I adapted and bought a very nice App from Garmin on my Iphone its like having a handheld GPS on my iphone and give me a few other cool option weather and Captain to captain communication. But like you said the striker unit is great for fish speed depth and other cool features.
Thanks for immediately telling us that you only got the unit a little bit ago. Glad I don't have to waste my time watching someone who hasn't even used the unit much try to give me a review.
I was a Walmart when I was looking at the striker 4 and the humming bird. Didn’t want to spend the extra money on the striker 4 , but I’m glad I did 👍👍👍. Seen awesome reviews on it
so i just installed, and got to play for a couple hours and am very pleased so far. I still have to play and tweak personal settings, but looks fairly simple. my biggest challenge will be the way point GPS. Going to Lake george NY next month and have a spot from when I was younger I remember, that was a bangin spot. I went on Google Earth and wrote down the Coordinates lat and long. lets see if it works/.. thanks for you videos!! they were a great tool in making my decision to purchase
Thanks for doing a review - but I also could not watch it, I only listened to what you were saying! The picture shook so much it was incredible. But this is what I am going to buy!
So nice to hear about a more affordable fish finder for those of us who do not have sponsor or just are not able to spend 600 dollars on a fish finder.. Nice Video. I and many others had rather watch someone use real world affordable stuff then the HIGH DOLLAR CRAZY RICH PEOPLES STUFF>.
Just bought one of these I had to replace my Garmin 551c DV as the head unit died. In Aus the 551 is about $500+ no GPS but a bigger screen when I spotted the Striker 4 on the shelf at $299AU with GPS i went weak at the knees I bought it installed it in my yak and spent a few hrs on the water playing around. What a great little FF $200 cheaper than the 551 and has GPS! easy to use easy to install crisp clear screen, I use a 12v 7ah battery and spent 4 hrs on the water with only a small drop in Volts. I would recomend this for a great budget FF in a yak or tinny.
Great Video Brother. I just got mine and you help me so much. Great Reviews. I am glad I make this purchase for my Sun Dolphin Sportsman 10 boat. Can"t wait to get her in the water.
I went out this morning and tried the Garmin striker 4.... It took several minutes to start showing the depth... Now my question is... it stops picking up the depth and blinks on a depth close to the depth it was showing,,, and it does not show any of the floor of the lake... Is it losing signal or is there something wrong with the unit? It does it pretty often and it is very irritating to be trying to run a certain depth of water and it does not work continuous,,,, Let me know what you think,,, thanks,,
thanx for ur awesome video!! I will be purchasing this unit for my 17ft deep v nxt wk!! for all the features it has and the amazing price I cant go wrong! as a guy thats got a family too feed and cant afford the high dollar shit this is gonna be perfect!!!!
+Carlson the Outdoorsman yes they are!! I live in Michigan and the saginaw bay area has plenty of walleye and perch!! when I get my new garmin striker 4 fish finder gps combo I intend on cathing my limit on a daily basis👍
Trying to decide between a Garmin Striker 4DV and the non-CHIRP version of the Garmin echoMap 43DV. The echoMap has a larger screen, micro-SD slot and built in Lake Vu maps. The Striker's only advantage is CHIRP. Both are available for the exact same price through Cabela's. If it were you, which would you buy? This is my first sonar and will be mounted on a sit-on kayak with in-hull transducer.
I would definitely buy the Garmin EchoMap 43dv. Simply because you have more features. You get the maps and the CleaVu option. You're only giving up the Chirp sonar, but I would take lake maps and clearvu over that any day. Unless you truly want the Chirp sonar I would definitely go with the 43dv. You'll be able to know the deepest points, shallow spots, depth changes (which can produce good fishing) all without scanning the lake constantly to try and find them. You still have the traditional 77/200 Khz frequencies option, which in reality is pretty similar to the Chirp sonar. But to answer your question, YES I would take the 43dv over the 4DV without a doubt.
in case anyone is wondering, the simulation mode's Split Frequency only has 200kHz (even though it shows both frequencies) - it's a limitation of the simulator. Found out the hard way so just a heads up!!
The SIMULATOR may only display 200 kHz frequencies (even on split frequency), but I can assure anyone this is not something they should worry about. That's strictly for a quick demonstration, out of simulation mode it displays both 200 and 77 Khz for normal use (depending on what screen layout you choose to use).
