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Garmin Striker 4 Review 2022 – Best Seller Fish Finder

This Garmin Striker 4 review will highlight why it is one of the most popular fish finders in the market.

Whether it’s for recreational purposes or as a business, fishing is an activity that has grown over the years. According to recent statistics, in the United States alone, all types of anglers spend up to $48 billion annually on fish bait, transportation, gear, and lodging.

One of the must-have fishing equipment that anglers are willing to spend a fortune on is a fish finder. Thanks to this small but essential fishing gear, you can ‘see’ whatever is going on inside the water, identify any spots where you can find a lot of fish, know when the fish are near your bait or not, to mention a few.

There are many fish finders out in the market, so finding the right one that will suit your needs can be daunting. Well, we dove into burgeoning research and put together an all-inclusive review of one of the well known fish finders in the market; the Garmin Striker 4. This review will give you an in-depth look at everything you need to know about one of this fish finder.

Features – Garmin Striker 4 Review

Founded in 1989, Garmin has taken pride in being one of the top companies that create GPS-powered equipment, and this fish finder is no exception. Launched back in November 2015, the Garmin Striker 4 is packed with amazing features that, according to most Garmin Striker 4 reviews, are similar to the popular Garmin Striker 7sv but it does have some notable differences. So, let’s take a more in-depth look at each of them.

1. Display

The Garmin Striker 4 has a full HVGA color 3.5-inch touch screen, which is smaller than that of most other fish finders in the market, but that’s okay since it does have a couple of extra features to make up for that.

For starters, it has a split-screen zoomable feature that allows you to see all the data collected by fishfinder side by side. It also shows crisp, clear, and well-defined images of the fish and other water objects, thanks to its 480×320 pixel matrix. What’s more, the screen has adjustable backlights that enable you to see what is being displayed on the screen even when it’s on direct sunlight.

2. GPS Capabilities

Just like most fishfinders from Garmin, this one does not have chart plotters, so the GPS uses a blank sheet as support. But not to worry, this high-quality GPS works perfectly. For starters, it helps you pinpoint your current location. What’s more, it features up to 5,000 waypoints that enable you to mark your favorite fishing spots, allowing you to easily return to the same place the next time you go fishing.

The waypoints also allow you to mark landmarks surrounding the water body enabling you to easily navigate to and from the dock or shore without getting lost. You can also use this feature to track your boat speed, so you can easily approach your favorite fishing spot without scaring the fish away.

3. CHIRP Technology

This is where all Garmin Striker fishfinders really get to shine. Anyone familiar with fishfinders knows that they use sonar technology to gather frequencies from inside the water with the help of a transducer, and send them back to the fishfinder to be interpreted and then give a clear picture of what is going down there.

Unlike the standard sonar that sends one frequency at a time, the Garmin Striker 4 uses CHIRP sonar to send multiple ranges of frequencies simultaneously. This enables the fishfinder to give you a more extensive range of information that includes clear and well-defined images, brighter fish arches, and outstanding target separation, making fishing much easier.

The fish finder comes with a 77/200 kHz Garmin Striker 4 transducer, which is standard according to most Garmin Striker reviews. So, if you are willing to dig deeper into your pockets, you can upgrade to a GT8 or a GT15 transducer to help you gather and transmit more frequencies at a go, enabling you to locate the fish more quickly.

4. Connectivity

Although this fish finder lacks NMEA connectivity and a micro SD slot, it has a data cable that allows you to transfer waypoints between it and any other echoMAP unit.

Read More: Best Garmin Fish Finder Reviews

5. Modes

The Garmin Striker 4 has a couple of modes that play significant roles in giving you accurate information of whatever lies beneath your boat. So, let’s look at each of them, shall we?

1. Traditional mode: If you have used a fish finder before, you will probably be familiar with this model. It shows the depth at which the transducer is in the water and the arches that represent the fish and other objects inside the water.
2. Split frequency mode: We have looked at how the CHIRP sonar works with the transducer’s help to receive and interpret multiple frequencies at a time to give you the clear and detailed information on what is going on inside the water.

