Best Garmin Fish Finders Reviewed: Options for Every Angler

There’s still a lot to like about this unit, and we’ll cover it in depth.

Let’s start with the screen. At 12 inches diagonal, it’s plenty big for most boats and very easy to read. Excellent resolution combined with a vivid color palette make it easy to interpret images very quickly, and the screen is easily adjustable to adapt to a variety of lighting conditions, including direct, powerful sunlight.

Garmin doesn’t specify the maximum viewing angle of the ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv, but in the real-world, it’s pretty good, and more than one angler won’t have trouble figuring out what’s happening under the water.

And while we’re talking about the screen, we should mention that Garmin absolutely nails easy-to-use menus, and the UI is very simple to learn and navigate. In comparison to Lowrance and Humminbird, where the learning curve can be steep, that’s a major point in Garmin’s favor.

Add to that the intuitive touchscreen controls on this unit, and you’ve got a fish finder/chartplotter that’s perhaps the most user friendly on the market.

The ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv comes standard with the awesome GT56UHD transducer, which is justifiably loved for its shallow-water performance. Above 60 feet or so, it offers amazing detail, making it ideal for freshwater and inshore applications.

It supports CHIRP and standard sonar in an incredible range of frequencies, offering both great depth and excellent detail. Those high frequencies really make a difference, and you’ll notice details less capable transducers will miss.

Especially in water that’s less than 60 feet deep, those very high frequencies provide greater detail and more information than the competitors, offering much better image quality.

Images and detail are first rate on the ECHOMAP Ultra.

And the GT56UHD transducer is “LiveScope” capable, meaning that it can provide video-like images in real time. That’s game-changing tech that rivals the HDS Live, and it really can change the way you fish.

SideVü and ClearVü are supported as well, as you’d expect, and we’re pretty impressed with both. Image quality is uniformly excellent.

Networking options for the ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv are extensive, allowing you to link your trolling motor or other supported electronics, including a smartphone, via the ActiveCaptain app. This unlocks some powerful chartplotting, planning, and navigation options, and is among the best in the business.

Mapping is exceptional with the ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv. Capable of contour mapping in 1-foot intervals, and preloaded with BlueChart and LakeVu maps, offering both salt- and freshwater charts, you’ll have very powerful mapping tech at your fingertips.

Taken together, the features of the ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv are clearly amazing, despite it being replaced by the ECHOMAP ULTRA 2.

Full Review: Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra Review

Display Size: 12”
Resolution: 1280 x 800
Frequencies: 70/83/200 kHz CHIRP; ClearVü and SideVü 260/455/800/1000/1200 kHz
Side Scanning: Yes, 500’
Maximum Depth: Traditional: 800 ft freshwater; ClearVü: 400 ft
Transducer Angles: Traditional CHIRP: 24-16; ClearVü 0.52 x 52 @ 1000 kHz, 0.64 x 35 @ 800 kHz, 1.1 x 52 @ 455 kHz; SideVü 0.52 x 52 @ 1000 kHz, 0.64 x 35 @ 800 kHz, 1.1 x 52 @ 455 kHz
Target Separation: ?
GPS: Yes
Maps: Yes

PROS:

• Awesome screen
• Very easy to use; excellent UI
• Excellent depth and range
• ClearVü and SideVü
• CHIRP and standard sonar options that cover a very wide range of frequencies
• Excellent networking options
• Quickdraw Contours mapping
• Built -in maps and GPS

CONS:

• ???

That may offend Garmin fans, and there are legions of them, but take a minute to keep reading.

Overall, Garmin aims the STRIKER Vivid series at weekend fishermen just like us. And for price-conscious anglers who aren’t concerned about the absence of pre-loaded maps, the top-of-the-line Garmin is a good buy. Just don’t expect head-to-head performance with the big names in the industry, especially when compared directly to their high-end models.

Instead, think “maximum bang for your buck,” and you’ll be happy.

Featuring a 9-inch screen with excellent resolution and a seven-color palette, image quality is pretty good overall and one of the strong points of this system. But Garmin isn’t talking about nits, extreme viewing angles, or legibility in direct sunlight, and you can expect mid-range rather than industry-leading performance on these fronts.

I’m also not alone in judging it to be a bit less clear than rivals like Humminbird’s Helix or Lowrance’s Elite FS.

The STRIKER VIVID 9sv produces images that are quite good.

That’s not anything like a deal-breaker for most fishermen, however, and as long as you’re not making a living on the water, it shouldn’t be an issue.

Keep in mind, though, that as you step up to the high-end electronics offered by these companies, that difference becomes stark. Garmin has located the STRIKER Vivid series solidly in the mid-range, and for pros and diehards, there are more powerful options out there.

That said, for what you pay, sonar performance with this transducer is very good. The STRIKER Vivid 9sv makes use of CHIRP as well as standard sonar, providing excellent range and depth for both bottom-scanning and side-scanning applications, and “calculated” ClearVü is now a relic of the past, replaced by real-time, downward-facing sonar imaging.

Be aware, though, that in side-scanning, shadows can be a problem. 

One reason Garmin’s angling electronics are popular is their outstanding user interfaces, and the STRIKER Vivid 9sv is no exception. Probably the easiest fish finder to use for people who find tech bedeviling, if you hate navigating screens and options, Garmin has simplified the process to a degree that’s startling.

The STRIKER Vivid 9sv is capable of connecting to other STRIKER series fish finders, as well as most echoMap electronics as well via NMEA 0183 data transfer or, in some cases, cables. But be aware that it lacks a data storage SD card.

With the Active Captain app, data can be transmitted through an intermediary smart device, typically your phone, increasing this unit’s capabilities.

