Electronics and fish finders have become invaluable to fishermen, and especially kayak fishermen, who can sneak up on fish like no other boater and dial in to the exact conditions on their equipment. One of the leaders in fish finder innovation for years has been Garmin, and now they’ve just announced the latest additions to their 2016 lineup which is sure to make kayak anglers drool.
Check out the latest dispatch from Garmin to get the details on their latest releases in fish finder electronics and accessories that’ll let you fish like never before:
echoMAP CHIRP
A line of affordable chartplotter/sonar combo units that features built-in CHIRP traditional sonar and CHIRP DownVu and SideVu scanning sonar. Preloaded with inland or coastal waters, the echoMAP series is available in 4-inch, 5-inch, 7-inch or 9-inch color displays with an intuitive, keyed interface. With NMEA 2000 compatibility (all models except for the 4-inch), the new echoMAPs can also receive information from sensors, engines, autopilots and more. The 7- and 9-inch models also provide support for Garmin Panoptix.
Available in January, priced from $299.99-$1259.99
Striker
Entry-level fishfinders with built-in GPS, and CHIRP traditional and CHIRP DownVu and SideVu scanning sonar. With GPS on board, fishermen have access to accurate speed over the ground information, even at very slow speeds, and they can mark hot fishing locations and return to them next week, next month or next year. Available in bright, sunlight-readable 3.5-inch, 5-inch or 7-inch color displays with a new rugged design.
Available in December, priced from $119.99-$499.99
Quickdraw Contours
Free, easy-to-use software feature that lets mariners create personalized HD fishing maps with 1-foot contours on any body of water. Results appear instantly on a compatible Garmin sonar-enabled chartplotter and the maps can be kept private or shared with others at no cost. User-generated points of interest and waypoints can be added to tailor the data to meet customer needs. Users can opt to share the info with others by copying the files to another card, or keep it private.
Available as a standard feature on the new echoMAP CHIRP series, and as a free software update for other echoMAP and GPSMAP units in January.
Panoptix PS21
The newest member of the Panoptix all-seeing sonar family, the PS 21 transducer is optimized for a trolling motor. With the PS21, fishermen can now add the most attractive feature of Panoptix, LiveVü Forward, to a compatible Garmin GPSMAP or echoMAP CHIRP chartplotter to see real-time moving sonar images ahead of and around their boat. Other Panoptix transducers are available in transom and thru-hull mount options for inland and offshore application.
Available in January for $999.99
2016 transducers
A new line of CHIRP transducers that offer more flexibility in installation, including a design for ice fishing, as well as the first in-hull CHIRP transducer. Compatible with the new Garmin Striker and echoMAP CHIRP series and the GSD 25. Available with various configurations of CHIRP traditional, CHIRP DownVu and CHIRP SideVu sonar technologies.
Available in December, priced from $119.99- $549.99.
