Garmin Striker 4, Garmin Striker 4

Hi all,

Just curious if anyone has/had the Garmin Striker 4. The reviews on multiple site all have good things to say. My X67c recently broke on me, and I don't want to break the bank on a new sonar. Just looking for input or experience with this sonar. I Fish Simcoe every year mostly for white fish and Lake Trout.

Thank you all in advance.

I got a Striker 4 last year and managed to use it a few times. It is my first time using electronics for ice fishing so I don’t have anything to compare it to but I couldn’t imaging going on the ice without it now. I could not believe how sensitive and responsive the display is. I like the versatility of having the regular display and the flasher. I haven’t gone very deep yet, only used it perch fishing from 8’-35’ of water. I saw on YouTube a way to rig the transducer to get a more accurate reading for ice fishing which helped. I got the portable unit shipped to my door from Costco and couldn’t be happier with it so far.

I purchased a Striker 4 for my boat and it works well, the GPS is a nice feature. As for the flasher function, it's not bad. IMO if you want a flasher, go and get a flasher. I only wish that you could load depth maps into this unit, but for the features provided at the price. It's decent.

I've got one for Ice fishing and I think at that price point it can't be beat. I got mine on sale at BPS for 125$. I already had the garmin ice kit from an old garmin echo and it screwed right in. And the transponder fit on the bracket to hang it vertical. The flasher mode works well and i use it for perch. For lake trout the traditional works best. It also has GPS so you can mark spots. It's a bummer there's no depth charts but I use the Navionics app on my phone, 20$ a year and it works flawlessly.

I just picked one up around christmas. Used it a few times now. Took a few trips to get it dialed in, but is working great now. I haven't fished in deep water yet so I can't comment on that. I like that it has the traditional as well as flasher modes. give you nice options. I do wish it had the ice ducer, but the ducer works, just takes some playing around with to get it to point straight. Seems like a great unit for the $$

Thanks for your input. Mtleyes could you like the video that helped you with the transducer. Navionics is a must for any fishermen/women just sucks that the price went up, but still needed. I think I'm going to have to give this unit a try.

Love this device! Here is a video from last year at BBP for whites/lakers. There are some settings to play around to reduce noise and stuff. But I was too eager to fish and just started fishing. I just upgraded to the ice transducer (GT8HW-IF) so the returned signal should be even better. Planning to try at deeper parts of K bay this year


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY08374lpHM&feature=youtu.be

I bought the strinker 4 portable bundle last year and like it alot, used it all summer on my aluminum with the suction cup mount and worked flawlessly, mount didnt budge even at 40 mph, i do not use the flasher option on it at all, i just stick to traditonal as found it more responsive than the flasher mode, with that being said a buddy bought the newer model striker 4cv and it has more options for open water fishing which I wish mine had. He rigged his up using a tool box to make it like the portable bundle, spent less total than I did on the portable bundle. In my slighlty biased opinion this is the best budget friendly unit on the market. Next unit for me will be a panoptix next season

This is my second season with mine and I love it. Incredibly versatile and accurate. Taken it from 4 ft to over 100 and it never fails me. Battery life on it is awesome too if you put the brightness down. I don't really use the flasher, I like the history of the scroll screen when I come back from getting rid of some coffee.

Thank you all for your input.

I am now a proud owner of the garmin striker 4. Its nice to be able to ask a question about a topic and getting some great answers. Got it all rigged up in the old lowrance portable kit just had to drill 3 holes to secure it to the base. All ready for this weekend.

Thanks all tight lines.

I have the Garmin Striker 4. Got in on sale a couple years ago, but sad to say, I have not used it yet.

I bought it as a back-up to my x67c which is a war horse, been using it for years flawlessly. It is starting to bug out a bit now, has trouble finding the lure at 100 fow.

I will break out the Garmin Striker 4 this season and give it a go. Wish it had the mapping function as well, but seems like a good unit for the price I paid..

Another reason, I have been leary about breaking it out, is the learning curve and getting it dialed it. Already have the x67c tuned in perfectly and don't want to go through that again.. LOL

Will post a review of the Garmin in a few days..

This is my second year with the unit and I love it! Don't know how I fished without electronics before. There's obviously better units out there but for the price, you can't go wrong. Plus, it was my first unit I bought so it's definitely worth it to get into how to fish with electronics and learning the basics about sonars etc.

I've found that if you take some snow/slush and stick the cord to the ice at your hole, it keeps the ducer from moving around once you find that sweet spot.

Maybe time for a new transducer. Are you using the ice or summer one. Read somewhere the ice transducer is more sensitive.

Maybe time for a new transducer. Are you using the ice or summer one. Read somewhere the ice transducer is more sensitive.

I am using the ice transducer. Nice cone shaped one that hangs nice and vertical. You are probably right, it could probably use a new one. It is the original. But I think the x67c transducer will set me back $80 or so. I have the summer transducer mounted on the boat.

I only have one transducer for the Garmin Striker 4. I am thinking of buying another to mount to the boat and then retire the x67c to ice fishing only. But who wants to re-mount and wire the boat again.. I don't.. LOL.. Yes I will get to it..

Also the Garmin Striker 4 will come out this winter. I am going to use both fish finders. I have some old timer friends who like to fish the old fashioned way. Set a minnow line and then fall asleep until the rod drops.. Nothing wrong with this...

BUT, I usually out fish them, by jumping around from hole to hole, jigging and watching the flasher for the rise, strike and fish on.. I kind of feel bad doing it..

Soooooo I will lend them one of the finders so they can "see" -- without a finder is blind fishing. It sure breaks the boredom when you mark fish, even if they aren't biting, I can make it through the day, without falling asleep....