Garmin, Lowrance and Humminbird Fish Finders Compared Side by Side

Field & Stream mounted fish finders from Garmin, Lowrance and Humminbird on one boat and compared them side by side for live sonar, side sonar and mapping. Tester Shaye Baker gave each brand one category win.

Key points

• Live sonar: The Garmin 106SV EchoMAP Ultra 2 LiveScope Plus System won. Set to 70 feet out and 20 feet down, it showed sharper bottom separation and target detail past 30 feet.
• Side sonar: Reading 50 feet to each side, all three units marked the same cover, but the Lowrance HDS Pro 10 ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1 showed slightly more detail.
• Mapping: The Humminbird Xplore 9 with LakeMaster VX Premium charts won, mainly because its charts covered Baker's Alabama lakes best. Options include 1-foot contours, custom shading and satellite overlays.
• Installation: Garmin's LVS34 transducer needs an extra black box, though Baker notes Garmin's newer transducers drop it. Humminbird's Mega Live 2 needs only the transducer, so it was easier to fit.
• Drawbacks: Baker says the Mega Live 2 failed to read on his last couple of outings. The Lowrance and Garmin live sonar setups each cost $200 more than the Humminbird.

Quick take

Baker's view is that the best mapping depends on which company has charted the lakes you fish most, so buyers should check coverage for their area. He calls Garmin's LiveScope his top pick for fish suspended in open water and for working through submerged cover.

Read the full story at Field & Stream.