In research for some best fishfinders under $400? Well, look no further!
We have made a rounded-up list here including 6 top-notch options that our expert testers have extensively tested as well as pushed them to extreme. That means the below reviews are completely objective and grounded for you to count on.
Here are the best fish findersunder $400 (Apr 2024 Update):
- Best Overall: Moocor Underwater Fishing Camera
- Best For Vertical Jigging: Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit
- Best For Pro Anglers: Eyoyo Fishing Camera Video Fish Finder
- Best For Kayaker: Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer
- Best For Ice Fishing: Humminbird 410210-1 HELIX 5 G2
- Best For Offshore Fishing: Deeper Chirp Smart Sonar – Castable, Portable Fish Finder
| Best Fish Finder Under $400: Top 6 Picks | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Moocor Underwater Fishing Camera | Read Our Review |
Best For Vertical Jigging | Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit | Read Our Review |
Best For Pro Anglers | Eyoyo Fishing Camera Video Fish Finder | Read Our Review |
Best For Kayaker | Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer | Read Our Review |
Best For Ice Fishing | Humminbird 410210-1 HELIX 5 G2 | Read Our Review |
Best For Offshore Fishing | Deeper Chirp Smart Sonar – Castable, Portable Fish Finder | Read Our Review |
Best Overall: Moocor Underwater Fishing Camera
- Work decently in under sunlight or dark environments – feature a camera with LED lights and a monitor with backlight and sun-proof visor
- Realistic and delicate image - the 1000TVL HD camera, 0.01Lux Low-level lighting, and Cmos sensor
- Allow catching big fishes – 15-kilogram maximum bearing tension and 15-meter cable wire of the video fishing camera
- No instructions on how to install the fin
- The lens is too lightweight that requires attaching some weight with if you want to keep it down
Out of a bunch, this is our most favorite model because it allows the user to catch bigger fishes.
By featuring a 15-kilogram max bearing tension and 15-meter cable wire of video fishing camera, it allows you to easily watch fish in deeper water. Don’t worry, these components are specifically designed to resist pressure, water, and cold environments to not wear off fast.
Besides, the image is crystal clear.
It includes two parts: a 1000TVL HD camera with LED lights and Low-level lighting of 0.01Lux, and a sunproof HD LCD monitor with backlight. This perfect combo ensures the most realistic and delicate image transmission, both in daylight and at night, to help you track everything underneath water more easily.
| Moocor Underwater Fishing Camera Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 7.4 ounces |
Dimension | 4.9 x 3.4 x 1.6 inches |
Monitor Size | 4.3 inches |
Working Time | 6-8 hours |
Highlight Features | Long and Strong Cable Wire 15-kilogram maximum bearing tension Superior Underwater Camera Lens Multi-Function LCD Monitor |
No matter you’re a beginner, a pro, or just someone love fishing as a hobby, whether in daylight or at night, the Moocor Underwater Fishing Camera is a perfect-all-kill option for all.
Best For Vertical Jigging: Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit
- Allow seeing the jigging clearly – built-in flasher
- Find depths for setting straps with ease - Chirp sonar
- Easy to navigate, mark, or view hot spots - Waypoint map
- Not really functional suction cup
- No portable carrying case included
- Don’t come off easily
When asked about the best fishfinder for vertical jigging, there were 12 out of 20 experts recommending this model to us.
It highlights an excellent integrated flasher. It shows the water depth and your jig crystal clear along with any passing fish. We appreciate the accuracy of this flasher which allows you to set straps efficiently.
Regardless, it includes the CHIRP sonar which is known for phenomenal crisp fish arches and target separation.
The unit also lets you navigate or mark locations with ease, all thanks to the waypoint map and user-friendly construction.
| Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 8 ounces |
Dimension | 3.6 x 1.6 x 5.9 inches |
Monitor Size | Three options: 3.5-, 5- and 7-inches |
Working Time | 8-12 hours |
Highlight Features | Built-in flasher Chirp sonar Waypoint map |
For those anglers who still haven’t found out the right fishfinder for vertical jigging yet, try this.
Best For Pro Anglers: Eyoyo Fishing Camera Video Fish Finder
- Long working time – run by a lithium battery
- Not scare the fish out and easily lure them close to – feature Special Fish Shape and Silver Color Design
- Give you crisp, bright image even in darkness - 1000TVL program chip and 12pcs IR LED Lights
- Easy to track fish or read data – a 7” screen size
- Hard to wind up
- The battery could be better
We understand that pro fishers set out higher demands on their fishfinder to help them find out big fishes better. For you, this model is our proud recommendation for some good reasons.
