In the settings the live side bar is called A-Scope. Should be in the settings. Also turn up the speed to ultra. Helps a lot. Turning on night mode and changing the color to darker saves the battery for days
Best budget sonar for sure! I bought one 2 years ago since then I’ve had 5 of my friends get the same one. Perfect for weekend warriors. Awesome transducer rig, sent it to my buddies as some of them don’t have the iceducer
@@brose3975 I don't know, I've never used the ice transducer, it works good enough that I don't think I have to. It's just a "T" frame held together with a bolt and wingnut, in the summer I undo the wingnut and add on another piece I made to grip my canoe side. so it works all year long just fine for me. honestly I couldn't be happier with the unit or my homemade rig, I live up in northern ontario so all I fish is smallish backcountry lakes. The unit itself I mounted to a milk crate and I run it off a drill battery, I use the milk crate to hold stuff like spools of line and my tackle and snacks and it even holds my gas augerhead ontop for when I pack it into my sled, and in the summer it holds a deep cycle battery for a trolling motor . I mean I could make a little box like jay has but I'd still carry a milk crate for my augerhead and to pack small stuff in my sled anyways, heck the little box would probably end up in the milk crate
WOW! Almost 80K subs??? I knew it was coming, from the editing quality to the tips and tricks you give, your videos are by far (in my opinion) the best fishing videos on the internet! Keep up the great work and 100K will come in no time!
I bought one for myself this winter. I cannot believe how well it works for under 200 bucks. Truly an amazing help to guys who want quality electronics but can't afford 500, 1000, 3000+ dollar units
Great tips! I've been using one of those mounted on the top of a small toolbox for two years now. Paid $90 U.S. for it. I bashed a small hole in the top of the toolbox to run the wires through. Mine's rigged even more hoky than Jay's. I ran the transducer wire through the mount so that I can just hang it by the wire. I have a zip tie running through the bolt hole between the mount and the transducer instead of a bolt and I just level the transducer by adjusting its angle on the mount. In the spring I zip tie the mount onto a broom handle that I clamp to the side of the boat. I use my Garmin Inreach and Earthmate for my mapping...so I don't miss it in the Striker 4.
In general, the TI units are faster in response to inputs. This is seen when quickly switching between sonar, downscan, chart, and split screens ruclips.net/user/postUgkxeAxH15LxhjGlg5-CRYqjTGTEH0tbY4vk recommend The Hook units will show some lag on button pushes and screen switching. The big ticket item though is maps. If you install a mapping card such as Navionics or the free C-Map Genesis which has a lot of map detail, then moving around the map with the cursor or when running down the lake can lag significantly on the Hook units, but is seamless with the TI units.
I have this fish finder and it’s by far the best bang for your buck! I use it in the summer on my tinny and now in the winter for ice fishing. You can’t go wrong with it.
Don’t worry Jay, I won’t roast you in the comments. It’s all part of the sport, and you hooked up right after! Great stuff, and as always a top notch educator! Keep up the hard work
Striker 4cv is what I have, for ice and open water. Easy to make portable. Plus, it's a GPS AND maps your lakes!!!! Congrats on the milestone Jay. Cheers!
Been using the strike 4 for years the only one I want for ice fishing. Glade to see you did a video. Now the battery . If you well allow me to give you some advice ,stop using lead acid. If you have Dewalt tool batteries then get a 12 volt adapter on amazon for around $22 . Lithium ion battery charges easier and last long even when ice fishing . Give it a try you wont go back. thanks for the show
Thanks for teaching me the word janky. I also appreciate the boat transducer use. I just about melted down when I realized the package I bought didn't come with an ice transducer (days before going out on the ice). You gave me hope.
I did something similar but am using my 20v dewalt batteries as a power source. Bought an adapter on the jungle site and a voltage regulator to step down to 12 volts. Works great! Adapters are also available for other power tool makes.
Nice singing Sam! I built a Helix 5 non-gps (I use my phone) in an ammo box. Helix 5: $230 Ice Ducer: $100 Ammo box: $10 Battery: $20 Ammo box foam: $10 Ram mount: $20 One suggestion for your build would be to use bolts with nuts for mounting the unit to the box as the screws can pull out of plastic. I drilled my power cord hole by the handle so if it rains or snows water won't be able to leak as easily into the box.
Have the Garmin striker 4 plus, on my old town pdl 106... It's a beast. Picks up mackinaw at 200' depths, with clarity and detail. Auto-chart is great for staying on the hot spot for deep water jigging, mapping with 1' real data, much better than lake maps. Also went over what looked like a school of perch, in a supposed trout only lake... I mean I could almost See the perch lines and shape in Downscan... Stopped trolling and threw a worm out and got a perch.... Tons of confidence in this unit.
I lucked into mine and am so happy with it. I can sit there for hours now, marking, but not catching, fish, lol! I just got it, so excited to put it on my kayak and canoe.
This works great bought this and created the set up but use some different materials. Took he kids out today to try it we had a blast. Thank you for sharing this inventive and inexpensive way.
