Cheap Fish Finder for Kayak

[kayaking_kev]

I'm considering getting my first fish finder for my kayak, but I don't want a expensive one, I'm looking at $100-$150 range for the fish finder. It's not going to be used a whole lot as I fish a lot in shallow rivers or bank fish most of the time. I also need some good advice on batteries, battery box, etc.. I will list some of the options I have came up with real quick, but I am pretty noobish when it comes to marine electronics. 

 

Transducer Mount so I don't have to drill a hole in my kayak hull.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0174X6UNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_mKSCBbJFWD8FK

 

Battery

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006LO9S3E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=fishfinders89-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B006LO9S3E&linkId=bcf37bb1599f7a542b3364db9dda8e1e

 

Battery Box

https://www.amazon.com/Attwood-Corporation-9082-1-Small-Battery/dp/B0000B12YQ/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=kayak%2Bbattery%2Bbox&qid=1580626061&sr=8-13&th=1

 

Fish Finder

https://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-410150-1-PIRANHAMAX-Fish-finder/dp/B01MDP3DPB?tag=sonarwars-20

 

Fish Finder

https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Striker-Transducer-Fishfinder-Traditional/dp/B017NI17HQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1540570057&sr=8-3&keywords=Garmin+Striker+4&linkCode=sl1&tag=ecopetlife-20&linkId=c0f1a7cdb7953af837dbb4410a748e03&language=en_US

 

These next two are a little more than what I want to spend, but wondering how much of a improvement would they be.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-410190-1-Helix-Fishfinder-System/dp/B01MCWIC5H?tag=sonarwars-20

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Humminbird-Helix-5-Sonar-G2-Fishfinder-410190-1/54876745

[Michigander]

If making your own topo maps is important to you, skip the Striker unless it's a Striker Plus which unfortunately takes you out of that $100 price point unless you're cool with a refurbished unit. If you can find a used Raymarine Dragonfly, those are fantastic. 

[kayaking_kev]

7 minutes ago, Michigander said:

If making your own topo maps is important to you, skip the Striker unless it's a Striker Plus which unfortunately takes you out of that $100 price point unless you're cool with a refurbished unit. If you can find a used Raymarine Dragonfly, those are fantastic. 

Like I said, I'm noobish about them, not even really sure what's important to me besides finding depth, fish and structure. Some sort of GPS would be nice to navigate when I'm lost on a river and to tell me my speed and something with a waypoint marker.

[Michigander]

Regular Strikers have the ability to save waypoints but it is just a white background so it lacks any kind of context which isn't super useful but it is better than nothing when the sun goes down and you're trying to find your now very dark launch point. Been there. Now I tie a chem light to a tree if I know I won't be back until after dark and there`s no lamp post.

 

Personally, I fell in love with the ability to make my own maps. It revealed so much about the lakes I fished which translated into more catches. At the end of the day though, regular 2D sonar is all you actually need to be efficient on the kayak. Your speed is very low compared to a motored boat and so you have to make the best of the area you are in but having some sonar will show you the depth of the fish or at least let you know if you're totally wasting your time in an area.

[kdubracing]

On 2/3/2020 at 6:59 PM, Michigander said:

Regular Strikers have the ability to save waypoints but it is just a white background so it lacks any kind of context which isn't super useful but it is better than nothing when the sun goes down and you're trying to find your now very dark launch point. Been there. Now I tie a chem light to a tree if I know I won't be back until after dark and there`s no lamp post.

 

Personally, I fell in love with the ability to make my own maps. It revealed so much about the lakes I fished which translated into more catches. At the end of the day though, regular 2D sonar is all you actually need to be efficient on the kayak. Your speed is very low compared to a motored boat and so you have to make the best of the area you are in but having some sonar will show you the depth of the fish or at least let you know if you're totally wasting your time in an area.

I'm about to get a Striker 4 plus for a kayak as making my own maps is important to me. What unit do you use for this? And any tips/problems/info about the maps you make?

