I do as much fishing as I can and when I’m fishing brooks and streams I do a lot of sight fishing, however as the water gets bigger and deeper it’s hard to see the fish that aren’t on the surface. That’s when a fish finder, like both of Casey’s Humminbird fishfinders.

I don’t have eyes like my fishing buddy Eagle Eye Paul. When I first started fishing with him I doubted the things he said he was able to see until he proved it over and over. Sure would be nice to have great vision.

Without a way to know what’s going on under the surface you either need to take a dive or use tools that will show you can keep you dry, like a fish finder.

I see a lot of clues that indicate what might be going on around the shoreline such as points that extend into the water or downed trees. Love through to structure.

When I had my canoe and fished lakes around New Brunswick I caught a lot of fish but when I got my first portable Humminbird Fishfinder I was able to see what I was fishing over and the fish I had been missing out on.

Casey has two fish finders which is great because when we are fishing together I have one I can see and he can usually see both.

I really enjoy float tube fishing and now there are fish finders available for even the float tube. I can just hook the transducer to a little fishing line and just toss it out in front of me to see what’s going on below and then I just keep moving around.

There are plenty of indicators that will help you find fish whether you’re fishing shorelines or off-shore. It just takes observing your surroundings but I have to admit I would rather take pictures of the scenery and use a Humminbird Fishfinder to locate the fish.

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It can be really frustrating to have water in your fish finder. Just like a watch with water in it the display can start fogging up making it tough to read.

It would work fine until the sun hit it directly causing it to heat up a bit and then the fog moves in, on that display that is.

My first experience with getting water in a fish finder was on a 7 day fly-in fishing trip we took to northern Quebec twenty some years ago.

I leaned over the side of the boat as I was connecting my fish finder and it went straight in the drink. Only for a second but I guess it was long enough to take in a tiny bit of water, just enough to fog up my screen.

After a couple of days of that I was ready to toss the fish finder back in the water, for good.

We went through some financial difficulties some years ago and I sold the boat to help make ends meet so today I don’t have a boat but we are getting closer every day to the time I’ll have another fishing boat.

The fish finder I’ll get will have to be really water proof so I am looking now and adding fish finders to my wish list which I keep leaving where Jenny can find it before Christmas and my birthday.

Today I am browsing Garmin Fishfinders on Amazon. I really like Amazon and find great deals all the time. It’s always at the top of my list when looking for fishing related products.

The Garmin Fish Finder 400C 4-Inch Waterproof Fish-finder

I couldn’t believe how far fish finders have come since my first fishfinder. So much more detail and I’m looking at colour display units as well. How cool is that.

Fish finders took us from trolling the bottom to find structure to watching a colour display without getting snagged on bottom in the process.

I have to find an affordable fish finder so we stay on budget and the Garmin Fishfinder 400C is is just that. A great investment in my retirement.

No problem telling a fish from a weed or a rock and that’s important to me as I don’t get out fishing as often as I would like so my time is important and I don’t care to waste it fumbling around finding fish and structure.

Water Temperature Is Important

When on the water it can be really important to know the water temperature and the Garmin 400C Fishfinder does a great job. It can make the difference early and late season when the water temps fluctuate and shut down or turn on fish.

Backlit Display For Early/Late Fishing

When I go fishing it’s usually from before day break until it’s so dark it can be tough to find your way to the boat launch. That’s the time accidents happen on the water so having a backlit display is literally a life saver and gets us back safe and sound.

I do a lot of fishing from my float tube and there isn’t much room like there is in a canoe or boat so I have to pay attention to what I bring along. That’s why I am interested in the Humminbird Smartcast RF35 Wrist Mount Fish Finder.

Fishing from my float tube is very relaxing yet, at the same, quite explosive and exciting however it’s quite a bit slower getting around so it’s important to make the best use of the water around me and that’s where a fish finder comes in very handy. That was a little joke about a wrist mount fish finder, ha ha.

I have had a couple of portable fish finders from Humminbird but they are even too big for my float tube. The one I had at the time I took my fly in fishing trip to northern Quebec worked perfectly and I caught many more fish than the rest of the group. But I need a much smaller fish finder and the Wrist mounted Smartcast RF35 sounds perfect.

Dear if you are reading this my birthday is just a month and half away, so get your order in today.

