1. Transducers
The material used in the design of your transducer will likely be different if the brand is such that utilized plastic as opposed to bronze or stainless steel.
The different transducer type suits different kinds of craft, and you should not forget this.
The plastic transducers are such that they fit recreational fishing such as sporting inclined or casual modes. The plastic will go along with many boats with the exception being pontoons.
A transducer comes with the best fish finders, and it is this device that makes it possible for the display of the echoes and sounds to come up with your display unit.
It sends out echoes to detect the fish’s presence and as such is a vital feature in your fishfinder.
The power, frequency, and watt capacity depend on the brand of fish finder you are using.
2. Screen Resolution
Screen resolution is determined by the pixels of each fish finder optical unit. The pixel can be likened to a dot in its simplest possible description.
So, if your fish finder has a resolution of 640 by 640 pixels, it means you will be able to see 640 dots going from left to right and 640 dots going from the top to the bottom of your display unit.
The pixels are configured in such a way that with the higher count, you will be able to see more details and with the lower count, you will grasp fewer details.
If your desire is to have crisp and sharper images, then you need to go for fish finders of HD resolution.
The best fish finders come with different screen resolutions depending on the brand, but most have clear and high-resolution capacities such that you can see clearly whatever you are preying on as you float. Some screens are 4 inches while others are as in-depth as 5.7 inches.
The redefined features of hi-tech screen resolutions make it possible to get water temperature readings, and this fits well as you have different fish types.
Some fish species stay in warmer temperatures while others go to the extreme.
Input that is this handy when you are targeting a particular fish type can help guide your focus, allowing you to nab the catch.
3. Color vs. B/W Screens
Modern electronics are made with color screens, and this gives them a more appreciated image.
When you have a color screen to deal with as a fishing buff, you are going to be able to access more details unlike having a complete range of details in gray with the black and white screen.
What to consider here is perhaps the budget as there is no doubt that color screens will provide you with more information if you go wide at sea.
But if you do not have the money for the color type, you can make do with the alternative, which is best suited for shallow water or recreational fishing.
A couple of the best fish finders have color screen output, but a few still provide black and white images.
Using a grayscale image does not make it impossible to get the data you need for your fishing forays, but if your obvious interest is the color screen, then you can make a pick from the best fish finders with color screen visual units.
4. Frequencies
The fish finders you will find as well-reviewed and recommended to come with 20 and 60 degrees frequency capacity.
These types of fish finders are dual-frequency models, and concerning the cone angles, you could have 50 and 200 kHz, or even 83 and 192 kHz range.
The higher frequency fish finder captures the mood of shallow waters with better precision while the lower frequency models are excellent when you are on wide-area sea forays.
The wide sea forays are where you often find the commercial trawlers and fishing professionals on their beat.
A higher frequency fish finder will have more details on the screen for you as more sonar waves go out and get captured by the transducer.
There are fish finders that go as far as multiple frequencies and can capture up to 400 plus kHz.
This sort will give you a range of narrow, wide, and more accurate views as you might desire.
5. Power
Power plays a major role when it comes to how fish finders work and how efficient they can be.
The power fulcrum for every fish finder is read in watts and with more power, the faster it will be for you to process readings and see them on display.
As the power rating drops for fish finders, so will it be slower for images to be processed and this goes as well for the speed of the display units.
However, when you are in shallow water, you will need less power, so the fish finders that are fit for shallow waters have less wattage compared with those that are fitting for offshore and deep-sea coverage.
When you are at 50 kHz: at 100 watts, you will be able to capture up to 400 feet of underwater vision. When you step up to 200 kHz, you will be able to cover up to 100 ft with 100 watts.
On average, fish finders of mid-range capacity are dual-frequency built so that you can capture readings at the 50 and 200 kHz mark or the 85 and 200 kHz spread.
6. Single & Multiple
The best fish finders have different beam configurations and while some are single, others are multiple.
A single beam gives you insight into where any fish could be hiding but has a limited range of coverage.
Where multiple beams are in place, you will be able to navigate both wide-area and specific locations to your advantage.
A single beam type will provide undersea clarity of limited range, but a dual-beam model will provide extensive depth images to guide you as you float.
The single-beam fits freshwater fishing, but as you consider going out to sea or deeper lakes, a dual-beam will be a better bet.
7. HD Screens
To find fish when you are out there floating on water, you need to see images of the fish across your path so you can decide if they are worth trapping or not and this is where the HD target spotlight comes into focus.
As target-tracking technology makes fish finding easier, it has been built into the mechanism of the best fish finders.
8. Cone Angles & Beams
Great angle viewing features that rates between 20 and 60 degrees also feature on the best fish finders.
And this makes sure that you are not oblivious of any fish colony lurking at the corner.