I am confused as to why you hook this up to a 12 volt battery. It is advertised as having a built-in rechargeable battery. Does one need a battery or not? Thank you
How artistic! I never would have thought to hook the camera to my puppies head in order to achieve the perfect amount of jiggle/wiggle while filming. Well done.
Thanks for sharing the info. good stuff. the only upgrade is to slow down on the recording and move the camera slowly. I couldn't watch the entire video. I got sick.
Ok, sign me up! I was going to buy a Lowrance Hook 4 chirp... yada yada yada, but they don't make them anymore, plus you have to buy a bunch of stuff separately! What's up with that? So after looking at your review, and some Hummingbird Pirannahmax reviews.... well, the Garmin wins hands down in my book... YMMV. Thanks for the great review, You sold me, and I also subbed your channel.
Spend the extra money for down imaging. Its not that down imaging is the best but it helps a lot. The GPS is virtually useless. Does it work? Yes! But naming way points is such a PITA you wont mark many places.
I used a 12 volt Exide Nautilus deep cycle battery with my Minn Kota. However, in the winter I use a 12 volt sealed Vexilar battery.Those batteries will run a Garmin for hours on end if not more!
stupid question, im new to using fishfinders and using a boat to fish. what is the radius/range of the transducer for the garmin striker 4. still learning how to tell where the fish are direction wise from looking at fishfinder screen. any help and insight would be helpful
The maximum reading depth of the transducer it comes with is 1,600 ft. Not sure how wide of a range, I would say maybe 4 ft. If you have your transducer on your trolling motor on the bow for example and you pick up a school of fish. Then by the time you see the fish on your screen the fish will be directly under your boat. If your transducer is in the back (Stern) than the fish would be directly behind you when you see the fish on your screen.
hey ya its me again,the sounder is good but I still have a problem to know which one is fish which one is not fish.can we change fish simbols on the sonar?
Yourworst NIGHTmare, yes you can. You just press the options tab and you should she an option for changing the fish symbol. Or you can go to system settings and into sonar.
I'm looking at getting one of these, and I have a Newbie question. Don't laugh, Marvin! If the unit shows what's under the boat, do you have to back up, or reposition the boat to fish that spot? Or, does it show you what's ahead of you? Thanx
The transducer sends a Cone down. If you are stationary...no issues, if you are moving then yes it will show what you are passing over. Come transducer have different cone options (Smaller/ Bigger)
Hi there, how tall is the unit from the bottom of the base to the top when positioned horizontally? (Fully tilted so it is flat or parallel with the ground) I am planning on purchasing a unit but I am also going to purchase a hard case to make it portable so I am trying to figure out which case to buy. Thanks in advance.
This unit is not ice fishing ready out of the box. You need to purchase Garmin's portable kit for the Striker series. You can also purchase an ice fishing transducer, although that's not totally necessary.
No issues running the trolling motor and fish finder on the same battery. The Striker 4 has a draw of 0.23 amps per hour. Simply calculate how many hours it will last based on the amp hour rating on the battery being used.
question,, when I cut the simulator on,, I get the screen I am looking for ,,, but when I go to the lake,,, my screen does not show that screen when I cut on the traditional ,,, it will only show that format that is a simulated tape ,, I need it to show my lake,, is there something I need to cut on to make it show that type screen when fishing my lake.. thanx
In order to scan the bottom of your lake you need to go into your settings and turn the simulation mode OFF. Once you turn your simulation mode off you can exit the settings and enter your "Traditional" sonar setting. Assuming that you've correctly installed your transducer you should have no problems whatsoever with scanning for fish. If you encounter more problems after this I would suggest you contact Garmin to determine what is wrong with your fish finder. Hope this helps.
Thanks, like an idiot, I did not look at the directions and hooked it up wrong. Upsidedown... Lol.. Will try it tomorrow and it should work. Thanks again for your reply.
I like the unit but I think I may have failed to notice the map screen only give you your waypoints and does not display land and other depths. ? do i need to download something and if so how?
As far as I know, you can't download anything onto this particular unit to see depths and land, But if you have another Garmin unit that does you can share the data onto the Striker 4 using the extra wires that are bound with the power wire. However, You can set way points and mark them, game their name/icon, set the depth, etc. For $120 this is by far the very best unit your will find. No other unit has all these features and capabilities while even maintaining a high standard for quality and that's honestly why I recommend the Striker 4. If you truly want to see the depths and see land I would recommend saving until you can afford a more top notch fish locator. Bottom line is if you have a budget of around $100, you simply cannot go wrong.
great video. .... what mode do you use to find catfish on the bottom???? I used it on a lake I found fish I seen the icons for as fish etc but never seen fish at rhe bottom so my question is what would u look for
You should be able to know what the bottom looks like. Watch for any differences/uneven surfaces. It could be a lump, spot, hump, long streak, or a spot mark. There is also a feature which allows you to zoom in on your sonar readings. To get to that setting simply press the options button and there should be a selection for the feature.
thanks for the video.. what did you do with the other two wires for accessories coming out of the power cable? It looks like you just taped them to the cable?
