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Garmin Striker 4 Fish Finder Review

Mark Armstrong
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The Garmin Striker 4 is a durable and portable fish finder with a 3.5-inch color screen. It comes with a transducer and mount included.

The Striker 4 is designed to be easy to use, with all the features that you would need for kayak fishing or fishing from a bass boat. It can be ideal for both saltwater and freshwater fishing, with both traditional and CHIRP sonar technologies for improved detail and clarity.

Garmin 010-01550-00 Striker 4 Built-in GPS Fish FinderPin
  • Screen Size: 3.5 inches
  • Dimensions: 3.6 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
  • Weight: 8.1 ounces

It is probably best suited to lakes, ponds, small bays and rivers. It has excellent GPS so it can be great for backcountry fishing. It can also be ideal for ice fishing because of its features and compact size.

However, if you’re after top of the range features and high quality images, this might not be the one for you.

Things To Consider Before Buying A Garmin Striker 4 Fish Finder

The Garmin Striker 4 is a fish finder that’s designed to help you locate fish in any body of water so that you can improve your catch rate. It can help you navigate new lakes and rivers, letting you understand the underwater landscape through the color images it details.

It’s designed with GPS so you can find your way back to the launch and mark waypoints to track your route and pinpoint fishing holes.

This is a compact fish finder that’s ideal for kayaks, canoes and small boats. It’s the base model of Garmin’s Striker series of fish finders and can be suitable for a range of waters, including lakes, bays and rivers.

However, if you’re looking for a more powerful fish finder for deeper saltwater fishing or for very large lakes and want more in-depth images, this might not be the best one.

In this case, you may want to go for a fish finder that has some of Garmin’s higher spec sonar technologies, such as ClearVu and SideVu, that can give you near-photographic underwater images.

The higher definition images from ClearVu technology can be found in a similarly compact model, the Striker Vivid 4cv, as well as larger models.

Top Features Of The Garmin Striker 4 Fish Finder

GPS

One of the best features of this Garmin Striker 4 fish finder is the integrated GPS. WIth Garmin being known for its GPS devices, it’s no surprise that the high-sensitivity GPS can be a major selling point.

The GPS can help you navigate new waters and backcountry fishing spots, helping you to mark waypoints to find your way back to the dock at the end of the day. It can also let you mark the location of any lucrative fishing holes you find along the way.

CHIRP Sonar

An excellent feature of the Garmin Striker series of fish finders is the CHIRP sonar, which is included in addition to traditional sonar. This means the transducer can transmit clearer, more detailed images back to your fish finder, letting you see the underwater structure in more detail, as well as the location of the fish.

The CHIRP sonar operates over more than one frequency, unlike traditional sonar, so the clarity is better, with higher resolution images. It can transmit data over low and high frequencies at the same time.

Video: Garmin Striker 4 CHIRP Sonar Tutorial

This Striker 4 includes a Garmin CHIRP (77/200 kHz) transducer but you can also upgrade to a higher performance transducer (sold separately) if you want improved detail, clarity and images.

Guide To Mounting A Transducer To A Motor

Fish Symbol ID

The Fish Symbol ID is a useful feature to have on any fish finder, as it can be easier to pinpoint the fish on your screen. This can be a great tool for both casual and tournament anglers because it can give you an idea of the size of the fish that’s below your boat, as the symbols show up different sizes.

The fish show up on the screen as easily-identifiable fish symbols rather than arches, so it can be easier to read the information. You can also see the depth of each fish. But it’s possible to turn the fish symbols function off on the fish finder if you’d prefer to see arches instead.

Built-In Flasher

Another great feature of the Striker 4 is the built-in flasher that will be triggered while you’re stationary. This can be really useful for jigging and ice fishing.

The flasher can show you the type of surface that’s on the bottom, such as mud or rocks. It can also show you the depth of your jig and the depth of the fish, so it can be easier to catch fish, letting you set your weight and/or lure to the correct depth.

Portable

One of the best things about the Striker 4 is its compact size. This can make it more useful for smaller vessels, particularly fishing kayaks, as it won’t take up much space when mounted on your deck.

There’s also the option of purchasing the portable bag kit that lets you mount it inside the bag, along with your battery and charger. This can make it much more convenient for ice fishing.

Keypad Operation

The Striker 4 features keypad operation, so it has buttons under the screen rather than a touchscreen display. While touchscreens can sometimes be easier to use, real buttons can sometimes be easier when you’re fishing, especially if your hands are dirty, wet, or slimy.

The buttons on this fish finder let you navigate through the features easily with wet or gloved hands without having to directly touch the screen.

After checking out other people’s views on the Garmin Striker 4, it turns out it’s not just us who think it’s a good choice for kayak fishing.


Striker 4 Fish Finder Alternatives

1: Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv

Garmin Striker Vivid 4cvPin

The Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv is a similar sized fish finder to the Striker 4 with all the same great features but with higher specs and a slightly higher price tag. It benefits from having ClearVu sonar technology that can produce photo-like images for improved detail and clarity.

It also has a vivid color 4-inch screen with different colors for fish and structure so that it’s easier to read.

Another feature of this one is the Quickdraw Contours feature that can let you draw your own maps on new bodies of water. 

2: Lowrance Hook Reveal 5

Lowrance Hook Reveal 5Pin

This Lowrance Hook Reveal 5 is a little larger and more expensive than the Striker 4, with a 5-inch color screen and a landscape mount, so it can be good if you’d prefer a larger interface and have the space to mount it.

It features Lowrance CHIRP sonar with DownScan imaging and a Fish Reveal feature that highlights fish with lights on the display, so you can easily pinpoint them.

The screen has SolarMax technology that makes it easy to see even in bright sunlight. It has preloaded maps for 4,000 US lakes and it’s compatible with the Genesis Live app for real-time mapping.

3: Humminbird PiranhaMax 4

Humminbird PiranhaMax 4Pin

The Humminbird PiranhaMax 4 has a slightly larger screen than the Striker 4 and comes in a little lower in price. It doesn’t have all the high-tech features that the Striker has but it can be easy to use and comes with a transducer included.

This fish finder, however, does not have built-in GPS, which may be fine for you or may mean you need to purchase an additional GPS device. 

It features dual beam sonar, so you can choose a narrow or wide beam to scan for structure and fish.

More Humminbird Fish Finders


Final Words

Garmin 010-01550-00 Striker 4 Built-in GPS Fish FinderPin

Pros

  • Portable and compact size
  • Excellent GPS technology
  • Ideal for kayak fishing
  • High quality CHIRP sonar

Cons

  • No Wi-Fi
  • Lower specs than other Garmin Striker fish finders

The Garmin Striker 4 can be a great choice of fish finder if you’re after something portable and easy to use, with quality features. With its compact size it can be taken on an ice fishing trip and mounted on a fishing kayak.

The excellent GPS can be one of the best features of this fish finder, helping you navigate new waters and mark fishing spots. The CHIRP sonar can give you improved detail of the underwater landscape, helping you to identify and distinguish between fish and structure.

Maybe it’s time to check it out for yourself – click here. Let us know what you think and don’t forget to share.

More Garmin Fish Finders

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