How much money do you want to spend on your fish finder? If the answer is “less than $1000”, then this blog post is right up your alley. We’re rounding up the best fish finder GPS combo under $1000 to help you catch more fish and spend less!
I rely on a Fish Finder GPS Combo on every trip, I know what to look for when distinguishing a good unit from a great one.
After testing different units from all major brands, I have found the Lowrance Elite FS 9 is the best Fish Finder GPS Combo for under $1000.
This blog post will give you all the information you’ll need to make an informed decision when purchasing a fish finder GPS Combo.
1. Lowrance Elite FS 9 Fish Finder/Chartplotter
This MFD is the best of both worlds. It offers a color, sunlight-readable screen, and touchscreen interface with mapping capabilities at an affordable price. You will also get CHIRP sonar technology that has been proven to be more accurate in deep water situations, which are often difficult when using traditional single-frequency sonars. This unit also comes equipped with built-in Wi-Fi, so you can download maps and updates wirelessly.
Key Features
- ActiveTarget Live Sonar ready (Transducer Required)
- FishReveal
- Preloaded C-MAP
- C-MAP Easy Routing
- C-MAP Genesis Live onscreen mapping
- Integrated wireless through NMEA 2000 and Ethernet connectivity
- Full touchscreen control of
Power-Pole Anchors and Lowrance’s GHOST Trolling Motor
The Lowrance Elite FS 9 has all the bells and whistles that you could ask for from a Fish Finder Under $1000; it’s perfect for fishermen on a budget who still want high-quality features such as water temperature readings, GPS functionality, side imaging capability, and much more.
2. Furuno GP1971F, 9″
Key Features
- Operates like a smartphone with an easy-to-use touch screen
- Detailed Charts compatible with C-MAP 4D
- Autopilot controls with NMEA2000
- TruEcho CHIRP
- Furuno exclusives ACCU-FISH and RezBoost
The GP1971F is a great all-around fish finder combo that features GPS, CHIRP sonar, and down imaging. It also offers side imaging capability and comes preloaded with C-MAP Easy Routing Software, so you can create routes based on depth contours!
In my opinion, it is the best value for your money. It has an easy-to-read 9″ display (with 800×480 pixels). This unit will give you more than enough detail at a much better price than any Furuno MFD. Furuno is known for its more than dependable customer support team, and they always stand behind their product.
3. Raymarine Element 9 HV
The Raymarine Element displays the most detail when it comes to mapping on a 9″ screen. The Element keeps you on target with user-friendly keypad controls, and fishing focused LightHouse 3 operating system, so you can focus on the fish, rather than the helm.
Key Features
- User-friendly keypad controls
- HyperVision 1.2 MHz offers high-resolution sonar
- Side Imaging, Down Imaging and Raymarine RealVision 3D
- RealBathy exclusively from Raymarine allows you to create custom maps based on where you are
This is one of my favorites because of its high resolution and incredible features exclusive to Raymarine products. This unit can easily integrate with other electronics onboard through the NMEA2000 network.
4. Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv
The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv features a quick-release bail mount, making it easy to remove and take. NMEA 2000® and NMEA 0183 network support provide engine data, sensor connection, autopilot integration, etc. This ECHOMAP fish finder even brings compatibility with select trolling motors for full control of the motor from the screen, plus the ability to navigate to waypoints. All Garmin units can use the ActiveCaptain app on your smartphone, so you can be in charge of your marine electronics anywhere.
Key Features
- ClearVu and SideVu sonars, and Garmin high wide CHIRP
- Preloaded LakeVu maps with Navionics mapping integrated
- Supports Panoptix all-seeing sonar, including Panoptix LiveScope sonar
This is the most user-friendly fish finder because it has a touchscreen that you can use to control all of its features. It also offers dual beam technology for more accurate readings and an easy-read split-screen display, making navigating while fishing easier than ever!
5. Humminbird Helix 7
The Helix offers the best overall imaging, with a wide range of features. It has GPS capability, which is great for anglers who spend time fishing on multiple bodies of water and need to know exactly where they are at all times. This sonar also does not require an additional subscription to use Navionics mapping data- it comes preloaded!
