Equipment

Do you need a fish finder that’s easy to carry and fits perfectly in your hands?  If this is the case, I am sure you just arrived at the right place. If we go back to a few decades back, there weren’t such modern devices to catch fish, however, in this modern age of cutting edge technology, it has become much easier to catch fish with the help of these best portable fish finders. A portable fish finder comes always in handy and enables you to easily carry it wherever you go.

I know to find the right fish finder isn’t an easy task especially when you have hundreds of products from different brands. When I decided to pick up my first portable fish finder, it was quite difficult for me. However, I have come with a list of best portable fish finders that proves to be one of the best fish finders out there and always meets your expectations. But before we explore those devices, there are certain things you must know. Let’s read about them!

Things To Consider Before Buying Portable Fish Finders

1.Cone Angle

The cone angle is a very important thing to keep in mind. Cone angle decides how wide you can scan for fish. If you need a bigger view of the things beneath, you should choose a transducer with a wider cone angle. A cone of 20 degrees would be ideal if you need a fish finder for a variety of depths.

2.Frequency

If you go with a fish finder that has high frequency, you will fish well in shallow water. However, if you buy a fish finder with lower frequency, you’ll be able to fish well in deep water. So buy a fish finder according to the water you’re going to fish in. Choosing a fish finder with the right frequency will help you a lot.

3.Power

Power is also very important. If you choose a fish finder with great power, the deeper you go for reading down the water. If you fish in deep water, choose a fish finder that gives you the most power. However, you need less power in shallow water and that’s why a unit with less power works fine in such conditions. So go for a fish finder with the suitable power options for you.

4.Screen Resolution

As we all know, the higher the pixels the better the display becomes. So if you need a fish finder that gives excellent display, you should opt for a device with high screen resolutions. However, if you are OK with the medium display, you can choose a fish finder even with low screen resolutions. But it’s better to have a fish finder with a great display.

List of 7 Best Portable Fish Finders For 2019

1. Garmin Striker 4 Portable Bundle

When it comes to giving maximum performance by featuring very small size, there is nothing that can beat Garmin. If you also have been searching for a fish finder that fits well in your hands and exceeds your expectations I am sure you will love Garmin Striker 4. It comes with a lot of cool features within an affordable price range and never fails you during your fishing activities.

Technical Features:

This amazing device comes with a lot of new features that allow you to explore the sea in a better way. You’ll find it very different in features from other typical fish finders. Coming with a great communication interface, you’ll have the ability to share the recently discovered way points with your friends as well. That seems incredible, right?

Built-in sonar ensures a wider and clearer view of the sea and gives your precise reading every time you’re out for your sea trips. You would be pleased to hear that it keeps a record of your previous journeys and help you explore the sea in a better way. You’ll like the way it delivers high-quality images even when you’re moving from shallow to deep water. Most importantly, you don’t need to worry about the depth now; Garmin has a better solution to all of your fishing activities.

What’s Special?

You’ll have a complete set of supporting parts to make your fishing experience much more effective. The supporting parts include everything you might need for your sea expeditions. The device comes with a system that is easy to install and could easily be mounted on your boat. The LCD is 3.5 inches and gives a clear and brighter image of objects.

My Opinion:

It’s a wonderful package for people who need an excellent device with a very affordable price. It works perfectly even if you are working in dim light conditions. The inline sonar functionality is superb and exceeds your expectations and requirements. The GPS guides you in a way that no other device can ever do. The transducer may come out problematic sometimes but overall it’s a perfect device for your fishing travels.

2. Humminbird 345c Portable

Next comes in our list Humminbird, this brand has been coming up with some of the best fish finders in the market and 345c is probably the most portable and affordable among all of them. So if you need a fish finder that’s easy to carry around and gives a feeling of high experience during your fishing, you should definitely check this out!

Technical Features:

It comes with a padded carrying case, an AGM battery, and a charger. These features make sure to give you the best possible convenience. This unit will never fail you during your sea adventures. You’ll find the device easy to move from boat to boat. Mounting of this unit is also very easy and connects within a few minutes the next morning when you start your fishing again.

If we talk about power, it comes with 300 watts of power and ensures a high resolution of objects in water even up to 1000 feet deep. Plus, it’s equipped with DualBeam Sonar, which gives you a wide sonar beam when scanning down for targets. Above all, the display comes in 3.5 inches of screen and delivers crisp images which show multiple angles of an area.

