The best fish finders for 2022

Every fisherman wants to know where the carp are biting – this twisted saying can be applied to fishing. After all, it’s nice not just to come to sit on the shore with a fishing rod, but also to return with a rich catch. To do this, buy echo sounders for fishing. The principle of operation is relatively simple: the transducer (sensor) emits ultrasound, which passes through the water column, but is reflected from objects – the bottom topography and fish. Some devices allow you to analyze the situation from the shore, others work from a boat, and the third is sharpened for winter fishing. On sale there are also universal gadgets.

Top 10 rating according to KP

Editor’s Choice

1. Deeper Smart Sonar PRO + (from 20 thousand rubles)

In 2022, the most popular device on the market is this ball. The filling is like a cool smartphone – a Wi-Fi module and GPS. The device is universal: it allows you to make a map both from the shore and while in the boat.

Also suitable for winter fishing. You can throw it 100 meters away from you, and it will scan up to a depth of 80 meters – this is a kind of record for such devices. The mechanism of operation is as follows: you throw the device away and start pulling towards you. It collects data, processes information and sends it to your smartphone. First, you need to install a special application on your mobile phone. Moreover, during the scanning process, you can switch the sound beam from wide to narrow. The first will give a general picture, and the second will already draw the details of the relief.

The application is very detailed – for those who not only like to stoically wait for prey with a fishing rod, but also delve into programs. On the map, you can place fish icons, make notes. If you wish, you can transfer the information to a computer and work there. The fish finder itself is made of durable plastic. There is a cover included.

Features

Dual beam, portable design, float type transducer, battery/accumulator powered.

Advantages and disadvantages

2. Practitioner 6M (from 8000 rubles)

A worthy domestic device in the ranking of the best fish finders for fishing in 2022. The model is new and has absorbed all the best finds of its predecessors. Although it cannot be compared with the first place, the price is more pleasant. And the device is in no way inferior in quality for amateur fishing.

Scans depth up to 25 meters. A small error of 10 centimeters is acceptable, but this is a trifle. He himself knows how to distinguish fish from, say, floating snags and algae. Moreover, the echo sounder algorithm also marks the size of the prey – from small to large. The whole picture is broadcast on the screen in real time. The manufacturer worked the cable well – durable, does not deform in the cold due to the Kevlar thread in the composition.

The sensor and the screen are frost-resistant. The operating range according to the instructions is up to -20 degrees Celsius, but according to reviews it can withstand even more. Operates on AA batteries. One is enough for 100 hours of operation. During use, you can adjust the power to, for example, exclude small objects.

Features

Single beam, portable design, universal transducer mount, battery/accumulator powered.

Advantages and disadvantages

3. LUCKY FFW718 (from 5100 rubles)

Another versatile model for any fishing. The manufacturer emphasizes that the device is suitable for both fresh and salt water.

In principle, with these tasks, any good echo sounders, but cheap models may have errors. “Punches” a depth of up to 40 meters. The sensor can be thrown from the base for a hundred meters. The instrument scans 90 degrees away from itself. The device software has been translated into . During scanning, it immediately displays fish icons on the screen, differentiating it by size. You can adjust the sensitivity of the sensor so that, for example, it does not perceive grass.

A rare but necessary feature is the screen backlight. The echo sounder is economical. True, it works on “washers” CR-2032. Please note that there is also an extended package for sale. It is denoted by the letters Li. In addition to this box, a wired sensor, a mount, an antenna, a charger from the mains and a cigarette lighter, and a kit case are put in this box.

Features

Single beam, portable design, float type transducer, battery/accumulator powered.

Advantages and disadvantages

What other fish finders are worth paying attention to?

4. Lowrance HOOK2 4x Bullet Skimme (from 12 thousand rubles)

A device with a large color screen. Although, with such a “serious” diagonal for echo sounders, they saved money on the processor in this particular model.