Great vid....seriously considering buying one of these....dumb question (have never owned one a fishfinder)...assume you use the same trolling motor battery for the fishfinder or does it require its own personal battery?
Im mounting on a jetski , from my understanding it's possible to mount the sensor inside the hull near battery facing downwards and no drilling is required is this true, it will allow me to use the gps and depth Finder fish find functions just not water temp...?
I'm not sure if you can successfully mount the transducer inside the hull of a jetski. However, I have done so successfully on a kayak. You do not need to drill through the hull. I used a marine epoxy product called GOOP to glue the transducer to the inside of the hull. You will get accurate GPS and depth readings. Although there is a slight amount of interference, it works fine. Like you mentioned, you will lose any accurate water temperature readings since the transducer is not actually in the water.
Thanks great review, does it matter if the trolling motor is mounted on the transom? I mount mine on the transom but I know some people mount them on the bow. Just wondering if it impact the sensor
Yes, I know this unit can be used on a float. You would need to purchase the portable kit however for an additional $100. This way you get a battery, transducer mounts for various applications, and a ultra-portable station to carry it with. It's worth the investment.
Yes, it certainly will. However, you will not get very clear readings. There will be lot's of interference especially if there are weeds present. Realistically speaking though, you won't get any good readings with any sort of sonar type electronics as far as my knowledge goes. Sonar devices really only are good if you need to locate fish in deeper water because (of course) you can't see the fish 20ft down. Assuming you're fishing in about 1-3ft of water in Louisiana like you stated I would recommend a really good pair of polarized sunglasses and a flats boat for fishing the shallows for red fish (red drum), bass, or whatever your shallow water target is. You're better off looking for the fish in such shallow water than trying to make out the readings on your Garmin (or pretty much any other fishing unit). If your target is red fish you definitely can spot them as they are usually pretty large and fast moving. The only thing that you could really put to use on a system like that is the GPS which you can use to mark spots and way points. If I were you I get some sunglasses and if I had the money a flats boat. That's really the best way to navigate, spot, and hopefully catch your targeted species. I hope this helps you Ms. Peters.
Originally, I planed on buying a kayak, but I ended up buying a canoe. Of course then the logical next step for any fisherman would be to equip your new vessel with some fishing gear. My goal at the time was to get a fish finder. I didn't want to spend all that money on high-end naval electronics, but I did want a few of the features that you would typically find on them. I decided to purchase the Garmin Striker 4 as you may already know; I'm not sure if I would go with the Dragonfly 4. If I were you I would make a list of what features/options you TRULY want in your fish finder. Narrow it down and determine one over the other. If I were to make a recommendation I would say to go with the Garmin Striker 4. Let me know what you decide YakMan!
Hey there. Yes, I often have my trolling motor and fish finder connected to the same battery. All you need to do is splice the appropriate terminal connectors to the positive and negative wire leads which will connect to the battery.
Hello Friend. Can you tell me how I can change the temperature settings, depth among others? It did not come from the factory to the temperature in Celsius nor to the depth meters.
I attached my transducer to my Minn Kota motor by using the mounting hardware that came with it. Yes, the suction cup mount does work. However I would strongly recommend that you mount it directly to your canoe if it's made of plastic or on something else like I did. That way the transducer doesn't fall off at all.
I would NOT attach the transducer to a larger outboard motor simply because it will throw off way too much interference from the turbulent commotion produced by the outboard motor. The only time it would give accurate readings was if the outboard was off and your transducer was mounted on the lowest point. Also, you risk damaging your transducer and your prop at higher speeds. You can however mount a transducer to a trolling motor simply because they're very calm and designed to be used with transducers. If you mount it to your outboard you're probably going to regret it. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your time reviewing, but dude... please hold the camera steady. I could not watch. It's a shame because you were nailing the description.
Does it seem to detect fish very accurately? And is the screen easy to read as to where the fish are at? I'm looking to get this for both depth and fish finding. More importantly fish finding.
