Best Fish Finder for Pontoon Boat – 2021 Updated Reviews

Pontoon boats are great fun. You can travel around the water with luxury in them and do everything.

For fishing trip, they are the best.

But the problem is that you never know where to find the fishes to catch. You move around aimlessly in the lake trying to find them. With the best fish finder for pontoon boat, that job gets much easier.

You no longer have to hang around in the same place for several hours to wait for your prey. The fish finder directly gives you the location where all the fish are. 

Do you feel like getting one? Then you’re at the right place. Get ready to catch some big fish.

Get the Right Fish Finder for Your Pontoon Boat

Going on vacation, planning to catch some fish with friends. You circle around the lake looking for that big catch, but you get nothing. You feel like it’s nothing but a big waste of time.

Why do you let it come to this point?

Why not just take the fish finder with you to let you take to places where you can cast the line and catch something and have fun. If you want just that, then check out the below gears.

1. Hummingbird 410950-1 HELIX 7 CHIRP MSI (Top Pick)

From having no fish finder to getting the Hummingbird is a big upgrade that you realize instantly while fishing.

The first function to point out here is that you get a split-screen. Using the 7-inch large display, you can monitor the seabed as well as look at the map and do other things. 

Now, you know where you're and where to go for the prize, making life easier on water. The dual spectrum chirp in the thing helps the cause big time.

You can now cover the maximum area to find where the school of fish is. Or you can just narrow the band to get the best detailed sonar to identify their existence in an area.

Plus, you can navigate the water with much more confidence with the fish finder. That's because it comes with preloaded maps of US coastal areas to help you locate things better on water. 

Using it, you won't come empty-handed from your fishing trips. Guaranteed.

This one is expensive. But this will be a game changer for you. If you can spend this much, then definitely go for it.

2. Garmin 010-01550-00 Striker 4 with Transducer (Budget Pick)

To increase your chances of catching fishes in any type of water without spending several hundred bucks on a fish finder, get the Garmin Striker 4.

If you are on tight budget and can't afford the first one then this one will be a very good alternative choice.

It’s the ultimate sonar system at budget to find your prey.

So, why is it so great?

The sonar images you get are near perfect to the actual objects. It will scan around your boat and give you a detailed view of what’s around your boat to let you know whether there is anything worthwhile to wait around here to lure in.

Garmin makes it possible using its chirp sonar. It continuously sends chirp signals to get the clarity of view even in great depth. That's one of the reasons you can separate the target much better using it.

Besides that, there is the waypoint system that lets you mark spots. You can leave traces to points to come back to lure in baits later. Or just have a route to get back to your starting point of the journey thanks to it.

Not to forget, you can even check the speed at the speed your pontoon boat is moving to make sure you're trolling at the right pace to lure in the catches. 

All in all, from its target separation chirp sonar to the waterproof system, everything you need gets delivered with the kit.

At it's price range, you can't expect the performance of Hummingbird Helix. But it's a beast at it's own price range that's for sure.

3. Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer

To increase your chance of catching fishes, try the Garmin dual-beam transducer.

Right off the bat, the Striker plus 4 gets your attention with all the good stuff. From offering a built-in GPS to a bright 4.3 screen on display, everything seems to hype up the gear when you look at it on paper.

And in reality, it doesn’t disappoint either. Starting with the quick draw contours of the Garmin. You can have maps of the places you’ve traveled right on it using its fast mapping software.

To go with it hand in hand, there is the CHIRP of the striker plus 4. The sonar images it produces are quite clear that separating your target in the shallow and deep water of the sea can’t get any easier.

Even at a high speed, you get a clear view. It suppresses the signal noise from the deep depths of water to let you know what’s below.

The GPS in the fish finder is also quite accurate. You can mark your waypoints to make sure to visit those places later for your next trips to try out your luck. Same way, you can create a route to go to places faster.

4. Humminbird 410150-1 PIRANHAMAX 4 Fish Finder

The Piranha max from hummingbird is another fish finder that you can look into. Similar to the Garmin above, it got a 4.3-inch display that's quite good. Even in bright daylight, you can clearly see things on it.

But the Humminbird truly comes as its own with those sharper images it produces on the display. You get a clear perspective of what’s roaming below your boat. The sonar frequencies used by it goes quite deep. To be exact, it goes as deep as 320 feet to show you where to cast the line.

And to make it even easier for the anglers, it got features like fish alarms, depth alarms, and zoom options to give you everything you need to catch that big fish from the lake.

That’s not it.

With the dual-beam sonar on the Piranha Max, you can cover large areas as well as cover small areas to get more detail of the things below. Finding the right structure arches make it easier for you to get your targets using the Humminbird.

