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Best Garmin Fish Finder 2021
Hoping to have a fruitful fishing trip without assistance of a fish finder seems far-fetched and bizarre. But, the most noticeable brands have either too low-priced models or too steeply priced ones, both of which are deal breakers. There’s only one name that provides a middle ground: “Garmin.” The best Garmin fish finder ensures you enjoy top-end models with advanced features without going overboard with your budget.
Garmin with its famous Striker and echoMap series is taking positions at the forefront because these are neck and neck with Lowrance’s Hook series and Humminbird’s Helix series without the scourge of unduly high prices. They are well-built and contain better sonar technology with GPS and mapping systems to help you get the best experience on waters, not to mention return with prized possessions every time.
Since we know how easy it is, especially for novice anglers and inexperienced fishermen, to get lost in the vast collection of Garmin thereby we have done the basic homework for you.
Garmin Striker 4 – Top Pick Overall Garmin Fish Finder
Garmin has rightfully called this a “Striker” fishfinder because at such an affordable price there’s hardly any portable fishfinder that performs as amazingly as this one. We have placed on #1 as its photographic imagery of fish, bottom contours and objects with remarkable clarity is worthy earning 5 out of 5 stars. Impressive part is, you don’t have to wait for long for underwater details to appear because the Chirp technology delivers sonar images in a flash.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you delve deeper into its making, you’ll find features that will attract you more towards it such as different display sizes ranging from 3-7 inches, user-friendly keyed buttons and easy peasy installation. Beginners will cherish this user-friendly interface above all others.
You can search as deep as 1600ft in freshwater or up to 750ft in salt water to make it clear to your prey that no matter how deeper it goes to hide, it cannot escape your sight. Moreover, taking help from its waypoint map and built-in GPS system will help you mark fish hideouts and reach the nearest hotspot without getting lost. More importantly, fish flasher mode with its better lighting can make you the master of this chasing game even when it’s nighttime or a more challenging ice fishing situation.
- Compact design.
- Pocket-friendly.
- Multiple display sizes with ultraclear imaging.
- Highly quick and efficient sonar functioning.
- Fish flasher mode for nighttime and ice fishing.
- Doesn’t come with a carrying bag.
- Display isn’t water-resistant.
Garmin Striker 7SV – Best Brand with transducer Garmin Fish Finder
Garmin Striker 7SV is really one of the best of Garmin’s Striker series fishfinders. This isn’t our personal opinion, in fact this is what everyone concludes once he/she sees all the embellishments the device is housing; and when you compare them with the price tag, you’ll also end up calling it the best Garmin fishfinder.
With Striker 7SV around, you’ll never have to go through the horrible experience of getting lost in uncharted waters just like Hansel and Gretel got lost in the forest, because it’s built-in GPS along with waypoint map will be your personal guides, letting you mark important spots along your way so you could easily find your way back when it is time to return home with your prized possession.
Speaking of possession, the visuals are so crisp and photographic-like that for a second you’ll get the illusion of experiencing underwater activity live with naked eye. Now think for yourself how come one cannot capture a fish when you’ll know exactly where the fruitful spot is?
Besides, it’s highly unlikely to miss a fish when you’ve display size options of 3.5-, 5- and 7-inch with strong waterproofing ability, each boasting of unmatchable clear viewing even in bright sunlight or rain.
With that being said, what’s actually responsible for such high percent of successful fish capturing is its high-frequency chirp sonar. It not only provides bird eye view of a wider area but also delivers distinguishing fish arches and sharp target separation. You can even use it for ice fishing or vertical jiggling, courtesy of fish flasher mode.
- Various display sizes with waterproofing.
- Accurate navigation with waypoint map and built-in GPS.
- High quality visuals even in sunlight..
- High-frequency quick sonar scanning.
- Fish flasher mode for ice fishing.
- Competitive pricing.
- Doesn’t have built-in maps.
- Complaints about infrequent glitches in functioning.
Garmin Striker 7SV – Best SideVu Scanning Sonar Transducer Garmin Fish Finder
Here is another striking model for your consideration of the noteworthy Striker series. Whether you’re a pro angler or novice fisherman, Striker 7SV with its top-end-model like feel and relatively reasonable price will leave you hooked.
Its 7-inch large screen is arguably the most distinguishing feature of the device because it displays information in high resolutions and with such unprecedented clarity that one can easily read it even in sunlight.
Moreover, the sonar scanning with Chirp ClearVu and Chirp SideVu gives you a sharp view of everything passing beneath and beside your vessel along with a wider image of the overall underwater environment. The target separation is so sharp that you can easily tell where the fish, vegetation, structure or other object is. On such attentive watch how can you expect a fish to escape your snare?
Besides, you’ll not have to wander around in a huge waterbody looking for a specific fish hotspot because you’ll have far superior knowledge of the selected waters than your fellow fishermen. It happens because this unit features a highly active built-in GPS with QuickDraw Contours mapping which keeps trails of the routes you’ve already taken while trolling.
