LCD Fishfinder Comparisons: Best Sonars for Walleye Anglers

Every walleye angler has the same issue with older or cheap electronics, they just don't show walleye on the bottom. Of course this is a huge issue, because the bottom is precisely where they spend most of their life. Sonar technology is always evolving, so much so that there is no reason not to equip yourself with a fish finder that will show you not only that there is a walleye down there 2 inches off the bottom, but that there are in fact 2 of them.

The first part of this installment will review only grayscale LCD fishfinders from Lowrance, Eagle, Garmin and Humminbird. We won't review GPS / fishfinder combos, because this implies another level of analysis which we don't want to do just yet. As for color units, I will review them next. Flashers also have their place and they will be the subject on yet another review.

Let's stick to the basics. There is one very important thing that will help distinguish the bottom from the fish hovering 3 inches above the bottom, it is called target separation, and it involves 3 main variables, transducer angle, peak to peak power, and last but not least screen resolution.

Remember:
1- The more pixels are on a screen, the more accurate the given representation will be
2- More watts = more power = more accuracy
3- A narrow angle = more accuracy but less coverage
4- I give an APPROXIMATE price on the units, which is an approximate average of the prices I found on various websites that sell the units at the time I did the review.

So here are what I consider to be the best gray scale (black and white) fishfinders on the market for walleye anglers. I introduce each unit in order, the very best come first, the good ones are at the bottom. Even the cheapest units will provide excellent detail and great target separation, and if your budget allows for better quality units, look to the latest units with 3d contour technology, they are revolutionary.

Humminbird Matrix 47
5 inch screen with "3D" display
640x320
8,000 watts
Price: $500 USD

Lowrance X135
5 inch screen
480x480
4,000 watts
Price: $425 USD

Lowrance X125
5 inch screen
480x480
2,400 watts
Price: $325

Humminbird 565
5 inch screen
640x320
2,000 watts
Price $190 USD

Eagle Fishmark 480
5 inch screen
480x480
1,500 watts
Price: $220 USD

Garmin FF250
4.5 inch screen
320x320
3,200 watts
Price: $250 USD

Humminbird Matrix 17
5 inch screen
320x320
2,400 watts
Price: $165 USD

Humminbird 535
5 inch screen
320x320
2,000 watts
$155 USD

Eagle Fishmark 320
5 inch screen
320x320
1,500 watts
Price: $170 USD

So which one is the best buy?
My recommendation for best value is the Humminbird 565, with 640x320 resolution and 2,000 watts of power, and at $190 USD you can't go wrong. Close second is the Eagle FishMark 480. With 1,500 watts of power and a 480X480 resolution, it gives you all the detail you need. And at a low $220 USD, it features a price most anglers could afford.

If price is no issue, then you may want to think about color units which will provide you with even more information than the grayscale displays. We'll get to these in a few days.