What’s More?

It features incredible SwitchFire technology, which gives you the facility to switch easily between the maximum and reduced sensitivity modes just with a flip of a switch. Its fully waterproof and never comes with any sort of water issues. The device can be detached from the mounting brackets easily with the help of a button in the back that allows easy removal.

My Opinion:

This fish finder gives far more detail than many other expensive models. It not only clearly define fish but also gives a vivid view of the bottom structures, bottom growth and suspended vegetation. I give it 5 stars for the battery and easy to carry design. Though the power consumption is a little high, it a wonderful device to buy this year.

3. Lowrance Fish Finders

Lowrance finds the third place on our list. It comes with an optional pack that is lightweight and easy to carry. If we compare this unit with the other models around, it appears to be very affordable and comes with a bundle of extra features as well. With its impressive and elegant keypad interface, you can use the frequently used keys with much ease, thus give you high accessibility during your fish finding activities.

Technical Features:

It’s a dual frequency unit and comes with 83 KHz scanning frequency to scan wide areas and 200 KHz when you’re looking for more detail of the area around you. It features a colored screen that spots fish in a very clear way. You don’t even need to manually adjust your setting to see fish, the advance signal processing automatically gives a clear view of the structure and bottom

The 83 KHz sonar operation allows up to 60 degree of coverage which is ideal for large fish arches and searching a large area. So be it a big fish or searching a large area, just hold this amazing device in your hands and enjoy. Furthermore, the transducer comes with a built-in water-temperatures sensor that can track the bottom up to 75mph. Wow, that’s remarkable!

What’s More?
The Lowrance is a breeze to install and features a very clear and bright screen. This screen works even at high speeds. It matches the features of all the other powerful units. With the help of Fish I.D, you’ll see the fish icon on the screen instead of fish arches to identify fish targets. Plus it comes with amazing tracking and alarm options for further convenience.

My Opinion:

It’s a decent fish finder to buy for less than 100 dollars. You can easily install in on your boat. Furthermore, the picture is decent and clear. It works perfectly for smaller lacks and shows amazing variations in the structure. I found it very easy to install. Most importantly, the customer service is very friendly and always ready to help. Just buy this unit and enjoy your trips!

4. Humminbird Piranha MAX Portable Fish Finder

The next in our list is Humminbird. As I said earlier, this company was the first to introduce the fish finders to the world and has never disappointed their customers. If you’re also looking for a portable and excellent fish finder, you’ll love to use this amazing piece of art. Let’s read something more about this lightweight unit.

Technical Features:

It comes with Down imaging feature which allows you to see what’s below your boat with much clarity. You’ll find it very easy to tilt your fish finder for a better view with the help of tilt mounts. You don’t have to be a professional angler in order to operate it, it’s very easy to operate as it comes with clear buttons on the screen.

You can see the depth of the fish as well as the size of the fish detected, thus making it easier for you to go for your target. One of the best things about this unit is that you don’t need to keep looking at it all the time, it will give an alarm the moment it detects a fish in the surroundings. However, if you don’t want the alarm feature, you can also put the alarm off.

What’s More?

This unit comes with a lot of features in a very compact size. It comes with everything you need. For transducer, it comes with the suction cup. It works amazingly on smooth surfaces like metal, plastic or fiberglass. It works for a lake with depth from 2 feet to 200 feet without any issue. In short, it’s a perfect option for beginners.

My Opinion:

It’s a nice package within a decent price. It comes with the finder, mounting hardware, plastic base, a bag with six pockets and much more. All of the equipment adds a new taste to your experience. Clips make sure to secure the transducer in case of a failure of the suction cup. Around all, it’s a good option as a portable fish finder.

5. Deeper Pro Smart Portable Fish Finder

Here comes the fifth one, Deeper Smart is a very portable fish finder that weighs less and works in conjunction with smartphones and tablets. I am sure you’ll find it smaller and lighter than many brands out there. It features very accurate sonar that delivers the best quality pictures to your display. Let’s find out something more about it!

Technical Features:

It comes with amazing features. To begin with, it allows you to connect your phone or tablet with this device with the help of wireless technology. Be it going from place to place or fishing from the shore, it takes you wherever you want to go. It informs you about the water temperature fluctuations to help you fish in the sea in a very effective and efficient way.