Another outstanding video!!! Very informative, and a well designed little unit that you cleverly packaged into a protected, take anywhere and run all weekend system. The only downside to this that I can see is trying to convince Samantha that we NEED a musical segment in the episodes from now on!!! Looking forward to the next video, take care and be safe!!!
Hey Jay it’s Jay 😃. That sucks so bad that you lost that “Snot Rocket”. Hopefully that’s what it was, and not a (PB) Walleye! Well adorable Sammy sang you that adorable little song, and made it much less painful right. Last season I landed a 40” Pike while jigging for crappie using a 1/64 ounce gold jig and a mealworm. It was a miracle I got her in, cause I had on 2 lb. test line! That was my (PB) Pike also, because I live in Connecticut and the Pike don’t seem to get as big here as they do where you live. Well thanks for that awesome review, I think you sold me on that unit. You can’t beat that for the price! Love you guys and be safe. Keep up the great work I’m a big fan.
I bought this exact unit last winter and love it. Can confirm the stock transducer works fine through the ice, just need to jimmy-rig it (like Jay does here). Of note - the GPS unit is CHIRP capable, but the transducer it comes with is not. I did upgrade to the ice transducer this year which is CHIRP capable, but honestly it doesn't make a huge difference (just eliminates the ABS pipe rigging). Big plusses - it will run well over 24 hours on a 7aH battery, and the mapping software is great - you can map your spots from your boat in the summer, and fish them in the winter. My tip - if you're not fishing in a shack, put a few of those hand warmers in the box, and it'll keep that battery warm.
I use this setup currently and love it. I throw it on my kayak in the summertime and map places out with the built in auto mapping, and then I can use the maps I've built when I'm out ice fishing. Navionics is a great tool for getting to a location, and then your garmin for fine tuning where you want to plug your holes. I've found it's really nice to have it on a long pole, so I can walk around and probe holes I just drilled with the battery box in one hand and the transducer stick in the other. You can run it side by side with 77hz and 200hz to get rid of your deadzone on the bottom.
The best underrated flasher. I use this unit and I am blown away on how many features it has for the price. Ascope and traditional is the best! Excellent video JS. :)
@@JaySiemens now please do a review on the Intex Mariner 4. Inflatable fishing boats. Not all of us can afford the dream setup. Its what I use to get on the fish. And quite frankly there is something about these simple setups that are totally addictive to customize. If ever you are thinking of an idea. I would suggest the intex line of inflatables.
I have the regular Garmin Striker 4 but not the plus and I also don’t have the ice bundle for mine. I specifically got mine so I could install it in my Kayak. At some point I probably will get the bundle so I can use it for ice fishing but at the moment I’m fine with what I have it for. I think it works absolutely perfect for a kayak or even a small boat or I also find it great so if you want to use it with your trolling motor it’s a great starter sonar and so many people say that they think it’s a great start and after a while they recommend getting a larger sonar. That’s what I will probably be doing in the next few years is I will change to a larger sonar!!
It is an awesome unit. I used to run a FL-8 but put it away ever since I got the Garmin. Its helped catch a bunch of fish for me and nice that I mark a honey hole when I find one.
This is exactly what I did with my striker 4 plus CV about 2 weeks ago. I added a duel USB port to charge gopros and 2 gopro crane neck mounts. One to record the finder and one to record me.
You can buy this model striker 4 in an ice bundle for around 200 american usually. I got one this year and with its gps/waypoints it make life way easier for sitting on structure and seeing fish moving under you. I prefer the flasher, setting but either mode is nice as you can see how the fish are reacting if you pull it away and entice them. My production has gone up for sure.
Hi, found one at Cabelas. Bare unit $179 portable kit $229. I bought the kit. Only used it a couple of times, as its the end of ice fishing season but seems pretty good. Never used a flasher before but seems straight forward. I like idea of GPS too. Thanks for the tip. Love your work. Keep it up.
Great video. The real time bar is the A-Scope. You can also do a split screen to have a locked zoom near the bottom and the full water column at the same time.
Thanks so much for reviewing the Striker 4. I was just awarded the complete kit from work, for 25th year anniversary! I've never had a fish finder, so maybe my luck will change now that I've got one!
Nice work... I have a very similar setup (Lowrance 4X chirp) with an open water transducer. I made my transducer arm out of ABS water pipe with a PVC screw-in fitting for the transducer. Works the charm, easy to assemble no complaints. I usually drill a separate hole for the transducer in-between two holes for fishing. Nothing beats tangling a fish up in the transducer and popping it off....
Funny how Jay used the same setup I used with my Garmin Striker Plus 4. Only I used a piece of pvc pipe attached to the transducer with the cord running up into it. You can never go wrong with a three tray tackle box that holds your battery inside and your screen on top.
I have the striker plus 4cv, 149.00 clearance sale at BPS at Christmas, used 6/8 times on the ice, ITS AWESOME !!!.. I like it better than my Helix 5 DI GPS G2...
