You should learn how a fish finder works before choosing one.
Fish Finders use sonar technology to find fish or any other solid object beneath the surface of the water. Sonar technology utilizes sound waves that are sent out into the water. The farther the sound waves travel, the more they fan out into a cone shape and increase in diameter. Deeper water naturally causes the cone to fan out as it travels from it s origin. When the sonar wave strikes against a solid object of any substance, it will send an echo back to the transducer. The shape of the object struck will be determined by how long it took the signal to go out and then bounce the sound wave echo back compared to the surrounding area. The echo will then appear on your fishfinder screen and you will see the proximate size, shape and depth of the object.
The next thing you need to know before you can determine which fishfinder is best for you is your budget. Figure out how much you would really like to spend on a fish finder. Then multiply that times two. This is more realistic and helps set an actual budget to work with.
Of course, budget cannot be the only consideration. There are six more significant factors to help you make the best choice for you. Consider all of the following:
DEPTH RATING
Each fishfinder is rated for a particular depth. The rating will indicate how far down the signal will return effective soundings based on the intensity of the signal. You should first realize that the ratings are for ideal conditions in clear fresh water unless stated otherwise .When fishing in salt or murky water the effective depth will be less than stated. Like everything else; the more power the higher the cost; so know that if you plan to fish really deep water you need to spend more.
A good rule of thumb and my recommendation is to purchase a fishfinder with a rating of 10 more than you plan to need.
TRANSDUCER INCLUDED?
You should check the packaging included accessories for your fishfinder carefully before you make your purchase. Some fish finders come without a transducer so you need to check the included accessories before purchasing. That will make a difference in the overall price. There are two different kinds of transducers single frequency and dual frequency. You may require one, the other or both depending on for what and where you are fishing. Single frequency transducers work best in shallow coastal waters or inland lakes. For offshore deep water and sea fishing, a dual frequency transducer is recommended. This dual frequency transducer provides a second, higher frequency signal that shows you the fish or objects within a smaller cone for deeper water. As an example; a 50kHz frequency transducer could have a 4 degree cone to provide a good view of the bottom in deep water and 200kHz transducer with a 20 degree cone would provide a better view of the bottom in shallower water. You need to purchase the correct transducer, because both will generate information on your screen, but you want the information to be accurate.
Installation of the unit must also be factored in here. You need to know if you plan to mount the fishfinder on a single boat and leave it there or if you prefer the flexibility of being able to take it with you and use it on a friend s boat, as well. You also have to decide if you will transom mount it or go through the hull for optimum clarity.
Portable single frequency transducers are manufactured by several different companies. Most of these units are intended for use on smaller boats. They are generally used on small lakes, rivers and streams as well as coastal backwaters.
It is usually less costly and easiest to install a transom mount transducer. You can purchase transom mounts in both single frequency and dual frequency fishfinder models. Transom mounts are best for use in water that will not be very disrupted by a boat moving fast. Clarity usually is effected once your boat reaches 10 knots.
Hull transducers, on the other hand, are ideal for performance and clarity .However, this requires another hole in the bottom of the boat .But they are needed if you want clarity at high speeds.
Through the hull dual frequency transducers are recommended if plan to fish deep water and need to read the fish at high speeds.
Smaller boats fishing relatively shallow water at slow speed can use a portable or transom mount. The money you save will be better served by using it to fill up your boat s gas tank!
CONSIDER THE POWER
As a rule, more power is always a good thing. You will generally find less power in the cheaper unit when all else is equal. For the best accuracy and clarity go for the high power as that is what determines the speed of the sonar return signals.
My recommendation is to purchase the highest power rating you can afford with all other factors being equal. In other words, consider units that have everything you want and then compare the power rating of all of those units to see which one has the highest power rating.
DISPLAY SCREEN AND RESOLUTION
When you are looking at the different options for the display, consider this. Color screens are easier to view in bright sunlight. Also, the higher the resolution, the clearer the image you will see on the screen.
My recommendation is to look at several units in your price range with the features you want and then purchase the unit with the higher screen resolution, in color. 480x480 is ideal, but you don t want to go any lower than 320x240.
DISPLAY SIZE
Like more power being better, when it comes to display size, bigger is always better if it fits where you want to put it! So before you can really determine the ideal display size for you, you need to measure the area where you will install the display unit. That will dictate the largest display screen you can purchase. A bigger screen will equal a heftier price, of course. But display size isn t absolutely everything. Some really great fishfinders have 4 diagonal screens and work fantastic.
READ THE REVIEWS, BUT . . .
It s one thing to read the fishfinder reviews out there, but hey, take them with a huge grain or maybe a block of salt! There is no way the reviews are written by someone who has actually used all of the different units and can definitively say one unit is the absolute best. Instead, the review writer probably works for the manufacturer of a particular fishfinder. Or maybe he runs or works for a store that just happens to sell the brand he gives the highest reviews and it probably has the highest price tag, too. Instead, look for unbiased sources that present the actual facts. For instance, http://eFishBox.com has a fishfinder review page that shows the specifications of all of the fishfinders produced by the industry brand name leaders so you can make real comparisons based on the actual features. Make your decision based on your requirements and a solid understanding of the features you need, not someone who is getting paid to endorse a particular product.
Author Resource:
http://www.efishbox.com . com is a fishing and boating electronics outfitters store. We specialize in customer care first. Compare the great selection and fair pricing at eFishBox today.See our http://www.efishbox.com/page/fish-finder-reveiw/ here.
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