Unveiling the Best Portable Fish Finders
A portable fish finder is an immensely popular gadget for enthusiasts and professional fish finders. It’s a lightweight device and easy to carry. It’s not larger than your hand, but still, it’s greatly efficient to detect fish underwater. The transducer detects the fish and sends the SONAR waves to the screen. Some portable fish finders come with black & white and others come with colored LEDs. Another advantage of using the portable fish finder is that it has a few buttons that make it easy-to-use.
Best Portable Fish Finder Reviews
1. Garmin Striker 4 with Transducer, 3.5″ GPS Fishfinder with CHIRP Traditional Transducer
Display Type: Colored
Display Size: 3.5/5/7 inch
Maximum Depth: 1,600 ft
Battery Life: 9 hours
Best for: Ice fishing, Kayak, Stream fish
It comes in different sizes: 3.5, 5 and 7 inches display. The device has an easy setup. You can use it at 1600 ft depth in freshwater and at 750 ft depth in saltwater. It contains a high-frequency SONAR to provide you the accurate reports and detailed representation of the surrounding of fish. You can connect it with your Android/iOS device by using WiFi or Bluetooth. It gives you option to use the way-point map for easy viewing, marking or navigation to the surrounding of the fish. It’s ideal for ice fishing because the built-in flasher brings the SONAR data in a brighter way.
- Wireless connectivity
- Good range of transducer
- Long-lasting battery life.
- High-quality clear images displayed
- Easy setup
- Unstable Wi-Fi connection.
Our Opinion:
It’s an ideal gadget for ice fishing, kayak and other types of fishing in poor light. This lightweight fish finder is easy in portability and you can use it up to 1600 ft depth in freshwater. Connect it with your phone and view the SONAR reports at your phone. Enjoy an easy and comfortable fishing experience.
2. ReelSonar Wireless Bluetooth Smart Fish Finder
Display Type: Colored
Display Size: 2 x 2 x 1 inch
Maximum Depth: 135 ft
Battery Life: 10 Hours
Best for: Ice fishing, Kayak, freshwater fishing
It’s the smallest and lightest fish finder in the market. You can sync this castable gadget via Bluetooth or WiFi to get the SONAR reprots on your iOS devices or Android phone. The wireless connectivity doesn’t consume lots of battery. You can connect it from a distance of 100 ft. The battery stays up to 10 hours that makes a visible difference to your fish catching experience. It can locate the fish maximum at the depth of 135 ft in freshwater. A sharp LED light indicates the charging status of the battery. It comes with GPS tag to share your fishing status with friends.
- Extremely small and portable
- Works at the depth of 135 feet
- Uses low power for wireless connectivity
- Castable gadget
- Good battery life
- Needs a separate waterproof case for mobile devices
Our Opinion:
This castable gadget is extremely small and lightweight. If you don’t want to use it to analyze SONAR reports, cast the reports to your Android/iOS device via Bluetooth or WiFi. You can use it at a depth of 135 ft in freshwater. It’s an ideal portable fish finder for kayak, ice fishing, and freshwater fishing. The powerful display provides the rich details of the surrounding of the fish.
3. LUCKY Handheld Fish Finder Portable Fishing Kayak Fishfinder
Display Type: Colored
Display Size: 2 inch
Maximum Depth: 328 ft
Battery Life: 5 hours
Best for: freshwater fishing, Stream fishing
It comes with 2 inches TN/Anti-UV LCD display. The sensor of the transducer is around 1.8 inches in diameter to detect freshwater fish underwater. You can change the measurement unit from ft to meter and vice versa. The battery can stay up to 5 hours that’s considered a good duration. If you enable the “Battery Save Mode”, the battery even works more efficiently. This portable fish finder is extremely lightweight and compact to carry anywhere with you. You can use it ideally for off-shore fishing, ice fishing, freshwater, lake fishing, and kayak fishing. It comes with a range of 328 ft to show you accurate SONAR reports instantly. The colored display ensures a crystal-clear view of the surrounding of the fish. The cord length is 25 meters.
- Powerful display
- Works in any condition
- Mounts to your boat or hang around your neck
- Has battery saving settings
- Long battery life
- Might not work with thick ice.
- It does not use wireless technology.
Our Opinion:
This gadget is extremely compact to carry with you anywhere. It locates the fish accurately and instantly. The battery life is excellent and battery save mode can enhance the efficiency of battery even more. It has a simple setup and easy user interface. The colorful LCD lets you know rich details of the fish at a length of 328 ft underwater.
Garmin Striker 4 with Transducer, 3.5″ GPS Fishfinder with CHIRP Traditional Transducer
Buying Guide
There are many types of portable fish finders in the market. Some have large LCDs and others come in a compact display designs. They have different features and prices as well. So, it becomes confusing to select a suitable portable fish finder. Well, it’s not a difficult task to select a suitable portable fish finder if you know a few handy tips. Here are the tips to make your selection of a portable fish finder easier.
LED Type
There are two basic types of LEDs in a portable fish finder: black & white and colored. A colored LED lets you know about the surrounding of the fish underwater in a clearer way. It shows the pebbles, stones, plants and other things around fish in a more realistic way. However, it can be a costly option for users. If you have no issue of money, select a colored LED otherwise; go for a black & white screen.
Battery Life
Check the battery life before selecting a portable fish finder. It’s very important because you will use it for at least 3 hours. So, battery life shouldn’t be less than 3 hours. If you select a fish finder with a colored LED, it will have less battery life. A black & white LED consumes less battery and it provides you with a more stable performance.
Lightweight
Since you will hold it in hand all the time, it should be lightweight. Check the weight of the portable fish finder before selecting it. The weight should be easy to hold for hours without getting fatigued.
Castable
Some portable fish finders come with castability. You can connect them with your Android and iOS device to analyze the readings via phone. It uses Bluetooth or WiFi to connect the device with your phone and you get the readings of the transducer on your phone.
Zooming
Make sure, you get a portable fish finder with a zoom-in and zoom-out feature. It allows you to analyze the surrounding of the fish in a better way.