I have the striker 4 and love it. I took 1” pvc pipe for transducer pole then 2” to sit on the ice. I drilled a 1” hole for the pvc pipe to go through and have quick adjustments for ice thickness
Great video. I have same unit, built on a small plastic ammo box using one of my 5Ah lithium drill battery as power source which last for well beyond a full day. As for "I don't understand how they did it for $170?". Its other way around, many "other" products are over priced in my true opinion. (especially when knowing cost for the middle man before distribution price) btw... that unit and your ring is a perfect match.
I’ve just started getting into ice fishing the past couple of years and I really appreciate the review on this cheaper unit. I think it’s worth the investment and I’m confident the battery life is going to be better then the ball and phone unit. Thx jay!
I use the traditional with the split screen. Just got back today from the U.P. and had no problems with the battery and it was in the single digits up there. Caught some small perch and had a hoot with my long time friend. Hope that helps you a little.
Love your channel.. while waiting for ice season to begin in upstate New York me and my girlfriend found it hilarious that she shares the name with your girls name love the Sam cam and this is exactly how our ice fishing trips as well as open water goes although she doesn’t have the same knowledge I still get out fished stay safe on the water and tight lines!
I use one of those in A-scope mode through the ice. I put it on one of those blue Genz Pack carriers for a Vexilar and bought an iceducer for it. I like it a lot.
got one for the wife last year, i liked the a scope and history style so much i sold my humminbird ice 55 and picked up the garmin striker 5, damn near the same, few more options. love the unit and a great “upgrade” from the classic flasher. i also use it on little carry in boat for hidden lakes
They self level the way it came leave the boat bracket on and put a foam float on the wire and done have used that setup for 4 yrs works great obviously gotta make sure transduecer is flat before you send it down the hole it moves sometimes during transport
MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THING IN EVERY FISHING VIDEO IS WATCHING A MARK COME IN AND BITE THE LURE WHEN SOMEONE ISN'T LOOKING.....THE SURPISE ON THEIR FACE IS EPIC
I use the same exact finder on my little 16 foot fishing boat for small lakes around me, I love it! Def thinking about buying another power cable and transducer to use ice fishing! Great video guys!
bought the Striker 4 from someone online for $50, new in the box.. I'm finally planning to make a box to mount it on. I also have the echomap 73 ice bundle, and 93 sv. I like that Garmin is the company that produces the maps, navionics, therefore you don't pay extra for maps, which can be a big savings.
I’m going to buy this sometime this week😂 Thanks for the video. As soon as I saw your review I had to get in on it. I live in Utah and it is on sale for $149.99 (USD)
Awesome video, I wish I had seen it before I shelled out $240 for the Striker portable bundle and another $120 for the ice fishing transducer like a dummy! Loved the DIY kit portion too, so helpful. I also really appreciated the tip on Dakota Batteries, weight and battery life matters for a lot of my fishing missions, so I’ll be checking this out. Thanks so much.
Great video, headed out soon to use mine! I love my striker 4 kit. Mine ran me 179.00 US. I also bought the aqua view micro stealth 4.3 and between the 2 its been a hoot to ice fish. Between both electronics I'm only in for about 400.00 bucks. Love both of them. Hope to get into some Perch, Crappies and blue gills this afternoon! Keep up the great content.
Hey Robert, how is the screen size on this for you? Do you enjoy it on the portrait view versus the traditional landscape? Are there issues with it standing upright or battery issues in the deep cold?
Jay that was a great example of building your own portable ice sonar! I know a lot of guys out here in BC are using those Garmin Strykers since they are so affordable!
I use my striker4 Plus CV with the open water transducer attached to a over the side kayak arm for ice fishing and it works great. No interference with Vex or Marcums. I have my setup DIY'd into a slim milk create and it works great!
Wife and I got 2 of these in the ice bundle. Actually, she got the upgraded one and I got the older one. I just wanted something to know if I'm even on fish...this thing is cool. I use that A Scope setting, but the flasher is cool too. I like the ice transducer on the plus unit, so I'll upgrade that on my unit and used the other ducer on a small aluminum boat or yak...for about 200 bucks for the ice bundle you can't beat it. I'm gonna toss it in the boat in the spring to see how it works jigging those early spring walleye.
Great vid Jay! It’s on sale at Canadian Tire right now (Feb 22 2021) Some stores have it on clearance for $159 If not they will price match the clearance price of the other stores!
By the way for anyone wondering how long a battery would run this - my DC ammeter read 200mA average current. So my little 1550 mAh Li-PO battery pack (Racing drone) should run it for almost 8 hrs? Sweet
I’ve been waiting for a decent video of striker 4 performance - thanks!! Getting one for the canoe likely - would be awesome to see a summer video setting one up for open water. Cheers
I have a Garmin Striker Vivid4 on my Jon boat and it’s absolutely amazing. I’m going to get the ice fishing kit for it and I will try your awesome battery setup. Thanks!
Just bought a striker 4 and I am going to use your design. Thank you for the info and looks like you had a great day on the ice. Keep the videos coming
Jay this was a great video show casing the Stryker 4! As someone who sells this product I've always seen the value of it and your video made it that much more apparent!
Appreciate the demonstration, I probably will set one up exactly as you did here, I will compare the bag setup but I like things practical like what you've done here.