On 2/3/2020 at 6:50 PM, kayaking_kev said:

Like I said, I'm noobish about them, not even really sure what's important to me besides finding depth, fish and structure. Some sort of GPS would be nice to navigate when I'm lost on a river and to tell me my speed and something with a waypoint marker.

Not sure what you already have installed, but it looks like the transducer mount you have will need to be screwed into your kayak. I'm planning on getting the Scotty #141 mount, which is basically the same. It has a small piece of track to mount. My kayak has a track, but I'm thinking I want the transducer mount a little farther forward than where my track is.

[Michigander]

12 minutes ago, kdubracing said:

I'm about to get a Striker 4 plus for a kayak as making my own maps is important to me. What unit do you use for this? And any tips/problems/info about the maps you make?

I use an Echomap 73cv. You can find them pretty cheap since they are two generations old now. No problems actually. You just set it to record and enjoy the maps. I would highly advise you to take 15 minutes and set up a color code for each of the depth lines. It's super tedious and not fun but having it is so invaluable. I did red for 0.1-1ft, orange for 1.1-2ft, yellow for 2.1-3ft, and so on out to deep blues and magenta for the deep deep. Doing this let's you just "see" the structure of the lake at a glance rather than trying to read a bunch of lines with little numbers over a grayish background.

 

Also put a bigger SD card in there than you think you'll need.

[michaelb]

I don't have a fish finder on my kayak currently. I wrestle with whether I need one and for what. Most of the time I am kayaking fishing, I am fishing structure and/or I know exactly where I am. How often are you going to be in deep water or unknown water? For me at least, the primary function is getting the depth and/or looking for changes in depth, so finding a drop off in deeper water. for that basic function, any one will do that shows depth. My idea of cheaper is cheaper than your idea, but I think you are wondering about the same questions. All of your options seems like good basic kayak fish finders. I would spend more and get a lithium battery for around another $100, if I end up getting one of those models.

 

But what about the ones that use AAAs built in? Then there is no wiring and no 12v battery to deal with (you are getting a very small battery though). Easier to pull on and off the boat when you want to use it. There are cheaper options, but something like the fishtrax (I like the mounting options for this brand)?

 

https://www.amazon.com/HawkEye-Fishtrax-Finder-Virtuview-Display/dp/B016O5IDBW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fishtrax&qid=1581044143&sr=8-1

 

they have a kayak track transducer mount you can buy, but it also works to just have it floating behind you as you paddle (I had a version like this years ago and did use it; and can't now remember why or how the unit itself stopped working). 

[Michigander]

1 hour ago, michaelb said:

I don't have a fish finder on my kayak currently. I wrestle with whether I need one and for what. Most of the time I am kayaking fishing, I am fishing structure and/or I know exactly where I am. How often are you going to be in deep water or unknown water? For me at least, the primary function is getting the depth and/or looking for changes in depth, so finding a drop off in deeper water. for that basic function, any one will do that shows depth. My idea of cheaper is cheaper than your idea, but I think you are wondering about the same questions. All of your options seems like good basic kayak fish finders. I would spend more and get a lithium battery for around another $100, if I end up getting one of those models.

 

But what about the ones that use AAAs built in? Then there is no wiring and no 12v battery to deal with (you are getting a very small battery though). Easier to pull on and off the boat when you want to use it. There are cheaper options, but something like the fishtrax (I like the mounting options for this brand)?

 

https://www.amazon.com/HawkEye-Fishtrax-Finder-Virtuview-Display/dp/B016O5IDBW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fishtrax&qid=1581044143&sr=8-1

 

they have a kayak track transducer mount you can buy, but it also works to just have it floating behind you as you paddle (I had a version like this years ago and did use it; and can't now remember why or how the unit itself stopped working). 

That will totally work, like I said, all you really need is basic 2D sonar that any unit will give you. We went off onto a tangent about  mapping which does require more hardware but is totally worth it provided you are into that kind if thing.

[CHIP-MAINE]

check amazon- i just bought a portable handheld fish finder for less than $40. should be great for kayak and ice fishing