Deep water Transducer for Striker 4

[durfeeg94]

Hey All !  Green Leaf here looking for a little advice.  Just venturing into my 2 (1st alone) season of ice fishing. I just got a Garmin striker 4 with the soft carry case but it has the boat transducer.  Ive read the forums about the options of using both views with that trans. ( which is nice )  I also have no problem making a rig to hold it flat in the water ( I like the PVC with T on the top ) My question is how deep of water is that boat transducer good for?  Looking to fish Onieda Lake in NY, which is 55 feet at deepest.  Thoughts ?? Thanks in advance !!

[durfeeg94]

Or do I just buy the dual beam Ice Ducer GT8HW-IF  ??  and be done with it ?

[ship of fools]

Or do I just buy the dual beam Ice Ducer GT8HW-IF  ??  and be done with it ?

I had a Lowrance with the boat transducer and bought the ice version and was very happy i did. In either case I'm sure you'll be fine to 55'. My Lowrance has a 20 degree cone and it was good to right around 80'

[filetandrelease]

Welcome to the site
  I fish Oneida often  , I rarely fish beyond 40’ most of my perch and eye fishing is done from 20-35’ so your fine long as you can keep it level

[blackshirt7]

I have the striker 4 and stuck with the open water transducer for a year. It works but I thought I was kind of a pain. It worked, but when the ice it thick it was touchy and I had to make sure the holes where perfectly straight or I was constantly making adjustments to the contraption I had it attached to. The following year I purchased  the gt8hw-if and haven’t looked back

[struckus]

I use the boat ducer on my striker 4 with just a length of foam noodle..works fantastic..I was going to get the ice ducer but can't really justify the price..i'd rather spend another couple hundred and get the garmin striker 5cv ice bundle instead..hell the ducer is almost half the cost of the striker 5..anyway..this year i'll be using the boat ducer again..never had an issue with it

[MTJ]

I only have used the boat transducer, and have used it in 80 feet of water through the ice. I was able to see fish come off the bottom and hit my lure about a foot up. I don't think you would have any problems in 55 feet.

[VTLakers]

I have the Striker 4 as well and have the boat transducer zip tied to a 18 section piece of broom handle with a brad finishing nail in the bottom so it wont fall off and a section of pool noodle on on top and it works just fine. I brought it to lake Willoughby and at some points it was reading 300+ft deep and showing marks around 65+ feet deep. You wont have an issue with 55ft I promise you. Good luck this year.

[RapShack]

The Striker 4 is not a real powerful unit wattage wise so it's not a great deep water machine.  Mine struggles over 100' with the ice ducer but my buddies with the standard one did a bit better.  But even in 200' were only really fishing the top 40 and watching the top 60 and that was just fine.

( I like the PVC with T on the top )

Dear. God. No.  Total waste of time, money, and space both in your sled and hole.  I've rigged Humminbird, Lowrance and Garmin transom transducers and the Striker is the easiest by far.  All you need is a $.99 piece of pipe insulation for a float.  I'll dig out my old transducer and take a pic of how to rig it.

[RapShack]

Wait I just re-read your initial post and you say it came with the soft case.  Did it not also come with a float?  Is the bracket that holds the transducer the type that you would screw into the stern of a boat or is it the long skinny one with a suction cup on the top?

[durfeeg94]

Wait I just re-read your initial post and you say it came with the soft case.  Did it not also come with a float?  Is the bracket that holds the transducer the type that you would screw into the stern of a boat or is it the long skinny one with a suction cup on the top?

Its still being shipped but this im pretty sure its the boat bracket.....  I found a 3D printed piece on ebay someone is making and selling that holds the ducer straight, it looks like he's sold a bunch, reviews say it works well  ..... only $10



https://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-Striker-4-Transducer-Leveler-For-Ice-Fishing/362867018051?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225074%26meid%3D2ea40216210d452bb47c15855e640004%26pid%3D100667%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D224262139326%26itm%3D362867018051%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2334524%26brand%3DGarmin&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042

[RapShack]

Its still being shipped but this im pretty sure its the boat bracket.....

That is not the boat bracket that's the one that comes with the portable. There's most likely a float on there too inside the case, if not you can make one from a 99 cent piece of pipe insulation or pool noodle and a couple zip ties.

[bwjay]

If you're fishing deeper than 50ft often, the GT10HN has a narrower cone and works better for deep water fishing. I think the GT8HW is a better all around option though.

[durfeeg94]

I just found a gt8 and a gt10 for $145 new