Bass Fishing Forum

Mornin folks!!


I am in a situation living in a town house that I do not have the space for a small watercraft.  I do however have friends who have them, as well as use an outfitter on the Shenendoah when I get an itchin to chase some bronzebacks.  I am looking at setting up a small fish finder that is all self contained, so I can set it up anywhere.

Ive got my own ideas, but do any of you all have a setup like this, and would you mi d sharing the info?

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There are plenty of options out there for less than a grocery bill. I use a Garmin Striker 4, with the transducer mounted below my front scupper. But they also make those transducer mounts that you can remove after each use. The Garmin is very portable, and affordable, and easy to use. I take mine off the mount and keep it in my crate after being on the water.

You could easily get one of those transducer mounts, place both the fish finder and transducer on the same mount. They have some options on amazon for battery boxes that you could also stow somewhere. But you're still lugging around a few items.

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I was actually leaning toward the Striker 4cv with the mapping

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That's the one I use. It's excellent for what it is. Very easy to use and ability to mark spots. 


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Quote from: HJC84 on March 01, 2020, 10:12:45 AM
That's the one I use. It's excellent for what it is. Very easy to use and ability to mark spots. 


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How is the mapping function?

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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 01, 2020, 10:45:28 AM
How is the mapping function?

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I've only marked a few spots while out so far. All I did was open the map setting, and choose the location where I was and hit save. I haven't logged an entire trip with that feature yet, but next time I go out I plan to. I wanna see if I can get back to the exact spot I launched, or experiment with said saved spots on fish catches, etc.


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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 01, 2020, 10:45:28 AM
How is the mapping function?

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I saw on a review of it that you can track your route while you're using it. That's another feature I have yet to explore. Should be easy enough to figure out as I've found the other features on it to be.


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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 01, 2020, 10:45:28 AM
How is the mapping function?

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You can also use split screen of both your depth finder and maps at the same time.


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Quote from: HJC84 on March 01, 2020, 02:32:29 PM
You can also use split screen of both your depth finder and maps at the same time.


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Did you get the one that can build the topo map too?

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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 01, 2020, 03:42:32 PM
Did you get the one that can build the topo map too?

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If I did I don't know how to do that, lol! It's the Garmin Striker 4 Plus w/CV. Here's a pic of the box.


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200302/afe65a0072813fad3602822cd0b23545.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200302/2f731999e1f556403869e345d1ce5e98.jpg)


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Quote from: HJC84 on March 01, 2020, 06:02:53 PM
If I did I don't know how to do that, lol! It's the Garmin Striker 4 Plus w/CV. Here's a pic of the box.


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200302/afe65a0072813fad3602822cd0b23545.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200302/2f731999e1f556403869e345d1ce5e98.jpg)


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This is the front runner for what i think i need.  I appreciate the feedback.  This looks perfect for being easily moved between small watercraft.

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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 02, 2020, 06:46:38 AM
This is the front runner for what i think i need.  I appreciate the feedback.  This looks perfect for being easily moved between small watercraft.

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I'll try and give some more feedback after my next couple trips out. I'll also get some pics for you and show you how I mounted mine. Let me know which one you wind up pulling the trigger on. Good luck to you!

I'm looking to pick up a Striker+ 4CV myself. I have been really torn between this and the Lowrance hook 2 on close out. My only real fear with the striker is the size, but everyone says its a fantastic little unit.

I'm in the same boat (pun not intended). I am going to likely get a Striker 4+CV. I am most interested in the mapping function as I will be kayak fishing in areas that are not mapped. I was initially going to just get the 4+, but I think I've talked myself into the CV.

Quote from: kdubracing on March 04, 2020, 04:43:47 PM
I'm in the same boat (pun not intended). I am going to likely get a Striker 4+CV. I am most interested in the mapping function as I will be kayak fishing in areas that are not mapped. I was initially going to just get the 4+, but I think I've talked myself into the CV.

The main difference between the regular Striker 4 and the Plus is the ClearVu. Honestly, it's not much better than the traditional sonar option which also comes on it. So if you're on a tight budget the regular old Striker 4 is a great option. But if you're interested in just having all of that with a few extras, then the CV is the way to go. My buddy has the EchoMap 4" Garmin and it has slightly more features than the Plus CV I have.

The one my buddy has on his bass boat:

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/593028




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I'm going to get a 4 plus no matter what. Not the regular Striker 4. The plus models have the mapping feature and the regular 4 does not. That's the most important feature to me. So I will get either the Striker 4 Plus or the Striker 4 Plus CV.