One hack I found useful so you don't have to carry around the PVC, is if you just loop the cable above the open water tranducer and zip tie it in place it allows the tranducer to hang vertical in the water.
Was already gonna buy the striker 4 or striker 4 plus but this saved me alot of money since I found the strike 4 plus at my Canadian tire store on clearance for 160$+tax and a shotgun shell box for 13$+tax. Used my quad battery that I dont use in the winter and old fence 1x1 for the transducer. Used some foam on the lid to hold everything nice. I like it alot better than the bag they sell. The bag is a bitch to strap to anything and awkward to carry and dosnt even protect it as much as this setup. Two thumbs up my man
I like the storage box you've adapted to the Striker 4P. I built a little wooden box to house my battery and tied in a vexilar charging port to recharge the battery. I only have to remove four screws to access the battery and only when it requires replacement which as I write is five years and still going. BUT, I like that box idea because when not being used you can store the head where as my contraption it's always in the open. Now I need to find a similar container. Great idea you have there. Thanks for sharing. Sorry, I'm a bit behind in my video watching.
Jay, love the channel and especially the teaching side of it! I would love to hear you talk a bit about the line you typically use. When to use braid with a mono leader, when to use all mono, what pound, etc. Thanks!
Nice review! Got mine last summer for canoe trips and converted for the ice this winter as a backup for the Helix. Super easy on the batteries! Love the song Sam’s singing. LOL! Burn!
I think I had the same species of fish on with the big head shakes and then it popped off too felt extremely heavy. Fought it for about 5 minutes. Only had 2 pound test on. Big head shakes. the way u explained it and the way that fish acted was virtually the exact same thing my fish did. Wow
Out of nowhere..."what hurts the most...was being so close" had me rolling lol!
This ^ wins
She's a gem.
In the settings the live side bar is called A-Scope. Should be in the settings. Also turn up the speed to ultra. Helps a lot. Turning on night mode and changing the color to darker saves the battery for days
Is the A-scope only a feature for the plus model?
@@jiggz28 I don't believe so. I have the original striker 4
I have 4 plus and cannot find the a scope feature. can you assist please. @@BrandonMcCrackan
Seeing Sam's excitement when she saw the first perch come up and hit her bait had me smiling! Such a fun feeling!
Any video with Sam, I’m watching. Actually I’d love to see her with a channel, Sam’s kitchen and fishing!!
When Sam starts to sing I was like game over lol. Such a heart breaker
Voice of an angel
Best budget sonar for sure! I bought one 2 years ago since then I’ve had 5 of my friends get the same one. Perfect for weekend warriors.
Awesome transducer rig, sent it to my buddies as some of them don’t have the iceducer
I made the same type of rig but a lot smaller with 2 pieces of hockey sticks.
@@forfrigsakes3330 1/5 of my buddies used the old hockey sticks and some duct tape!
Works great 👍🏼
does the homemade setup have any major downfalls instead of the iceducer?
@@brose3975 I don't know, I've never used the ice transducer, it works good enough that I don't think I have to. It's just a "T" frame held together with a bolt and wingnut, in the summer I undo the wingnut and add on another piece I made to grip my canoe side. so it works all year long just fine for me. honestly I couldn't be happier with the unit or my homemade rig, I live up in northern ontario so all I fish is smallish backcountry lakes. The unit itself I mounted to a milk crate and I run it off a drill battery, I use the milk crate to hold stuff like spools of line and my tackle and snacks and it even holds my gas augerhead ontop for when I pack it into my sled, and in the summer it holds a deep cycle battery for a trolling motor . I mean I could make a little box like jay has but I'd still carry a milk crate for my augerhead and to pack small stuff in my sled anyways, heck the little box would probably end up in the milk crate
@@brose3975 honestly don’t think so but maybe I’ll do a comparison next time on the water and let you know!
Might I’ll even make a video
WOW! Almost 80K subs??? I knew it was coming, from the editing quality to the tips and tricks you give, your videos are by far (in my opinion) the best fishing videos on the internet! Keep up the great work and 100K will come in no time!
I agree
The "Sam Cam" is responsible for at least 18K subs also.😃
I really appreciate the kind words. Thank you so much for watching!
Hey Jay congrats almost 80k!! That amazing how far you've gone just since last summer almost 40k keep up the amazing content!!
Thanks for supporting this wild ride!!!
I bought one of these for my boat in 2018 and I am super-impressed! It will even show the thermocline! Amazon's price is currently $105.21.
So good!
I bought one for myself this winter. I cannot believe how well it works for under 200 bucks. Truly an amazing help to guys who want quality electronics but can't afford 500, 1000, 3000+ dollar units
Its such a good option!
Great tips! I've been using one of those mounted on the top of a small toolbox for two years now. Paid $90 U.S. for it. I bashed a small hole in the top of the toolbox to run the wires through.
Mine's rigged even more hoky than Jay's. I ran the transducer wire through the mount so that I can just hang it by the wire. I have a zip tie running through the bolt hole between the mount and the transducer instead of a bolt and I just level the transducer by adjusting its angle on the mount. In the spring I zip tie the mount onto a broom handle that I clamp to the side of the boat.