Yes, it does detect fish very accurately. Once you see the fish on the screen if you have the transducer mounted in the back (Stern) of the boat then the fish will be right behind you that you had seen. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a cheaper nice fish finder with lots of features.
Hey there! I recommend purchasing the portable kit for the Striker series from Garmin. It gives you the hardware to mount the transducer with a suction cup and transport the entire fish finder system in small well-designed pack.
thank you for the great review, loved seeing how you hook it up and all the features. Makes my gift buying less stressful!
Just bought the Striker Ice Bundle. Ready to get this things out next weekend! Nice review!
I adapted and bought a very nice App from Garmin on my Iphone its like having a handheld GPS on my iphone and give me a few other cool option weather and Captain to captain communication. But like you said the striker unit is great for fish speed depth and other cool features.
You know my friend...... I only listen to this video since you moved too much I got sick and about to throw up.... but the information is great 😣🤕
I'm sorry to hear that! I will be improving my camera work in future videos.
@@CarlsontheOutdoorsman Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thanks for immediately telling us that you only got the unit a little bit ago. Glad I don't have to waste my time watching someone who hasn't even used the unit much try to give me a review.
I was a Walmart when I was looking at the striker 4 and the humming bird. Didn’t want to spend the extra money on the striker 4 , but I’m glad I did 👍👍👍. Seen awesome reviews on it
I know this was 5 years ago but this helped me out a lot !!!
so i just installed, and got to play for a couple hours and am very pleased so far. I still have to play and tweak personal settings, but looks fairly simple. my biggest challenge will be the way point GPS. Going to Lake george NY next month and have a spot from when I was younger I remember, that was a bangin spot. I went on Google Earth and wrote down the Coordinates lat and long. lets see if it works/..
thanks for you videos!! they were a great tool in making my decision to purchase
Thanks for doing a review - but I also could not watch it, I only listened to what you were saying! The picture shook so much it was incredible. But this is what I am going to buy!
Very helpful review, confirmed what I needed to know to ensure I was purchasing the correct unit for my intended usage. Thanks!
I like the way this dude talks.
Its has this screen and.. ITS GREAT. It has this other shit and .. ITS AWESOME
So nice to hear about a more affordable fish finder for those of us who do not have sponsor or just are not able to spend 600 dollars on a fish finder.. Nice Video. I and many others had rather watch someone use real world affordable stuff then the HIGH DOLLAR CRAZY RICH PEOPLES STUFF>.
Just bought one of these I had to replace my Garmin 551c DV as the head unit died. In Aus the 551 is about $500+ no GPS but a bigger screen when I spotted the Striker 4 on the shelf at $299AU with GPS i went weak at the knees I bought it installed it in my yak and spent a few hrs on the water playing around. What a great little FF $200 cheaper than the 551 and has GPS! easy to use easy to install crisp clear screen, I use a 12v 7ah battery and spent 4 hrs on the water with only a small drop in Volts.
I would recomend this for a great budget FF in a yak or tinny.
They at 99 dollars on amazon
Thank you for the great review. You’re one of the few reviewers that shows the simulation.
Thanks so much for making this video!! I fish on a small 6 foot bass boat with a trolling motor and this sealed the deal.
You have a 6ft long boat?
Great video thanks! Just got one for my tinnie for a Christmas present. Can’t wait to try it out. Your video is a good help thanks
Thx for this video I was on the fence on which one to order but the information and in depth walk through you provided made my mind up!!!
Great Video Brother. I just got mine and you help me so much. Great Reviews. I am glad I make this purchase for my Sun Dolphin Sportsman 10 boat. Can"t wait to get her in the water.
I went out this morning and tried the Garmin striker 4.... It took several minutes to start showing the depth... Now my question is... it stops picking up the depth and blinks on a depth close to the depth it was showing,,, and it does not show any of the floor of the lake... Is it losing signal or is there something wrong with the unit? It does it pretty often and it is very irritating to be trying to run a certain depth of water and it does not work continuous,,,, Let me know what you think,,, thanks,,
Thanks for the insight.been looking for one for my yak. This looks like it will do just fine.
Thank you very much. I really needed to see this video! good job!
The only thing I don't like about it is the mounting bracket. It doesn't stay in place when hitting bad water
Did tons of research and thanks to your vids/descriptions I was finally able to land on this one for my Crescent Lite Tackle! Thanks a ton brother!
thanx for ur awesome video!! I will be purchasing this unit for my 17ft deep v nxt wk!! for all the features it has and the amazing price I cant go wrong! as a guy thats got a family too feed and cant afford the high dollar shit this is gonna be perfect!!!!
