What to Consider When Choosing the Right Fishfinder

Fishing has come a long way since trial and error. Technology has made it much easier for fishermen to locate fish, this providing much better odds for success. There are a number of fish finders available on the market, and with the technological jargon and information, it can be tricky to find what you want. Fish finders tend to come in two different display types. A Cathode Ray Tube (or CRT) and a Liquid Crystal Display (or LCD). CRTs have been declining in popularity; they are much like a television in their display screen and appearance. If you want to avoid glare, the screen must be placed in a shaded area. CRTs are best used for commercial fishermen and deep sea fishermen. For the everyday fisherman, an LCD screen is ideal; clarity is extremely good, you can read it in direct sunlight, and it comes in a wide range of prices. If you see the term TFT (Thin Film Transistor), this is simply a type of LCD screen that has gained in popularity due to its functionality and high-resolution. A budget is something else you want to consider. The amount of fishing you do will be a big factor in deciding what you should buy. You can purchase fish finders that have colored screens or black and white screens. If you find yourself fishing a lot, then you are probably more willing to spend money on a high-quality fish finder. Should you fish only occasionally but still be interested in a fish finder, you may want to find something that costs less, but still performs well. Companies like Garmin and Eagle create high-quality fish finders that utilize waterproof LCD screens and offer both color and black and white. Color is better because it is much easier to distinguish between targets under the water, whereas black and white make all targets similar colors. What about technical information, such as frequency? When you see kHz, this is the representation of frequency, which is used by the fish finder in the water in order to identify targets. You will not see specific fish, but rather areas fish may congregate, so depth can be important. A model that provides you with a mid-range frequency – between 80 to 125 kHz – should be ideal. Low-frequency is most useful in deep water with a wide range, high-frequency for a narrowed spot with more detail. So what about manufacturers, is there currently a favorite amongst anglers? Not really, although you ll find Humminbird, Garmin, Lowrance, and Eagle dominating the shelves at your local sporting goods retailer. Each has a niche to fill, such as portability (Humminbird), GPS enabled (Garmin), cartography (Lowrance). Whether you want your unit to attach the boat or you don t even own a boat, there are lots of models to choose from. Just keep in mind what kind of fishing you do most often and narrow your search from there. After that, keep your search simple and look for the things you want; price, potential depth (if you know how deep the lake or river can get), screen coloring, and size. Until you are more familiar with fish finders, you can avoid the extra bells and whistles and focus on the main purpose of the device; to find fish for you to catch. Scot Thorson s entrepreneurial spirit and love for the outdoors is evident to everyone who knows him. With a passion for fishing and electronics, Scot s signature web-store GhostLake Outdoors specializes in GPS, Fishfinders, and other outdoor gadgets. There you can find the specific brands that Scot has field tested and recommends. Scot and his wife Becky split time between homes in Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin raising two boys, fishing, and writing. When not working on his next business venture, you’ll find him out on the lake searching for record muskies. Please email: articlequestions@ghostlakeoutdoors.com with any questions or comments.