First off, it is powered by lithium battery that can work up to 8 hours of continuous use if fully charged. And this factor is seriously important for those anglers who love spending an entire day in the water for fish.
The next notable thing is its fish-friendly construction with silver colorway to easily fool the fish and lure them close to you.
You might notice of its price which is slightly higher than other counterparts here but this already includes an 8GB SD card and removable sun-visor. Turn out, it bangs for bucks and you’ll save some extra time to find a place to buy such fishing essentials.
A big bonus is its ultra-large display screen size – 7 inches with 800x480 pixels – to let you read data or track the fish more easily.
| Eyoyo Fishing Camera Video Fish Finder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 4.15 pounds |
Dimension | 9.8 x 8.5 x 5.5 inches |
Monitor Size | 7” |
Working Time | 8 Hours |
Highlight Features | Eyoyo Fishing Camera Video Fish Finder 7 inch LCD Monitor HD 1000TVL Camera 12pcs IR LED DVR |
Created with advanced performance, the Eyoyo Fishing Camera Video Fish Finder is a shining candidate for pro anglers.
Best For Kayaker: Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer
- Fit nicely a small kayak – sizing 3.9 x 1.8 x 6.9 inches
- Readable under sunlight – bright 4.3” display
- Require screwing onto the kayak
The Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer has a great size to be mounted on a small kayak and it’s very easy to use.
The device provides 200w power transmission, 50/77/83/200 kHz of supported frequencies, a 4.3-inch display for the intuitive user interface. This screen is specifically designed to be readable in sunlight and it shows plenty of data with high accuracy.
We bet some people is probably wondering what would happen to this fishfinder if the kayak flipped. Well, rest assured!
The unit features a high waterproof rating that can be incidentally exposed to water of up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
| Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 11.2 ounces |
Dimension | 3.9 x 1.8 x 6.9 inches |
Monitor Size | 4.3” |
Working Time | 13 hours |
Highlight Features | Transmit power: 200 W (RMS) Frequencies supported: Traditional: 50/77/83/200 kHz Bright Sunlight-readable 4.3” display |
Featuring intuitive user interface, thoughtful dimensions, and high waterproof rating, we ranked this Garmin Striker Plus 4 as the best choice for kayaking.
Best For Ice Fishing: Humminbird 410210-1 HELIX 5 G2
- Deliver crystal clear image in cold conditions with no distortion - CHIRP Dual Beam PLUS Sonar
- Allow saving more maps and waypoints - Micro SD card slot Micro SD card slot
- Not deliver accurate depth above 6 knots
- The transducer wire is short
Pick this if your goal when choosing a fishfinder is to navigate and observe fish more clearly.
The Humminbird 410210-1 HELIX 5 G2 provides you with an efficient 2D CHIRP Dual Beam PLUS Sonar. This is a big improvement that we like the most in this Humminbird model because compared to other forms of sonar, it shoots higher-frequency beams below the surface to present a clearer, crisper portrait.
So, whether you’re going to fish in coastal waters, freshwater lakes, or even the ice, the picture transmitted will be always in details with good clarity and no distortion.
Out of this highlight feature, the device also has some other interesting things, such as the micro SD card slot to save more waypoints or optional maps and the Internal GPS Chart plotting.
| Humminbird 410210-1 HELIX 5 G2 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 2.5 pounds |
Dimension | 1.1 x 7.5 x 4.3 inches |
Monitor Size | 5” |
Working Time | 8 hours |
Highlight Features | CHIRP Dual Beam PLUS Sonar Micro SD card slot |
While other low-end fishfinders aren’t built to handle cold environments that usually provide images with distortion, this isn’t the one. With the built-in CHIRP Dual Beam PLUS Sonar, it ensures the portrait is always clear and bright.
Best For Offshore Fishing: Deeper Chirp Smart Sonar – Castable, Portable Fish Finder
- Ultra-convenient and multi-functional – feature Wi-Fi compatibility and user-friendly app
- Allow for creating your own bathymetric maps
- Time-saving - Take shorter time for scanning
- Pricey
As the name defines, this fishfinder is specifically designed for offshore fishing. But you might be wondering: “What sets it apart from other offshore counterparts?”