Key Features
- Vivid, 7″ display
- MEGA Side Imaging
- MEGA Down Imaging
- Dual Spectrum CHIRP
- Low Q CHIRP transducer
- SwitchFire Sonar dual display modes
- Built-in Humminbird Basemap
- NMEA 2000 networking
- Built-in Bluetooth
- Includes transducer
If you’re looking for the ultimate imaging, a more than capable transducer included and affordability, we recommend the Humminbird Helix 7.
6. Lowrance HOOK Reveal 9 Triple Shot
What I love most about this fish finder is the new feature from Lowrance called StructureScan3d and this, paired with Lowrance CHIRP sonar, gives this one a leg up against the competition.
Key Features
- FishReveal
- Automated sonar settings
- Double the sonar coverage of traditional fish finders
- microSD card slot
- Compatible with C-MAP, C-MAP Genesis, Navionics, and more
- DownScan Imaging
- Comes with a front dash or gimbal mount
The Lowrance Hook Reveal 9 with Triple Shot provides a whole new detail and clarity to your fishing adventures. It’s capable of reading depths up to 350′ with dual-beam. This fish finder has the best depth range on our list! You’ll also be able to see structures that are often too deep for others.
7. Lowrance Elite FS 7 w/Active Imaging 3-in-1 Transom Mount Transducer
GPS-enabled maps allow you to add waypoints for the entire water column or only in a certain depth range; Auto Guidance is great at pointing out features on your screen that will help you find fish like shipwrecks and other structures. You can also zoom up to an ultra-close angle view of any object under the boat’s keel mount, so it doesn’t show up as just a few black pixels on your sonar display!
Key Features
- ActiveTarget Live Sonar
- Active Imaging 3 in 1 transom mount transducer included
- FishReveal
- Preloaded C-MAP
- Live Mapping with C-MAP
- High-resolution touchscreen
- Integrates with NMEA 2000
- Full touchscreen control of Power-Pole anchors and Ghost Trolling Motor
The innovative StructureScan3D mode shows all objects near the boat and gives them accurate shape detail even from 360 degrees around the hull.
What to Look for When Buying a Fishfinder GPS Combo
Display Size
The size of the display is not only a personal preference but also depends on where you will be mounting your unit. If your helm is limited in size, then obviously opt for the smaller display, but I recommend a 7″ or greater display. Another option to optimize the size of your displays is to use two different screens and dedicate one for a specific task. For example, one for chart plotter and autopilot functions and the other for side or down imaging.
Water Resistance
All of the GPS combos on this list are waterproof to a certain degree. However, in some cases, you might find that the water resistance is not sufficient for your needs so I recommend checking out the warranties when purchasing one!
Sonar Capabilities/Transducer
There are a few different sonar options, and it’s important to choose the one that will be best for your specific tasks. Seasoned anglers are beginning to prefer to use their sonars in dual screen mode or multiple screens to take advantage of the modern dual frequency/dual cone transducers…thus seeing the benefits of both cones/frequency simultaneously.
The most common recreational frequencies used are 50 and 200 kHz.
The sound wave of a 50 kHz pulse is just over 1.15″ in length and provides more than enough energy to penetrate the water at considerable depths. A downside to 50 kHz is that the pulse is less sensitive to smaller fish.
The sound wave of a 200 kHz pulse is roughly 1/4″ in length; therefore emits less energy and limits depth capability but is very sensitive to smaller targets and most useful for finding baitfish
Be sure to pick a Fishfinder GPS combo capable of integrating with the transducer that you will be using.
GPS Capability
GPS capabilities let you mark waypoints so they can be found again later without remembering coordinates or landmarks, plot courses on the map screen, track trip data with graphs over time (e.g., speed/distance traveled), and save spots as Favorites for quick reference in future trips.
Conclusion
The best Fishfinder GPS combo under $1000 will depend on what specs are important to you, but there’s one thing they should all have in common for this price point – at least a 7″ screen size, GPS capabilities, and reliable customer support from the manufacturer. There are plenty of different models with different levels of quality at this price point; I hope my reviews helped narrow down your search for your next Fish Finder GPS Combo.
