Cheap Fish Finder

Fishfinder: the Definitive Guide to the 5 Best Cheap Fish Finder

The Cheap Fish Finder , or echo sounder if you prefer, up to a decade ago was the prerogative of only a small number of people: those who practiced fishing at a professional or commercial level, boating enthusiasts, or even those who worked in the tourism sector.

In recent years, the prices of fish finders have become accessible to anyone who wants to enjoy fishing. Brands such as Garmin and Lowrance , for example, have made avant-garde technologies available to all. Then there are other brands, less known, which also allow those with a very tight budget to devote themselves to their favorite hobby.

In this post you will find a guide to the 5 best cercapesci , designed for those who practice fishing from the shore , or for those who fish at sea or in the lake . And 'then a guide a bit' for all budgets and all tastes, able to please both newbies, as those who have more economic means, and then can also buy fishfinder of really high end.

1. Fishfinder for Fishing from Riva Lucky

Lucky is a very simple and intuitive fishfinder , as well as a 100% portable sounder . It is the ideal choice for those who practice fishing from the shore, or even from docks, bridges, or piers, or for those who want to try their hand at sea fishing for the first time, but have a limited budget. We tell you this because Lucky is equipped with basic sonar features:

• the sonar is able to send data from a depth varying from 2 to 100 meters
• the sonar beam has a 45 degree angle
• the device is equipped with an alarm which is activated when the fish come close
• the Lucky fishfinder transducer is floating, and can be launched comfortably in water
• in addition to information on the proximity of the fish to the sonar, Lucky sends basic data on the fund and on the structures

This fishfinder works with 4 mini-stylus batteries, and comes with a 12-month warranty. This is a good choice for those who practice night fishing because the display (2 inches) is backlit. The Lucky weighs 480 grams, and with its dimensions of 11 x 2 x 6 cm can be comfortably hung on the neck, or slipped into the side pocket of the pants.

This is a very inexpensive echo sounder, compared to many others that you find reviewed on this blog. But consider that fish finders for shore fishing have a much lower price than devices of different types. In fact, they have a less powerful and less sophisticated sonar for sea fishing . However, those who fish in a static position do not need Wi-Fi or GPS. Most of the time, knowing if the fish are swimming near the transducer is all you need, and from this point of view the Lucky is a perfect device.

2. Fishfinder Deeper 3.0

The Deeper 3.0 is a bit of a novelty in the world of the echo sounders, as it is 100% portable. If you're used to conventional sounders , so to speak those equipped with a transducer that mounts in the boat, and a display, forget everything you know about the echo sounders because the Deeper 3.0 is completely different. We only have a sonar, enclosed in a plastic sphere of just 6.5 mm in diameter, weighing only 100 grams.
All you need to do is fix the sphere of the sonar to a line, and throw it into the water. The sonar will start sending data via Bluetooth directly to your mobile phone or tablet. The Deeper 3.0 is equipped with Smart Imaging technology , so it provides clear images of both the bottom and the fish. Moreover:

1. the sonar has two beams oriented at 55 and 15 degrees, operating respectively on the frequency of 90 kHz and on the frequency of 290 kHz
2. the Deeper 3.0 allows a viewing depth of up to 40 meters
3. The Bluetooth device of the Deeper 3.0 has a range of about 40 meters
4. the fishfinder can be activated or put on standby with a click on the screen of your phone or tablet
5. in the package you will find the sonar, a micro USB cable, and a convenient carrying bag

This fishfinder comes with a mobile app that allows you to take pictures of the seabed and share them on social media. You can also create bathymetric maps, receive information on the structure of the seabed, on the temperature and on the depth of the water.

Obviously it is a perfect fishfinder for shore fishing or static stations. You can also use it at sea, but in this case consider that the limitation of depth perhaps makes the Deeper 3.0 better suited to fishing from the rocks than to fishing on the boat.

