When purchasing your new fishfinder, choose the manufacturer of which you are most comfortable.  Every manufacturer sold at Premium Fish Finders are the best in the industry so feel confident in any one you choose.  Figure out what category of fish finder will best suit your fishing needs.  A portable unit, a fixed-mount fish finder or a GPS / Fishfinder combo may be best for your situation.  Each fish finder comes with everything you need to find fish, but read the descriptions because we offer a variety of options such as units with a transducer or without.  Some are displays only, especially if you are looking for a multifunctional navigation system.  Also, some of the GPS / fishfinder combos may or may not have preloaded charts.  For example, check out Lowrance HDS GPS / fish finder combos.  Premium Fish Finders offers a large selection to choose from so take a look and find a fish-finder that is best suited for your needs.

Display: 

The screen or display comes in different size, color or monochrome and resolution.  The larger the screen, the better for viewing details and from viewing in different fishing spots on your boat.  Color and HD units help you to better interpret your fish-finder results. It allows you to determine what kind of bottom you are fishing (gravel, rock, soft, hard, etc);  the structure you are looking at - weeds, trees or stumps, and most importantly FISH.  A school of bait fish may have a light green or blue color and the trophy fish you are looking for will be displayed in red.  The brighter the color red the bigger the fish.  Please check out how to read a fish finder for more information.  The resolution is the same as buying a new TV.  The higher the resolution or number of pixels, the better the picture.

Transducer:    

A fish finder works by transmitting an electrical impulse which is converted into a sound wave by a transducer.  The transducer can be mounted in different ways: transom mount, thru-hull, in-hull or may have a suction cup for a portable fish finder.  Transom mount transducers are mounted on the transom (back) of the boat, directly in the water, and typically a little below the hull.  If you use a trailer for your boat, then this one will be best.  Thru-hull transducers are installed through a hole which is drilled through the bottom of the boat.  A fairing block may be required to protect the transducer.  This is best for boats that do not use a trailer.  In-hull, or shoot-thru, transducers are mounted inside the boat and shoot thru the hull.  If you only need a new transducer, buy one from the same manufacturer as your fish-finder because they normally are not interchangeable.  Also, make sure it complements your fish-finder capabilities:  number of beams, temperature, speed, etc.  For more information, please visit our fishfinder transducers page. 

Frequency: 

The accuracy with which your fishfinder detects objects and the bottom is determined by which frequency you are using for the depth of water: either 50 khz or 200 khz.  The 50 khz is best for deeper depths, has a wide cone angle, has less definition and target separation and is susceptible to more noise.  The 200 khz is for shallower depths, has a narrow cone angle, better definition and target seperation and is less susceptible to noise.  Having a fish-finder like Garmin GPSMAP that has options of using both frequencies is recommended if you fish in both shallow and deep water. 

Sonar: 

The sonar power of the fishfinder is measured in watts and is normally listed in two ways: RMS and Peak to Peak.  Peak to Peak is defined as eight times RMS.  For example, if your fishfinder has 400 watts RMS it would be 3200 watts peak to peak.  Furuno fish finder have some of the best performers like the FCV 620, which has a high output power of 600W RMS.The more watts your fish finder has, the better its performance. 

You can choose from a single beam for excellent coverage of the bottom, dual beam gets the best of a narrow and wide beam for deep and shallow water fishing, a quadrabeam for 90 degree coverage, 3D imaging from six beams and get picture like images from Humminbird 1100 series side imaging sonar.  Each manufacturer has some great new technology and products, so please take a look.  

Catch More with a NEW Fish Finder from Premium Fish Finders!