recommendation is to look at several units in your price range with the features you want and then purchase the unit with the higher screen resolution, in color. 480×480 is ideal, but you don't want to go any lower than 320×240.
SIZE OF DISPLAY
Similar to power, a larger screen will be better as long as it will fit where you want it! So before you can really determine the ideal display size for you, you need to measure the area where you will install the display unit. That will give you the largest display unit you can purchase. Just like more power, a bigger screen will fetch a heftier price. But display size isn't absolutely everything. Some really great fishfinders have 4" diagonal screens and work fantastic.
READ THE REVIEWS, BUT . . .
When reading the fish finders reviews be somewhat skeptical of exagerated claims of performance! There isn't likely anyone who has actually owned and used all of the different model they write about. Instead, the review writer probably works for the manufacturer of a particular fishfinder. It's best to look for technical differences rather than praise of performance. For instance, eFishBox.com has a fishfinder review page that shows the specifications of all of the fishfinders produced by the industry brand name leaders so you can make real comparisons based on the actual features. Base your decision on a good understanding of what you need in features and power, not someones opinion of what is best.
Filed under Fly Fishing Vest by Brian