My question is whether it is worth it to get the CV. You say it isn't much better than the regular sonar. Why do you say that? That's the info I'm interested in is whether the CV is worth the extra little bit of money or not. This will be going on my kayak. I will be getting a boat next year and will definitely put better equipment on that. I just want one on the kayak to play around with and map some of the smaller places I go.

So to make a short story long, any insight anyone can give on the CV vs. regular sonar is appreciated.

Picked up a striker 4cv, a mount, and a small rechargeable battery.  Will post some pics regarding mobility and functionality on smaller boats.  Will be hitting the water sunday so will give more info about the unit.

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Quote from: kdubracing on March 04, 2020, 08:18:00 PM
I’m going to get a 4 plus no matter what. Not the regular Striker 4. The plus models have the mapping feature and the regular 4 does not. That’s the most important feature to me. So I will get either the Striker 4 Plus or the Striker 4 Plus CV.

My question is whether it is worth it to get the CV. You say it isn’t much better than the regular sonar. Why do you say that? That’s the info I’m interested in is whether the CV is worth the extra little bit of money or not. This will be going on my kayak. I will be getting a boat next year and will definitely put better equipment on that. I just want one on the kayak to play around with and map some of the smaller places I go.



So to make a short story long, any insight anyone can give on the CV vs. regular sonar is appreciated.

I should have been more clear in my opinion of the "ClearVu"-haha! On the Striker Plus 4CV you can use traditional sonar setting along side Clear Vu. All I was referring to was that the Clear Vu doesn't blow me away as far as better "details" on the screen from what little I have used it. I find that the traditional sonar setting on it is plenty enough detail for me to use. This is just my opinion though, and everyone has one of those. But if you're set on getting the 4Plus no matter what, I would say get whatever your wallet/heart is content with.

There are also a few YouTube videos out there that go through different settings, options you can choose on the Striker Plus 4CV.

Quote from: kdubracing on March 04, 2020, 08:18:00 PM
I'm going to get a 4 plus no matter what. Not the regular Striker 4. The plus models have the mapping feature and the regular 4 does not. That's the most important feature to me. So I will get either the Striker 4 Plus or the Striker 4 Plus CV.

My question is whether it is worth it to get the CV. You say it isn't much better than the regular sonar. Why do you say that? That's the info I'm interested in is whether the CV is worth the extra little bit of money or not. This will be going on my kayak. I will be getting a boat next year and will definitely put better equipment on that. I just want one on the kayak to play around with and map some of the smaller places I go.

So to make a short story long, any insight anyone can give on the CV vs. regular sonar is appreciated.

I should have been more clear in my opinion of the "ClearVu"-haha! On the Striker Plus 4CV you can use traditional sonar setting along side Clear Vu. All I was referring to was that the Clear Vu doesn't blow me away as far as better "details" on the screen from what little I have used it. I find that the traditional sonar setting on it is plenty enough detail for me to use. This is just my opinion though, and everyone has one of those. But if you're set on getting the 4Plus no matter what, I would say get whatever your wallet/heart is content with.

There are also a few YouTube videos out there that go through different settings, options you can choose on the Striker Plus 4CV.

Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 04, 2020, 09:07:26 PM
Picked up a striker 4cv, a mount, and a small rechargeable battery.  Will post some pics regarding mobility and functionality on smaller boats.  Will be hitting the water sunday so will give more info about the unit.

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Very nice!

Here's a few pics of my set up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200305/af8f041dce060317d7c8d6dba027ca5a.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200305/53ded5c39cb342d8910e348c0adfc04d.jpg)

Keep my battery in that dry pod box there behind the mount.


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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 04, 2020, 09:07:26 PM
Picked up a striker 4cv, a mount, and a small rechargeable battery.  Will post some pics regarding mobility and functionality on smaller boats.  Will be hitting the water sunday so will give more info about the unit.

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Good deal. Looking forward to seeing what you think about it.

Quote from: HJC84 on March 04, 2020, 10:07:12 PM
All I was referring to was that the Clear Vu doesn't blow me away as far as better "details" on the screen from what little I have used it. I find that the traditional sonar setting on it is plenty enough detail for me to use. This is just my opinion though, and everyone has one of those.

This is what I'm looking for as far as opinions from people that have used it. I'm wondering if the CV is enough better than the traditional sonar to make it worth getting the CV unit. I understand the differences in the three models. Thanks.

So when I got my fish finder, i picked up a 'portable' transom mount.  I mounted it to the boat yesterday to double check how it was going to work ahead of going out on the water Sunday, and it came apart.  The round disk that makes contact with the mounting point as you screw it into place came off, and the gear shaped handle that you wind in order to tighten it down came looks and unscrewed off.  I had to use channel locks to get it loosened up. 