I use my Garmin Inreach and Earthmate for my mapping...so I don't miss it in the Striker 4.
Hey bill, which model did u get? there’s 3 or 4 now
I use the Striker 4 plus. I purchased the dual beam ice transducer this year which allows for a split screen (flasher + traditional). Great video!
I also have the striker 4 but not the plus edition. May i ask how you can put the flasher and the traditional on the same screen?
@@jasonderulo9577 if you purchase the Dual Beam-IF Ice transducer, you will see a new option for split screen.
In general, the TI units are faster in response to inputs. This is seen when quickly switching between sonar, downscan, chart, and split screens ruclips.net/user/postUgkxeAxH15LxhjGlg5-CRYqjTGTEH0tbY4vk recommend The Hook units will show some lag on button pushes and screen switching. The big ticket item though is maps. If you install a mapping card such as Navionics or the free C-Map Genesis which has a lot of map detail, then moving around the map with the cursor or when running down the lake can lag significantly on the Hook units, but is seamless with the TI units.
TI units?
I have this fish finder and it’s by far the best bang for your buck! I use it in the summer on my tinny and now in the winter for ice fishing. You can’t go wrong with it.
Got mine two weeks ago. Love it. I got the plus 4 ice kit for 250.
Mine came with everything you see there plus the battery and ice fishing bag for $180 US I love it. Got it off Amazon
Such a good deal!!
For the price you can’t beat it
@michael rakes
Can you reply with a link, thanks
@@reednorton7755 I just check on Amazon they are sold out right now.
@michael rakes thanks anyway man
Don’t worry Jay, I won’t roast you in the comments. It’s all part of the sport, and you hooked up right after! Great stuff, and as always a top notch educator! Keep up the hard work
Thanks for the kind words!
Striker 4cv is what I have, for ice and open water. Easy to make portable. Plus, it's a GPS AND maps your lakes!!!!
Congrats on the milestone Jay. Cheers!
Awesome! Thank you!
Love it, your trying to explain the options and Sam looks at the camera like give me the pole I want to fish... 😆
Been using the strike 4 for years the only one I want for ice fishing. Glade to see you did a video. Now the battery . If you well allow me to give you some advice ,stop using lead acid. If you have Dewalt tool batteries then get a 12 volt adapter on amazon for around $22 . Lithium ion battery charges easier and last long even when ice fishing . Give it a try you wont go back. thanks for the show
Thanks for the input!
Traditional mode with A-scope on is my go to for ice. Flasher and history on the screen at the same time.
Love my Lowrance hook2 4. All season kit, includes ice transducer, carry case, battery, boat transducer. works really well! Under $300 CAD.
Good to know! Thanks!
@@JaySiemens no problem!
I bought that unit this winter. I love it! So cheap and perfect for people that don't have a big budget for the higher priced units
I totally agree! A great option!
Thanks for teaching me the word janky. I also appreciate the boat transducer use. I just about melted down when I realized the package I bought didn't come with an ice transducer (days before going out on the ice). You gave me hope.
I did something similar but am using my 20v dewalt batteries as a power source. Bought an adapter on the jungle site and a voltage regulator to step down to 12 volts. Works great!
Adapters are also available for other power tool makes.
Nice singing Sam!
I built a Helix 5 non-gps (I use my phone) in an ammo box.
Helix 5: $230
Ice Ducer: $100
Ammo box: $10
Battery: $20
Ammo box foam: $10
Ram mount: $20
One suggestion for your build would be to use bolts with nuts for mounting the unit to the box as the screws can pull out of plastic. I drilled my power cord hole by the handle so if it rains or snows water won't be able to leak as easily into the box.
Good to know! Thanks for the input!
Have the Garmin striker 4 plus, on my old town pdl 106... It's a beast. Picks up mackinaw at 200' depths, with clarity and detail. Auto-chart is great for staying on the hot spot for deep water jigging, mapping with 1' real data, much better than lake maps. Also went over what looked like a school of perch, in a supposed trout only lake... I mean I could almost See the perch lines and shape in Downscan... Stopped trolling and threw a worm out and got a perch.... Tons of confidence in this unit.
Thanks for the info!
Thats what I've been using for a few years, I mount it on a milk crate and use it ice fishing and in my canoe all summer. great little unit for sure.
Right on!
I lucked into mine and am so happy with it. I can sit there for hours now, marking, but not catching, fish, lol! I just got it, so excited to put it on my kayak and canoe.
Haha best of luck with the catching part!
This works great bought this and created the set up but use some different materials. Took he kids out today to try it we had a blast. Thank you for sharing this inventive and inexpensive way.
We were really impressed with it too! Thanks for watching!
Another outstanding video!!! Very informative, and a well designed little unit that you cleverly packaged into a protected, take anywhere and run all weekend system. The only downside to this that I can see is trying to convince Samantha that we NEED a musical segment in the episodes from now on!!! Looking forward to the next video, take care and be safe!!!
Usually I can't get her to stop singing so this could be an easy request.
@@JaySiemens Make it so!!!
