There are a few difficulties for you to tackle if you are an angler looking to catch some fish.
To ensure your hook is positioned to don’t miss your catch, you need to encourage the fish to hit the lure or bait. As difficult as this is, locating the fish is the first thing you need.
To locate fish, anglers had to rely on experience and observation. Over the last few years, manufacturers began producing fish finders, which are devices used to ‘see’ underwater.
Here, we have some of the best Humminbird fish finders on the market, and you can save hours deciding which is the best to meet your needs.
By the end of our Hummingbird fishfinder review, you’ll know what features you need and which is the best Humminbird fish finder to help you catch more. (Find the Best Fish Finders for the Money)
Contents
Why You Need a Good Hummingbird Fish Finder
Fishfinders do much more than merely show you fish underwater. It can show you the water temperature and also where fish are feeding, and at what level.
Besides this, with imaging technology, you get to see all this on a large screen. Along with this, you see beneath the water and the landscape of the lake bed.
One other thing that is invaluable is the built-in GPS some models have. You can use this to save your best catching spots or find your way back home if you are on a large bed of water and unsure of how you came. (Find the Best Portable Fish Finder)
Any base model of Humminbird fish finder can show things like predators under the bait.
Top Hummingbird Fish Finders Reviews
1. Humminbird 410940-1 HELIX 7 CHIRP MDI (MEGA Down Imaging) GPS G3 Fish Finder
When you first see the Humminbird Helix 7, you notice that it offers a sizeable 7-Inch screen comprising an 800H x 480V resolution with a full-color TFT display.
Under the surface, you have the MEGA Down Imaging that offers underwater clarity to a depth of 125 feet under your boat.
The Helix 7 is powered by a proprietary, Low Q CHIRP sonar transducer, where the dual spectrum CHIRP delivers detailed dual beam sonar for two ways of searching.
You can select between a wide mode for maximum coverage and a narrow mode to present maximum detail. With Autochart live, you can record all this onto a micro SD card, though you do need one from Humminbird.
Using two display modes, it is possible to add or remove details, and you can account for water depth, the water temperature, and any underwater turbulence. Such is the detail; you can even watch lure presentations.
Pros
- 54 x 3.68 x 5.8 inches in size with a 7-inch screen
- Uses Mega Down Hummingbird sonar imaging
- Dual Spectrum CHIRP
- Uses Switchfire sonar and Humminbird LakeMaster maps
Cons
- Expensive for average angling use
- Some cables may be short
With a guide price of just above $500, you get tons of features for your money. It is easy to use and offers lots of features, not in other depth finders. It makes it easy to identify fish up to a great depth, and you get clear images.
By the end, you can quickly discover you have the best Humminbird fishfinder in these fish finder reviews.
2. Humminbird ICE H5 HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G2 FB Fish Finder 410970-1, ICE H5 CHIRP GPS G2 FB
The Humminbird Helix 5 comes with a 5-inch 800 x 480 resolution full-color TFT display. It offers a flasher view with ICE settings and is easy to fix with the shuttle mount and related hardware.
The Ice Helix 5 uses a Dual Spectrum Chirp ICE transducer. It also comes powered with a 9-amp hour battery and charger. The entire unit comes in a portable ICE bag.
Pros
- Dual Spectrum Chirp Sonar – Digital
- Built-in GPS mapping
- Combines 2D sonar and flasher on one screen
- Works down to -20 degrees for ice fishing
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires second cable for transducer support
With a guide price of just under $700, you get lots of features on the Ice Helix 5 model. It covers over 10,000 lakes and can identify day markers, marinas, and buoys, among much more on the Humminbird base map with mapping built-in.
It is one of the best Humminbird fish finders from the ICE series and is perfect for ice fishing, which uses dual beam sonar and is easy to use, even in the coldest weather.
No products found.
No products found.
3. Humminbird 410230-1 HELIX 5 CHIRP SI GPS G2 Fish Finder
Humminbird Helix 5 uses wireless communication technology such as GPRS. With this, you get the 5-inch LED-backlit display that offers widescreen imaging.
You also find the Chirp side imaging does a great job of filtering out the noise to deliver a great underwater view. The Chirp digital sonar has been designed to reach a greater depth and range. With this, you have two beams that provide detail and comprehensive coverage.
