You probably used to fish catfishes because they are one of the popular freshwater fish species in the world. I also spent a lot of time reading and researching around to find the best fish finder for catfish.
However, many people respond that they can’t pick up the catfishes on their fishfinder's radar. It is because they are quite sophisticated and lay at the river bottom most of the time. Therefore, catfish fishing becomes a challenge for amateur anglers.
Do not worry. In this article, I will give you the fish finder products I have used and reviewed. Besides, I also show you how I choose them as well as answer some issues related to the fish finder for catfish.
Here are the best fish finder for catfish (Dec 2024 Update):
- Best Overall: Humminbird 410970-1 ICE Helix 5 Fishfinder
- Best For Kayak Fishing: Lowrance HOOK2 5 Fish Finder
- Best For Mud Bottoms: Humminbird 410230-1 Helix 5 Fish Finder
- Best For Shore-Bound Anglers: Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar Fish Finder
- Best For Ice Fishing: RICANK Portable Fish Finder
- Best For Beginners: Garmin Striker 4 Fishfinder
| Best Fish Finder For Catfish: Top 6 Picks | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Humminbird 410970-1 ICE Helix 5 Fishfinder | Read Our Review |
Best For Kayak Fishing | Lowrance HOOK2 5 Fish Finder | Read Our Review |
Best For Mud Bottoms | Humminbird 410230-1 Helix 5 Fish Finder | Read Our Review |
Best For Shore-Bound Anglers | Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar Fish Finder | Read Our Review |
Best For Ice Fishing | RICANK Portable Fish Finder | Read Our Review |
Best For Beginners | Garmin Striker 4 Fishfinder | Read Our Review |
Best Overall: Humminbird 410970-1 ICE Helix 5 Fishfinder
- Zero interference
- Great flasher
- Easy to use
- Excellent sensitivity
- Hardly see the buttons in the dark
I have a habit of going fishing at the end of each month with those in the same fishing club with me. I realize that, after many failures with my fish finders, I need a product that I could use at any time of the year, in all weather conditions.
If you have the same hobby as me, let's see what you've missed out on this Humminbird fish finder.
Catfish love to swim in the weeds in deep water. However, the stuff's digital depth readout technology is certainly a big bonus. It is very easy to use, and the manufacturer also provides users with easy-to-understand instructions. You can practice right after reading them and see the first fish after minutes on nice days.
What about winter with glaciers?
You don't have to worry about that because the fish finder will allow you to catch fish even when the temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius via the center dial LCD display. Besides, it is also free of interference, and the image is incredibly clear.
| Humminbird 410970-1 ICE Helix 5 Fishfinder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 8 pounds |
Dimension | 7.5 x 3.3 x 4.6 inches |
Monitor Size | 5 inches |
Working Time | 9 hours |
Highlight Features | The Dual Spectrum CHIRP Sonar is a revolution that helps you see the fish easily on the bottom. |
The Humminbird 410970-1 fishfinder comes with everything you need for fishing catfish, whether it's winter or summer.
Best For Kayak Fishing: Lowrance HOOK2 5 Fish Finder
- Impressive down and side-scanning
- Easy to install and setup
- Compact
- Amazing maps
- Plastic bracket design
If you prefer to combine water sports like kayaking with fishing, there is no better option for you than the Lowrance HOOK2 5 fishfinder.
While conventional fish finders will require you to control them manually, the auto-tuning sonar will help you more hands-free to paddle the kayak and fish. The time it takes to control the tool will also be shortened thanks to its phone-like menus.
And with a weight of fewer than 4 pounds, it's convenient for you to carry the fish finder around on your kayak.
Additionally, you cannot ignore one of the unique and advanced features of this product - the highly-detailed mapping of over 4,000 lakes all over the United States. Thus, you will get clear, detailed images and can easily identify the terrain, depth changes, and the covering objects on the bottom of the river.
| Lowrance HOOK2 5 Fish Finder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 3.6 pounds |
Dimension | 9 x 7.5 x 7.1 inches |
Monitor Size | 5 inches |
Working Time | 10 hours |
Highlight Features | Auto-tuning sonar and phone-like menus will save a lot of time adjusting and processing settings Built-In Mapping helps mark your favorite fishing spot and easily find depth changes or roadbeds. |
If you are a catfish fisher kayaking and wanting something easy and fast, the Lowrance HOOK2 5 fish finder will allow you to get all those features.