Thanks! Keep in mind, Walleye are the best tasting freshwater fish eaten!
+Carlson the Outdoorsman
yes they are!! I live in Michigan and the saginaw bay area has plenty of walleye and perch!! when I get my new garmin striker 4 fish finder gps combo I intend on cathing my limit on a daily basis👍
I have the 4dv I love it I like the 3d reconstruction of the structure.
I definitely want to see a video of it in the water I just ordered one from Walmart for my 16 foot aluminum boat that I have
It's like 160, for the ice ducer,
And I just bought the complete ice fishing kit from Walmart for $249 bucks, I'm pleased so far
Trying to decide between a Garmin Striker 4DV and the non-CHIRP version of the Garmin echoMap 43DV. The echoMap has a larger screen, micro-SD slot and built in Lake Vu maps. The Striker's only advantage is CHIRP. Both are available for the exact same price through Cabela's. If it were you, which would you buy? This is my first sonar and will be mounted on a sit-on kayak with in-hull transducer.
I would definitely buy the Garmin EchoMap 43dv. Simply because you have
more features. You get the maps and the CleaVu option. You're only
giving up the Chirp sonar, but I would take lake maps and clearvu over
that any day. Unless you truly want the Chirp sonar I would definitely
go with the 43dv. You'll be able to know the deepest points, shallow
spots, depth changes (which can produce good fishing) all without
scanning the lake constantly to try and find them. You still have the
traditional 77/200 Khz frequencies option, which in reality is pretty
similar to the Chirp sonar. But to answer your question, YES I would
take the 43dv over the 4DV without a doubt.
in case anyone is wondering, the simulation mode's Split Frequency only has 200kHz (even though it shows both frequencies) - it's a limitation of the simulator. Found out the hard way so just a heads up!!
The SIMULATOR may only display 200 kHz frequencies (even on split frequency), but I can assure anyone this is not something they should worry about. That's strictly for a quick demonstration, out of simulation mode it displays both 200 and 77 Khz for normal use (depending on what screen layout you choose to use).
yes exactly, it's not an issue, just a limitation of the simulator. It will work fine when you're actually out on the water
I am confused as to why you hook this up to a 12 volt battery. It is advertised as having a built-in rechargeable battery. Does one need a battery or not? Thank you
It needs a battery. I use a lithium battery and it lasts all day.
You need an external battery. Any 12v battery will work.
Thank you for your time and insight. Very helpful.
You're welcome Lorne! Thanks for your feedback, It's very helpful.
Excellent video. You've sold me on the Striker 4. Look forward to owning one in the near future on my Bauer 18 dinghy.
Let's say if I put it on my kayak and I tip over is it fully waterproof?
"To the HUMAN eye??" Is my dog going to be watching the screen?? lol. Just kidding, funny!
"It's really neat" Is another, over and over I'm told how "really neat" it is.
i plan on buying one for my sailboat. thx for the review.
You're welcome, Dennis!
I am trying to find the kit to mount to a trolling motor..the one shown in your video.....does anyone have a link?
How artistic! I never would have thought to hook the camera to my puppies head in order to achieve the perfect amount of jiggle/wiggle while filming. Well done.
I just ordered one for my small Carolina skiff
Thanks for sharing the info. good stuff. the only upgrade is to slow down on the recording and move the camera slowly. I couldn't watch the entire video. I got sick.
Ok, sign me up! I was going to buy a Lowrance Hook 4 chirp... yada yada yada, but they don't make them anymore, plus you have to buy a bunch of stuff separately! What's up with that? So after looking at your review, and some Hummingbird Pirannahmax reviews.... well, the Garmin wins hands down in my book... YMMV. Thanks for the great review, You sold me, and I also subbed your channel.
Thanks for the review. Just bought one for my Outback.
Spend the extra money for down imaging. Its not that down imaging is the best but it helps a lot. The GPS is virtually useless. Does it work? Yes! But naming way points is such a PITA you wont mark many places.
great video buf, i wasnt sure bentween humming bird and lowrance but after this i know im getting a Garmin, i subbed u as well
Thanks for the feedback dude! It helps to know what people think of my videos.
how big of a battery did u get on urs
I used a 12 volt Exide Nautilus deep cycle battery with my Minn Kota. However, in the winter I use a 12 volt sealed Vexilar battery.Those batteries will run a Garmin for hours on end if not more!
