Fish Finders have come a long way in recent years, and you might be surprised to know what’s out there. Once you have familiarized yourself with modern fish finders, you will be able to make an informed decision to invest in one that suits your needs. Choosing the right fish finder doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Before you begin your research, consider an important question:
Fish finders are used across a range of different hobbies and professions. Although anglers make up the majority of people using them, fish finders can be very useful tools for other activities including but not limited to: scuba diving, treasure hunting, dredging, underwater mining, salvage, and logging. In general, these activities consistently take place in specific locations with specific water conditions, so naturally you will want a fish finder with specific capabilities.
Fish Finders use what is called active sonar technology to map out an area below the surface of the water by emitting pulses of sound at specific frequencies and measuring the time it takes for the sound waves to echo back to their origin. These sound waves are sent and received by a device known as a transducer which is usually but not always mounted to the transom of a boat. The information recorded by the transducer is read by a processor and displayed on a monitor.
so·nar
[ˈsōˌnär]
NOUN
a system for the detection of objects under water and for measuring the water’s depth by emitting sound pulses and detecting or measuring their return after being reflected
Often referred to as kayak fish finders, portable fish finders are a good option for smaller crafts that don’t have an onboard power source or permanent mounting brackets, and for those reasons, they are usually the only option for ice fishing. Also found in this category, castable fish finders are something to look into if you do most of your fishing from the shore.
Most modern fish finders come equipped with GPS capability, but standalone fish finders offer a more affordable option for anglers operating out of small crafts on small water bodies where GPS is not necessary.
The most common fish finders on the market today combine GPS and sonar into one unit. These units will usually have a split screen option so that GPS and sonar data can be viewed simultaneously, significantly improving the ability to multitask. Consider a model with a large display in order to take full advantage of this feature.
Chart Plotters use GPS along with Electronic Navigational Charts to guide and record a vessels movement on the water. This combination enables boaters and captains to safely navigate large and unfamiliar bodies of water as well as mark points of interest that they would like to return to or avoid in the future. The GPS also gives the added bonus of a live speed reading.
By far the most complex and extensive, networked systems centralize essentially all of the technology on board a vessel. Incorporating everything from radar to radio, these units are often used on larger vessels that utilize an array of different technologies. A networked system optimizes a fish finder’s capabilities by connecting it to the other on-board components.
Ranging anywhere between 3.5 and 16 inches, fish finder screens usually average somewhere between 5 and 8 inches. Smaller displays are normally found on portable and standalone fish finders and work well on smaller crafts like fishing kayaks. Larger displays are a good option for larger vessels because they enable users to see more information and they are viewable from larger distances.
Touchscreen displays have become a popular option, enabling users to quickly access all of the available features on their fish finder. Skippering a boat involves a lot of multitasking, and choosing the right fish finder, particularly one with touchscreen capability, will make it much easier to focus on all of the other instruments on board your vessel at the same time. See Touchscreen Fish Finders on Amazon
Wi-fi capability maximizes a fish finder’s accessibility. Every major fish finder brand will have their own app, enabling users to easily pair up their phone or tablet to access, update, and control all of its available features. Wi-Fi Enabled Fish Finders can be networked with trolling motors to utilize hands free technology such as GPS Anchor.
Sonar stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging. Simply put, it measures distances by observing the time that it takes for a sound wave to echo back to its source. Sound waves are emitted at specific frequencies measured in kHz (1000 waves per second). Higher frequencies give higher resolutions at shorter distances while lower frequencies give lower resolutions at longer distances. Modern sonar operates on a broad band of frequencies by transmitting long pulses using a technology known as CHIRP.
Developed in the 1950s by the Navy, CHIRP (Compressed High-Intensity Radiated Pulse) sonar expanded upon traditional sonar by utilizing a broad range ‘broadband’ of frequencies through a continuous series of modulated pulses. Picture a shotgun slug in comparison to birdshot. The slug represents a single emitted frequency of 100 kHz. The birdshot bbs represent a range of frequencies from 80 to 120 kHz. Accuracy is improved, not by shooting straighter, but instead by covering an area more completely. See CHIRP Enabled Fish Finders on Amazon
Fish finders, more specifically transducers, utilize ‘Down Imaging Sonar’ and ‘Side Imaging Sonar’ to scan the water directly beside and below the vessel. Auto-tuning software combines and adjusts these technologies automatically in order to create a more complete, responsive, and detailed picture of the water around your vessel. Sound waves have a specific cone angle that can be compared to a beam of light. Fish finders usually have 1 to 4 different beam options, enabling them to operate efficiently at a range of different depths.
It is important to consider whether or not your boat is equipped with the amount of battery power required to operate your fish finder. The size, voltage, number, and configuration of batteries varies from boat to boat. See Marine Batteries on Amazon
Jimmy is a marine biologist in Florida where he grew up fishing the Keys with his dad and brothers. He would like to one day own a floating laboratory that would allow him to continue his research without having to leave the sea
Active sonar, also referred to as echo-location, utilizes a transmitter to produce sound waves that will echo back to and be measured by a receiver. Passive sonar, by contrast, receives and measures sound waves produced by an external source.
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