To put the cherry on top, you get a redesigned interface, that makes it, even more, easier to operate. It’s like the ultimate fishing gear that you can’t live without.

5. ReelSonar Wireless Bluetooth Smart Fish Finder

If you’re looking for something different, then go with the ReelSonar. Unlike others, here you get a fish finder that you pair up with your iOS or Android devices to go fishing. 

Take the iBobber and attach it to the line and cast it in water to look around the water to find out the water depth you’re working with there. It will use the chirp sonar to map out the thing below and show it right on your device.

You will get fish mode as well as a raw mapping 135 feet below the surface. What’s even more interesting than sitting from the pontoon boat, you know whether you’ve got a big catch or a regular one.

iBobber made that possible. Because it labels the fish green or orange depending on their size. For instance, if it's under 15 inches, then you will see an orange tag over the fish. For a bigger catch, it will be green. 

But that's not all. It can even map the entire waterbed right on your smartphone. You now know where to cast the bait to get the catches. ReelSonar makes fishing more and enjoyable for people. 

6. LUCKY Handheld Fish Finder Portable Fishing (Best Cheap)

For an affordable option to use to look around the lake for the catches, then you can get lucky with the LUCKY handheld fish finder.

That’s right.

If you imagine getting full detail of the sea bed, then you’re looking at the wrong thing as it won’t be able to manage all that. What it does great is that it offers you a good enough estimate of the depth to locate the fish in the lake.

The probe it uses is a single frequency of 200kHZ with a modest 45° sweep to cover enough area.

For the price, the accuracy is something you can’t complain about as the sonar is quite good. Plus, you’ve got 5-modes with it. Depending on your fishing environment you can change the sensitivity level to get the best result.

Though it is a great entry-level fish finder, the build quality suggests otherwise. It will offer great rigidity to use in all kinds of conditions, but it isn’t waterproof, keep that in mind. But a warranty makes up for that.

Considering everything like display, depth, and accuracy, this one is a good option to have if you’re someone who rarely goes fishing. You won’t need to spend a lot to enjoy a quality fish finder thanks to LUCKY.

How to Choose the Right Fish Finder for a Pontoon Boat

Transducer Location:

The first and foremost thing that you must consider while going to purchase a fish finder is whether your ponton has a place to put it or not. Basically, the transducer is a sensor and part of a fish finder that is placed into the water. It works on sending the sonar waves and receiving the reflected pulses.

Boat Size:

Well, the size issue of your pontoon matters much while getting a fish finder. That's why you should check your pontoon boat size first. Then check the transducer cable length you want to purchase whether it is compatible with your boat or not. Because it will make a great impact on its performance. 

You will find some cheap fish finder that is made for small boats. As a result, it will not be able to transmit a strong signal as your boat is bigger. If you are confused about your pontoon boat size, then you can check the instruction manual that comes with it.

GPS:

A fish finder along with a GPS is a blessing. It is recommended to go for the fish finder that comes with a GPS. Because it will help you to find out your position as well as will prevent you from loosing while fishing. You can make your own maps though. A GPS will not make any impact on its performance. Fish finder without a GPS will work fine too. In fact, a fish finder with a GPS feature is expensive.

Get the right sonar:

Well, there are a few types of sonar. The Side-scan, down-scan sonar and mixture of two. Which one you should get? The answer depends on some criteria. Let's have a look at these:

• You should go for the side-scan sonar if you need a fish finder to deal with shallow water. It is not the best for water deeper than 75 ft.
• The Down-scan sonar is great to deal with the deep waters. It will show tremendous performance in shallow water. This type of sonar has the ability to turn your display into a cluttered mess.
• The last one is the combination of the about-mentioned two. This type of sonar works fine in both deep and shallow water. They are expensive too.

If you don't have budget limitations, then you should go for the last one that is the combination of both side-scan and down-scan sonars. However, if you have limitations in your budget, then you should go for the specific one.

Screen size:

Not necessary actually. Most people think that the bigger screen is better. There is some situation like display various data metrics or split-screen modes where you can find the bigger screen is beneficial. Here you no need to pay heed much.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the working procedure of a fish finder?

A fish finder works with help of a transducer. It sends the sonar waves and receives the reflected waves. Let's watch this video on how does a fish finder works:

Should I go for a fish finder for my pontoon boat?

It is recommended to go for a fish finder while fishing. Because, a fish finder will show you the picture of the underneath condition, temperature and depth from which you will get an idea about fish living underneath.

How can I read my fish finder correctly?

Most of the time, you will see a symbol on your screen telling about the fish size, location and water depth. Better, go through the instruction manual that comes with your fish finder. Let's have a look at this video on how to read a fish finder: