Fish are more intelligent than they look. Just when you think they’ll take the bait, they swim away instead. Fishing can be a tricky affair that tests your patience and wits. Sometimes, to outsmart even the smartest potential catch, one needs to leverage technological advancements. Fishing using a fish finder is a recipe for success.
Some argue there is nothing better than the Humminbird as far as fish finders. And, true enough, there aren’t many that can top this brand. There are, however, some that can equal it. A quality fish finder by a recognized brand should help you discover new locations and prime fishing spots and spend more time catching fish than trying to find out where they could be.
Now, with advances in sonar technology, even small vessels can leverage sonar transducers to get a lay of the underwater environment with almost pinpoint accuracy. That said, today’s piece will focus on fish finders designed to be mounted permanently on your vessels.
Top User-Friendly Fish Finders
One thing many anglers look for in their fish finders is user-friendliness. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned fisherman, you don’t want to have to struggle to figure out how to work your equipment.
Purchase the fish finder for your needs by going over our list of the top three fish finders on the market. They excel in many different ways, but you can guarantee that ease of use is something they have in common.
Humminbird HELIX 10 G3N
Like we mentioned previously, it doesn’t get much better than Humminbird, where fish finders are concerned. Many in the marine technology industry laud this brand with good reason. Aside from its vast assortment of quality products, it offers some of the most remarkable and affordable fish finders you can find.
The HELIX series, in particular, even has more to offer, including several screen sizes ranging from 5 to 12 inches. This one is aptly named HELIX 10 for its 10.1 display, but it also stands out for screen clarity, practicality, and technology combination.
Aside from the full-color and widely accessible TFT screen, the 10 G3N also comes with state-of-the-art range imaging technology controllable via an intuitive keypad. This department allows you to explore the Humminbird Basemap, Mega Side and Mega Down Imaging sonar, dual spectrum CHIRP, and AutoChart lives mapping with relative ease.
Garmin Striker 7
Every fish finder in the Garmin Striker series is a mainstay at the top, and the Striker 7 is no exception. Thanks to its more advanced features highlighted by cutting-edge side-imaging technology and remarkable durability, it even forges ahead of the pack.
Unlike the generic side-imaging technology used by other fish finders, the Striker 7 provides a broader peripheral vision to display more of what goes on around the sides of your boat. It also has an IPX7 waterproof rating, which means it’s durable enough to withstand harsh marine conditions.
With a clear seven-inch LCD and a set of dedicated buttons for option selection and menu scrolling, this Garmin number is a beginner-friendly fish finder in every way.
But what leads to fishing success? The CHIRP sonar gadget that it is equipped with. It sends sonar pulses across a wide frequency range to collect a vast range of data. Thus, you get a detailed view of the underwater environment along the sides and directly below your vessel.
Raymarine Axiom 12
Rounding out our list is the Raymarine Axiom 12, which is the latest model to come out of its series. A professional-grade fish finder, this caters more to the needs of extreme anglers in search of a device that caters to their fishing nuances. While “nuance” isn’t often associated with ease of use, Axiom 12 is an exception.
This premium model comes with a hefty price, and understandably so since it can do anything, you need it to. It allows you to control everything from a twelve-inch screen that uses Ray Marine’s trademark Lighthouse 3 technology. This powerful computing device collects data from several sources to create the most precise image around the boat in real-time.
The Takeaway: The Best Fish Finder
Instead of focusing on the best fish finder based on industry standards, look for models that align with your needs. In that way, you can acquire a unit that suits your specific style of fishing. User-friendliness is a universal requirement by both beginner and seasoned anglers for fish finders. Like the ones mentioned above, the top-selling products have this in common. However, it is worth noting that these fish finders are just a few of the many that could meet your angling specifications.
