Inside the Garmin Striker Series of Fish Finders

Choosing the right fish finder for your boat can be pretty overwhelming. However, the Garmin Striker Series of fish finders offers a wide range of options.

Garmin has since become a household name in fishing gadget technology and the Garmin Striker range has combinations that not only make finding fish easier, but fun too and they can make a trip safer by showing hazards and the depth of water under your boat.

Indeed, the Garmin Striker range starts at an entry level price and also offers more sophisticated fish finders, depending on how much you want to spend and the level of technology you want to use.

Most models combine traditional sonar with down and side view technology and the Strikers come with a built in GPS receiver for use in freshwater, estuary and inshore fishing from kayaks and smaller boats.

The Striker series has bright, sunlight-readable color displays that feature a new rugged design and keyed interface that’s built to withstand the harsh marine environment. They use Garmin’s CHIRP sonar to create crisper fish arches with better target separation than traditional sonar. Even when fish are stacked up, CHIRP sonar helps anglers better determine how many fish there are and which are the largest, according to the manufacturer.

For anglers who want to see greater detail below the boat, the Garmin Striker technology provides a nearly photographic image with detailed representation of objects, structure and fish in both freshwater and saltwater. The larger Striker models have side view scanning sonar for those who want to see fish and structure up to 200 meters each side of the boat.

As well as the built-in GPS antenna, all Striker models incorporate a waypoint map, so marking fish or bait and navigating to favorite fishing spots quick and easy. Users can also share waypoint data across multiple Striker units.

All Garmin Striker fish finders come with a transducer, transom mount and trolling motor mounting brackets and they have flexible mounting options, so the units can tilt and swivel for an optimum viewing angle.

Garmin has already come a long way since its arrival on the GPS scene almost three decades ago. It first started manufacturing GPS devices and has since evolved into producing a broad spectrum of handy outdoor products for anglers.

It’s worth mentioning that a Striker fish finder also offers important safety implications. For example, if you’re stuck in flooded woods and there’s flooded timber everywhere, a reliable GPS can give you an idea of what is out there.

Garmin also markets the Striker series of fish finders as being durable and designed to cope with extreme wear and tear and harsh weather conditions.

When looking at the fish finders in the Garmin Striker group, one of the main choices is different screen sizes. Basically, larger screens make it easier to see the data being displayed. Resolution is important too, along with frequency and power.

Garmin Strikers come with customizable frequencies, which means that users can either opt for the one that’s perfect for shallow water, or for the one that’s best for use in deep water.

Garmin Striker Plus 7cv

The Garmin Striker Plus 7cv has the CHIRP traditional sonar built in plus CHIRP ClearVü scanning sonar and also comes with Garmin Quickdraw Contours mapping software that lets you create and store maps with one inch contours for up to two million acres of content.

This Striker model has built in Wi-Fi for access to the ActiveCaptain app so you can receive smart notifications, access the Quickdraw Contours Community and transfer waypoints and software update notifications.

It has a seven-inch display and intuitive user interface. Garmin points out that the built-in GPS lets you mark waypoints, create routes and view your boat’s speed.

Shop for the Striker Plus 7cv

Garmin Striker Plus 4cv

For those looking for a smaller model, the Garmin Striker Plus 4cv also comes with CV20 transducer and CHIRP ClearVü scanning sonar along with built-in Garmin Quickdraw contours mapping software. Like other models it lets you create and store maps with one inch contours for up to two million acres.

Again, the built-in GPS lets you mark waypoints, create routes and view your boat’s speed and this model has a 4.3 inch sunlight-readable display and intuitive user interface. It is described as having a rugged design for every fishing environment.

Shop for the Striker Plus 4cv

Garmin Striker Plus 9sv

If it is a bigger screen you are looking for, then the Garmin Striker Plus 9sv has a nine-inch display and, of course, comes with the Garmin intuitive user interface and the ubiquitous CHIRP traditional sonar plus CHIRP ClearVü and CHIRP SideVü scanning sonars.

As with other Striker models, it has the Quickdraw contours mapping software built in, and Wi-Fi for access to the ActiveCaptain app so you can receive smart notifications, access the Quickdraw Contours Community and transfer waypoints and software update notifications.

The GPS lets you mark waypoints, create routes and view the boat’s speed while enjoying crystal clear images with remarkable target separation as well as almost photographic images of what passes below and beside your boat.

Shop for the Strike Plus 9sv

Garmin Striker 4

Sometimes simple is all you want and the Garmin Striker 4 offers a keyed interface with dedicated buttons. The device is described as easy to use and easy to install and the kit comes with a 3.5-inch color screen.

With this fish finder you can use the waypoint map to easily view, mark and navigate to locations and the Chirp sonar sends a continuous sweep of frequencies which provides a wider range of information.

It also has a built-in flasher, which means that you can view your sonar data in the classic flasher format and is described as ideal for ice fishing or vertical jigging and it comes with a portable carrying case which is regarded as being great for kayak, canoe or ice fishing.

This Garmin Striker model can be upgraded to the higher performance CHIRP with a transducer which you can buy separately. As with the bigger and pricier models you can mark and return to favorite spots, and share your favorite waypoints and routes with others.

There is also a sonar history rewind that allows you to scroll back through sonar images to mark waypoints you originally may have missed and it includes a rechargeable battery, tilt/swivel mount and transom and trolling motor mounting kit.

Shop for the Striker 4

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