Best For Mud Bottoms: Humminbird 410230-1 Helix 5 Fish Finder
- Accurate
- Works perfectly
- Very user-friendly
- Poor job of instructing the user
If you are a professional and experienced catfish player, you probably cannot ignore bottom channels, ditches, or drops. They are all muddy terrain, one of the "sweet spots" where you can easily catch more catfish. That's because the main channels will lead them to more attractive habitats like shallow water areas and mud bottoms.
And these "sweet spots" are not hard to find, as long as you have the right electronics. In my experience, I recommend buying the Humminbird 410230-1 Helix 5 Fish Finder.
It is a wonderful, portable electronics with several capabilities showing and recording depth and contours. It also comes with a built-in basemap that makes it easy to see the most detailed images of the bottom of the river.
More specifically, the map is also equipped with GPS technology and can lead you to special terrain like mud bottoms to earn more fish. And the ability to map the mud out to mark the catfish is indeed a big plus for this product.
| Humminbird 410230-1 Helix 5 Fish Finder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 10.1 pounds |
Dimension | 1.1 x 7.5 x 4.3 inches |
Monitor Size | 5 inches |
Working Time | 7 hours |
Highlight Features | Built-In Basemap will give you the clearest and most incredible view of underwater terrain as well as everything at the bottom of the lake. |
If your goal is to find prominent mud bottoms of some lakes on most visits, you will need a useful tool as the Humminbird 410230-1 Helix 5 Fish Finder.
Best For Shore-Bound Anglers: Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar Fish Finder
- High quality
- Compact and handy
- Great app
- It may disconnect from the phone occasionally
You may not know it, but one trick to catching a lot of catfish is to choose the terrain near the shore. It attracts forage animals such as crayfish and shad, which are the preferred food source of catfish. Besides, this place also provides cover, depth, and shade for this species to hide.
With such terrain, there is no more useful tool than the Deeper PRO + fish finder. You will not have to rent a boat or learn sailing skills yet still catch a lot of fish.
It is a flexible product and displays everything on the river bottom based on running its phone application or syncing to phone/tablet using Wifi. They will pair up quickly, and you will see the screen immediately without a problem. Thanks to this, you can see the fish, know the depth as well as the water temperature.
In contrast to its compact and lightweight appearance, it can scan deeper than any fish finder I've ever used. No matter how deep the catfish are, they will not surpass the useful feature of the dual-beam scanning of this tool.
| Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar Fish Finder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 0.22 pounds |
Dimension | 3 x 5.3 x 5.9 inches |
Working Time | 7 hours |
Highlight Features | GPS onshore mapping has contributed to the reputation of this product Providing you with a detailed map and location of fish from the river shore. |
This product is exactly what serious catfish shore-bound anglers are looking for with powerful features and excellent scanning capabilities.
Best For Ice Fishing: RICANK Portable Fish Finder
- Good price
- Easy to use
- Accurate
- Doesn’t offer integrated GPS
You can easily find catfish with just one electronic device on nice days. However, in the winter, when the rivers freeze, it will be a challenge for amateur fishermen.
If you like fishing in the winter, you will need a product with more powerful features, so you can look through the thick ice to find the location of the catfish. And the RICANK fish finder will help make your day.
I have tested and compared it to another specialized product for ice fishing at a higher price of tens of times than its.
Can you guess the result?
Surprisingly, it provided 100% exactly what that tool displayed, and therefore, I appreciate this RICANK fish finder more and can be sure that you will not regret using this stuff.
To use it, you simply place it on the ice surface after you clear the snow on the layer. Then it will scan via its sonar beam and alert you if it detects the type of fish you need. Finally, you just need to drill a hole and fish them.
In terms of appearance, it is not only durable but also compact, won't take up too much space when you pack for your fishing trip.
| RICANK Portable Fish Finder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 1.25 pounds |
Dimension | 5.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches |
Monitor Size | 3.5 inches |
Working Time | 5 hours |
Highlight Features | Battery save mode Parameter setting memory Fish depth scale and fish size distinguish |
With many unique and functional features, the RICANK fish finder will add to the fun of your catfish ice fishing.
Best For Beginners: Garmin Striker 4 Fishfinder
- Great size
- Easy to use
- Reasonable price
- It is difficult to see the screen clearly in the sun
Ease of use is the first feature that any newcomer searches for in a fish finder for catfish. In fact, there are many user-friendly products on the market, and you will have no difficulty using them. However, the Garmin Striker 4 fishfinder has surpassed all and become the best fish finders for beginners with many special attractions.
