Best Portable Fish Finder

The Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit is our best portable fish finder which is also compatible with echomap chartplotters and it reads the depth greatly and more precisely. It has better target separation than other portable fish finders out there and is also upgradable to a gt8 or gt15 transducer.

Our step-up pick is the Lowrance 000-11673-001 Elite-3X All-Season Portable Pack and it can also display the enhanced wind rose and it is also compatible with trolling motor transducers and the like. With an on-screen location that is always visible, sailing or kayaking is a breeze with the portable fish finder and its clearest scanning images.

The budget pick is the HawkEye FT1PX FishTrax Portable Fish Finder and you can use it on a canoe and you can take your fish finder anywhere due to its portability. With dedicated buttons for various functions, the unit also works well for a kayak and it is easy to use. coming in with a portable carrying case, the portable fish finder still functions well at higher boat speeds.

A Little Background

A portable fish finder isn’t a cheat device – it’s a great way to save a lot of time when fishing in a vast body of water, such as a large lake or sea. It is also an important device if you are specifically looking for a certain species of fish.
It is important to have a fish finder that is bundled with a GPS so you can save more time in going to your preferred direction. GPS combo units also help the angler to save specific locations and favorite fishing spots wherever they go. GPS units also prevent the angler from getting lost at sea.
Most people believe that it is more ideal to get a low frequency sonar fish finder than a scanner if you want to go fishing out in the sea due to depth. This is because an image scanner fish finder is more prone to loss of signal so it is only ideal for lake fishing or any shallow water.

How We Picked

On choosing the best portable fish finder, below were our considerations:
Portability: the portable fish finder must have a small size that is easy enough to store into the angler’s pocket or be easily setup and removed whenever needed. The size of the portable fish finder is also important so that it will fit on most smaller boats such as kayaks and canoes, if possible.
Transducer size: the size of the transducer determines whether the portable fish finder is a great find or not. The transducer tells whether the portable fish finder is effective and sensitive enough to cover a larger area of water to catch and detect more fish and other items at the bottom of the water.
Power source: usually, any portable fish finder will run off a 12-volt battery source from your marine battery but some can also be battery powered, depending on the type of unit that you have.
Setup and features: the portable fish finder should be simple to setup and put together. At the very least, the portable fish finder should also include the mounting tool such as the transom mount with the transducer. The portable fish finder should also have instructions on how to mount it to your boat.
Durability: the portable fish finder should have long lasting durability and should have a good waterproofing rating for you to take it out in the sea or lake without a lot of problems at all. Note which parts of the portable fish finder are waterproof and which are not.
Size of the boat: you should know if the portable fish finder will fit well on your boat. Whether you have a kayak, a canoe, a pontoon, a regular fiberglass boat or any kind of boat, make sure that the portable fish finder will be a perfect fit and will not get in the way of your fishing or paddling at all.
Warranty policy: the portable fish finder should also have a good warranty policy. Some portable fish finders are guaranteed to be waterproof so you should ask the manufacturer whether the waterproofing quality is covered by the warranty policy of the portable fish finder.

Our Pick

GarminS4Portable
Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit

Our best portable fish finder is the Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit. The downscan imaging of this portable fish finder makes it easy. The included installation kit is simple to use so you can get to the structure bottom detail. You can mount it to a trolling motor and it has a 1-thumb operation.
It will tell you the water temperature and it is also easy to install for you to find fish on the go. You can be assured that you are going the right speed with this portable fish finder. Producing crystal clear sonar images, it has a display size of 3.5 inches (diagonally) and uses a dual cone transducer for its system.
Bringing you uninterrupted imagery, the portable fish finder can display a waypoint map for your needs. With an outstanding battery life, any angler can return to hot spots with the use of this portable fish finder.
Great for winter fishing, the portable fish finder is very portable for you to carry into locations that you want to go fishing to. You can also scroll back through sonar images for reviewing. Weighing only 10.8 lbs, the portable fish finder will also read and detect some brush piles in your location.
Using its 77/200 kHz sonar transducer which is ultra accurate, the battery is water tight so you can feel assured that it will stand up to any lake or ocean. What’s more, you can also view wake-controlled areas with this portable fish finder as well as some stumps and docks.
It is a very well built unit with the production of continuous sweep of frequencies for the best fish finding techniques possible. It has a transducer cable storage and management system and has a transmit power of 200 watts RMS and a peak power of 1,600 watts.
Coming in with a portable carrying case, the portable fish finder can detect the water from shallow to deeper depths and is also applicable for vertical jigging. With a straightforward keyed interface, the portable fish finder has a max depth of 1,600 feet in freshwater and 750 feet in saltwater.

