Thursday, April 2, 2009

Fish Finder - Selecting the Right One For Your Needs

By Phillip Flounder

Technology has made fishing a great deal easier. Just consider how difficult it would have been in the past when all that was available to use was the trial and error method to locate fish and determine depth.

Fish finders are really useful devices that use sonar to locate the fish under the water and as a result they increase the fisherman's chances of catching fish. There are a variety of different types of fish finders on the market today, so no matter what type of fish you are looking to catch, a fish finder can be a great help.

Fish finders come with two basic types of screens. The first type of screen is called the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and the second is called a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). CRTs are no longer as popular since the invention of the LCD screens. This is because LCD screens are more capable of displaying high resolutions. If you find a screen that has been labeled as a TFT screen, it is simply another version of the LCD screens.

For the recreational fisherman the CRT screen is the most sensible choice. It's cheaper than an LCD unit, offers very good clarity and is easy to read in direct sunlight.

Another point you need to consider when on the lookout for a fish finder is your budget; you do not want to get your heart set on an item that is well out of your price range. The most sensible way to deal with this is to search for those finders that are within your possible price range and forget about the rest.

When deciding on your budget, keep in mind that a colored screen will be at a higher price when compared to a non-colored screen. It is usually the casesituation that a more regular fisherman is more likely to spend more on a fish finder than the occasional fisherman.

Another technical consideration of the fish finder is the frequency it uses. The measurement used to determine frequency is kilohertz (kHz) and is used in the water to find where the fish are and where the best place to cast a line will be.

The screen on the finder is not able to indicate the type of fish available, just where groups of fish are located, so it is important to know the depth. The best kHz is between 80 and 125 kHz, because the higher the frequency, the narrower the signal range cone is and the better the detail available to you.

One more important thing to consider is the incorporation of a global positioning system. GPS fish finders are fantastic to use when you are off on a weekend trip and you don't know the area very well. They enable you to record any position in the system, which means you can locate it again any time you want, without any issues.

Whether you select a regular fish finder or one with GPS, it will most certainly be a fantastic addition to your other fishing equipment. Just consider how many more fish you will be able to catch with a great fish finder and how easily you can return to that ideal spot if you have to leave for any reason.

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