Best Fish Finder Under 300 Reviewed From 10 Top Picks
Fish finders are increasingly becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. Ask any angler and they will tell you the repercussions of going fishing without a fish finder today. As a result, manufacturers of these smart gadgets are producing more and more units every day.
So for anglers that need a dependable fish finder without breaking the bank, it can prove difficult finding the best unit. But don’t worry because we are here to help you. We have a compiled a list of the best fish finder under 300 choices to help you find the right one for your needs.
Table of Contents
Best Fish Finder Under 300 in the Market 2018 – Comparison Chart
|
Rankings |
Product Name |
Dimensions |
Weight |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#01 |
Garmin 010-01806-00 Garmin STRIKER 4cv
|
3.6 x 1.6 x 5.9 inches |
8 ounces |
|
|
#02 |
Humminbird 409600-1 HELIX 5 DI Fish Finder
|
8.5 x 6 x 4 inches |
3.7 pounds |
|
|
#03 |
Wireless Portable Fish Finder Fishfinder
|
9.4 x 3.1 x 4.7 inches |
1.1 pounds |
|
|
#04 |
Venterior Portable Fish Finder
|
9.6 x 2.2 x 5.9 inches |
1.1 pounds |
|
|
#05 |
Humminbird 409670-1 PiranhaMax 197C
|
8 x 16 x 12.3 inches |
2 pounds |
|
|
#06 |
Humminbird 409690-1 PiranhaMax 197C DI
|
8 x 16 x 12.3 inches |
2.5 pounds |
|
|
#07 |
Erchang Portable Fish Finder
|
10.5 x 6.6 x 2.3 inches |
1.3 pounds |
|
|
#08 |
Garmin 010-01550-00 Striker 4 Bbuilt-in GPS Fish Finder
|
3.6 x 1.6 x 5.9 inches |
8 ounces |
|
|
#09 |
Humminbird 409680-1 PiranhaMax 197C PT
|
10.3 x 13.5 x 12.5 inches |
10.1 pounds |
|
|
#10 |
Docooler Portable 3.5″ LCD Fish Finder
|
7.1 x 6.8 x 4.6 inches |
2.2 pounds |
1. Garmin Striker 4cv (010-01806-00)
This is a premier fish finder with a very pocket friendly price tag. Garmin does a really a really great job of incorporating high sensitivity GPS. You can thus mark your favorite fishing spots and return to them days later.
The screen itself is 3.5 inches and is colored to make it easy to view everything clearly and in details. Screen resolution on the other hand is 480 by 320 pixels for clear and sharp images. The screen displays speed data, fish location, slipways and docks.
Furthermore, it also does come with a user friendly interface so that amateurs can also use it. Another great feature is its waterproof capabilities to IPX7 standards.
But best of all is that Garmin Striker 4cv uses Garmin CHIRP ClearVu scanning sonar. This sonar boasts multiple frequencies from low to high with 500 watts of power. The main advantage to this sonar is that it also provides you with accurate information. With its Garmin transducer, this fish finder can reach impressive depths of up-to 1,750ft in fresh waters. But in salt waters, it can only find fish up to 830 ft depths. Lastly, the built in flasher allows for ice fishing as well as vertical jigging.
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2. Humminbird Helix 5 DI Fish Finder (409600-1)
Humminbird offers a few really great fish finders for under 300. So you should not be surprised in case their name shows up a few times in this review. The Helix 5 DI Fish Finder is right around the 300 mark with a plethora of great features. One of its key features is the five-inch 256 color display. There is also a backlight for better viewing when it is dark. The 800H x 480V display usually indicate where to find fish along with bottom structure.
The finder uses Dual Beam Plus Sonar allowing you to use it in deep and shallow waters. With dual frequencies, you get 16, 28, 45 and 75 degrees of coverage options. This in return provides you with so much information right at your fingertips. Apart from the Dual Beam Plus sonar, the unit boasts SwitchFire Sonar, Side Imaging and Down Imaging sonar. With the Down Imaging sonar, you are able to see deeper into the water up to 350 feet.
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3. FISHINGSIR Wireless Portable Fish Finder
Exceptionally portable, this fish finder is durable and waterproof. FISHINGSIR built this unit with both professional amateur anglers in mind. It boasts a 2.8” 512 color LCD display with a resolution of 240V x 160H. Not to mention its white LED backlight that makes it viewable under sunlight. Featuring a rugged design, FISHINGSIR Wireless Portable Fish Finder can withstand all the harsh marine environment. It has IP67 waterproof level. You can thus use this handheld unit to fish from docks, kayaks, floats, boats and even canoes.