Flaws but Not Dealbrakers

While not deal breakers at all, the Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit does have a few cons such as the fact that it does not support digital fishing charts. However, this is a feature only mostly found on more expensive and bigger (non-portable) units.

Step-up Pick

LowrancePortable
Lowrance 000-11673-001 Elite-3X All-Season Portable Pack

Our step-up pick is the Lowrance 000-11673-001 Elite-3X All-Season Portable Pack. With this unit, you can also review all of the waypoints you have marked with this portable fish finder. Featuring the ultra scroll and a-scope technologies, you can easily view locations and fish with this portable fish finder.
With 3.5 inches in its 256-color display, the portable fish finder is great for searching large areas to fish. The portable fish finder runs on an 83 kHz sonar operation in its transducer and has a durable kit that speaks of portability.
The portable fish finder easily installs on a small boat and is also great for various stationary fishing tactics. The screen of the unit measures 320 x 240 pixels and it will detect fish as you like it. Great at displaying fish arches, the portable fish finder has a dock transducer that can range from 8 to 30 feet of depth in its depth.
Offering you many mounting solutions, the portable fish finder is deemed okay for kayak fishing and is a great broadband sounder to consider with a sealed battery. It also comes with an ice transducer for ice fishing or winter angling.
With up to 60 degrees of conical coverage, the portable fish finder is quite easy to carry and it identifies fish targets just fine. It allows you to clearly see a fish and it has a suction-cup mount for your needs. As a great little unit, it has the ability to detect the bottom contours of the waters.
Most rental boats can also be installed with this portable fish finder for year-round fishing success. It gives you a lot of structure detail on the bottom of the ocean or lake and can be installed onto any flat bottom boat and the like.
The battery life is good on this portable fish finder as it keeps a charge all day. It also displays the bottom hardness and it comes in 2 transducer styles for your fishing needs. The portable fish finder is able to work on very clear ice and it can also detect some thermoclines.

Budget Pick

HawkEye
HawkEye FT1PX FishTrax Portable Fish Finder

Our budget pick is the HawkEye FT1PX FishTrax Portable Fish Finder and you can clearly see the sea and fish with excellent target separation using its great fish finder technology. This portable fish finder is simple in its operation so that you can be trolling at the right speed.
Bringing you a classic flasher format option, the float for the transducer works as intended. The portable fish finder is also ideal for ice fishing or in the cold. Equipped with a charger for the unit’s battery, the portable fish finder can allow you to share your favorite waypoints.
As a portable sonar unit, it is a great fish finder. With an LED screen that is clear even in sunlight, the portable fish finder can adapt to your fishing situation as it is capable of handling a transom mount of an inflatable boat. It will be visible even in full sunlight and it has a suction cup for the transducer for easy mounting onto the bottom of your boat.
The portable fish finder also comes along with a battery charger for your needs. Most anglers who like to do vertical fishing and jigging will find this portable fish finder awesome. It is also capable of night operation with good visibility and is a great all season unit to consider.
Including 20 feet of transducer cable, you can mark and navigate your way to fishing success with this unit and its high-sensitivity GPS bundled with it. Equipped with VirtuView technology, the portable fish finder can be set to either lower or higher sensitivity.
The graphics are good in this portable fish finder and the surface clutter will be reduced as well. There is a sensitivity adjustment of up to 10 levels and the on screen menu is easy to navigate. Powered up by 4 AAA batteries, the portable fish finder is suitable for a lot of mounting hardware types for your fish target with its dot matrix display.