Humminbird Smartcast Wrist Mount

I remember fishing Lake George New Brunswick with a friend. We both had float tubes and we had a blast catching smallmouth bass on the fly rod. But I think the day would have been much different if I didn’t know where the fish were as I have fished the lake many times from my boat where we had a Humminbird fish finder.

If we had hit this lake in our float tubes with that knowledge I am sure we would have been hunting bass all day long instead of catching and releasing bass all day long.

A fish finder is invaluable when it comes to new water and the slower you go, like me and my float tube, the better you want to be at finding the fish.

I have fished enough new lakes over the years, without a fish finder, and it takes a lot more work, which isn’t such a problem from a boat but I don’t want to be wasting time when I am only able to about mile an hour.

Humminbird Smartcast RF 35 Fish Finder Specs

• Fully functional watch with date and time capability.
• High visibility 1 1/4″ diagonal display with 48V x 32H resolution.
• Water surface temperature and digital depth readout.
• 75 ft. remote operating range, 100 ft. depth capability.

Wireless Technology

Your Smartcaster rf35 uses wireless technologies so there’s no need for a long messy cable or wire going to the sensor.  All you need to do is attach a length of line so you don’t lose it and then just give it a toss in any direction.

I can’t throw far from my float tube so I would use a spare fishing rod to cast it out.

Lithium Battery – 3 year life

The Remote Sonar Sensor has a separate, lithium battery that is non-replaceable , that has a lifespan of three years and will work for somewhere around five-hundred hours in the water.

Like any of your tools you need to keep them clean after a day of fishing to make sure they last as long as possible.

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Many outdoor enthusiasts look to sophisticated technology to help them in their outdoor pursuits. For these individuals, utilizing a fish finder is a handy device to help them catch fish. Many individuals swear by old tried and true techniques to find the best fishing holes. But when used properly, advanced technology will take some of the speculation out of catching the big one.

If you can use the characteristics of the fish finder with accuracy, you will not have to trust your intuition to find the fish you’re looking for. Sonar technology, very much like porpoises use, creates the images and the information that you see on the fish finder’s screen. Once you learn to correctly adjust the finder you ought to be able to discover where the fish are hiding easily.

A fish finder relies on sonar to find the fish that you are searching for. The sonar sends out sound waves to determine depth. When the sound waves bounce off an object or the bottom of a lake, the distance can be measured and objects can be detected on the screen.

When you find a great location for your fish finder you will want to ensure that you are mounting it in compliance with the directions. Misaligning the equipment can lead to faulty readouts. Finding the ultimate sensitivity setting for the finder is an interesting trick. Most manuals come with recommendations, yet on the whole you want the sensitivity settings to reflect the region which you fish. If you’re out on open deep waters you might find a higher sensitivity is effective.

Using this type of equipment does have a learning curve. Frequently a person will mistake a tree branch or other debris for the presence of fish. It may take several tries for you to completely understand how to find precisely what you are searching for.

The technology has progressed to the place that you can now see to depths of 50 feet. And many units can spot objects as small as the tiniest lure. If the fish finder is advanced enough, it can distinguish the kind of fish that are below you. You can set the equipment to notify you when it locates the type of fish that you are trying to find.

You can still use all of your intuition when fishing. Actually, making use of a fish finder tends to work better if you still utilize your gut feelings and put your well earned knowledge into action. Keep in mind that this is a tool designed to help create a better experience for you, so you get to be in charge of how much you rely on it.

Need help deciding on the right fish finder? From the Humminbird 997c SI combo NVB color fish finder to the Eagle Cuda 300, there are fish finder reviews to make the choice easier for you.

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Before you can decide which fish finder is the best choice for you, you should know how a fish finder works.

Sonar technology is used by fish finders to locate fish or other structure beneath the surface.  Sonar technology utilizes sound waves that are sent out into the water.  As they travel further, the sound wave will increase in diameter, going from the point of initiation and fanning out into a cone-like shape.  The cone continually becomes larger in deeper water because it continues to fan out from the point of origin.  When the sonar wave strikes against a solid object of any substance, it will send an echo back to the transducer.  The shape of the object struck will be determined by how long it took the signal to go out and then bounce the sound wave echo back compared to the surrounding area.  The echo will then appear on your fishfinder screen and you will see the aproximate size, shape and depth of the object.

