Fish Finders

Which One?? How to Find the Best Fish Finder for You

To a fisherman, electronic fish finders are the best invention since the worm. Technology has made every aspect of our daily life more robust, from cell phones and internet driving directions to automatically-flushing toilets. Why should fishing be left out?

Way back when, fishing a new spot was usually a cause for disappointment. You were flying blind, and any spot was just as likely as the next for good fishing, unless you were a seasoned hook-slinger.

Nowadays, we have an ally in our quest for fresh fish: SONAR. I can say with certainty that if it weren't for my fish finder, I would probably not even bother fishing any more. My first 50 attempts at fishing, from childhood to adulthood, were almost always a letdown. Then I took a ride on my buddy's new boat, equipped with brand new fish-stalking unit. Instead of spending half the day sitting in one spot that offered nothing more than some minnows, we could cruise around and only stop when we hit the jackpot, according to the little LCD screen mounted atop the dashboard.

Now that we've determined that you can't live another day without one of these marvels of modern technology, how do you go about choosing the right fish finder? There are so many on the market, how does one decide which one to get?

Fish finders use SONAR to work their magic. Your unit will send out a pulse into the water and interpret what is probably in the area based on how that pulse comes back. It will tell you how deep the water is, and the size of what things are moving around in the water between the bottom of your boat and the floor of the lake. It will also display what the moving objects probably are, such as fish, vegetation, etc.

Features
When shopping around for a fish finder, you will see certain features and their specifications.

Power refers to wattage and the overall output of the unit. If you have a higher wattage, your feedback will be more powerful and more accurate. Your screen should display results faster and more precisely if you have a higher-watted unit. What should you look for? If the budget allows, 2 or 3 thousand watts is recommended if you fish in any sort of deeper waters. Higher wattage becomes more necessary as your water gets deeper.

The transducer is the part that attaches to the underside of your vessel and sends out pulses into the water. A feature you should look for regarding the transducer is something called "cone angle." This is how wide the pulse is that gets sent out from your boat. If you get a transducer with a wider cone angle, you will get a larger view of what is underneath you. I have often heard that a transducer with about a 20 degree cone angle is a good all-around to use in many fishing environments. Also, take note of the frequency of the transducer. Generally speaking, the higher the frequency, the better your fish finder will likely work.

The display is the part that you will be staring at incessantly. This is the little screen mounted near your wheel where you look at to see where the fish are! The things you want to consider when reviewing the display on a fish finding unit are:

Pixels - this is the screen resolution. The higher the pixel count, the more clear and accurate you display will be. Color - black and white works just fine, but color screens offer an added feature by making fish and other objects underwater more easily identifiable. Backlighting - fishing in the dark? Or even during the early morning or twilight hours? You'll want your screen to be backlit so it is very easily readable.

As with any purchase, your budget, personal preference, and level of experience/expertise will come into play. If you are an avid fisherman who is out on the lake every week, it will certainly be worth your while to invest a decent chunk of cash on a top-notch unit. If you go out twice each summer and just want an edge over the fish, don't bother spending a fortune. Either way, you're sure to enjoy catching more fish than you ever did before.