Best Reviewed Fish Finders of 2018

Hello Fishing Friends and welcome to our website! We spent two days on research to find the best reviewed fish finders and this is the result. Our fish finder experts compiled this handy guide.

Moving forward, you will learn about some must-have functions and features. Additionally, we highlighted five of the best fish finders of 2018 and the selection was based on our detailed research.

Important Points to Keep in Mind Before Selecting a Fish Finder

Generally speaking, the best device depends on your personal choice. Some anglers may prefer a small fish finders with simple functions and others may want a big fish finder with complicated high-quality features. Our fish finder experts understand your fishing needs and chose the best reviewed fish finders.

Suitable Transducer for your Boat or Kayak

The transducer is the most important part of your fish finder as it is the “eye” of your vessel! The transducer emits the “signal” and when it returns it turns it into an electrical signal. Each fish finder model has different transducers and you should check if they are suitable for your vessel.

First of all, the material of your boat plays an important role. If you have a fiberglass hull, you should better mount a transducer made of plastic. On the other hand, if your hull is made of aluminum and you are fishing in saltwater, the recommended transducer should have a stainless steel housing.

Saltwater can easily corrode everything except for stainless steel. Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the type of transducer and main unit. If you have a small boat or kayak or rent a boat for fishing, the best option would be a portable fish finder and transducer of course.

It goes without saying that a fixed fish finder is the best solution if you own a boat.

Cone Angles

The cone angle is just a theoretical approach of the emitted pulse and it looks like a cone. In deeper waters the cone becomes bigger and bigger. So, with a wider beam you will have more area coverage? Of course not!

Many fishermen believe that if their fish finder will cover more area, they will be able to see more fish. To be honest, this depends on the fish you are fishing for. Some fish tend to swim in the bottom water column and other in the top water column.

Remember that you will not have a clean resolution in deep waters. Nowadays, modern fish finder manufacturers construct fish finders which emit more than one cone and they are considered to be better. Many models have a side beam or even triple beam features.

CHIRP Technology Explained

Additionally, we would like to talk about CHIRP. The last two years, you may hear anglers saying that they use only CHIRP fish finders. Well, CHIRP is a new technology and it is really popular amongst the fishing community.

CHIRP will give you a better resolution that standard 50-200 kHz fish finders. Honesty, CHIRP is not a “new” technology as it was invented 70 years ago! The military used this technology to detect enemy submarines.

As you already know, most people use 200kHz for shallow waters and 50kHz for deeper waters. Thus, the transducer emits one frequency which returns as a single beam. Here comes the innovative and highly-efficient CHIRP technology which emits multiple frequencies as the sound wave contains frequencies from 130kHz up to 210kHz!

The word “CHIRP” stands for Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse!! True to its name, there are multiple “compressed” frequencies! Consequently, fish finders with CHIRP technology are more sensitive and they will detect even the tiniest rock on the lake bottom.

The Best Fish Finder Display According to Your Needs

After this section, you will see that the best reviewed fish finders have different screens. Undoubtedly, it’s up to you, but we will explain some things you have to look for in the best fish finder display.

There are gray-scale and color displays available on the market. If you are on a tight budget or you want just a simple unit, you can select the gray-scale fish finder. The color display is better that a gray-scale but we think that it is not an important factor.

If you are ready to invest in a good fish finder, just get a color display. It works better in direct sunlight and it will help you while night fishing. Another important thing is the resolution!

How many pixels should the display be? That’s a really good question! Well, this works just like a normal LCD TV. If you have a big TV, you should choose a display with many pixels, usually more than 480X480.

You will see that many fishing gear manufacturers glorify their products and embed many special features. Remember that you will use it to detect fish and a good resolution is more than enough especially if you are fishing in freshwaters.

Many anglers pay for features that they will never use! Choose wisely

Reviews of the 5 Best Reviewed Fish Finders of 2018

2018 brings numerous fish finders that are not only better, but also more innovative and unique. In this section, we will go through the five best reviewed fish finders and the main purpose is to identify which is the best device for you. These devices are top rated fish finders and we mentioned them just to give you an idea of what is on the market right now.

What is extremely noticeable is that this Lowrance depth finder is the best device for every modern angler! If you like “high-tech” devices, you are at the right place. The ease of use will definitely surprise you, but you should know that it is a quite expensive device designed and equipped for serious fishermen. The first thing I noticed is that it is totally waterproof!

Basic Characteristics and Outstanding Features

HIGH-SENSITIVITY GPS AND NAVIGATIONAL SOFTWARE

The built-in 10kHz GPS is not just another GPS, as it is a high-quality GPS which comes with a special navigational software with multiple charts and maps. You can plan your routes, save waypoints and fishing spots with just one click. However, if you need more maps or charts you can just download them through the GoFree Cloud System developed by Lowrance.

DOWNSCAN IMAGING AND CHIRP TECHNOLOGY

Another great feature introduced by Lowrance. Since we included this device in the list with the best reviewed fish finders, CHIRP is definitely a must-have feature. CHIRP paired with cutting-edge downscan imaging will give you the best resolution ever. This is a great advantage for serious anglers who want to discover the underwater world (bottom and water structure, small baitfish and more).

INCREDIBLE 7” SCREEN

This color widescreen will make your life easier. It is considered to be a big display but there are absolutely no downfalls. A resolution of 800×480 pixels is more than enough to enjoy a fishing trip.

This is the best fishfinder GPS combo available on the market and this model informs us about one important fact. Raymarine invested heavily in improving the previous Dragonfly 4 model and the 5PRO is the result. This fish finder is highly recommended for both freshwater and saltwater fishermen.

It has many features which you can only find in expensive devices! If you want a really good product without spending a fortune, you should definitely consider the DragonFly Raymarine 5 Pro.

Basic Characteristics and Outstanding Features

Wi-Fi CONNECTIVITY

The built-in Wi-Fi and the WiFish fish finder app is a good reason to select this product. This app makes it possible to connect your fish finder with your smartphone! What is not to love? Want to take a picture of the big fish under your boat?

No problem! Capture a screenshot with just one click.

RAYMARINE WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR

Water temperature plays an important role when it comes to fishing. This fish finder will show you the water temperature and since we tested it we can ensure you that it is very accurate.

SUPERIOR DOWNVISION TECHNOLOGY

These technologies provide imaging with less noise and will give you a clear and detailed image of the water bottom. As mentioned above, standard fish finders emit one frequency per pulse. Thanks to CHIRP there will be a range of frequencies so you will have a better result on the screen.

This is a very basic portable fish finder and it deserves a place on the list with the best reviewed fish finders of 2018! Another great choice if you want a low budget fish finder without any complicated mounts. The main unit is your smartphone or tablet screen!

It is a very small fish finder and it works great in depths up to 150feet! The transducer is a small ball which looks like a fishing float!

Basic Characteristics and Outstanding Features

GPS AND BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY

The iBobber is compatible with both Android and iOS and you can even save GPS data on your phone! You can mark multiple fishing spots and routes through your smartphone.

EASY CASTABLE TRANSDUCER

Whether you are fishing from the shore or boat, you can cast your iBobber easily. Attach it on a monofilament line and cast it! All we avid fishermen know that dawn and dusk are the best fishing hours and that’s why they equipped the iBobber with a LED light.

Firstly, Humminbird recently introduced the HELIX 7 SI fish finders which is an improved version of the HELIX 5. If you want to invest in a really good fish finder, you should definitely consider the helix 7. Powerful components and excellent high resolution screen paired with the innovative CHIRP and side imaging technology.

All these features will give you a crystal clear and accurate result on the screen. This is the best boat depth finder on the market, only for serious anglers. Additionally, we would like to highlight the fact that the hummingbird fish finder comes with a XNT 9 SI transducer and supports three frequencies.

Basic Characteristics and Outstanding Features

HUMMINBIRD SIDE IMAGING

Since we are talking about the best reviewed fish finders, we could not exclude one important feature, side imaging. This unique sonar system covers an area of 480 feet and will show you everything under your boat. If you want to learn more about this feature you can click here.

GPS AND EXCELLENT CARTOGRAPHY

Every serious fisherman should be able to mark a fishing spot if it holds some big fish. The Helix 7 not only gives you the opportunity to save 2500 waypoints, but also shows you the speed of your boat! There is an integrated mapping app called UniMap but if you want you can download other apps like LakeMaster etc.

There is a small Micro SD Slot so you can download and save the app on your SD Card!

CHIRP TECHNOLOGY AND HEAVY DUTY DISPLAY

Undoubtedly, the HELIX 7 comes with tough built heavy duty display and it is quite big (7”). The CHIRP technology will show you everything what happens beneath your vessel. The HD Ready screen is also suitable for night fishing as it features LED Backlight.

Tournament angler, newbie or avid angler this is the revolutionary best Garmin fish finder! Having such a fish finder on board will help you find the best fishing spots. Typically, there are many fish finder brands on the market, but none of them is better than Garmin.

There is no denying that Garmin produces the best depth finders and more specifically the Striker 7 is one of the top and best reviewed fish finders ever made. You will never regret that you bought a Garmin device and we can ensure you that it will pass the test of time. Needless to say, it features many innovative and high-tech systems but still remains an “easy-to-use” device!

Basic Characteristics and Outstanding Features

Clear Vu Technology Developed only by Garmin

So you need a photographic image of the water? Thanks to the ClearVu technology you will have a crystal clear image on the screen. Surprisingly, it works great even if you are moving.

FLASHER FOR ICE FISHING

Garmin took by heart your fishing needs and created this incredible model. Ice fishing is very popular throughout the country so we decided to mention the flasher mode. The flasher informs you about the bottom structure and you can even see your bait or lure!

Conclusion

Finally, of all the fishing gear you might need, the fish finder is the most important part of your fishing arsenal. Thus, you should select a device wisely according to your needs. Hopefully, our detailed guide with the best reviewed fish finders will give you the right answer and you will not look any further.