A fish finder is a device that helps you research the river bed in order to locate and find fish. Even though it sounds simple, the technology behind this unit is complicated and advanced. Depending on your preferences and money you are planning to spend, nowadays, you can find a variety of fish finders on the market. But, how to choose one? Which one is the best? What type of features do you need? To answer all your questing, we came up with a list of things you need to look into, so you can select the best fish finder for your needs.
Models
There are three types of models, or categories, GPS combo, standalone and networked unit. A GPS fish finder uses sonar for viewing under the water and GPS for navigation and it reads almost anything, such as mud, sand and underwater debris fish uses to hide.
A standalone fish finder also has sonar, but without GPS, it can provide information about depth and water temperature. That’s why it’s used for places where GPS isn’t necessary, like small ponds and lakes.
The last we have network unit integrated, the fish finder that gets into another system and once it collects the information, it can guide you.
Features
Every fish finder uses sonar to find fish underwater, and it also allows users to see waterbed below. These types of units are available with a side of down imaging. For example, the side imaging provides images under the boat, but also includes the sides of the boat, while down imaging only offers the image under the boat. In addition to this, almost any unit comes with maps, or at least you can download them, and some of these maps are HD, depending on a model you buy.
Display
When you are selecting a fish finder, then the display is an important feature to focus on. Here you have two options, you can either choose color display, or black and white one. Also, the size of the display and sharpens are equally essential because you don’t want to but a unit with small display, in this case, you won’t be able to see anything. We would advise you to buy a 10-inch color display. Here you can see the size of the fish, as well better distinguish the objects under water.
Transmitting power
The stronger your sonar is, the better results you will achieve. A transducer sends a sonar beam through the water, once the beam bounces off the object at the bottom of the river of a lake, you get the picture on your display. The image might be weaker and slower, it the transmitting power is reduced. Users who want to purchase a high-quality device and have a clear picture, they usually decide to buy 250 watts of RMS power and 3000 watts peak to peak. On the other hand, if you fish in shallow waters, any average unit will do the job.