The picture sometimes slows down or disappears altogether. Dealers shrug their hands – reset the device settings, it has little memory, since this is a budget model. Despite the abundance of buttons, it can work in fully automatic mode. Its maximum depth is 152 meters. Even more than our leader in the best fish finders. But does an amateur need such power? At the same time, the manufacturer itself positions it as a device for the masses, and not for the pros. If you didn’t know, this is a cool company, known among fishermen for its equipment.

If you buy in a more or less official store, then the device will have firmware. Summing up, in general, this manufacturer considers this model to be the most optimal in terms of quality and functionality for everyday fishing.

Features

Color screen 4″, single beam, fixed hull mount, transducer mount on transom, 12V power supply.

Advantages and disadvantages

5. Garmin STRIKER 4 (from 13,5 thousand rubles)

Professional instrument with color display. The echo sounder has a very convenient button control system, somewhat reminiscent of push-button mobile phones, where each action had its own key, and in no way on modern smartphones gestures instead of buttons.

Schools of fish can be marked on the scanned map. Locations can be stored in memory so that you can return to the fishing spot later. For those who have little power, you can buy cooler transducers from the manufacturer. A feature of the echo sounder is the simultaneous sending of signals of different frequencies. Although usually devices can do one thing at a time. Here, thanks to an integrated approach, a clearer picture is obtained.

Those who like to fish on motor boats will like that the device works while moving. That is, you can go around the reservoir and quickly draw up a map. Built into the device and flasher. It is designed for static fishing, such as ice fishing. It gives you an idea of ​​the objects below you more quickly.

Features

Color screen 3.5″, two beams, peak power 1600 W, fixed body mount, transducer mount on transom, 12V power supply.

Advantages and disadvantages

6. GSMIN WA3 (from 7500 rubles)

A simple fish finder that should appeal to those who are not thrilled with all the complexity of the maps of other devices. In this device, everything is much simpler – it draws a picture from the bottom not in the form of a relief, but with icons.

Something like some kind of toy like Tetris. A flock of fish swims below you – many corresponding icons are displayed on the screen. At the bottom there are a lot of obstacles in the form of thickets and boulders – there will be a corresponding picture. The sonar float takes data and sends it online to the device screen. It has a wide coverage angle of 105 degrees. The transducer needs to be charged separately, since this is done via a USB cable.

You can fish both from the boat and on the shore. The truth is not quite suitable for winter fishing. The operating temperature is up to minus 10 degrees Celsius, and the screen is touch-sensitive. There are two modes of operation: constant search and stationary. In the first case, you can get an idea of ​​the relief by going around the reservoir on a boat. The second is ideal for fishing from the shore.

Features

Single beam, portable design, float type transducer, battery/accumulator powered.

Advantages and disadvantages

7. Echo sounder 7 WI-FI (from 10,4 thousand rubles)

Domestic echo sounder-float. This is a single beacon sensor that transmits all the information in the application to the fisherman’s mobile phone. In the program, you can also draw your own depth maps, make notes, and lay routes.

The completed map can be shared with friends, who can also install the free app. It is convenient if you want to share fishing spots with a friend, but you cannot go hunting with him. The reviews praise the sensitivity of the device, which even recognizes a mormyshka. The connection range with a smartphone is up to 90 meters. There is an eco-mode of operation, which allegedly does not scare away fish with radiation.

There are, of course, questions here. Because other, even the most pro-devices do not boast of such functions, which suggests that the manufacturer of this model rather embarked on marketing. From the pleasant: automatic switching on when immersed in water, indication of the size of the fish and fast charging – in 15 minutes of connection it is enough for three hours of work.

Features

Single beam, portable design, float type transducer, battery/accumulator powered.

Advantages and disadvantages

8. Humminbird PiranhaMAX 4 (from 12,8 thousand rubles)

Another powerful device. The instructions state that the signal will break through up to 200 meters deep. If you buy in official stores, you will get a Russified device. Otherwise, everything will be in English, in feet, instead of meters and degrees Fahrenheit.

