If you like fishing and you like kayaking, then why not combine the two? Kayaks were originally made for fishing and hunting.
The best kayak brands are small and easy to maneuver, and you can navigate to places where you might not be able to get to using a boat. This is also a great way to combine exercise with a relaxing pastime.
Making sure you have your fishing kayak set up properly is important, and the right equipment will make your experience more enjoyable. Like, if you don’t have rod holders on your kayak, fishing is going to be almost impossible! (Read Anchor Rode Size Chart)
If you need to stay still and don’t have an anchoring system, you will be floating away from your desired spot! So, you will need to make sure you have the right fishing kayak accessories.
You will need to consider the area you will be fishing and the kind of water you will be fishing in. Invest in a portable fish finder; kayak away to your heart’s content, following those fish.
Best Kayak Fish Finders
Raymarine Dragonfly-4 Pro Sonar/GPS with US C-Map Essentials
This fish finder boasts a 4.3 inch, all-weather screen with a high-definition back-lit LED display. You can even live-stream sonar data directly to your smartphone using Raymarine’s WiFish smartphone app.
You can save the day’s catch and look back over what you have achieved. You can tell everyone about your day’s fishing from your kayak fish finder, mount it up and use the built-in WiFi to share results on social media. US rivers, lakes, and coastal maps are all included. It is fitted with a CHIRP transducer with a temperature sensor and dual-channel sonar.
- Optically bonded for sharp color, wide viewing angles and no internal fogging
- Includes US lakes, rivers and coastal maps; Includes transom mount CHIRP transducer with temperature sensor; MicroSD memory card reader for saving sonar screen shots
- Dual-channel sonar - wide-spectrum CHIRP DownVision sonar for photo-like images and a second CHIRP conventional sonar channel for targeting fish
- 4.3" All-weather, high-definition LED backlit display
- Stream live sonar data to your smartphone with Raymarine's Wi-Fish mobile app; With the Wi-Fish you can rewind, save and share the day's catch with friends on your favorite social networks
One conventional sonar channel targets the fish and wide-spectrum CHIRP DownVision sonar for more photo-like images. The Raymarine comes with a MicroSD card reader so you can save your sonar shots.
Some users have reported trouble with the GPS signal when traveling at speed. So, if you are zooming along in your Lifetime Sport Fisher kayak, you may experience some signal loss.
Garmin 010-01807-00 Garmin STRIKER 5cv with transducer
Similarly priced to the Raymarine, the Garmin uses high-frequency Clearvu scanning sonar as well as CHIRP sonar. This sonar creates near-photographic images with very detailed visuals of the surrounding objects and fish.
The keypad is simple, as is the installation process, and it is easy to use. You can also purchase this device in multiple screen sizes (3.5, 5, and 7-inch displays). This does not come with maps, but you can use the waypoint map to navigate locations and mark points.
- Includes transducer for built-in Garmin CHIRP traditional sonar plus CHIRP clearer scanning sonar
- Built-in Garmin quickdraw contours mapping software lets you create and store maps with 1’ contours for up to 2 million acres
- Built-in GPS lets you mark waypoints, create routes and view boat’s speed
- Bright, Sunlight-readable 5” display and intuitive user interface
- Rugged design for every fishing environment
It has a built-in flasher so that you can view your data in the classic flasher arrangement. For this kayak fish finder, the battery is required to power it. A 12-volt battery will be adequate to keep you up and running. (Read our Best GPS for Kayaks)
Lowrance Hook-5 Sonar/GPS Mid/High/Downscan Fishfinder
The Lowrance Hook-5 is a bit more expensive than the previous two. The display is 5 inches and is high resolution and color. It uses CHIRP sonar and down scan imaging to give you a great view of what is beneath your boat. It has a built-in GPS antenna which is very accurate and has a detailed map. The US map features more than 3,000 lakes and rivers and displays coastal contours up to 1,000 ft. This battery-powered depth finder comes with optional upgrades.
- Lowrance Hook-5 Sonar/GPS Mid/High/Downscan Fish finder
- CHIRP sonar plus down scan imaging the power of today's leading fish finder technologies combined to provide the best possible view beneath boat
- Highly accurate, built-in GPS antenna plus detailed U. S. Map featuring more than 3, 000 lakes, rivers & costal contours to 1, 000ft
- Optional Americas chart upgrades include Lake insight & nautic insight Pro & HD, navionics hot maps premium & fishing hotspots Pro
- Global chart upgrade options include navionics+ & jeppesen c-map max-n
There are options for chart upgrades, including Lake Insight and Nautic Insight Pro and fishing hotspots pro, to point you in the direction of the best places to fish. This unit doesn’t get the best reviews, considering the price is higher than the other devices. (Find the Best GPS Fishfinder Combo For Small Boats)
HawkEye FT1PXC Fishtrax Fish Finder with HD Color Virtuview Display
At the lowest price of all, the Hawkeye has a VirtuView color display in high-definition. It boasts a dual-frequency FishTrax Intelligent sonar and a fish depth identifier. You also may view your readings in flasher-style visuals.
- FishTrax intelligent sonar delivers precise fish finder readings up to 240 feet
- VirtuView HD color display with LED Backlight produces a glare-free view for excellent readability
- Sonar sensor is trollable, boat mountable, and floatable to achieve unmatched, go anywhere, portability
- Offers FishArc and FishID fish finder indicators with fish depth targeting along with HD bottom landscape imaging; Algorithmic software programming minimizes false readings and sounds an audible fish alarm signaling the presence of fish
- HawkEye products are manufactured both in the USA and overseas using technology designed and developed with American ingenuity
One of the best features of this fish finder is that it is both boats mountable and portable. This enables you to use it as a hand-held device as well. It will tell you the depth of the fish beneath you and has auto-zoom-based tracking.
This device may not be the most high-tech gadget out there, but it is ideal for beginners. It is more affordable than some of the more high-tech models, and it is straightforward to use. We think it is the best portable fish finder for kayaks.