I will be taking it back with the intention of exchanging it, but I don't know if i'm 100% happy with how it mounts.  The mount is great for the small aluminum boat that I will be fishing out of regularly, but I don't see how I can mount it on a Kayak.... may have to go back to the drawing board on this one.

Do you have a track on your kayak? I bought one of the Scotty transducer mounts that mount to the track. I'm happy with the way it mounts so far. Granted, I haven't been on the water with it yet, but it mounts tight and is easy to pull out of the water.

Quote from: kdubracing on March 06, 2020, 12:45:08 PM
Do you have a track on your kayak? I bought one of the Scotty transducer mounts that mount to the track. I'm happy with the way it mounts so far. Granted, I haven't been on the water with it yet, but it mounts tight and is easy to pull out of the water.

I dont have my own, i rent a Jackson Coosa a handful of times to float the Shenendoah, but  those mounts wont work on a john boat.

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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 06, 2020, 01:39:31 PM
I dont have my own, i rent a Jackson Coosa a handful of times to float the Shenendoah, but  those mounts wont work on a john boat.

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Sorry, forgot about the original post. I've seen a few guys that have made their own portable transducer mounts. I believe they used pvc and/or pool noodles. That may be a good way to go for you.

Quote from: kdubracing on March 06, 2020, 01:54:49 PM
Sorry, forgot about the original post. I've seen a few guys that have made their own portable transducer mounts. I believe they used pvc and/or pool noodles. That may be a good way to go for you.

Yeah i think i got my setup, it's a multi-piece deal, but could end up being very easy to move around if it comes together the way i hope.  If it works out on Sunday, i'll post some pics illustrating some of the versatility.

Quote from: kdubracing on March 04, 2020, 08:18:00 PM
I'm going to get a 4 plus no matter what. Not the regular Striker 4. The plus models have the mapping feature and the regular 4 does not. That's the most important feature to me. So I will get either the Striker 4 Plus or the Striker 4 Plus CV.

My question is whether it is worth it to get the CV. You say it isn't much better than the regular sonar. Why do you say that? That's the info I'm interested in is whether the CV is worth the extra little bit of money or not. This will be going on my kayak. I will be getting a boat next year and will definitely put better equipment on that. I just want one on the kayak to play around with and map some of the smaller places I go.

So to make a short story long, any insight anyone can give on the CV vs. regular sonar is appreciated.

The mapping is something I really want too. Several of the reservoirs I fish are not mapped so it should be great to map some details for the future. I dont believe the lowrance hook2 mapped, but the new hook reveal does and that was is a potentially deal breaker.

If some believe the clearvu isnt great in the entry models that could definitely save me $50. It would be nice to have and learn though.

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Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 06, 2020, 02:55:07 PM
Yeah i think i got my setup, it's a multi-piece deal, but could end up being very easy to move around if it comes together the way i hope.  If it works out on Sunday, i'll post some pics illustrating some of the versatility.

What did you end up coming up with? I was thinking about it the other day and you could almost use the ice fishing kit and then just use a suction cup or some other mounting setup for the transducer itself.

I just bought an echomap 63cv for a bargain that i need to get rigged on my kayak.

Quote from: apiazza on March 26, 2020, 08:54:17 AM
What did you end up coming up with? I was thinking about it the other day and you could almost use the ice fishing kit and then just use a suction cup or some other mounting setup for the transducer itself.

I just bought an echomap 63cv for a bargain that i need to get rigged on my kayak.

I actually have been meaning to get on here and update.  I will post pictures this weekend, I'll actually try to do it this afternoon but with what's going on, i'm on kiddo duty.

So, the day I was actually supposed to get out and test my little setup.... it went horribly wrong  ~b~.  Got over to my Aunts house, boat hooked up, pull it out of the garage and notice a bit of a squeak.  Took a mental note, but didn't think too much about it.  Got about 2 miles down the road and one of the bearings exploded.  Got the trailer home on a flatbed.. woohoo $100 down the tube.  Pulled the hubs apart and the setup on this thing was comical at best.  The bearings were open style and appeared to be designed for a washing machine.  The whole day we were running around trying to put something together that would work... my efforts were unrewarded.  Finally ordered a complete set of hubs for both sides and they went together in under an hour. 

Fast forward 2 weeks... and now you can't access any parks so we have nowhere to launch the boat...  ~b~ ~b~ ~b~ again. 

Long story short, i haven't had a chance to test my system, but it looks like it's gonna work.  I'll see about getting some pictures up with some descriptions and a total out of pocket expense.

Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 26, 2020, 09:18:29 AM
I actually have been meaning to get on here and update.  I will post pictures this weekend, I'll actually try to do it this afternoon but with what's going on, i'm on kiddo duty.

