Weight
When it comes to buying any portable device, weight is always an important consideration. As you will most likely be attaching your fish finder to a fishing kayak as dedicated kayak fish finders are becoming quite popular, carrying it around, and travelling with it on fishing trips, it is important that your device doesn’t weigh you down (this is also important if you go ice fishing and looking for an ice fishing fish finder).
Most of these units weigh in around 1 pound or less. If you are looking for the best fish finders for a larger boat, then weight may not be such an issue as these often have a specific mounting place. However, if you are planning on casting, reeling (using your favourite baitcasting reel, or Shimano spinning reel), trolling (trolling motors can weigh a LOT) or travelling with your fish finder, then consider its weight before making a purchase.
Cone Angle
Fish finders work using a part of the device called a transducer. The transducer is what generates the sound waves underneath the water. These sound waves are what pick up the objects and activities underwater, which ultimately show you where the fish are. Sound waves are cone-shaped.
The cone angle of your fish finder is, therefore, a highly important aspect of how well the device will work to find and identify fish. In short, the wider the degree of the cone is, the bigger the beam it generates. The bigger the beam means more visibility as to what is going on under the water.
Generally, a cone angle of 20° is perfect for fishing at a range of depths and settings. Some units come with dual frequency transducers which give you more options for coverage. These usually come with a 20° and 60° cone angle.
Be sure to know what kind of cone angle you will require for the type of fishing you plan on doing before purchasing your device.
Screen Resolution
While you won’t need your fish finders screen for watching movies or HD videos, it is still important to have a good pixel quality for better results, the same goes for the display of underwater fishing cameras. Pixels are the little dots which make up the image on your screen. The higher the number of pixels, the clearer and more detailed the image will be.
At a minimum, you should want a screen with 240 vertical pixels and 160 horizontal pixels. This will show you what you need. However, this can be improved for a better quality image. If you want a really good quality display, then look out for units with a high definition screen. These will provide you with the clearest images, data and numbers.
Some units use smartphone apps to work as the screen. These offer a great portable and high-quality option, so might not have to take off your favourite polarized fishing sunglasses. While having a bigger, high definition screen may be ideal for reading the images and data, it can also mean the device will be less portable. Finding a good balance between screen size, resolution and portability is important.
Portability
As we are talking about portable fish finders here, the extent to which you can carry them around is a huge factor when deciding on which product to buy. Depending on how much you will travel with it, where you will use it, what you will attach it to, and whether you will be using it from a wide range of settings, you must know how easy it will be to move around.
There are many different types of portable fish finders out there with specific uses. You can get castable devices which you attach to your line and cast out. You can also get GPS devices which are more advanced and most often used for ocean fishing.
Depending on your specific fishing situation and needs, it is important to know what level of portability you are after, and what exact type of unit you will require.
Waterproof?
Going fishing obviously means there will be water involved. Water and electronics don’t mix well. Therefore, knowing that your fish finder is waterproof is very important. While you may not be submerging your unit completely in water, it is still good to know that any splashes or rain against it won’t damage the device. As these can be quite costly pieces of equipment, you need to know that it is protected against water.
If you plan on fishing from a kayak or a situation where contact with water is very likely, make sure that your device will be well suited and protected.
Frequency
The sonar waves which are sent underwater to the transducer are what pick up the details on your fish finder. If you have a higher frequency, you will pick up on more details. However, this does not necessarily mean that higher frequency models are better. The situation that you prefer to fish in will determine this.
If you are in shallower water, then it will be best to use a device with higher frequencies. You ideally want this to be around 192 to 200 kHz. If you are going to be doing deep water fishing, then it would be best to opt for a device that uses lower frequencies. This should be around 50 kHz.
Power
The more watts your fish finder has, the faster it will display readings. Having a greater wattage will also allow you to use the device at a greater depth while maintaining accurate readings. If you will be using it in shallow freshwater, then the power is not as important. However, having the greatest amount of watts that you can on your device, will always be useful – especially if you plan on going deeper.
Of course, you will only be able to use your fish finder for as long as its power allows. Knowing how your fish finder is powered and how long it will last are important things to note before buying. The kind of power you require will depend on your situation. If you will be using the device often over long periods of time, and travelling with it – having a good reusable battery may be important.
Author: Peter Wilkins