One thing that makes this affordable unit unique is its wireless sonar sensor with high sensitivity feature. The sonar enables you to find and locate fish easily by providing water pressure and temperature. With a cone angle of 90 degrees and sonar frequency of 125 kHz, this unit offers great coverage. Additionally, the sonar sensor provides precise readings from 2 to 135 feet. But the unit’s 2.4GHZ radio frequency offers more and accurate details up to a distance of 328 feet. And that’s not all. FISHINGSIR Wireless Portable Fish Finder is powered via built-in and long lasting Li-ion batteries with 5V recharge voltage.
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4. Venterior Portable Fish Finder
Venterior Portable Fish Finder is one of the cheapest unit in this fish finder under 300 review. It features a round transducer along with a removable float that allows you to ice fish, fish off the dock and on a boat. And for better fishing experience, a 25 feet cable is also included. Another notable feature of this fish finder is the five level sensitivity settings to choose from. For less than 300 bucks, you get backlight mode, unit of measure, battery save mode and fish alarm. With the fish alarm, you will be able to concentrate on catching more fish.
Featuring a wired sonar sensor, this unit detects and displays approximate fish location, structure on seabed, water depth and available weeds. But it is only able to track information in depths of up to 328 feet. With the package comes a neck strap transducer side-scan adapter, a manual, wing nut and a stainless bolt. Unfortunately, it does not include batteries. You will need to buy four AAA batteries.
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5. Humminbird 409670-1 PiranhaMax Color Fish Finder 197C
A simple yet highly useful fishfinder, the Humminbird 197C offers a fantastic platform for newbies. It may not have fancy features like color display and multi-lingual functionality, but it certainly impresses.We like the fact that it comes with a simple display pixel matrix offering 240×320 pixels. This is just enough to help you see what’s going on beneath your boat. The level of clarity is perfect especially when navigating in clear waters. It may be a little difficult to use in muddy, dark waters though.
In line with its theme of simplicity, the 197C offers an easy-to-use UI. It’s quite easy to unlock the power of fish ID+, depth alarms and fish alarms with this. What’s more, the 197C boasts a 3.5 inch display screen which is powered by 1600 watts. That’s just about all you need to successful operate a dual frequency sonar. Indeed, the Humminbird is as technologically advanced as any other leading unit out there. It may not exactly be classy and sleek but is make still qualify it to be the best fish finder under 300.
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6. Humminbird PiranhaMax 197C DI Colored Screen Fish Finder
The 197c DI does not make it to this list by mistake. It presents a wide-range of features which make it a tad more user-friendly than the competition. Coming alongside the catchy fish finder is enhanced down imaging. This navigates a whopping 600 feet in clear waters thanks to its dual beam. For added convenience, the Humminbird 197c DI features a tilt-base with depth capabilities of up to 320 feet. This complements 256-color screen with its 2,400 watt peak-to-peak. Another plus with this fish finder is that it is rated IPX7 waterproof which means you can pretty much use it in any weather.
The beauty about the 197c DI is that it has powerful display which allows you to read data even in glare of sunlight. Its transducer is also pretty powerful and reliable. It may have a small screen, but this fish finder is definitely big on performance.
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7. Erchang Portable Fish Finder with Wired Sonar Sensor
If you thought going for a below $300 unit meant compromising on quality, think again. This portable fish finder from BooTaa comes fully-loaded with all features needed to get going. Whether you want to detect of display water depth or simply want to pin-point fish location, this unit got you covered. Its transducer comes with 32 feet cable for enhanced data collection. Moreover, this fish finder is capable of distinguishing between different kinds of fish based on their size. A “big fish” icon flashes indicating just that. Likewise, a “small fish” icon flashes as an indication that small-sized fish is on site.
Beneath the fish finder is a 45-degree beam angle capable of achieving depths of up to 100 meters. Moreover, you are presented with various settings to play around with. These include backlight mode and battery save mode. Its sonar sensor is one of the easiest to use. You only need to toss it into the water and scan from the comfort of your boat. Worth noting however is that even though the transmitter is waterproof, the receiver is not waterproof.
