Gear Recommendation
Fish Finder
The right sonar unit makes forage-based fishing dramatically more effective. Here's what we recommend.
Best Value Pick
Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv
with GT52 Transducer
$480
Walmart price
The Striker Vivid 7sv has all the features you need at the lowest price point. The one trade-off: it uses Garmin Quickdraw instead of Navionics for maps — but Garmin Quickdraw is free, and you can add the USA Navionics app to your phone separately.
Features
GPS
Built-in GPS for waypoint marking and mapping
Community Maps
Garmin Quickdraw community-sourced maps (free)
CHIRP Sonar
Clearer target separation at all depths
Side Scan
See structure and fish to the sides of your boat
Down Imaging
Photo-like images directly below
Downloadable Maps
Garmin Quickdraw maps downloadable for offline use
Optional Add-On
USA Navionics Subscription
For your cell phone
$175
Annual subscription
If you want Navionics instead of Garmin Quickdraw, we sell the USA Navionics subscription for your smartphone. Navionics offers highly detailed lake maps, depth contours, and SonarChart Live — useful even if your unit uses Garmin Quickdraw.