Best Portable Fish Finder that is Wireless

iGarden
iGarden Rechargeable Wireless Portable Fish Finder

If you want a wireless portable fish finder then the iGarden Rechargeable Wireless Portable Fish Finder is a great pick. You will be pleased with the construction of this portable fish finder and its dual frequency feature.
With its intelligent sonar technology, the portable fish finder makes it easy to determine fish size and it has a variable zone feature to see the shallow fish in the water. The portable fish finder also has great water depth detection and it seems to be rugged in construction.
The portable fish finder will fit onto any John boat and moving the depth is so easy with this unit. What’s more, fish depth identification is very simple with this portable fish finder as you can use in a canoe. With a given depth range, you can find it a useful unit for a fishing kayak.
With a 433.92 MHz radio frequency, the portable fish finder is easily rechargeable and it is also applicable for lake fishing. Great for many outdoor fishing activities, the graphics and display of this portable fish finder is easy to see in broad daylight and sunlight.
Running with 4 AAA batteries, the screen is colorful with this portable fish finder and the wireless power input is up to 1 watt. It can also remember settings when you turn it off so it is easily convenient.
Ideal for any 20 pound line, the portable fish finder is suitable for many other fishing environments. What’s more, it is lightweight to carry and tether with your fishing line. With a red 125 kHz wireless sonar, the portable fish finder also features a backlight design for big fish or small fish in the lake or sea.
Easily operated from a boat, the wireless operating range is up to 100 meters. You can use the portable fish finder at night with its clear visuals and the depth range is from 2 to 120 feet or 0.6 to 45 meters. You can even use heavy fishing line on this portable fish finder.
Including a charging cable, the portable fish finder is a useful tool for fishing that can be mounted on a trolling motor. The screen color is clear and crisp in this portable fish finder. You can use it over creeks and rivers and it comes with a manual. You will definitely enjoy your fishing time with this portable fish finder.

Best Portable Fish Finder with an LCD Screen

Signstek
Signstek FF-003 Outdoor Portable Fish Finder

Our ideal LCD screened fish finder that is portable is the Signstek FF-003 Outdoor Portable Fish Finder. With a great screen, the unit is portable and you can see the actual sonar echoes in this portable fish finder in multiple frequencies.
You can also view the bottom contour and composition while on a boat. It is also applicable with rechargeable batteries and you will be pleased with the features. This portable fish finder has a high-tech display and it can be taken to oceans for finding the best fishing spots possible.
With a 2.4-inch TFT LCD screen display, the portable fish finder comes with a float for the transducer and is only powered by 4 AAA batteries. Great for sailing and detecting contour changes on the bottom, the portable fish finder is ideal for both professional and amateur anglers alike.
Displaying up to 512 colors, the screen of the portable fish finder has 240 x 160 pixels in its resolution. It can be used in lakes and has a white LED front light and a stop chart function. The portable fish finder uses 200 kHz / 83 kHz in its transducer.
Equipped with a multi-language menu, the portable fish finder has an IPX4 waterproof rating. The sound waves produced by the portable fish finder is essential for fishing. It is a must-have in your tackle box and can be used in small ponds with its dual beam sonar frequency.
There is a quick manual zoom feature in this portable fish finder to find the location of an object or fish. You can also determine the water temperature with this unit which goes up to 240 feet under the water. It is a great unit with a fish depth indicator and an auto zoom bottom tracking feature.
Perfect when ice fishing, the battery lasts for about 6 hours. The unit has adjustable sensitivity and the portable fish finder can be taken to a high mountain lake. It is also applicable for a aluminum boat. With over 100 levels of sensitivity settings, the portable fish finder works very well at night or on a fishing trip.
It comes with a screw and has the ability to switch between feet or meter readings. With a manual, for your reference, casting out the sonar sensor is simple in this portable fish finder.

Best Portable Fish Finder with Seabed Detection

Lixada
Lixada Fishing Finder Portable Fish Detection

An ideal fish finder for detecting the seabed or bottom of the water is the Lixada Fishing Finder Portable Fish Detection. The included rechargeable battery is sealed and the portable fish finder can give you a wider range of information due to its sonar history rewind and great transducer.
What’s more, the depth units can be changed with this portable fish finder which makes it suitable for kayak fishing all over the world. The clear display is intuitive to know the depth of the sea or lake and there is no need to drill when you are installing this portable fish finder.
It can display bottom contours and also has a hard bottom line option due to its sonar technology. Catching big and small fish will be easy with this portable fish finder and its color screen display with better visualization and fish depth.
Great for any ocean kayak or simple kayak, the portable fish finder has a multi-level depth range feature for all day fishing. It can measure the depth of the water and gives easy operation to the angler. Whether you have a wooden canoe or other boat types, the portable fish finder is ready to use.
This portable fish finder is able to detect grass and it also has a neat and reliable fish depth scale. What’s more, you can navigate easily due to the GPS bundle. It will also create crisper fish arches and give you detailed bottom contours. It has a round transducer sensor type in its design.
Perfect with its LCD screen display, the portable fish finder is able to display short and tall weeds for your information and it has a removable float included for setup of operation. It can also show you the bottom rock or grass of any sea or lake as a portable fish detection tool.
Most sand and rocks will be detected easily with this portable fish finder and it can also give you the approximate location of fish. The cable included measures 7.5 meters and the unit also has an audible fish alarm.
As a great seabed detecting tool, the portable fish finder has a beam angle of 45 degrees. It is also equipped with a high quality wired sonar sensor transducer that will measure the depth of the water as you go.