You’ll like the activity calendar and the weather charts. They are designed to give you the best possible experience while on the sea. Furthermore, there is also a diary for you to keep your notes about when and where you caught your fish. Wow, seems amazing! In short, it’s a perfect unit to refer to every time you’re out to the water.

What’s More?

The Deeper Pro comes with 3 different modes. If you’re doing ice fishing, then you should go with the standard mode that seems more accurate for this mode and depicts what is beneath you in a way that no other flasher mode can. Regardless of ice fishing, both flasher and standard modes work as expected and help you catch more fish than without it. The third mode is good when you’re on a boat and comes in handy in boat fishing.

My Opinion:

In my opinion, Deeper Pro is made to cope with all sorts of conditions and gives maximum performance. It also works fine in ice fishing mode. It looks cleaner and attractive in design as well. One thing that I really liked about this unit is the recording option, you can look back to see what happened with just a click. The battery runs for a long time and never comes with any kind of charging issues.

6. LUCKY Handheld Fish Finder

Just the name Lucky is enough to give you a feeling of trust about the unit you’re going to buy. There are many outstanding fish finders out there that are loaded with features, but there are only a few units around that come with the exact features you need within a very affordable range of price. Let’s know what those amazing features are!

Technical Features:

The lucky fish finder is very efficient and useful when it comes to displaying the water depth accurately. It gives you the approximate fish location as well as the location of weeds, sand, and rock on the bottom. The design is very portable and allows you to even hang it around your neck. Excellent, isn’t it? Plus, it perfectly suits for a variety of fishing environment.

You can use it for offshore fishing, kayak fishing, ice fishing, lake fishing, and the list goes on. I am sure you’ll never find such an excellent unit under this price range. You can use this handheld fish finder even on the moving kayak. If you want to know about the range, then let me tell you the detector range is 45-degree cone underwater. Want to know about depth? keep reading!

What’s More?

You can detect fish and other objects within a range from 3ft to 328 ft. You can also change the unit in which it shows the depth to either feet or meter. Furthermore, it comes with a 25ft cable removable transducer float for maximum convenience. You can switch the mode between battery save mode and backlight mode. Great convenience!

My Opinion:

It’s a good option for people who are low on budget but still looking for a unit that meets their fish finding requirements. Unlike other high-end portable devices, it’s very easy to use. You can easily change the settings according to your own choice. Overall, it’s a fine piece that comes with a long lasting battery time of 4-5 hours.

7. ZACX Sonar Fish Finder

Here is another fish finder that works in conjunctions with your smartphone with Bluetooth. It connects easily with your smartphone (iOS&Android) and implements everything by an App on your phone. So if you’re kind of person who loves using portable fish finders that shows everything on the screen of the phone, you should check it out!

Technical Features:

It sends detailed data of everything beneath the boat to your phone or tablet. The data collected from the water is presented in a way that is very easy to analyze and gives you accurate information about your target in the sea. It gives you a sound figure of depth and that is unbeatable in scanning down the water for fish.

Not only this, the maps are colored and features onshore function that takes your smartphone fishing to the next level. With the help of built-in Smart Sonar, it presents a clear view of the shore and casts from 330 Ft. scan down to 157 ft. Furthermore, the cast out and depth of the sea are added live to your map. Really? Yes, it gives you everything clear and precise on the map.

What’s More?

The design is very attractive you elegant. With two colors LED between blue and green, it gives you a fine display of everything. The best thing about this device is that it works so effectively at night with the help of lamplight. Not only this, you can easily switch it and see the accurate fish location at night. In short, it perfectly suits all type of fishing occasions.

My Opinion:

In my opinion, it’s a very smart and portable fish finder. All you have to do is to download the app and set it up. It’s completely free and the fish finder easily detects the depth, temperature, fish size and location. You’ll see all the statistics about the fish on the screen of your phone. Lastly, the battery works for a long time and comes in handy as the best portable fish finder.

Conclusion:

I hope you have a better understanding and knowledge about fish finders and ready to make your first purchase. There are 7 amazing portable devices to choose from and all are added on the list after thorough research and analysis. These units are highly portable and always exceed your limitations. So read all the products carefully and then choose a portable fish finder that best suits your demands and requirements. Good luck for your next fishing adventure!