The Humminbird comes with the base map and comprises charts covering 10,000 lakes along with coastal coverage.
Pros
- Uses SwitchFire sonar
- Offers 2D sonar
- Uses digital Chirp
- Create real-time maps of fishing spots
Cons
- Sonar can get confused if used while moving
- Small screen when in split mode
With a guide price of just under $460, you get a great performer with lots of mapping information that includes the coast as well as lakes.
4. Garmin Striker 4 Built-in GPS Fish Finder
The Garmin striker is a handy fishfinder with a 3.5-, 5- and a 7-inch display with an IPX7 rating for waterproofing.
The Garmin uses CLEARVÜ Scanning sonar to show the action under your boat. It has an easy-to-use interface with dedicated buttons. You can make full use of the way-point map so you can easily view, mark, and navigate to any location such as brush, docks, and lots more.
The Garmin uses CHIRP Sonar in a continuous sweep that offers precise target separation.
Pros
- Simple to use with dedicated buttons
- Very affordable
- Uses detailed way-points
- Uses sweep CHIRP sonar
Cons
- Small screen
- Reports of not working when new
With a guide price of just under $100, you get an excellent device for locating fish. It is suitable for kayak fishing as you can locate it conveniently in your vantage point.
While not as big as some units, the split-screen is easy to read for above and below the surface at the same time.
5. Lowrance HOOK Reveal 7 SplitShot – 7-inch Fish Finder with SplitShot Transducer, Preloaded C-MAP US Inland Mapping
The Lowrance Hook uses Fishreveal to find fish much more effortlessly. It combines target separation using the Lowrance CHIRP sonar with high-resolution images of structure from DownScan Imaging.
It offers inland maps from 4,000 lakes, and you can make your custom contour maps on any map or GPS plotter using genesis live.
The SplitShot transducer uses fish-finding wide-angle Chirp Sonar technology and high-resolution from the DownScan imaging to obtain the best views under the boat.
You can see all this on the clear 7-inch display, even in the brightest sunlight using the SolarMax display. (Find the Best Cheap Fish Finders)
Pros
- Clear 7-inch display
- Great mapping overlay options
- Easy to create personal depth charts
- Full of useful features
Cons
- No clear instructions
- Hard to understand in the beginning
With a guide price of just under $550, you have many tools packed into one easy-to-use device. It shows clear maps on the display you can read in any lighting conditions.
A few people say they don’t receive instructions on their items, yet you get the hang of the controls and read the color display after a while. For full detail, you get side imaging, and you can easily see the water temp.
Hummingbird Fish Finders Buying guide
When people are looking for a fish finder, there are a few things to consider. Many locate fish, yet it is how certain ones do this better than others.
Here are a few things to consider:
Usability and Preferences
Any fish finder does need to be easy to use, and you need it to fit in with the way you fish. In this, you need to know who you will use your fishfinder. Type of fishing can be included as you may go ice fishing, yet don’t bother with other types.
Accuracy
Any fish finder has to be accurate. The cone angle is the first thing here and can range from nine to sixty degrees. Transducers send out widening signals; these are measured in degrees.
Frequency is next, and this relates to the cone angle. It is here you find CHIRP (Compressed High-Intensity Radar Pulse). It allows you to mix frequencies for better images. Dual-beam does this, and you can see wide, or you can see narrow for more detail. (Learn How To Clean Flounder)
Power is included, and it will determine your frequency. Power comes in wattage, and the least should be 600 Watts. Deeper depths need a higher wattage.
GPS
You can find fish finders without GPS, although these aren’t recommended. Setting way-points allows you to find your way home and create your cartography as overlays on maps.
Final Verdict
From the high display resolution on the large 7-inch screen, it was clear the Humminbird 410940-1 HELIX 7 CHIRP MDI (MEGA Down Imaging) GPS G3 Fish Finder was the one to beat. For this fish finder, none in these reviews could match the model or get past it. (Find the Best Fishfinder GPS Combo Under 1000)
It has lots of accessories for mounting and getting the best images to depths of over 120 feet. The color display was easy to read on the product, and it takes minutes to get used to using it.
Out of all the tests, we quickly found that the price to performance made it one of the best Humminbird fish finders on the market.
Read more: Best Fish Finders for Kayaks
