A fish finder GPS combo should be a welcome addition to any angler’s collection of gear. If used correctly these handy devices can see to it that every minute you spend on the water is put to good use. Beyond a pole and a hook, a good fish finder GPS combo is the next piece of gear I would recommend to anglers looking to take their fishing to the next level. They can be excellent tools to not only increase your fishing hits but also to educate fisherman and expand your understanding of fish behavior.
Benefits of Fishfinder GPS Combo
- Charting Fishing Hot Spots
- GPS Plotting of Bottom Structure
- Educating
- Waypoint Saving
- 3D Imaging of Bottom Topography
There are a few key features that I always check for first when I get a hold of a new fish finder GPS combo, and I recommend you use these as the “essentials” when hunting for a new device.
- Location Saving
- Navigation
- Mapping Capabilities
- Included Mapping Software
- Reliable and Accurate Sonar
- Down Imaging and Side Imaging Sonar
- Screen Playback
Best Fish Finder GPS Combo Reviews
1. Garmin Striker 7sv Fish Finder GPS Combo
The Garmin 7SV boasts a rugged design and unparalleled reliability. This is a utilitarian device that novice fisherman will find easy to use and experienced fishermen will be impressed with its capabilities and consistency.
It really hits all the marks for what you would expect to get out of a fish finder GPS Combo. It has a high sensitivity GPS (which I found to give very accurate readings), an excellent waypoint map, CHIRP sonar, and a built-in flasher so you can view your data in flasher format.
2. Raymarine Dragonfly 7 Pro Fish Finder GPS Combo
The word that comes to mind when talking about the Raymarine Dragonfly 7 is “handy.” Everything I needed in a fish finder GPS combo the Dragonfly 7 provided. Its minimalistic design means that it’s dead simple to use and breeze to learn for both new and experienced anglers. I didn’t spend much time with the manual on this one. Just opened the box and got to fishing.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Dragonfly Fish Finder is how solid it feels. It’s a heavy and well-made device. It can really hold up to the everyday wear and tear of being on a boat and keep on chuggin’.
The next thing you’ll notice is how intuitive and easy to use it is. The device uses wide spectrum CHIRP technology, which covers a surprisingly wide amount of space. It also incorporates CHIRP DownVision Sonar, built-in GPS with Navionics mapping software, built-in WiFi so you can view device data right on your smartphone or tablet, and a super sharp optical bonding LCD display.
The Chirp DownVision software is a delight to use. It offers crystal clear almost picturesque readings and spot-on accuracy. And paired with the wide spectrum CHIRP technology this device has everything you need in a fish finder and is sure to increase your hits.
The GPS paired with the Navionics charts make it easy and fun to use. I haven’t found any instances of inaccuracy throughout my time with the device. I was particularly impressed with the Navionics charts, as most devices require you to buy a mapping card separately. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a well made charting software included with the device.
The only grievances I have with this device are relatively petty ones. The buttons on it are not backlit, which can be frustrating when night fishing, as you have to feel around aimlessly or carry a flashlight with you.
Also, the software, at times, was a little slower than I would’ve liked it to be. It wasn’t a major inconvenience, but preferably it would’ve been a bit snappier.
3. Garmin GPSMAP 741xs Fish Finder GPS Combo
The interface of the Garmin GPSMAP 741xs is designed to be more than just a GPS Fish Finder. It is essentially a universal remote. It interfaces with your boat engine and media and gives you a handy display for your gauges, fuel management, and media player.
Some fisherman will find all these extras a bit superfluous; I, however, found them to be an excellent addition to an already solid device. These features don’t take anything away from the devices function or usability at all and, if you take the time to utilize them, they can really enhance your fishing experience.
The device was very easy to install and I found the display itself to be easy use and was surprised at how much extra the device did.
The 741xs is an expandable fish finder. This could either be a negative or a positive depending on how you look at it. If you’re a fisherman who’s after a customizable device that you can fit with chips specific for your exact fishing preferences, then this is a great device for you.
However, if you’re someone who wants a device that gives you all the basics of a GPS fish finder in one package, you might want to give the Garmin 741xs a pass.
The most notable absence of the 741xs is that of an included transducer. If you were hoping to open the box and get to finding fish right away you’ll be disappointed. You have to buy a transducer separately.