3. Garmin Striker 4

With the Garmin Striker 4 we start to move towards fishfinder of different types, more suitable for those who fish, and therefore needs to receive sonar data while browsing. Garmin is a historic company, known above all for the production of GPS, and in fact all the fishfinder that produces shine for GPS functionality, but also for others.
The Garmin Striker 4, however, has features that bring it closer to the first two models of fishfinder that we have presented to you, than to others. So if you're interested in more sophisticated devices, immediately jump to the following two reviews. Because the Garmin Striker 4 has essential features:

• CHIRP
• echo sounder who "reads" the bottom up to 300 meters deep
• GPS not cartographic

Downview or sideview features are more expensive than the Garmin Striker 4. This does not mean that the Striker 4 is a bad sounder. The opposite is true: Garmin is still Garmin , and historical brands do not dare to place products below a certain quality standard on the market.

Simply the Garmin Striker 4 is a product made for those who do not need phantasmagorical functionality, or for those who start to try their hand at fish finders . Ultimately, it is a device with a price of just over one hundred euros, truly accessible to all, and which offers quality guarantees. We also talked about this echo sounder in another post, and if you like, you can read our in- depth review of the Garmin Striker 4 .

4. Raymarine Dragonfly 4 Pro

The Raymarine Dragonfly 4 Pro is a fishfinder 'plug and play'. Yes, we know that in reality a really plug and play fishfinder does not exist, and that even the simplest models need a few minutes before sending data. We also know that if you turn on the Raymarine Dragonfly 4 Pro you will need to download maps and updates. But in any case it is a device from the installation and use really intuitive.
Moreover, with its 35 x 35 x 35 cm it is ultra-compact. You can hold it in the palm of your hand, or even fix it in the kayak niche. But let's get to the features:

• we have a 59-channel GPS with chartplotter
• C-Maps allow you to track coastal routes, rivers and lakes, and save up to 150 routes and 3000 waypoints. The Raymarine Dragonfly 4 Pro has pre-installed maps of the United States only, but you can download maps of each country during the installation of the device
• it can be connected to your smartphone or tablet, thanks to its integrated Wi-Fi mobile app.
• There are many that face the fishfinder equipped with GPS and Wi-Fi turn up their noses, because they are interested in information on the sonar, rather than features that are accessible. Well, the Dragonfly 4 Pro:
• has a CHIRP is equipped with conical shaped beams that emit frequencies of the ranges 50/200 kHz 3 83/200 Khz
• has a fan beam oriented at 60 degrees, and used for downvision
• can send signals up to 180 meters deep

In addition, the Dragonfly 4 Pro is one of the latest born Raymarine home, and thanks to its value for money allows you to enjoy the latest generation of anyone willing to spend something extra for a fishfinder .

5. Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3

The Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3 is the most sophisticated fishfinder that we present in this post. If you want to know all the technical features of this device, please read our full review of the Lowrance HSD 7 Gen 3 . Here we will only tell you that it is one of the third generation fish finders produced by Lowrance .
This is not a device suitable for those who practice commercial fishing, since for example it is without a radar. But for anyone who does not work on board a fishing boat, those to understand each day that pull hundreds of tuna or salmon, the Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3 is a fishfinder of the highest quality.
The Lowrance HDS 7 Gen3 operates on the frequencies of 83/200 kHz for the 2D sonar, and 455/800 kHz for the structure scan. So you have the chance to:

• receive data up to 230 meters for broadband sonar
• identify submerged structures, fish, and others up to a depth of 100 meters.

Moreover, this fishfinder has

• a 7-inch screen, much larger than the screens of all the other fish finders reviewed in this post, and from the definition of 800 x 480
• the StructureScan system, which allows you to draw accurate submarine maps
• CHIRP scan
• wireless connectivity
• two SD inputs
• GPS and navigation software
• ethernet input, and NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 ports

If this is not enough, consider that the Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3 also allows you to upload and download navigation maps, and to design very precise navigation routes, thanks to the Insight Planner software. Finally it is compatible with a wide range of transducers.

For some the price of this fishfinder may seem stunning, and we do not deny that the Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 3 has an objectively high price. But consider that, among the fish finders of the HDS line, this is the most economical model. It is a device suitable for those who are very experienced in boating, or even those working in the tourism sector, and needs to equip their boats with the latest generation of fish finders .

## Cheap Fish Finder