Literally the best for the money! Got two buddies into ice fishing this year and they love it so far.
Awesome!
Hey Jay it’s Jay 😃. That sucks so bad that you lost that “Snot Rocket”. Hopefully that’s what it was, and not a (PB) Walleye!
Well adorable Sammy sang you that adorable little song, and made it much less painful right. Last season I landed a 40” Pike while jigging for crappie using a 1/64 ounce gold jig and a mealworm. It was a miracle I got her in, cause I had on 2 lb. test line! That was my (PB) Pike also, because I live in Connecticut and the Pike don’t seem to get as big here as they do where you live. Well thanks for that awesome review, I think you sold me on that unit. You can’t beat that for the price!
Love you guys and be safe.
Keep up the great work I’m a big fan.
Thanks for the kind words!!
I bought this exact unit last winter and love it. Can confirm the stock transducer works fine through the ice, just need to jimmy-rig it (like Jay does here). Of note - the GPS unit is CHIRP capable, but the transducer it comes with is not. I did upgrade to the ice transducer this year which is CHIRP capable, but honestly it doesn't make a huge difference (just eliminates the ABS pipe rigging). Big plusses - it will run well over 24 hours on a 7aH battery, and the mapping software is great - you can map your spots from your boat in the summer, and fish them in the winter. My tip - if you're not fishing in a shack, put a few of those hand warmers in the box, and it'll keep that battery warm.
Good to know! Thanks so much for the input!
I use this setup currently and love it. I throw it on my kayak in the summertime and map places out with the built in auto mapping, and then I can use the maps I've built when I'm out ice fishing. Navionics is a great tool for getting to a location, and then your garmin for fine tuning where you want to plug your holes. I've found it's really nice to have it on a long pole, so I can walk around and probe holes I just drilled with the battery box in one hand and the transducer stick in the other. You can run it side by side with 77hz and 200hz to get rid of your deadzone on the bottom.
Good to know! Thank you!
The best underrated flasher. I use this unit and I am blown away on how many features it has for the price. Ascope and traditional is the best! Excellent video JS. :)
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
@@JaySiemens now please do a review on the Intex Mariner 4. Inflatable fishing boats. Not all of us can afford the dream setup. Its what I use to get on the fish. And quite frankly there is something about these simple setups that are totally addictive to customize. If ever you are thinking of an idea. I would suggest the intex line of inflatables.
I have the regular Garmin Striker 4 but not the plus and I also don’t have the ice bundle for mine. I specifically got mine so I could install it in my Kayak. At some point I probably will get the bundle so I can use it for ice fishing but at the moment I’m fine with what I have it for. I think it works absolutely perfect for a kayak or even a small boat or I also find it great so if you want to use it with your trolling motor it’s a great starter sonar and so many people say that they think it’s a great start and after a while they recommend getting a larger sonar. That’s what I will probably be doing in the next few years is I will change to a larger sonar!!
It is an awesome unit. I used to run a FL-8 but put it away ever since I got the Garmin. Its helped catch a bunch of fish for me and nice that I mark a honey hole when I find one.
Thats awesome!
This is exactly what I did with my striker 4 plus CV about 2 weeks ago. I added a duel USB port to charge gopros and 2 gopro crane neck mounts. One to record the finder and one to record me.
Sounds perfect!
You can buy this model striker 4 in an ice bundle for around 200 american usually. I got one this year and with its gps/waypoints it make life way easier for sitting on structure and seeing fish moving under you. I prefer the flasher, setting but either mode is nice as you can see how the fish are reacting if you pull it away and entice them. My production has gone up for sure.
Awesome!
paid 230 for the sonar with portable bag from cabelas, been loving it. using the transducer as is with a float and still works well.
Thats awesome!
Hi, found one at Cabelas. Bare unit $179 portable kit $229. I bought the kit. Only used it a couple of times, as its the end of ice fishing season but seems pretty good. Never used a flasher before but seems straight forward. I like idea of GPS too. Thanks for the tip. Love your work. Keep it up.
Thanks so much for watching! Best of luck!
Great video. The real time bar is the A-Scope. You can also do a split screen to have a locked zoom near the bottom and the full water column at the same time.
Thanks so much for reviewing the Striker 4. I was just awarded the complete kit from work, for 25th year anniversary! I've never had a fish finder, so maybe my luck will change now that I've got one!
Its a great rig! Best of luck!
Nice work...
I have a very similar setup (Lowrance 4X chirp) with an open water transducer. I made my transducer arm out of ABS water pipe with a PVC screw-in fitting for the transducer. Works the charm, easy to assemble no complaints. I usually drill a separate hole for the transducer in-between two holes for fishing. Nothing beats tangling a fish up in the transducer and popping it off....
Definitely! Thanks for the input!
Funny how Jay used the same setup I used with my Garmin Striker Plus 4. Only I used a piece of pvc pipe attached to the transducer with the cord running up into it. You can never go wrong with a three tray tackle box that holds your battery inside and your screen on top.
Right on!
I have the striker plus 4cv, 149.00 clearance sale at BPS at Christmas, used 6/8 times on the ice, ITS AWESOME !!!.. I like it better than my Helix 5 DI GPS G2...