The device has a large color screen for echo sounders. There is a backlight for night fishing. When the sensor has reached the depth and found the fish, the gadget will beep. The manufacturer thought well about displaying data on the screen – the numbers are large, the font is legible. Some analogues sin the opposite. The map can be zoomed in and out. The device determines the size of the fish.

There is a more advanced model in the same case. Denoted by the letters Di. It costs twice as much, but differs in fact by a waterproof case and a slightly more convenient bottom rendering. If you have money, then take the Pro version. Otherwise, you can limit yourself to the standard one.

Features

Color screen 4.3″, two beams, peak power 2400 W, fixed body mount, transducer mount on transom, 12V power supply.

Advantages and disadvantages

9. Raymarine Dragonfly 5PRO (from 33 thousand rubles)

An echo sounder for those who want the quality and performance to be of the highest order. This is a real computer with a bright five-inch display. Important in sunny weather. In this case, the device can be connected to a smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi.

But the main feature of the device is an ultra-clear picture. The bottom is drawn as if in science fiction films. It determines not only shoals of fish, but also those that have escaped from the flock. Initially mounted on a hinge-type device. But if you need more mobility, then you can buy other fasteners. Despite the cool filling, they could not make the device completely waterproof. He will endure short-term immersion in water. A microSD flash drive is installed in it, on which you can download professional Navionics and C-MAP 4D relief maps of reservoirs.

Features

5″ color screen, fixed body mount, universal transducer mount, 12V power supply.

Advantages and disadvantages

10 FishHunter Directional 3D (from 23 thousand rubles)

Powerful three-beam fish finder. Scans depth up to 50 meters. Data displays on the screen of your tablet or smartphone. Universal: for all types of fishing.

You can display data on the screen in three types – a flasher (without relief rendering), initial data and a view from the bottom to the surface. After that, you can press the button and the device will perform a 3D model of the bottom. And then saving is available. Some people like to delve into the maps at home and plan their next hunt. The program is able to impose a grid on the terrain, by which you can distinguish between depths. The company prides itself on its directional echolocation. With it, you can see the location of the fish in real time. It remains only to throw a fishing rod into this place.

The device officially withstands extreme -30 degrees Celsius, which means that in theory the resource is even longer. Also, fishing enthusiasts should evaluate the mode of operation at shallow depths up to five meters. The picture is obtained with ultra-high detail.

Features

Three beams, 300W peak power, portable design, floating transducer, battery/accumulator powered.

Advantages and disadvantages

How to choose an echo sounder for fishing

You can read about the best fish finders for fishing above. We will talk about the selection of the device. Advice was compiled by a fishing competition participant, a fisherman with 30 years of experience Maxim Konev.

How is it charged

Before buying, take an interest in how the device is charged. Some have a built-in battery, some have batteries – “finger”, “little” or “washers”. The second way is more convenient. First, it holds a charge better. Secondly, you can always buy, especially if it’s AA or AAA batteries. With “washers” like CR it is more difficult.

But regular batteries rarely hold a charge well. In addition, some models of echo sounders are designed to be connected to a battery. If you have a yacht or a large motorboat, this is not a problem. But on a compact rowboat, carrying a battery is problematic.

With or without a screen

Fishing sounders in 2022 are often sold without a screen. The manufacturer creates a mobile application that offers to install on a smartphone. If you have a new mobile phone or tablet, then there will be no problems. But the old device frankly slow down. If you take a model with a screen, I advise you to take at least 4 inches. Otherwise, the picture will be too small.

About the number of rays

Budget appliances give out one. Top models – up to five or six. The more rays, and the wider the angle, the faster and more thorough the scan. The wave frequency should be low (83, 200 kHz) – then the analysis will be of better quality.

About additional features

Expensive models are able to build and store maps in memory. I’m not sure that this is such an important feature for amateurs. And the price of such devices is 50-100% more expensive than analogues. Although some people like to open a map at home, dream about future victories and plan fishing. In general, the price of a normal device ranges from 5-8 thousand rubles. If it’s more expensive, then it’s definitely with bells and whistles. Do you need them?