How many Ah? ( amps per hour) is the rating on it?
Harmon comm,marine
stupid question, im new to using fishfinders and using a boat to fish. what is the radius/range of the transducer for the garmin striker 4. still learning how to tell where the fish are direction wise from looking at fishfinder screen. any help and insight would be helpful
The maximum reading depth of the transducer it comes with is 1,600 ft. Not sure how wide of a range, I would say maybe 4 ft. If you have your transducer on your trolling motor on the bow for example and you pick up a school of fish. Then by the time you see the fish on your screen the fish will be directly under your boat. If your transducer is in the back (Stern) than the fish would be directly behind you when you see the fish on your screen.
Great video. A lot better than most. Thanks
Thanks for your feedback!
Thanks for making this video, very helpful and answered all my questions!
hey ya its me again,the sounder is good but I still have a problem to know which one is fish which one is not fish.can we change fish simbols on the sonar?
Yourworst NIGHTmare, yes you can. You just press the options tab and you should she an option for changing the fish symbol. Or you can go to system settings and into sonar.
this is awesome thanks for the details,this will be my first fish finder for our boat!
Thanks for your feedback! I really do appreciate it! You'll love your Garmin by the way.
No worries bro just got it today so we'll see
And we not using a fiber boat or speed boat we just had a normal long tail boat so we don't really know is it easy to use or not
Good! They're very simple and straight forward. If you have any questions just let me know!
I got lost on lake Winnepesaukee and want to make sure that doesn’t happened again will this work
can you use this particular model for ice fishing? same transducer and just add a battery? do you have a link you can share?
I'm looking at getting one of these, and I have a Newbie question. Don't laugh, Marvin! If the unit shows what's under the boat, do you have to back up, or reposition the boat to fish that spot? Or, does it show you what's ahead of you?
Thanx
The transducer sends a Cone down. If you are stationary...no issues, if you are moving then yes it will show what you are passing over. Come transducer have different cone options (Smaller/ Bigger)
@@woodyw9470 thank you!
Close call between the Striker 4 and the Lowrance hook2, which has a much bigger screen for the same money.
Striker 4 is the only one with a built-in GPS. Something to think about! Definitely comes in handy.
I’m looking for a gps for my kayak I got lost on lake Winnepesaukee one day and don’t want that to happen again will this work for that
Thanks man. Great little video.
What's the difference between this one and the plus model. Thanks
This was the one I was looking at too gonna try it out tomorrow
Hi there, how tall is the unit from the bottom of the base to the top when positioned horizontally? (Fully tilted so it is flat or parallel with the ground) I am planning on purchasing a unit but I am also going to purchase a hard case to make it portable so I am trying to figure out which case to buy. Thanks in advance.
Is this "ice fishing ready" out of the box, or do additional accessories need to be purchased? Thanks for the review.
This unit is not ice fishing ready out of the box. You need to purchase Garmin's portable kit for the Striker series. You can also purchase an ice fishing transducer, although that's not totally necessary.
Do you have any problems having the fish finder and trolling motor on the same battery. And how much does it shorting the run time?
No issues running the trolling motor and fish finder on the same battery. The Striker 4 has a draw of 0.23 amps per hour. Simply calculate how many hours it will last based on the amp hour rating on the battery being used.
Thanks for the vid. Would be possible that you can do a video on sharing data from the Striker to a pc?
question,, when I cut the simulator on,, I get the screen I am looking for ,,, but when I go to the lake,,, my screen does not show that screen when I cut on the traditional ,,, it will only show that format that is a simulated tape ,, I need it to show my lake,, is there something I need to cut on to make it show that type screen when fishing my lake.. thanx
In order to scan the bottom of your lake you need to go into your settings and turn the simulation mode OFF. Once you turn your simulation mode off you can exit the settings and enter your "Traditional" sonar setting. Assuming that you've correctly installed your transducer you should have no problems whatsoever with scanning for fish. If you encounter more problems after this I would suggest you contact Garmin to determine what is wrong with your fish finder. Hope this helps.
Thanks, like an idiot, I did not look at the directions and hooked it up wrong. Upsidedown... Lol.. Will try it tomorrow and it should work. Thanks again for your reply.
I like the unit but I think I may have failed to notice the map screen only give you your waypoints and does not display land and other depths. ? do i need to download something and if so how?