I've been using the Striker 4 for a few years now and love it. Picked it up for $80 on kijiji brand new.
Thats awesome!
I love these. Have one for both my wife and I. I have a few friends that have strayed away from their Vexilars and gone with Striker 4 plus.
its a good one!
I have the striker 4 and love it. I took 1” pvc pipe for transducer pole then 2” to sit on the ice. I drilled a 1” hole for the pvc pipe to go through and have quick adjustments for ice thickness
Cool!
I have a striker and I didn't know about the A-scope. Now I do. Thank you
Glad I could help!
Great video. I have same unit, built on a small plastic ammo box using one of my 5Ah lithium drill battery as power source which last for well beyond a full day.
As for "I don't understand how they did it for $170?". Its other way around, many "other" products are over priced in my true opinion. (especially when knowing cost for the middle man before distribution price)
btw... that unit and your ring is a perfect match.
I’ve just started getting into ice fishing the past couple of years and I really appreciate the review on this cheaper unit. I think it’s worth the investment and I’m confident the battery life is going to be better then the ball and phone unit. Thx jay!
I use a makita 18v drill battery and it'll last for several weeks.
Glad I could help! Thanks for watching!
Ordered up some catch and cook for ourselves. Harvested a few bluegills and tried it out. Worked great, tastes great!! Thanks Jay!
So awesome! Thanks for the support!!!
Went ice fishing for the first time because of you and it was awesome!!! Keep it up!
So good!
I use the traditional with the split screen. Just got back today from the U.P. and had no problems with the battery and it was in the single digits up there. Caught some small perch and had a hoot with my long time friend. Hope that helps you a little.
Love your channel.. while waiting for ice season to begin in upstate New York me and my girlfriend found it hilarious that she shares the name with your girls name love the Sam cam and this is exactly how our ice fishing trips as well as open water goes although she doesn’t have the same knowledge I still get out fished stay safe on the water and tight lines!
Really appreciate you demonstrating a diy bundle for this unit, I'll be doing the same thing for this ice season!
I use one of those in A-scope mode through the ice. I put it on one of those blue Genz Pack carriers for a Vexilar and bought an iceducer for it. I like it a lot.
Did this build at Canadian tire for under $200, so easy works so well. I prefer traditional with auto zoom with a-scope on.
So good!
I just purchased all these material thank you for sharing a reasonable unit and showing it works.
Glad I could help!
That's the one I started with. Took it off my boat then bought an actual ice fishing unit once I got hooked.
Love watching fish come off the bottom and chowing a bait on the graph! Espcially fun with a group of White Bass!
got one for the wife last year, i liked the a scope and history style so much i sold my humminbird ice 55 and picked up the garmin striker 5, damn near the same, few more options. love the unit and a great “upgrade” from the classic flasher. i also use it on little carry in boat for hidden lakes
It's a good one! Thanks for watching!
How is Jay so underrated, one of the best fishing channels on RUclips
I'll keep working on it!
They self level the way it came leave the boat bracket on and put a foam float on the wire and done have used that setup for 4 yrs works great obviously gotta make sure transduecer is flat before you send it down the hole it moves sometimes during transport
MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THING IN EVERY FISHING VIDEO IS WATCHING A MARK COME IN AND BITE THE LURE WHEN SOMEONE ISN'T LOOKING.....THE SURPISE ON THEIR FACE IS EPIC
Always when we aren't looking!
I use the same exact finder on my little 16 foot fishing boat for small lakes around me, I love it! Def thinking about buying another power cable and transducer to use ice fishing! Great video guys!
Thank you!!
bought the Striker 4 from someone online for $50, new in the box.. I'm finally planning to make a box to mount it on. I also have the echomap 73 ice bundle, and 93 sv. I like that Garmin is the company that produces the maps, navionics, therefore you don't pay extra for maps, which can be a big savings.
I’m going to buy this sometime this week😂
Thanks for the video. As soon as I saw your review I had to get in on it. I live in Utah and it is on sale for $149.99 (USD)
Thats great! I hope you enjoyed it!
Awesome video, I wish I had seen it before I shelled out $240 for the Striker portable bundle and another $120 for the ice fishing transducer like a dummy! Loved the DIY kit portion too, so helpful. I also really appreciated the tip on Dakota Batteries, weight and battery life matters for a lot of my fishing missions, so I’ll be checking this out. Thanks so much.
I run the striker 4 and its great for the money its by far the best setup you can get at that price point
Definitely!
Thanks for the tips! I’ve been using the Striker 4 for 2 years now and learned a few things myself. Love the channel. Jealous of your adventures!
Great to hear!
Great video, headed out soon to use mine! I love my striker 4 kit. Mine ran me 179.00 US. I also bought the aqua view micro stealth 4.3 and between the 2 its been a hoot to ice fish. Between both electronics I'm only in for about 400.00 bucks. Love both of them. Hope to get into some Perch, Crappies and blue gills this afternoon! Keep up the great content.
Thats awesome! Thanks for watching!