The device has built-in support for pretty much all Garmin-made transducers including 500/200KHZ, 77/200KHZ, SideVu, DownVU, and Chirp sonar. It would’ve been nice to have a complete fish finder setup right out of the box, but sadly that’s not something this device offers.
You can’t really argue that the design-build is anything less than magnificent. This is a very well made and high-end device that can do anything you ask it to and do it well.
The Garmin 741sx’s software is lightning quick. I experienced absolutely no lag, or slow response times when using this device. The Garmin 742xs Fish Finder has the most fluid and responsive software of any device on this list, making it very enjoyable to use.
The customizability of the 741xs means that if you want a device you can hone and make specific for your fishing needs, then you’ve found your perfect device, but most fishermen will find it frustrating to have to essentially piece together a working fishfinder GPS.
4. Lowrance Elite 7 Ti Fish Finder GPS Combo
I was pleased with this device right away. There is practically zero learning curve when first getting to know the Lowrance Elite-7 Ti. If you have any experience at all with GPS units, you’ll feel right at home with this device.
Everything you need to use this fish finder comes in the box. A transducer and Navionics charting and mapping software is all included when you purchase an Elite-7 Ti.
The device comes with a feature called TrackBack which saves your fishing data and allows you to rewind and review it. This is pretty standard throughout the devices on this list, however, with the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti, you can mirror this data onto a smartphone or tablet, which I found to be extremely useful. It’s much easier to navigate data using my smartphone than a GPS unit itself.
The software itself is pretty sharp and quick. I found it had some slow load times with charts and a little lag here and there. Overall, these issues didn’t bother me much, but it is something worth noting.
The screen of the device is pretty sharp imaging wise, but I would’ve preferred it to be a bit bigger. Most of the time it’s fine, but when I utilized the device’s split-screen functionality I found that things could get a little crowded.
When I needed to use more than two screens at once I simply mirrored the screen over to my tablet. Most of the devices on the list are capable of this, but the Elite-7 Ti does it the most easily. There aren’t any syncing or device pairing issues at all. It just beams right over without a hitch.
5. Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 94sv Fish Finder GPS Combo
The Garmin 94sv is a high-end fish finder GPS combo and it functions like you would expect a high-end device to function. They packed a lot of features into this device, but it remains relatively simple to use.
The processor in this device is super quick and this is probably the smoothest and fastest functioning device on this list. It loads new screens and data almost instantly and updates GPS positioning with lightning quickness.
The sonar readings on this device are just as impressive as its processing speed. Complete with SideVu, DownVu and CHIRP imaging, it yields crystal clear images of bottom structure and 3D projections of fish and topography.
The device comes with Blue Charts charting software but is set up for various different mapping and charting software so if you’ve got a favorite you can load it right up find. I found this to be very useful in finding exactly what I needed to get the job done.
The echoMAP is a highly refined device. Garmin really went to great lengths to make sure they were delivering the best product on the market.
The only real drawback to this device is its price. It’s the most expensive device on the list and while, in my opinion, the price is reflective of the quality, most fishermen will get by just fine on a less expensive fish finder GPS combo
BONUS: Things To Consider in Best Fish Finder 2019
First of all, I have already shown the best fish finders for the money. Yet, I would suggest going through the below-described features of the fish detector. You should know almost these factors of the fish locators that I feel especially relevant. Here I have tried my best to explain all these features and functions in the easiest possible understandable way. By understanding the working principle of these devices you will be able to judge a better fish locator. But if you are in hurry, then you can just pick the fish locator product from the above-described list. You will be winning on either side.
The bare minimum features to look for getting the top and best depth finder for the money are Display, Transducer, Operating Frequency, Power Output, Portability, GPS, Wireless, etc. While all the features are not mandatory to be present on the fish spotters. Choose the feature that you feel will be useful for your fishing needs.
Fishing Regulations
Apart from this, you should be aware of fishing and hunting regulations. You should know your limits while fishing and make sure not to hurt any endangered species. Hence, by understanding these rules and regulations you will go fishing more confidently.
Now let’s put some light on all of the top rated fish finders Parameters to consider:
The Display
The best sonar fish finders (2d/3d) comes in wide variety of screen sizes and types. From 4-inch monochrome display to 10-inch full-color display. The most popular are 5-inch and 7-inch color screens as they give accurate crisp details. The resolution can be 320×240 to 640×480 depending on the specification from its manufacturer. Consequently the more resolution the better. That doesn’t mean lower resolution devices are dumb. The lower resolution will also be okay if it’s a grayscale display. At last, it all depends on your budget if you can afford then always go for higher resolution and bigger display.
