Portable pocket sized fish finder

[32footsteps]

Curious if anyone has one of the $30-$40 ones which can be found on Amazon.

I ordered one last night. I thought...what the heck...if it’s a turd it only set me back a couple of Jacksons.

It won’t replace my LX7 but the intrigue for me is for scouting. Small, fits in a pocket, it should show if something is under me. If it does this then I can break out the LX7 on those holes.

I think the brand I ordered is Venterior or something like it. The other bit of intrigue to me is the 45 degree transducer. Plop it in deep water and if it works I should get a wider view of an area.

Thoughts? Reviews?

[Old Goat]

why would you need to then break out the 7 if the little one is working?

[32footsteps]

why would you need to then break out the 7 if the little one is working?

The 7 will pick up a jig, the little one won't. Even if it did pick up a jig I have a solid hunch that the target separation on a $40 LCD hand held unit isn't going to be as good as it is on a unit with an MSRP north of $700. These little units won't tell you the sized of anything within it's cone. It will basically tell you if there is something between you and the bottom plus give a depth reading.

I'm thinking that these things are about as technologically advanced as a mid range LCD fish finder from the mid 1990's. If it fits into a coat pocket, can tell me the depth, and let me know if there's something between my feed and the bottom, I'm willing to gamble on $40. I'm just wondering if anyone else has been using something like this.   

[Old Goat]

ok I see now I thought the little one would mark a jig a lot of the older flashers will mark jigs very small even vertical ones

[32footsteps]

I’ve been able to use it a bit the last few days. It does what I thought it would do. I’ll drill a dozen holes then on my walk back to my sled and gear pull this thing out out of a coat pocket and check holes much quicker than going back, grabbing a rod or flasher and check them that way. I haven’t played with the sensitivity settings on it enough to see if I can tune it in to pick up a jig. I think it would have to be a decent sized bait for it to get a reading. Anyway....as a lightweight, inexpensive tool to quickly check holes it should prove to be very useful. A 45 degree cone angle in 50 feet of water covers a lot of area.

[Old Goat]

just start with something big and horizontal then if that works keep downsizing horizontal stuff

[32footsteps]

Played around with this thing for awhile this morning. Attached is a picture so others get a sense of what I’m using.

It comes with a lanyard so you put that around your neck, toss the transducer in a pocket, and start drilling holes. Pull the transducer out and get a quick depth reading. The depth accuracy is really good. I had my camera in my pocket and when it picked up fish sure as heck, the camera verified it. I didn’t play around with any jigs but it was also picking up weeds and rock.

There’s things don’t have IR settings on them so when I had it in close proximity to my LX7 it simply wouldn’t work. Oh well, that’s not the point in getting something like this.

I guess I would recommend this type of unit to others who are looking for something compact to go around and check depths. If you were on a budget and just needed something to use it would do the trick. For less than $40 it’s a bargain. It’ll probably be my go to unit when I walk back into some hard to reach lakes and need to pack extra light.

[IceholeHEN]

I used to have two of these. I think one was a Hawkeye and the other was the exact same in the picture. They obviously are no flasher, but gave you the depth reading and told you where and when the fish were coming through. When it started to beep I knew to get ready. Perfect for the entry level or just to check depth. I agree with you for $40 you can't beat it. I've wasted more $$ on less productive things.

[350 Mag]

I have  been  using  a Marcum  Troller....

Best unit  for  running  and  gunning.

I abused  it  a couple  times  and  Marcum  repaired  it 2x  free of charge....and  fast  turn around  times.

I got  it  on sale  for  $ 125  on sale 5 years  ago.

Has been  great unit.

Have used  for  Lakers  up  to  100'  of  water.

ZERO   complaints.....really  makes  a  difference  on  slow-bite  days.

[32footsteps]

I’m leaving the possibility open to get a Troller or even a regular sized showdown if I find a smoking Good end of the season deal on one. Can’t have too many toys I suppose.

The one I have does exactly what I was hoping for it to do. Thursday I went out, drilled a hole, checked depth with it, and moved on until I found the depth I was looking for. Just grab it out of my pocket and go. No pulling out a rod with a weight or the high end expensive unit. Got to the depth I was seeking, it marked fish on the bottom, and that’s where I set my flip over up. Powered up the LX7 and camped there for a few hours catching perch. Exactly what I was looking for.