As far as I know, you can't download anything onto this particular unit
to see depths and land, But if you have another Garmin unit that does
you can share the data onto the Striker 4 using the extra wires that are
bound with the power wire. However, You can set way points and mark
them, game their name/icon, set the depth, etc. For $120 this is by far
the very best unit your will find. No other unit has all these features
and capabilities while even maintaining a high standard for quality and
that's honestly why I recommend the Striker 4. If you truly want to see
the depths and see land I would recommend saving until you can afford a
more top notch fish locator. Bottom line is if you have a budget of
around $100, you simply cannot go wrong.
Picked mine up at academy for 99 bucks after price match -5%. Best 100 dollar fish finder hands down.
great video. .... what mode do you use to find catfish on the bottom???? I used it on a lake I found fish I seen the icons for as fish etc but never seen fish at rhe bottom so my question is what would u look for
You should be able to know what the bottom looks like. Watch for any
differences/uneven surfaces. It could be a lump, spot, hump, long
streak, or a spot mark. There is also a feature which allows you to zoom
in on your sonar readings. To get to that setting simply press the
options button and there should be a selection for the feature.
Would be helpful to show how you hooked up the battery.
thanks for the video.. what did you do with the other two wires for accessories coming out of the power cable? It looks like you just taped them to the cable?
I believe they are for data sharing between other Garmin units; Don't quote me on that though.
Does this unit have a low depth alarm? Say you set it at 3 ft. Will give you an audible alarm once you go 3 ft or under in depth?
Yes, it does have a shallow water alarm. However, it does not come preset out of the box, you have to activate it.
Are the wires waterproof because I am gonna take the head unit off but leave the wires. So do I need to worry about water near the wires ?
I've never had any issues with the wires getting wet. I wouldn't submerge them in water for long periods of time, but they'll be fine if they get wet.
Would be interesting to see if lure was visible on screen. Great video you should send it to Garmin.
Yeah works great use it icefishing picks up my small luers
Yes, works great for picking up lures - especially when vertical jigging.
Great vid....seriously considering buying one of these....dumb question (have never owned one a fishfinder)...assume you use the same trolling motor battery for the fishfinder or does it require its own personal battery?
You can run this unit off of any 12v battery system even if you have other things connected to the same battery (i.e. trolling motor).
The striker dv4 has a different transducer also the structure view and maybe a few more features.
Im mounting on a jetski , from my understanding it's possible to mount the sensor inside the hull near battery facing downwards and no drilling is required is this true, it will allow me to use the gps and depth Finder fish find functions just not water temp...?
I'm not sure if you can successfully mount the transducer inside the hull of a jetski. However, I have done so successfully on a kayak. You do not need to drill through the hull. I used a marine epoxy product called GOOP to glue the transducer to the inside of the hull. You will get accurate GPS and depth readings. Although there is a slight amount of interference, it works fine. Like you mentioned, you will lose any accurate water temperature readings since the transducer is not actually in the water.
Another thing thats great is: It has an easy to read BOX!
Can it display your current depth?
Thanks great review, does it matter if the trolling motor is mounted on the transom? I mount mine on the transom but I know some people mount them on the bow. Just wondering if it impact the sensor
The location of the trolling motor or transducer is not critical. It can be mounted on the bow or transom successfully.
Where did you fing that huge piece of round Velcro at
Do you think this can be used on a float tube? Great video btw!
Yes, I know this unit can be used on a float. You would need to purchase the portable kit however for an additional $100. This way you get a battery, transducer mounts for various applications, and a ultra-portable station to carry it with. It's worth the investment.
Thanks Ill look it up now appreciate the reply
Mr Zolo iy
Will it work down to 200ft at 40mph without loosing digital depth ?
No, this unit cannot give you an accurate depth reading at that speed - regardless of depth.
good video does it also give water temps?
Yes, it will give you the water temperature via the transducer.
Does the Striker have an internal battery? If so how long does it last? If not what type of battery?
No, it does not have an internal battery. You need an external 12v battery of some sort.
can sonar free of charge to obtain?
We want to use this in the marshes of Louisiana. Will it show depth of 1 foot. I read another review that said it would only go to 3 feet.