Hey Robert, how is the screen size on this for you? Do you enjoy it on the portrait view versus the traditional landscape? Are there issues with it standing upright or battery issues in the deep cold?
Jay that was a great example of building your own portable ice sonar! I know a lot of guys out here in BC are using those Garmin Strykers since they are so affordable!
Its a great option!
I use my striker4 Plus CV with the open water transducer attached to a over the side kayak arm for ice fishing and it works great. No interference with Vex or Marcums. I have my setup DIY'd into a slim milk create and it works great!
Awesome!
Thanks for making the vid I was waiting for needed a bigger platform really getting into the striker
Wife and I got 2 of these in the ice bundle. Actually, she got the upgraded one and I got the older one. I just wanted something to know if I'm even on fish...this thing is cool. I use that A Scope setting, but the flasher is cool too. I like the ice transducer on the plus unit, so I'll upgrade that on my unit and used the other ducer on a small aluminum boat or yak...for about 200 bucks for the ice bundle you can't beat it. I'm gonna toss it in the boat in the spring to see how it works jigging those early spring walleye.
I own the striker ice kit and I love the flasher mode on it the only small problem with it is the mapping on it, and congrats on almost 80k
Own one myself, it does what any other sonar does and just as good, portable with gps, and cheap too, year round unit
I was slaying 7 stripe perch with the striker 4 yesterday. Really good unit for the price.
Awesome!
Great vid Jay! It’s on sale at Canadian Tire right now (Feb 22 2021) Some stores have it on clearance for $159 If not they will price match the clearance price of the other stores!
By the way for anyone wondering how long a battery would run this - my DC ammeter read 200mA average current. So my little 1550 mAh Li-PO battery pack (Racing drone) should run it for almost 8 hrs? Sweet
I’ve been waiting for a decent video of striker 4 performance - thanks!! Getting one for the canoe likely - would be awesome to see a summer video setting one up for open water. Cheers
I have a Garmin Striker Vivid4 on my Jon boat and it’s absolutely amazing. I’m going to get the ice fishing kit for it and I will try your awesome battery setup. Thanks!
Hey, Just know we really and throughly enjoy your videos. Happy New Years Sam and Jay. Be safe.
Just bought a striker 4 and I am going to use your design. Thank you for the info and looks like you had a great day on the ice. Keep the videos coming
Thanks so much!
Jay this was a great video show casing the Stryker 4! As someone who sells this product I've always seen the value of it and your video made it that much more apparent!
Thats great! Thanks!
I bought a striker right before Christmas. Love it so far. Great weekend warrior only get out a few times a season unit.
Awesome!
Appreciate the demonstration, I probably will set one up exactly as you did here, I will compare the bag setup but I like things practical like what you've done here.
Striker cast. Surprisingly nice and about as cheap as it gets. Using an old phone is perfect too
One hack I found useful so you don't have to carry around the PVC, is if you just loop the cable above the open water tranducer and zip tie it in place it allows the tranducer to hang vertical in the water.
Thanks for the tip!!
I just got the striker 4 ice bundle this year and I love it! Especially because I can use it on the yak for open water.
Awesome!
I have the striker 4 portable unit and it’s awesome for ice fishing and for the row boat
Was already gonna buy the striker 4 or striker 4 plus but this saved me alot of money since I found the strike 4 plus at my Canadian tire store on clearance for 160$+tax and a shotgun shell box for 13$+tax. Used my quad battery that I dont use in the winter and old fence 1x1 for the transducer. Used some foam on the lid to hold everything nice. I like it alot better than the bag they sell. The bag is a bitch to strap to anything and awkward to carry and dosnt even protect it as much as this setup. Two thumbs up my man
Great to hear!
I like the storage box you've adapted to the Striker 4P. I built a little wooden box to house my battery and tied in a vexilar charging port to recharge the battery. I only have to remove four screws to access the battery and only when it requires replacement which as I write is five years and still going. BUT, I like that box idea because when not being used you can store the head where as my contraption it's always in the open. Now I need to find a similar container. Great idea you have there. Thanks for sharing. Sorry, I'm a bit behind in my video watching.
Better late than never!! Thanks for watching!
Jay, love the channel and especially the teaching side of it! I would love to hear you talk a bit about the line you typically use. When to use braid with a mono leader, when to use all mono, what pound, etc. Thanks!
Nice review! Got mine last summer for canoe trips and converted for the ice this winter as a backup for the Helix. Super easy on the batteries! Love the song Sam’s singing. LOL! Burn!
Awesome! And yes. She's a gem.
I believe that it was a slurbyburby (bourbot). Sam was right on time with "what hurts the most" it was great.
Been running the Striker 4 plus! Bought mine for the same price in the summer. Like it for what I paid for it.
Its a great unit!
@@JaySiemens bought a bigger boat that has the striker 4, so I'm going to use the ice fishing set up on the bow for the plus.
I think I had the same species of fish on with the big head shakes and then it popped off too felt extremely heavy. Fought it for about 5 minutes. Only had 2 pound test on. Big head shakes. the way u explained it and the way that fish acted was virtually the exact same thing my fish did. Wow