Best Portable Fish Finder for Detecting Water Temperature

LuckyWired
Lucky Wired 80M Professional Fish Finder

If you want a great fish finder that is portable and can detect water temperature then the Lucky Wired 80M Professional Fish Finder is a great unit to consider. The sensor can be charged and it will not spook any fish at all. It comes with a USB charger and is portable for fishing lovers.
You can feel at ease as the meter or feet readings are switchable. The portable fish finder has from 0.7 up to 100 meters of depth range. With a water resistant design, its depth range has auto and manual modes. With a dot matrix screen, the water temperature indicator in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.
The portable fish finder is able to find out the fish depth location that you need. What’s more, a neck strap or lanyard is included for portability. The portable fish finder also has a clear fish icon option and the sonar frequency is at 200 kHz.
With a level 4 waterproof built, the fish finder also included a stainless bolt and wing nut. In fact, the cable included measures 25 feet. The fish finder is quite spray and waterproof and you can easily zoom at a specified depth. The portable fish finder is also capable of a 45 degree beam angle when thrown into the water.
What’s more, the depth alarm setting is adjustable so it is a professional fishing tool that can also display the bottom contour of the lake or sea. The portable fish finder also features a simulation mode and it has a transducer adapter for the ease if setup.
Running using 4 AAA alkaline batteries, the depth range of this portable fish finder is from 2 feet up to 240 feet or 0.6 to 80 meters. It has a great sonar transducer and it operates at temperatures from -4 to 158°f or -20 to 70°c.
As a wired option for a portable fish finder, the round transducer sensor has a diameter of 46 mm. the screen is adjustable and is of high contrast and you can also find out the true changing of the bottom contours of the water. With a white LED back lighting, the portable fish finder also comes with an instruction manual.

Best Portable Fish Finder for Trolling

NorCross
NorCross HawkEye F33P Portable Fish Finder

A great portable fish finder for trolling to consider is the NorCross HawkEye F33P Portable Fish Finder. Great for any possible fishing area, the portable fish finder is applicable for sea fishing when you tie your line to it firmly.
It has a weedID system and produces an ultra wide sonar beam angle at 25 degrees. You can track weed and fish with this easy to use portable fish finder that is super ideal for ice fishing. Great with its higher sensitivity settings, the portable fish finder can give you an accurate depth measurement.
Simply toss the sonar sensor to use it and you will get precise bottom contour readings. There is also an audible fish alarm for detecting fish. The portable fish finder also has a display that prevents eye strain for longer hours of fishing. It is so compact that it fits in your tackle box.
You can detect the fish that you want and analyze the bottom structure of the sea or lake with this portable fish finder. It can also be used along the shoreline and it has a sweeping motion which reduces false readings. With a depth range of 1.5 to 99.9 feet, the portable fish finder is a versatile unit.
You can adjust the sensitivity and gain an accurate depth reading with this portable fish finder. It can be used even at zero degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it ideal for ice fishing. With its palm-sized design, it is portable for saltwater use and has a soft glow backlighting for all day fishing.
As a trolling portable fish finder, you can easily mount the display unit onto any boat or kayak and the sonar sensor is side-scanable. Powered by 4 AAA batteries, you can fish on a bridge with this portable fish finder mountable that can be mounted on the boat.
It has a gear bag included plus 35 feet of cable. This portable fish finder is a great aquatic tool with a glare-free display and will fit on any pocket. With a cable tie-strap, the portable fish finder fits in the palm of your hand and is backed by a 2 year warranty.