It features GPS technology, which makes it easy to mark the "sweet spots" as well as your location on the map. The Waypoint map is also very helpful in navigating and checking your speed. Beginners often have difficulty fishing because they accidentally disturb the water, causing the fish to swim away. This tool will help alert you if you stroll too fast. As a result, you will become more adept at learning how to keep the proper speed on the boat.
Not only that but its price is also suitable for you to start. It may not be the cheapest option on this list, but it offers all you need to go from an amateur to a professional fisherman.
| Garmin Striker 4 Fishfinder Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 0.5 pounds |
Dimension | 3.6 x 1.6 x 5.9 inches |
Monitor Size | 3.5, 5 and 7 inches |
Working Time | 16 hours |
Highlight Features | The feature of checking your speed can alert you to the appropriate speed to avoid making the fish go away. |
With accurate performance, efficiency, ease of use, budget price, and more, the Garmin Striker 4 fishfinder will help you master catfish fishing trips.
How To Choose The Best Fish Finder For Catfish?
Display Specifications
- The display is what you will get from the fish finder. Therefore, choose a product with a visible display and a screen size of at least 4 inches. That way, you can imagine what happens at the bottom of the river to catch fish.
- Besides, if you have a high demand for images, choose a product with a higher pixel rating and color displays. It will also be easier to read in the sun or when you fish at night.
Transducer Specifications
- The transducer is responsible for sending sonar signals that allow you to find fish from the bottom of the water, so it needs to be quality guaranteed. Of which, you will need to consider the transducer power and frequency of the fish finder. While the transducer power is responsible for the depth that the tool can reach, the frequency will affect the overall details of the image you receive.
- In my experience, choose a fish finder with a power of 500 watts and frequency in the range of 200kHz-800 kHz for shallow water. For deeper water, select the one featuring a frequency of 50kHz-80kHz.
Mounting Type
- If you want to buy an extra separate transducer, you will need to consider the mounting type of them. There are four main types of transducer, including thru-hull, in-hull, transom-mount, and trolling motor.
Which Brands Make The Best Fish Finder For Catfish?
Humminbird
- Humminbird is one of the leading fishing tool providers today, with nearly half a century operating in this field. They mainly produce flashers, LCDs, sonar products, and depth finders, and they apply GPS, mapping, and radar technologies to make them the best in class.
Garmin
- Not starting with fishfinders, Garmin is initially well-known for GPS technology for aviation, automotive, marine, outdoor, and sports activities. They are one of Apple's top rivals for activity trackers and smartwatches.
- After that, they have promoted fishfinder production technology and also achieved certain successes. They are appreciated for high quality as well as stable prices.
FAQs
Is it necessary to buy a fish finders for catfish?
Instead of answering this question, I will explain who should use a fish finder. As such, you will know if this tool is really necessary for you or not.
As I reviewed the above six products, you can see that each one will have a specific use for each object. Hence, if you are having trouble finding and fishing catfish and are in one of the cases below, then a fish finder is worth your try.
Shore fishing
Kayak fishing
Fishing in muddy terrains
Ice fishing
You’re a newbie
How can fish finders find catfish?
The fish finder will emit a frequency into the river that will bounce when it encounters objects in its path. This process will be recorded and combined with several other factors such as depth, length, shape, etc. to display as a map. It is capable of distinguishing fish and other objects, such as rocks, trees, etc. to give users the right audience they need.
How long do fish finders last?
A good fish finder can work for at least 5 hours. Many products can be operated for more than a day to meet the needs of those who want to go fishing and camping for a few days.
Can you see fish on down imaging?
Through scanning, down imaging, also known as the down scan, allows you to see objects below your boat. Compared to the older 2D broadband view, the image that a fish finder featuring the down imaging obtained is more detailed.
Which one should I choose, side imaging or down imaging?
This is a difficult question because each person will have a different need, fish in different terrain at a different time. While down imaging allows you to see deeper water, the side imaging, or the side scan, will give you images of a wider and shallower area.
The best way is to combine multiple fishfinder technologies to get the clearest and most detailed picture, like combining side imaging and GPS or 2D broadband and down imaging.
Conclusion
There are many factors making some fish finders worth more than others. If you choose carefully, the best fish finder for catfish can help you have a bumper day. Thus, do not hesitate to choose yourself the most suitable one. If you have any questions, we're willing to answer them. Like and share the article if it's useful. Thank you.