Furthermore, you can use its wifi connectivity to gain more information through ActiveCaptain app or QuickDraw Contours Community for a more fruitful fishing trip.
- Rugged design can survive harsh conditions.
- High-resolution 7” screen with sunlight readability.
- User-friendly controls.
- Better target separation and general viewing of the underwater environment.
- Built-in GPS and personalized mapping for better navigation.
- Lacks microsSD card reader.
- No user manual.
Garmin Striker Plus 5cv – Best Design Garmin Fish Finder with CHIRP Traditional
Garmin striker Plus 5cv has only one aim: to let you get in the driver’s seat of your fishing game and win it with flying colours. It makes that possible with its active Chirp ClearVu sonar scanning which is able to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of what’s living under the water. Such detailed picture is when displayed on its 5-inch large screen in a vivid manner, you know you’re on a path to becoming a fishing guru.
You know what else can make you a guru? Its built-in GPS and cartography systems, QuickDraw Contours mapping, that let you effectively mark routes, waypoints and landmarks of your surroundings to let you know where you’ve been all day and save your favorite spots for later visiting.
In addition, its portable and rugged design along with easy installation and operation mechanism really leave you with no choice but to add it to your fishing arsenal.
- Rugged and portable.
- In-depth detail of underwater with ClearVu sonar scanning.
- The 5-inch screen displays information vividly.
- Sunlight-readable screen.
- Built-in GPS and customized cartography.
- Easy installation and operation.
- There’s no instruction manual.
- slot for SD card is absent.
- GPS issues.
Garmin Striker 4cv – Best Value Garmin Fish Finder with transducer
Garmin Striker 4cv is the predecessor of above mentioned 5cv and the best option for bridging the gap between affordable and top-end fishfinders. The unit comes in a compact and portable design with a smaller 3.5-inch screen thereby making it a cinch to carry it on ice fishing trips or kayaking.
Don’t brush it off as a low-end junk because the compactness of design doesn’t rob you of bells and whistles. As mentioned, the screen is small but you can split it in two windows to get speed data and picture of underwater activity at once without compromising the readable nature of the information.
The GPS system isn’t as advanced as on latest offsprings of Striker series but it still is a handy source for marking routes and slipways to ensure you return to fish hotspots without getting lost.
Your long faces will return to their eager and excited modes because its Chirp ClearVu sonar scanning is better than other budgeted models when it comes to quick detection of fish and detailed viewing of the underwater world. Finally, it comes with a transducer which calls for another “yay moment” as you’ll not have to spend extra bucks.
- Affordable.
- Portable.
- Split screen displays all information at once without compromising visual quality.
- Built-in GPS for navigation and customized mapping.
- Suitable for kayaking and ice fishing.
- Instruction manual is useless.
- Smaller display.
Buyer’s Guide: By Getting to The Best Garmin Fish Finder in 2021
You’ll wander for hours in Garmin’s wide collection of fish finders if you don’t know the criteria through which you could easily isolate the model right for your needs. This buyer’s guide highlights those vital features that you need to assess first to ensure you don’t waste money on something that’s beyond your needs.
Type of Fishing:
What type of fishing you are planning will determine the type of fish finder you should invest in. If you’re kayaking or own a small canoe, then a portable unit like echoMap 43cv will be better. On the other hand, for ice fishing you need a unit along with a transducer that can work perfectly under sheets of ice, like Garmin Striker Plus 5.
Display:
Next step is to check the type and size of the display screen of a fish finder. We’re putting emphasis on this factor because it can make or break your game. Smaller displays often don’t show much information at once and even if they do, the screen is so cluttered that it becomes hard to distinguish one information from another. The larger screens reveal information in a more comprehensible and clear manner.
Apart from size, visual quality is also of great importance. Always pick a unit with higher resolutions and more pixels for a crisp and bright image. Plus, make sure the screen can be easily read in sunlight as well as at nighttime.
Transducer:
The actual scanning process is done through a transducer so it needs extra attention. It gets a bit troubling to find a transducer that’s compatible with the model you’ve. Therefore, it will save you time and money to pick a unit that has a transducer included in the package. A small note, ensure the transducer is suitable for both ice fishing and summer fishing.
Sonar Scanning:
The above list has models containing traditional sonar functioning with some possessing more sonar viewing. Additional sonar scannings like clear viewing and side viewing provide more details and wider scan of an area to let you become fully aware of the activity beneath your vessel as well as on its side. Going for such a unit will ensure that you never miss a catch present nearby your boat.
Price:
Finally comes the deal-sealing factor. Your budget range will narrow your choices. There are many inexpensive and reasonably priced Garmin fish finders that are adorned with handy features to allow budget-conscious buyers to have a great fishing experience. Pro fishermen prefer high-end models, especially when they can afford to spend an extravagant amount of money. So if you’re planning to play in big leagues, then go for a top-end model laden with a myriad of innovative features.