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8. Garmin 010-01550-00 Built GPS Striker 4 Fish Finder
Built with GPS capability and colored display, Garmin 010-01550-00 promises to be one of the best low-budget fish finders. Its GPS functionality makes is easy to mark anything from boat tamps to docks and hot spots. Further, its advanced coding allows you to share waypoints and routes with other users. At a glance, this looks like a stellar unit owing to its smooth scaling graphics. But that’s not all. Its Sonar history rewind capacity means you can scroll back and forth in order to track missed waypoints.
What impresses the most about this fish finder is that it has a CHIRP transducer. This provides very high quality of clarity and detail. The fish finder does not send a single frequency. Instead it creates a continuous sweep of frequencies. It later interprets them and creates crystal clear fish arches. Best of all, this finder comes with a portable kit which allows you to carry the unit wherever you go.
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9. Humminbird 409680-1 PiranhaMax 197C PT
Housed in a rugged casing, the 197C PT is one of the many wonders from Humminbird. The sophisticated fish finder allows you to see exactly what is happening below your boat. Besides that, it packs quite some technologically advanced features into the mix. This gives it an edge over and above other fish finders in this class.Its screen is brightly lit, well laid out and easy to use. This gives you the power to unlock the depth alarms and fish alarms with added simplicity. Anyone who has come in contact with this unit will admit that it packs quite a technological chomp. That notwithstanding, it still retains a simplistic yet largely laid back outlook.
Its transducer is quite powerful and efficient. Being a suction cup transducer, there is really no place on earth where you can’t use it. Even better, this unit comes with a carry bag meaning you can carry its 10 pounds worth of weight anywhere you go with no qualms.
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10. Docooler Portable 3.5 Inch LCD Fish Finder
Specially designed for learners as well as professionals, the Docooler makes it easier to track fish in lakes and seas. It works pretty effectively at detecting schools of fish.Its sunlit LCD display operates with no qualms showcasing clear images at 320×240 pixels. The machine has a depth reading of 984ft and comes complete with ability to track bottom contours. Besides that, it comes with 100 levels of sensitivity, auto zoom tracking and most importantly multi-lingual settings.
The main selling point of this Docooler fish finder is that it has dual beam sonar frequency. Yet another awesome fact about it is that it has an anti-interference aspect which bypasses the impact of grass. This works pretty well when operated inside a lake.As far as power supply is concerned, this unit thrives on 100 watts RMS power delivering a whopping 800 watts max output. The unit comes complete with a battery strength indicator to help you know when to restock on power.
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Buying Guide- What You Should Know About The Best Fish Finder Under 300
With all the choices of best fish finder under 300, how do you make a decision as to which one best suits your needs? You need to consider the following factors:
Dual Beam or Traditional Dual Beam
CHIRP Dual Beam has a similar working mechanism as that of traditional dual beam. But there is a slight difference. CHIRP Dual beam usually sends a band of different frequencies target for different depths. Traditional dual beam on the other hand sends only two beams of thin sound waves. So for more precise and better results on your screen, you should consider devices with CHIRP Dual Beam.
Power Output
Most fish finders under 300 boasts a lot of power output. At this price range, you will come cross units with power output of more than 500 watts. So depending on the types of waters you will be fishing , you should be able to determine what is the best power output. Just remember that the higher the power output, the deeper and accurately your finder will be able to detect fish.
Display
Different fish finders under 300 have screens of varying sizes and resolution. While there is the notion that fish finders with large display and higher resolution are pricey, it’s not entirely true. For less than 300, you can get a unit with 5-inch screen size which is remarkably great. Some of the best fish finders in this price range have a screen resolution ranging between 240V x 160H and 800H x 480V. For more detailed images, ensure you choose a device with large display and high resolution.
Waterproof
Fish finders are small hence they will easily drop in the water while you’re busy finding a catch. So a waterproof unit can come in handy. To find the best waterproof fish finder under 300, pay close attention to the IPX ratings. A rating of four is usually considered to be splashproof whilst that of five means the device can withstand low pressure jets of water. IPX of six on the other hand can withstand high-pressure jets of water and seven is submersible up to three meters.
Final Word
If you are contemplating to buy a fish finder, the units in this review has all it takes to make your fishing expedition great. Just make sure to take a look at the features of every unit before making the final decision. But above all, don’t forget the factors you should consider when looking for the best fish finder under 300.