That’s important because there are no pre-loaded maps on the STRIKER Vivid Series, though Quickdraw Contours allows you to create topo maps in 1’ increments. These can be shared via the Active Captain app, and with thousands and thousands of users, there are plenty of detailed lake, river, and coastal maps available.

Overall, our assessment is a no-brainer: at this price point, Garmin isn’t setting up the STRIKER Vivid series to rival the Humminbird Solix or Lowrance HDS Live series. Instead, they’ve got mid-range competitors like the Helix and Elite FS more firmly in their sights, offering slightly lower performance at a more reasonable cost.

That’s nothing to sneeze at for most of us, and the STRIKER Vivid 9sv is worth a close look if you’re a recreational fisherman like us.

Display Size: 9”
Resolution: 800 x 480
Frequencies: 50/77/200 kHz CHIRP (mid and high); ClearVü and SideVü 260/455/800 kHz
Side Scanning: Yes, 500’
Maximum Depth: 800 ft.; ClearVü: 500 ft.
Transducer Angles: Traditional: 24°-16°; ClearVü/SideVü: 2.0° x 50° @ 455 kHz and 1.0° x 30° @ 800 kHz
Target Separation: ?
GPS: Yes
Maps: No

PROS:

• Excellent pricing
• Very easy to use; excellent UI
• Good screen with excellent color pallet options
• Excellent depth and range
• CHIRP and standard sonar options
• Nice map-sharing app

CONS:

• Screen and image quality suffer in comparison with high-end Humminbird and Lowrance
• No pre-loaded maps

Garmin’s STRIKER Vivid 4cv is even better than their amazing STRIKER 4, offering better sonar performance, a larger screen, and better imaging. For kayak and small boat anglers, there’s not a better system out there.

It’s that good.

The heart and soul of the STRIKER Vivid 4cv is the excellent GT20 transducer. Capable of both standard and CHIRP sonar, it offers a downward-facing ClearVü option that simply blows the competition out of the water.

Pair that powerful transducer with the Vivid series’ awesome 7-color display, and you’ve got a real winner on your hands.

And like its Vivid kin, it comes with the Quickdraw Contours software, allowing you to generate your own topo maps with 1’ increments. When paired with GPS and chart plotting, this is a capable system that should appeal to kayak and canoe anglers wherever they fish.

The display is pretty good, especially for its size, and with LED backlighting, it’s reasonably legible in direct sunlight, though you may find yourself shading it with a free hand from time to time. That places it squarely in the performance range of its competitors on this front.

The user interface of the STRIKER Vivid 4cv is accessible via buttons rather than a touchscreen, a necessity at this price point. But like all of Garmin’s electronics, it’s fairly intuitive and very easy to use.

Overall, we can’t get enough of this small fish finder, and if you’re looking for maximum performance in minimum dimensions, this is the place to start!

Check out our full review: Garmin STRIKER Vivid 4cv

Display Size: 4.3” diagonal
Resolution: 272 X 480
Frequencies: CHIRP: 200 kHz @ 15° and 77 kHz @ 45°; ClearVü: 455 kHz @ 2.5° x 53° and 800 kHz @ 1.6° x 29°
Side Scanning: No
Maximum Depth: 1900’ CHIRP; 750’ ClearVü
Transducer Angle: see above
Target Separation: ?
GPS: Yes
Maps: No

PROS:

• Awesome price!
• Good quality screen
• Excellent depth and range
• Excellent transducer
• CHIRP and ClearVü
• Quickdraw Contours mapping
• GPS

CONS:

• ???

The idea is simple: the STRIKER Cast is essentially a small, battery-powered transducer that links to your smartphone, and when paired with its app, it provides fish finder functionality on your smart device.

The promise is not just a downward-facing sonar picture - though that’s awfully nice - but detailed contour mapping as well.

Does it deliver?

The STRIKER Cast is game-changing tech for shore-bound anglers.

Screen resolution, size, quality, and bright-light legibility are all dependent on your phone, so you already know if you’ve got what you need in hand. And as you’d expect from Garmin, the UI is simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate.

But the heart of any fish finder is the transducer - and here there’s even more good news. The STRIKER Cast’s transducer is surprisingly capable given its size and battery life, offering a maximum depth of 150 feet. That doesn’t match the excellent Deeper Pro and Pro+, but then the supported frequencies drive those numbers as much as anything else. 

Clearly, the engineering wizards at Garmin chose higher frequencies, trading image quality and target separation for maximum water penetration. To my mind, that’s a good deal, and I doubt many shore-bound anglers need more depth than the STRIKER Cast offers.

And in terms of fish finding performance, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this angling tool. Now, I won’t compare it head-to-head with units sporting larger and more powerful transducers, but the target separation and imaging are perfectly acceptable.

And like all of Garmin’s products, you have access to Quickdraw Contours, allowing you to create - and share! - detailed bathymetric maps with 1-foot increments. That’s game-changing tech for many anglers and a huge selling point for the STRIKER Cast.

New to a lake? Simply download a shared map and pick your spot.

It’s that easy.

Battery life is excellent, too, and charging time is just 1 ½ hours to 100%!

It’s clear that there’s a lot to like here, and unless you need the extra depth Deeper’s high-end models can offer, the awesome mapping features of the Garmin really do tilt the decision in its favor.

Maximum depth: 150’
Maximum range: 200’
Transducer beam angle: 22° x 63° @ 260 kHz and 9° x 14° @ 455 kHz
Frequency: 260 and 455 kHz
Target separation: ?
Compatibility: Android and iOS, but unspecified
Battery life: 10+ hours
Charging time: 1.5

PROS:

• Easy to use
• Uncomplicated UI
• Very inexpensive for the tech you get
• Excellent battery life and recharging rate
• Awesome mapping features, including shared maps

CONS:

• ???