Plan on catching some big bass this year? You’ll want the best fishfinder unit for bass fishing that you can get, depending on what your needs are for your next trip.
There are three main things you should look for when getting a new unit for your bass-catching pursuits.
They are MOUNTING STYLE, GPS, and SONAR.
First, when considering what mounting style you want for your device, you need to consider whether you want a device that is permanently installed (best for people who own decent sized boats), or if you need your bass fishfinder to be portable. This is entirely up to you ad your fishing situation.
Next, you need to consider whether you’ll need GPS and higher end depthfinder capabilities on the unit. We definitely recommend purchasing a fishfinder with GPS capabilities. Why? Well, you won’t get lost, which is especially helpful in case of emergencies, and you’ll also be able to create your own maps of your fishing sources to get the best bass fishing opportunities year after year.
You’ll have to spend a bit more money (perhaps $100 more) just for this feature, but it’s worth it to catch more bass fish!
Finally, you need to consider what type of sonar you need when fishing bass. There are two kinds: sidescan and downscan.
Downscan points directly to the bottom of the body of water, and is better for larger depths. In smaller depths, downscan can cause issues with too much of the sonar reflecting on the bottom. It’s best in depths over 40 feet.
Sidescan points at an angle which is great for seeing fish surrounding your boat rather than directly under it. This is best for shallower depths.
Even better if you’re not sure what depth of water you’ll e fishing in is a device with combination sonar capabilities, meaning it can do both downscan and sidescan imaging.
With these three factors in mind, here are our best recommendations for bass fish finders:
BEST MOUNTED BASS FISHFINDERS
Lowrance Elite 7 Gold
-comes with transducer, maps, and gps
Lowrance Elite 5 Gold Fishfinder and Chartplotter
-Has everything you need at a lower cost than the Elite 7, including color LCD, standard and down scan sonar, GPS, and charts
Garmin GPSMAP 541s GPS Fishfinder
-A great choice from Garmin, also having a 5″ color LCD display like the Lorance Elite 5. Includes preloaded map and comes with GPS
Lowrance HDS-5 GEN2 Plotter/Sounder w/ 5 inch LCD
-Coming in at less than $400 at the time of this writing, the Lowrance HDS-5 is a great, budget-friendly fishfinder option for your bass fishing trips. It comes with a transducer, chartplotter, and downscan imaging.
BEST PORTABLE BASS FISHFINDERS
NorCross HawkEye F33P Fish Finder
-This is a fantastic, small, portable fish finder perfect for bass fishing trips where you’ll be renting a boat. It has a 25 degree sonar angle and works well in depths up to 100 feet. The sonar sensor can be mounted or tied up, and the fishfinder screen fits right in your hand.
Garmin Echo 100 Fishfinder
-If you prefer Garmin over Humminbird or Lowrance, you’ll love this portable unit. It has a dual-beam transducer that can be mounted either on your trolling motor or transom.
Here is an interview with a BassProShop expert about selecting the best fish finders:
That’s it for our bass fishing depthfinder recommendations! As long as the fish finder you buy has the right sonar and gps capabilities for your fishing habits, and as long as you know whether you need or prefer a permanent mount or portable handheld unit, one of these fishfinders is sure to fit your needs and budget. If you think there’s a better fishfinder for catching bass, let us know in the comments!
Want to look at more units? Check out some of our other fishfinder reviews:
Best Fish Finder Under $200
Top Fish Finder Under $500
Best Lowrance FishFinders
Best fishfinder for kayaks