In today’s world the modern fisherman’s approach to fishing is ever-changing. Anglers have more technology, gear, and access to knowledge than ever before, providing opportunities for new fishing techniques and approaches that are changing the game. However, there are still some limitations that many anglers face when it comes to their fish sonars.
Most fishing sonar products require a suite of boxes, monitors, cables, and gear that are useful for boat rigs meant for medium to deep water, but start to impose limitations on anglers that want to use alternative watercrafts, such as kayaks or are looking for a more mobile setup for ice fishing. To combat the challenges that large and expensive fish finders bring, new products, such as the PingLive Sonar, have been designed to make set-up and take-down simple.
This article is going to cover what anglers should look for in the best portable fish finders so they can improve their mobility while maintaining a sharp and reliable image when it counts.
Table of Contents
Get Rid of Bulky Batteries
Fishing sonar units require a power source to operate. Many of these units require a large amount of power since they need to power a transducer, monitors, chart plotters, and more gear. However, when your fishing sonar gear requires a large battery source, anglers find themselves at the mercy of heavy batteries that get the job done but significantly limit their mobility to their fishing boat as an angler.
This isn’t a problem most of the time as many anglers that have invested the time and money to get a big expensive sonar rig are fishing deep waters or aren’t concerned about cost and portability. However, for those anglers looking to go fishing from a kayak or ice fishing, a big battery is often not as manageable.
Why Portable Fish Finders Are Great for Ice Fishing
Let’s look at a couple examples of why you can get more out of your days ice fishing with a more mobile setup.
Save Time and Effort
Ice fishing is a popular sport for many Canadian anglers who enjoy setting up their stands or huts and spending a few hours or days at their spot. For many, it’s about the experience as much as it is the fish, especially if they’ve been doing it for a long time. That’s why it’s important to have a fishing sonar unit that is reliable and offers a good unit. However, you don’t need to sacrifice mobility for a good image. Sonar units like the PingLive leverage your iOS device as your monitor, require a much lighter battery, and use 50% less cables. This makes set-ups and pack-ups much faster so that ice fishermen can spend less time fumbling with their sonar setups and more time doing what they’re there for… fishing.
Or, are you looking to make it the ultimate ice fishing weekend by setting up your sonar in your hut on the big screen? With products like the PingLive you can live stream your image directly to a tv or flat screen device with the use of a USB-C to HDMI dongle.
Bring the Monitor with You From Hole to Hole
Those who have been doing it a long time have their tried-and-true “spots” but will often give new locations a go throughout the winter as well. Regardless, whether you’ve found the holy grail of ice fishing locations or are testing out new spots, there is bound to be at least some testing as anglers pull out their augers, drill a hole for their fishing sonar, and then a grid of holes for good hole-hopping options in a variety of directions to either follow schools of fish or just provide variance.
Some anglers prefer drilling one hole in their hut, and just working that hole the entire time, those aren’t the anglers we’re talking about right now.
If “Joe” for example takes his auger and drills three holes, one for the transducer and two 10ft out in separate directions from the transducer (20ft total), then Joe will have two fishing holes (holes A and B) to work with that are within the fishing sonar’s radius (given his sonar is set to Panoramic mode). This is a good setup except for the fact that Joe will have to either use tip-ups for his unattended fishing rods (not a bad option but means his tip-up jig will be sitting without action) or bounce back and forth from his fishing holes to his transducer hole to view the sonar and continuously check where the fish are.
However, if Joe has a portable fishing sonar unit like the PingLive, Joe can have his sonar displaying from his iOS monitor which he can bring with him from hole to hole without moving the transducer. This means that Joe can be at hole A, actively jigging while watching his portable monitor and see a school of fish approach hole B. This means Joe can move while the fish are present, giving Joe an advantage he wouldn't have with a stationary/traditional live sonar monitor.
If you’re convinced to make the move to a more portable fishing sonar for ice fishing, learn how to keep your iPad running smoothly in cold weather.
How Portable Fishing Sonar Units Make Kayak Fishing Easier
Kayak fishing has exploded in popularity recently with anglers looking for quick and easy ways to hit the water; not to mention kayaks are more affordable than boats. Kayaks significantly reduce the up front investment that often acts as a barrier to entry for new and intermediate fisherman looking to jump into the sport without breaking the bank. Kayaks with portable fishing sonar can seriously improve a kayak fishing experience for many reasons.
Make the Most of Your Kayak's Space
First thing’s first; kayaks, although great, do not have as much space as a boat. Now, that’s kind of the point for those who are looking for a more agile and less expensive experience but it means that anglers need to be a little more conscious with what goes in the kayak. This is why having a portable sonar unit without a huge set up makes sense.
Accuphy's PingLive, as mentioned above, cuts out a lot of the bulkiness that boats can handle but kayaks can’t by allowing for a smaller battery, a small Wi-Fi router or USB-C brick, a transducer that can be pole-mounted, and iOS device as your monitor (iPad or iPhone). That’s it!
We even wrote a guide for building your own water resistant power & router/brick box to show you how simple it is.
Live Sonars are Ideal for Kayak Fishing Shallow Waters
Kayak anglers often tend to stick shallow water closer to shore when they’re fishing, often targeting fish commonly found in shallow bays, weed lines, and rocky shorelines. Bass, pike, walleye, and panfish thrive in these sought-after fishing areas. The presence of food, shelter, and ideal water conditions draws them. These multi-species habitats can support large populations of small prey, like baitfish and invertebrates, which in turn attract larger predatory fish.
With weeds, structure, and other variables involved in fishing shallower water on a kayak, it is very useful to have a portable fishing sonar for a few reasons:
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These tools help distinguish fish targets amidst clutter. For example, if your sonar detects a fish, likely to be a predator (such as a pike) concealed in vegetation, anglers can more effectively select lures like crankbaits or spoons;
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Fishing in areas without fish is a waste of time. Sonar makes it easy to avoid unproductive spots and find where the fish are hiding in the weeds. Without it, you'll likely spend your day casting into empty water; and
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Live sonar helps you see structure easier to avoid snagging your lures on things like branches.
Make Your Next Fishing Trip a Portable One with PingLive Sonar
In fishing, there is no perfect solution, what gear works best for one situation may not be ideal for others. However, in a world where anglers are looking for new and exciting ways to take their fishing to new levels, having the best portable fish finder can help unlock new opportunities on the water.
Visit our PingLive product page to find out if it's the right solution for you.
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