What is the Best Kayak Fish Finder Under $200?
Whether you’re just starting to learn how to fish from a kayak or you’re an experienced angler, there’s one complaint everyone has in common…
It’s so easy to drop a boatload (pun intended) of money on your yak, your gear and your tackle.
I talked with over 20 kayak fishermen and they all said nearly the same thing.
If I’d know how addictive it would be, I would’ve been a lot more careful about how I spent my money when I was first starting.
This is How to Choose the Best Fish Finder for Your Kayak (without breaking the bank)
If you’ve been kayak fishing for years, you can probably skip this section!
You probably already know exactly what upgrades or special features you want on your new gear.
But if you’re new to kayak fishing or you’ve never used a fish finder on your yak before, keep reading because not all fish finders will work on a kayak.
Where will it fit?
First, you need to make sure exactly how much room you have on your boat.
Where can you mount it (and how can you mount it) so it won’t be in the way while you paddle, fish or reach for other gear and tackle?
Your choices are:
Between your feet
Or, on the side of the boat
The only way to know the best place to put yours is to do a dry run…either on land or in the water.
Get out your yak, load it down with all your gear and tackle and then sit down and start paddling, casting and moving around like you do while you’re out on the water.
Take note of where your paddling motion takes your paddle and your casting motions take your pole and arms/hands.
And if you have pedals in your boat, make sure they won’t interfere with the placement of your fish finder’s cables too.
What screen size is best?
When it comes to screen size, most people automatically assume bigger is better.
But, when you’re operating in the limited space of a kayak, that’s just not a good way to think about it…especially when you’re trying to stay on a budget.
If you’ve spent any time shopping at all, I’m sure you’ve noticed that screen size is one of the biggest determining factors in fish finder price.
To stay under $200, your options are limited, but you can still get a color fish finder with a relatively high resolution screen….if you look a little bit.
You won’t be able to get anything larger than a 5-inch screen and won’t be able to get a touchscreen model, but you’ll still be able to get a highly-capable unit that will give you years of enjoyment and use.
What transducer should I get?
The transducer is the part of a fish finder that sits in the water.
It sends out sound waves underneath and beside your yak to identify the bottom, any structure and anything (like fish) in the water around or below you.
While there are tons of options you could get, a $200 budget will constrain your options here too.
But — the biggest improvement in transducer technology in the last 20 years is still available to you — even under $200!
It’s called CHIRP sonar it’s the one absolute requirement you should set on any fish finder you buy today!
Here’s the difference between CHIRP sonar and non-CHIRP…I think you’ll agree.
If you want a clear, readable picture on your fish finder, you want CHIRP.
The Best Fish Finder Under $200 for a Kayak
While there are a few other models that would probably serve you well, the only one we’ve been able to find that includes CHIRP sonar technology is the Garmin Striker 4.
And, it’s not only under $200…it’s almost under $100!
As a matter of fact, if you shop around, you might be able to find it under $100.
So you’ll have a proven reliable fish finder for your kayak that boasts:
- A color screen with 480x320 resolution
- CHIRP sonar (77 & 200 kHz)
- An impressive feature set for such a small, inexpensive unit.
The drawbacks
Of course, since you’re buying a budget fish finder, there are going to be some tradeoffs or drawbacks. For example:
a. Some anglers complain about the small screen; it’s only 4 inches.
b. It doesn’t have any chartplotting or mapping.
c. It doesn’t have a touch screen so you have to use menus to navigate.
But — on the plus side — it’s cheap, reliable and it has a kit to make it portable if you need it.
For more information on the Garmin Striker 4 or to see how it stacks up against nine other kayak fish finders, click here.