Best Portable Fish Finder with a Round Transducer

YesGoShop
YesGoShop Round Sonar Portable Fish Finder

The YesGoShop Round Sonar Portable Fish Finder is a considerable portable fish finder with a round transducer. The screen is readable in sunlight and you can also navigate rivers with this portable fish finder.
This portable fish finder is switchable to Celsius or Fahrenheit in temperature readings and will also detect the seabed for weeds, sand, rocks and the like. It has an auto-off feature after 5 minutes to save battery so it is eco-friendly.
As a versatile portable fish finder, it can work on any river, lake or ocean and it also comes with a transducer float. A cable that measures 25 feet also comes along with this portable fish finder with a depth range from 1 to 100 meters.
Its LCD screen display has anti-UV rays so it does not glare at all. You can choose meters or feet for the measurement units of the depth of the water and fish. It is powered up by 4 AAA batteries (sold separately) and can be installed in many ways such as on a boat hull, on a pole, on ice fishing or using the float.
You can simply cast it onto water for it to work and it also features many different fish graphics and an antenna for the wireless feature. You can find out the situation of the fish with this portable fish finder and the wireless sensor coverage is up to 90 degrees on a beam angle.
Great for your early morning trips, the portable fish finder will determine the size and composition of an object and it will also function well when it’s raining. With a sonar detector, the portable fish finder can be installed with an arm extension on your bot.
One can easily see the depth of the fish in this portable fish finder and GPS unit for kayaking. You can also check your speed on the screen with this unit and its chirp sonar will do the job. Giving you a real time display of fish passing through, the portable fish finder also allows you to mark hot spots.
With a built-in flasher, you can find out what’s below your boat with its smooth scaling graphics and you can also view your sonar data with this portable fish finder. There is a suction cup for the transducer for ease of setup and it doesn’t have much interference at all.

Best Portable Fish Finder for Ice Fishing

LuckyPortable
Lucky Portable Wired Fishing Sonar Finder

If you want a great portable fish finder for ice fishing then the Lucky Portable Wired Fishing Sonar Finder is a great choice. It is easy to catch more fish with this portable fish finder and its great temperature readings.
This portable fish finder is a great marine tool that can be used from anywhere – even if you don’t have a boat! With up to 20 hours of continuous use in its battery, the portable fish finder has a great floatable sonar sensor that makes the use of a shoot-thru sonar technology.
If you a boat then this is a great and reliable portable fish finder to consider with over 4 sensitivity settings that are user selectable. Also ideal for fishermen and anglers, the portable fish finder uncovers hiding fish and works in all kinds of conditions.
The scroll speed is also sufficient and it is small and light to carry around on any boat. It is also wireless and is perfect for bank fishing and for river fishing as well.
Coming in with a 25-foot cable, the portable fish finder has a transducer float, a depth range of 1 to 100 meters and can be switched between feet and meters. The portable fish finder also detects the seabed with weeds, rocks and sand. The approximate location of the fish can be displayed with this portable fish finder along with the depth of the water.
There is also a fish alarm that comes along with this portable fish finder. The LCD screen display makes it super clear to see in any location or weather situation. There is also an operational manual included in this portable fish finder. The screen also has UV protection so it does not glare at all.