Well, aside from a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty which makes it more reliable, we find its Wi-Fi compatibility and user-friendly app are two decent features. The unit will generate its own signal to connect to your smartphone to directly display all sonar data there.
That means you can easily track water depth, fish movements, bottom contour and hardness, and more on a bigger, friendlier screen. Plus, the fishfinder’s sensitivity adjustment can’t be easier.
You are also allowed creating your own bathymetric maps if wanted. The best part is, the time taken to scan what is underneath the water is really fast, which helps you save lots of time.
| Deeper Chirp Smart Sonar – Castable, Portable Fish Finder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 3. 2oz. |
Dimension | 2 inches x 2 inches x 2 inches |
Working Time | 6 hours |
Highlight Features | Deeper Chirp Smart Sonar – Castable Portable Fish Finder and Depth Finder Onshore or Offshore Freshwater or Saltwater |
The Deeper Chirp Smart Sonar – Castable, Portable Fish Finder is highly recommended for people who are ready to invest in a high-end model for offshore fishing.
How To Choose The Best Fish FindersUnder $400?
Traditional 2D vs. CHIRP Sonar
- Traditional 2D sonar operates on single-frequency bands and has been in the market for over 30 years. It usually features 200 kHz of power transmission.
- CHIRP sonar was invented nearly 8 years ago and features many highlight points. At the same time, it generates a high number of traditional sonar waves at various frequencies in order to give you more detailed readings about the depth and objects’ image.
- The choice of this factor is relatively about preference and budget issues because the traditional 2D sonar costs much cheaper than the CHIRP. In fact, it still helps boating anglers find lots of fish.
- But if you want to track in detail the fish movements, the underwater terrains, and more, invest in a CHIRP sonar fishfinder.
Display Screen
Keep in mind that all readings from the transducer will be presented on the display screen. Therefore, it should provide a high resolution – meaning a high number of pixels on the screen for cleaner target separation.
There are two types of display screen: The black and white, and the color.
This factor, again, is a preference issue but notice that the black and white is commonly the affordable selection for budget-minded anglers. But it won’t last as long as the color display screen.
Bonus:
- Look for a bright, sun-readable display screen if you intend to go fishing in daylight, during summer, or in sunny conditions
- For night fishers, choose a fishfinder that features visual display screen with backlights
Which Brands Make The Best Fish FindersUnder $400?
Garmin
- We bet that even you’re a beginner, there might be at least one time you’ve heard about this brand – Garmin, formerly known as ProNav. This American multinational manufacturer is currently a leader in the GPS technology realm based on its over 30 years’ experience in the industry.
Eyoyo
- For those who are in need of budget-friendly price-efficient fishfinders, Eyoyo is a nice go-to choice. This is a young brand – established in 2016 as a group enterprise, but that is key for their unbeatably affordable price range of products.
Humminbird
- Humminbird has been always a reputable name in GPS technology and the outdoor device industry. It is owned by Johnson Outdoors Family, who is also the owners of many big brands, such as Eureka, Ocean Kayak, and Old Town.
FAQs
Are fish finders necessary?
Yes, they are.
Here are some typical reasons why every angler should buy one for their boat:
- It saves time and energy while eliminating the guesswork when you try to know what kind of structure underneath your boat as well as the depth.
- Allow you to find flat areas or structure faster and more easily
- Help navigate your bait when it’s difficult to find by naked eyes on the surface
How fish finders work?
Through the transducer, your fish finder sends out sonar signals. Once these signals reach the fish or an object underwater, they will estimate their depth and size, then, display such readings on the screen.
How long do fish finders under 400 last?
Commonly within 2 to 12 hours.
Can you see fish on down imaging?
Yes, you can.
Down imaging fishfinders use the transducer to generate sonar waves down beneath the boat to estimate the objects’ depth and size. You’ll see their image presented on the screen.
Is side imaging better than down imaging?
Just in some aspects, such as the image and point-of-view of the underwater environments or when you go fishing in those water conditions with many creeks and shallow bays.
Conclusion
After months of fishing in a wide range of water conditions with these fishfinders, chatting with each other, and compiling information, we have come to the final choices and awarded our winners. Hope that this guide has helped you find out the best fish finder under $400 more easily.
Thanks for reading!
Bryan Listor