The Garmin Striker 4 built-in GPS fishfinder offers you dual-frequency readings. You can choose to use the 200kHz frequency reading, which will give you clear and well-defined images of fish arcs that represent the fish and other debris inside the water. However, the downside is it will offer you a smaller scanning area. On the other hand, you can use the 77kHz frequency reading, which will provide you with a larger scanning area, but you will not receive clear and detailed images of whatever is going underneath your boat.

1. Flasher mode: This mode shows you the depth and the CHIRP sonar information on a circular scale that rotates clockwise. The depth is indicated in the middle, while the sonar information flashes in different colors whenever it is received. The colors indicate the different strengths of the CHIRP sonar information. This feature is especially useful for stationary fishing like ice fishing and jigging.
2. Split-screen mode: The split-screen zoomable mode allows you to different information side by side.
3. Waypoint mode: This is where you mark your fish hot spots, landmarks, and other surrounding areas of the water body as you navigate to and from the dock or shore.
4. Section Number mode: This allows you to see the GPS speed and coordinates.

Read More: Lowrance Vs Humminbird Vs Garmin

6. A-scope

This feature is very similar to the flasher mode. The only difference is that it provides the CHIRP sonar information in a vertical layout.

7. Auto Gain

This feature allows you to filter out any unwanted noise without any manual adjustment.

8. Ultrascoll

The ultrascroll feature enables the CHIRP sonar data to scroll faster, even in high boat speeds. However, if your boat speed exceeds a range of 40 to 50 MPH, then you are likely to receive poor quality images. This is why some users have reported that the fish finder does not work well under high speeds.

9. IPX7 waterproof

Like most other fish finders from Garmin, the Striker 4 fishfinder has a waterproof rating of IPX7. Which means it can withstand any accidental splashes of water. What’s more, it can be submerged into meter-deep water for up to 30 minutes. However, the X on its rating indicates its resistance has not been tested on dust or sand.

   10. Depth Capability

The Garmin Striker 4’s maximum depth in salty water is 750 feet or 288 meters while in freshwater, it’s maximum depth is 1600 feet or 487 meters. This is only possible if you upgrade to a better transducer. Some Garmin Striker 4 reviews have pointed out that the fish finder’s original transducer’s maximum depth in freshwater is approximately 800 feet or 244 meters.

Read More: Best Fish Finder for Kayak

Performance – Garmin Striker 4 Reviews

The Garmin Striker fishfinders are best known for their outstanding performance, and the Striker 4 is no exception. With its extra features and the 12-volt battery that lasts up to three days, this fish finder is guaranteed to give you exceptional performance.

Installation and Portability

The Garmin Striker 4 installation is very easy since everything you need to set it up the fish finder, including the instructions manual is inside the box. As for portability, the fish finder weighs approximately 8.1 ounces, which makes it easy to carry around. It also has a protective case that you can use to carry around, which is perfect for kayak fishing. However, the case is purchased separately, which according to most Garmin Striker 4 portable reviews, is aggravating since the price of the fish finder should cover everything, including the portable protective case.

Ease of use

If you are no stranger to fish finders, then using this one will be a breeze. If it’s your first time using one, you do not have to worry. For starters, the fish finder has very few function buttons that are big enough to press and easy to operate. What’s more, the instructions manual clearly explains how to use Garmin Striker 4, so you won’t have a hard time operating it.

Price

The Garmin Striker 4 is quite affordable, for a fish finder with all these features.

What’s in the box

1. The Garmin Striker 4 fishfinder.
2. A 77/200 kHz dual beam transducer.
3. Transom and trolling motor mounts.
4. Swivel/ Tilt mounts
5. A power cable
6. Instructions manual.

Our Opinion – Garmin Striker 4 Review

Although the Garmin Striker 4 is the smallest and the cheapest of the Garmin Striker fishfinder series, it still provides you with amazing extra features like the ultrascroll, auto gain, to mention a few at a pocket-friendly price tag. So, whether you are experienced in fishing or are new in the world of fishing, this fish finder is definitely worth a try. It is one of the best-selling fish finders in the market.