The next thing you need to know before you can determine which fishfinder is best for you is your budget.   As a rule, think about how much you’d ideally like to spend on a fishfinder. Then double that.   This is more realistic and helps set an actual budget to work with.

Naturally, the budget isn’t the only consideration.  There are six other significant factors to help you make the best choice for you.  Review all of the following:

DEPTH RATING

All fish finders are rated up to a defined depth. The rating will indicate how far down the signal will return effective soundings based on the intensity of the signal.   However, you should know that the depth ratings given are for ideal circumstances in fresh, clean, relatively clear water; unless it states otherwise. When fishing in salt or murky water the effective depth will be less than stated. Like everything else; the more power the higher the cost; so know that if you plan to fish really deep water you need to spend more.

A good rule of thumb and my recommendation is to purchase a fishfinder with a rating of 10% more than you plan to need.

TRANSDUCER INCLUDED?

You should check included accessories for your fishfinder diligently before you make your purchase. Some fish finders come without a transducer so you need to check the included accessories before purchasing.   So consider that in the overall price.   There are two different kinds of transducers-single frequency and dual frequency. You may require one, the other or both depending on for what and where you are fishing.   Single frequency transducers work best in shallow coastal waters or inland lakes.   For offshore deep water and sea fishing, a dual frequency transducer is recommended. A transducer with dual frequency gives you a higher frequency transducer for a smaller cone in deep water. As an example; a 50kHz frequency transducer could have a 4 degree cone to provide a good view of the bottom in deep water and 200kHz transducer with a 20 degree cone would provide a better view of the bottom in shallower water. When purchasing the transducer you want get the right one as all will produce an image on the screen but you want it to represent the bottom under the boat, not hundreds of yards around it.

Installation of the unit must also be factored in here. Another consideration is portability; will you leave it on one boat or move it from boat to boat. You also have to decide if you will transom mount it or go through the hull for optimum clarity.

Portable single frequency transducers are manufactured by several different companies.Most of these units are intended for use on smaller boats.  They are intended for use on rivers, streams, or inland lakes.

A transom mount unit is usually easier and less expensive to install. Trasducers can be purchased in both single and dual frequency fish finder models.   Transom mounts are best for use in water that will not be very disrupted by a boat moving fast.Clarity usually is affected once your boat reaches 10 knots.

Best performance and clarity will be had with a thruogh hull transducer.   But this does require putting another hole in your boat hull for installation.   And they are really only warranted if you need bottom reading at very high speeds.

Through the hull dual frequency transducers are recommended if you plan to fish deep water and need to read the fish at high speeds.

For anyone who has a small boat or won’t be fishing at really high speeds, go with a portable unit or a transom mount. Save money on a transducer and buy more fuel for the boat!

CONSIDER THE POWER

As a rule, more power is always a good thing. You will generally find less power in the cheaper unit when all else is equal.   However, power is the key to accuracy and clarity because that is what determines the speed of the sonar echoes (bounced back sound waves) reaching your unit.

After finding all other factors equal I recommend buying the unit with the highest power rating. First find all the units that have the features you want then choose the one with the highest power rating.

SCREEN RESOLUTION

Consider this when looking at different options for the display.  Viewing in bright sunlight os better with a color monitor. A clearer image will be produced with higher resolution.

My recommendation is to look at several units in your price range with the features you want and then purchase the unit with the higher screen resolution, in color.  480×480 is ideal, but you don’t want to go any lower than 320×240.

DISPLAY – SIZE

Like more power being better, when it comes to display size, bigger is always better-if it fits where you want to put it!  The area measurements of where you plan to install the monitor will help determine the size. That will give you the largest display unit you can purchase.   A bigger screen will equal a heftier price, of course. However, screen size isn’t everthing.   Some really great fishfinders have 4″ diagonal screens and work fantastic.

READ THE REVIEWS, BUT . . .

It’s one thing to read the fishfinder reviews out there, but hey, take them with a huge grain-or maybe a block-of salt!   There is no way the reviews are written by someone who has actually used all of the different units and can definitively say one unit is the absolute best. More than likely the writer works for a manufacturer or distributor.  Instead, look for unbiased sources that present the actual facts. One example is of eFishBox’s fishfinder review page.   Make your decision based on your requirements and a solid understanding of the features you need, not someone who is getting paid to endorse a particular product.