So, the day I was actually supposed to get out and test my little setup.... it went horribly wrong  ~b~.  Got over to my Aunts house, boat hooked up, pull it out of the garage and notice a bit of a squeak.  Took a mental note, but didn't think too much about it.  Got about 2 miles down the road and one of the bearings exploded.  Got the trailer home on a flatbed.. woohoo $100 down the tube.  Pulled the hubs apart and the setup on this thing was comical at best.  The bearings were open style and appeared to be designed for a washing machine.  The whole day we were running around trying to put something together that would work... my efforts were unrewarded.  Finally ordered a complete set of hubs for both sides and they went together in under an hour. 

Fast forward 2 weeks... and now you can't access any parks so we have nowhere to launch the boat...  ~b~ ~b~ ~b~ again. 

Long story short, i haven't had a chance to test my system, but it looks like it's gonna work.  I'll see about getting some pictures up with some descriptions and a total out of pocket expense.

Damn that's a bummer. I'm little baffled by Virginia's decision to close ramps. New York just made them all free to encourage people to get out. We are open up here in PA if you need to get out. I'm on the PA/MD state line so if you come up give me a shout. I can show you the areas I know.

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Quote from: apiazza on March 26, 2020, 09:25:43 AM
Damn that's a bummer. I'm little baffled by Virginia's decision to close ramps. New York just made them all free to encourage people to get out. We are open up here in PA if you need to get out. I'm on the PA/MD state line so if you come up give me a shout. I can show you the areas I know.

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lol yeah it's kind of goofy, problem is that most ramps are controlled by Park Authorities, and they also have areas that people can congregate to like pavilions, play grounds, and other places that people can't have the self control to avoid.  Golf courses are open though....  :-*

Yep, goofy. Here in Texas the state parks are open for boat ramps, camping and hiking trails. They just closed the day use areas, playgrounds and swim beaches.


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I finally got the kayak out today and played with my Striker 4 Plus CV. I debated on whether or not to spend the extra $40 for the CV. It is worth much more than another $40. The CV worked really well, and was very handy to have in conjunction with the sonar. I recorded my trip on the Quickdraw Contours, but haven't looked back at it yet. I'll update when I do. I had to turn on the surface noise filter and put the gain to Auto Low to eliminate the clutter. Man, I was impressed with the CV. You can see the bottom very detailed. Especially for a sub-$200 unit. And I didn't have a problem seeing the split screen on the 4". I set it to horizontal split. 

Quote from: TheLastRodBender on March 06, 2020, 07:29:23 AM
So when I got my fish finder, i picked up a 'portable' transom mount.  I mounted it to the boat yesterday to double check how it was going to work ahead of going out on the water Sunday, and it came apart.  The round disk that makes contact with the mounting point as you screw it into place came off, and the gear shaped handle that you wind in order to tighten it down came looks and unscrewed off.  I had to use channel locks to get it loosened up. 

I will be taking it back with the intention of exchanging it, but I don't know if i'm 100% happy with how it mounts.  The mount is great for the small aluminum boat that I will be fishing out of regularly, but I don't see how I can mount it on a Kayak.... may have to go back to the drawing board on this one.

I know with the Striker 4 plus you can buy the ice fishing package that comes with a carry bag for the unit and the transducer.  I assume you can with the CV as well.  It's very portable, obviously, since it's geared towards ice fishing.  But from what I can tell it's the very same graph unit, and it works the same.  It just comes in the canvas carry bag.  I often thought that carry bag set-up was slick and would be very useful if I wanted to take my graph from boat to boat easily. 

I didn't get the bag when I bought mine and I've been trying to buy just the bag ever since.  I can get the entire package, but I can't seem to find j
ust the bag itself.  Since you are taking it back to exchanghe anyway, maybe inquire as to whether you can upgrade to get the carry bag?

Quote from: fivebyfive on April 14, 2020, 03:15:31 AM
I know with the Striker 4 plus you can buy the ice fishing package that comes with a carry bag for the unit and the transducer.  I assume you can with the CV as well.  It's very portable, obviously, since it's geared towards ice fishing.  But from what I can tell it's the very same graph unit, and it works the same.  It just comes in the canvas carry bag.  I often thought that carry bag set-up was slick and would be very useful if I wanted to take my graph from boat to boat easily. 

I didn't get the bag when I bought mine and I've been trying to buy just the bag ever since.  I can get the entire package, but I can't seem to find j
ust the bag itself.  Since you are taking it back to exchanghe anyway, maybe inquire as to whether you can upgrade to get the carry bag?

This would work for either of you, within reason I supposed. The price is high because it includes a battery and suction mount for transducer.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/543361#inTheBox


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