The Transducer
This is the most critical part of your fish finder. You can say its a heart of the device. The capability of the fish finding sonar is completely depended on this part. A Transducer sends the sonar waves in the water. The sonar beam works at a particular frequency. The transducer comes with two types: a narrow range or a wider range.
The narrow range transducer works well for larger depths of the water. But it can cover a limited range of area. On the other side, the wide transducer can cover a wider range of water while it can’t see much deeper.
To have best of both worlds some depth finder (in my reviews) comes with dual frequency transducer. They can cover a wider range as well as a deeper depth of water.
Operating Frequency
The transducer sends sonar sound waves and these waves are measured in frequency. Typically the more frequency you send the clearer image you get. This frequency is directly proportional to the transducer’s two modes (narrow or wide). Lots of manufacturers are producing best depth finder at a dual frequency. Generally, the frequency ranges from 50khz to 220khz. So it will be better to pick a dual frequency mode depth lookup transducer.
Power
The power of any best fish finder is another important aspect to consider. The power capability of the device determines the level of depth scanning. As we know that already, the power is measured in watt. So the more watt fish discovering device the more you can see in the depth of the water. A Higher power fish detector will also work well on higher speeds. The power ranges anywhere from 400 watts to 1200 watts. One thing to consider here is, the more power will also consume more battery. And can run for a shorter period of time. So choose the power as per your need.
GPS Technology
Yes, there are many fishing sonars available with built in GPS! I can simply say WOW! When you have a fishing locator with Global Positioning System built right into it will be a treat. These products can enable many cool new functionalities which come out to be extremely useful. You can specify a waypoint and mark them at your favourite points. Due to that when you comes for fishing next time you know the sweet spot. There are some devices that also have map pre-loaded for navigation. They can also be used as a navigation system for making your way to perfect fishing. I personally recommend picking the best fish finder GPS combo. The cost will not become much higher all of sudden. In fact, you are saving some money if you choose two separate products
Scanning Modes
The next thing to look is the scanning method used by the device. there are majorly two types of scanning: side-imaging scanning and down-imaging scanning.
Side-Imaging Scanning
In this technology, the transducer scans the water direct below the boat. It uses a single beam of sonar waves to inspect the water. The output is clear but there are some objects that can not be easily identified.
Down-Imaging Scanning
In this technology, the transducer scans the water with help of two beams of sonar waves. The result produced by this is simply amazing. this gives much clearer images on the screen
Portability
While the fish detectors can have basically two kinds form factors: portable and fixed. A portable fish finder for kayak will be a good choice for anyone who wants to remove the fish detector after the fishing expedition. These are easy to carry and takes less space.
Most of all, the fixed fish detectors are also a great choice if you want to get it fixed on your boat all time. This will enable you to save time when you go to fishing next time. If you own the boat then always go for the fixed one best depth finder.
Wireless Capability
The fishfinder can also have some wireless features as well. They can communicate to you iPhone, iPad or any other Android device. The wireless technology can be Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. These top rated fish finders can be easily mounted anywhere without thinking about the cable path. Some manufacturer has developed a complete wireless unit in small and compact size. They come with their proprietary app that you can get from app store easily. You can sink the unit into the water and see the result on your phone screen. All the controls are there in the app.
The Verdict
If I could only pick one of these devices to recommend it would have to be the Raymarine Dragonfly 7 Pro. I was very impressed with how well made this device was. It offered everything I was looking for in a fish finder GPS combo and the marks against it were relatively negligible. I would be excited to have this device on my boat every day; knowing that I could depend on it to deliver accurate and consistent readings.
Conclusion
GPS technology can be a substantial tool and a must-have for any boat. If you are also a fishing fanatic, you will also require the best fish finder that will provide assistance in catching fish. Therefore, if you require the two devices, why not get both in a single unit. However, the most significant growth is developing fresh ideas on the ways in which this technology can be implemented. This cost-effective tool can limit the amount of space you’ll need for storing your fish finding equipment. In addition, it makes it advantageous to possess all the required equipment in the blink of an eye.