Yes, it certainly will. However, you will not get very clear readings. There will be lot's of interference especially if there are weeds present. Realistically speaking though, you won't get any good readings with any sort of sonar type electronics as far as my knowledge goes. Sonar devices really only are good if you need to locate fish in deeper water because (of course) you can't see the fish 20ft down. Assuming you're fishing in about 1-3ft of water in Louisiana like you stated I would recommend a really good pair of polarized sunglasses and a flats boat for fishing the shallows for red fish (red drum), bass, or whatever your shallow water target is. You're better off looking for the fish in such shallow water than trying to make out the readings on your Garmin (or pretty much any other fishing unit). If your target is red fish you definitely can spot them as they are usually pretty large and fast moving. The only thing that you could really put to use on a system like that is the GPS which you can use to mark spots and way points. If I were you I get some sunglasses and if I had the money a flats boat. That's really the best way to navigate, spot, and hopefully catch your targeted species. I hope this helps you Ms. Peters.
Just got into kayak fishing.. and looking for
Originally, I planed on buying a kayak, but I ended up buying a canoe. Of course then the logical next step for any fisherman would be to equip your new vessel with some fishing gear. My goal at the time was to get a fish finder. I didn't want to spend all that money on high-end naval electronics, but I did want a few of the features that you would typically find on them. I decided to purchase the Garmin Striker 4 as you may already know; I'm not sure if I would go with the Dragonfly 4. If I were you I would make a list of what features/options you TRULY want in your fish finder. Narrow it down and determine one over the other. If I were to make a recommendation I would say to go with the Garmin Striker 4. Let me know what you decide YakMan!
Can I use my boat battery to power this device or should I purchase a 12V separate battery?
You can use either one, whichever is more convenient.
Did you hook up your garmin and trolling motors on thesame battery? Can you do a tutorial how you did it?👌 thanks
Hey there. Yes, I often have my trolling motor and fish finder connected to the same battery. All you need to do is splice the appropriate terminal connectors to the positive and negative wire leads which will connect to the battery.
What’s the maximum depth range ?
Hello there! According to Garmin, the maximum depth range is 1600' feet for freshwater and 750' feet for saltwater.
Hello Friend. Can you tell me how I can change the temperature settings, depth among others? It did not come from the factory to the temperature in Celsius nor to the depth meters.
Does it have a track back feature that allows you to return to your starting point for example?
yes mark the launch spot then when on the water you can waypoint back to you marked spot
can you change the fish symbol and number for the depth above it, like on the 5cv and 7cv? thanks. good video
Thank you for the review. I am looking at this for my canoe. How did you attach the transducer to your canoe? Does the suction cup mount work?
Thanks!
I attached my transducer to my Minn Kota motor by using the mounting hardware that came with it. Yes, the suction cup mount does work. However I would strongly recommend that you mount it directly to your canoe if it's made of plastic or on something else like I did. That way the transducer doesn't fall off at all.
Can you change the depth indication to Meters as well? Great vid!!
Yes, you can! Thank You!
can u only hook the transducer onto a trolling motor or can i attach it to my 2.5 hp outboard motor
I would NOT attach the transducer to a larger outboard motor simply because it will throw off way too much interference from the turbulent commotion produced by the outboard motor. The only time it would give accurate readings was if the outboard was off and your transducer was mounted on the lowest point. Also, you risk damaging your transducer and your prop at higher speeds. You can however mount a transducer to a trolling motor simply because they're very calm and designed to be used with transducers. If you mount it to your outboard you're probably going to regret it. Hope this helps!
does it work for offshore trips?
Does this give water temp as well? Do I need any other hardware for that? Cool video. Thanks!
Great review.
Thank you so much for your time reviewing, but dude... please hold the camera steady. I could not watch. It's a shame because you were nailing the description.
I promise the camera work will improve in future videos!
Does it seem to detect fish very accurately? And is the screen easy to read as to where the fish are at? I'm looking to get this for both depth and fish finding. More importantly fish finding.
Yes, it does detect fish very accurately. Once you see the fish on the screen if you have the transducer mounted in the back (Stern) of the boat then the fish will be right behind you that you had seen. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a cheaper nice fish finder with lots of features.
same trans that comes with It... It just has a mount connected to it in the bundle dude
I rent a little 12 ft John boat. Is it easyto mount the FF on the side of the boat?
Hey there! I recommend purchasing the portable kit for the Striker series from Garmin. It gives you the hardware to mount the transducer with a suction cup and transport the entire fish finder system in small well-designed pack.
I see a lot of people using this on lakes can it be used in saltwater?
Yes, although the saltwater reduces its maximum depth range from 1600' down to 750' according to Garmin. You can use this unit in saltwater.
Can you use the flasher with the transducer that comes with it.Thanks
Yes, you can use the flasher function with the provided transducer. The ice fishing transducer works better for this function, however.