The Competition

Other portable fish finders were not really great because they lacked in features, maximum depth and were also weak on their waterproof rating. It is also important for any portable fish finder to have just the right size and amount of features so that it will be easy to use on the go for smaller boats.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the transducer in a fish finder and why is it important?
A: The transducer is a component of every fish finder that lets it find fish from a distance of the water of any lake or sea from the comfort of your boat. A fish finder’s transducer is usually made up of piezoelectric crystals, which makes the pretty expensive. These crystals produce sound waves that get bounced back to the unit in case it reflects onto an object, such as a fish or rock or any other object under the water.
Q: What is the difference between a sonar fish finder and a scanner fish finder?
A: A scanner fish finder does what it says it do: it scans various images under the water using the highest frequencies possible, around 455 to 800 kHz so it can scan images similar to an MRI scanner.
In contrast to that, the regular sonar fish finder does not always give you all of the details, but it does give you a lot of good depth, even with a low frequency beam of only 200 kHz or so. It is easy to tell apart fish from the structure and you can go as deep as possible with this fish finder.
Q: Can you change the colors of a fish finder’s display?
A: It depends on the type of fish finder that you have. Some fish finders are grayscale hence there is no color to change. If you do have a colored fish finder in its display, you can be able to change the palette or color set of a fish finder. The ideal tip is to have a white background that is sunlight-friendly and have some sort of sepia or reddish color for you to easily distinguish the fish at the bottom.
Q: Why is a GPS feature important in any fish finder?
A: Nowadays, it is hard to get home without a GPS if you are unfamiliar of a territory. For instance, you go fishing out in the sea and you forgot your compass and your phone does not have signal.
Q: What are the typical bass formations that a person can see in a fish finder?
A: There are three main school formations of bass when you look at them in a fish finder. The explosion formation is something that looks like a scattered thing with no true formation, so it is quite harder to catch. If you chance upon an attack formation, it has a seemingly vertical position of the fish. There is also the wall-to-wall carpet formation, in which a school of bass will go wall-to-wall with another school of fish on a bridge or some other structure.
Q: What is the bottom discrimination feature on a fish finder?
A: A lot of fish finders nowadays have a bottom discrimination feature. It is similar to the discrimination feature of a metal detector such that it breaks up the floor of the sea or lake into various categories such as rock, gravel, sand and mud. It is usually used to determine whether the bottom is hard or soft and is usually used for getting better anchorage for any boat. It can also help most anglers to find out about the bottom structure.
Q: What is a fish arc and what does it tell you?
A: The fish arc determines the speed of the fish that has passed by. The fish arc is the length of time that the fish has passed though the transducer or any device that is currently being used as an observer for your fish finder. A longer fish arc doesn’t always mean that it is a big fish – it can also affect the speed of the fish and will also depend upon the speed of your boat.
Q: What should I do if the fish finder has a lot of clutter on the screen’s top?
A: A clutter on the screen is usually due to the air bubbles that have formed or the bubbles that are created by your kayak or boat. To get rid of this clutter, you can activate the sensitivity time control or STC feature of your fish finder unit to clear it off.
Q: When should I turn on the sensitivity for the fish finder?
A: A fish finder usually goes in the automatic mode for its sensitivity. However, you can easily increase this by turning off the auto mode so that you can manually adjust the sensitivity to your liking so you can get more fish.
Q: What is the depth adjustment on a fish finder and how is it important?
A: The depth adjustment on any fish finder is really important because it helps you determine what kind of fish you will catch. For expert anglers who are specifically looking for a certain species of fish, the depth adjustment is a great feature which should not fail. Some will know the typical depth of the fish they are looking for and set the value to that point in feet or meters.
Q: Why should I move the boat slowly when using a fish finder?
A: Any fish finder will definitely work at its best when you use a very slow speed, especially for trolling. If you want to make sure that your fish finder catches the most important details then you should definitely move slower. A speed of less than 5 mph is the most ideal speed for using a fish finder.
Q: Is a heat detector feature important in a fish finder?
A: This is only applicable if you fish in cold areas or during the winter. Fish will tend to look for warmer places and this is where a heat detector is important for catching fish in the cold. You can also use it for ice fishing because it will be helpful. The heat detector usually goes along with your unit’s transducer.
Q: Why should you install an underwater camera along with a fish finder?
A: Just looking at the fish arch of a fish finder’s screen will not tell you the species of fish that will be seen under the water, whether it is a lake or an ocean. It is important that you use the right bait for the right fish so you may need a camera that works underwater to help you see what’s going on and to know what kind of fish you will most likely encounter.
Q: Is it worth it to spend an entire day looking at the fish finder without fishing?
A: Yes, this is a strategic plan for you to observe the behavior of the fish. In this way, the next time you go to the lake, ocean or body of water, you will be prepared with the right fishing rod, fishing line, lure and other fishing gear and items that are specifically tailored to the kind or species of fish you have just encountered.
Q: Can I detect the wind direction, contours and the air pressure in a fish finder?
A: Yes, some fish finders are quite advanced when it comes to their gear that they are able to detect various data such as moon phases, air pressure, contours, wind direction, tides and the like.
Q: Where should I mount a fish finder on my boat?
A: The fish finder can be mounted in an accessible place that does not get in the way of your fishing or paddling or even your motor if you have one. Most fish finders come with mounts and most of them will be transom mounts.
Q: What are the steep drop-offs in a fish finder?
A: These drop-off locations can be seen in the fish finder and these usually refer to fish-rich areas that are ledges. The bottom structure that is away from the shore will definitely hold a lot of fish depending on your area.
Q: What kind of mounting bracket should I get for a fish finder?
A: You should go for an adjustable mounting bracket so that your fish finder can be moved up or down depending on your needs.
Q: Do all fish create arcs in a fish finder?
A: Not necessarily. Some species of fish such as the black drums will create triangles instead. Some fish are bigger and have odd shapes and speeds which will differentiate them from regular fish.
Q: Can you use old wire from an old transducer to a new one?
A: Yes, if you do have an old transducer from an old fish finder unit, you can use that to connect your new fish finder unit and transducer to the boat of your choice.

Wrapping It Up

Overall, the Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit is our best portable fish finder due to its downscan imaging, 3.5-inch display, 77/200 kHz sonar transducer and portability.