The “Striker series” of Garmin can never go out of business, let alone beaten at a competition whenever it is a matter of picking out well-built, feature-loaded fish finders at lower pricing.
In this post/review, we will go through every nook and cranny of Striker 5dv to show you why Garmin’s Striker series is considered nearly unbeatable.
Carrying out successful fish abduction missions in new freshwater or saltwater territories can be intimidating, especially for amateurs and hobby fishermen.
But Striker 5dv makes this challenging hunt into the peace of walk with its brilliant sonar performance and basic navigational support.
Proceed further to see what more is this little guy hiding, and buy it if what you find fits your bill.
Table of Contents
What Makes Garmin Striker 5dv Stand Apart from Others?
Garmin Striker 5dv, despite belonging to the group of budget-friendly and portable fish finders, has remarkable sonar technologies and equally impressive GPS functioning that combine to assist well both in inland fishing and sea fishing.
Our Garmin Striker 5dv Review
In a true Garmin fashion, Striker 5dv comes with attractive, result-oriented features at an equally attractive price to capture the hearts and eyes of ambitious anglers and beginners.
The compact unit can be a pleasing company for offshore fishing on a small vessel because one, the device can conveniently fit in in limited space of the watercraft; second, it comes with high-power Chirp sonar and DownVu scans.
You can direct one or the other to gather intel about underwater topography and fish sanctuaries hundreds of feet below the water surface. The Chirp 2D works with mid and high frequencies, which means you get more details about the bottom layout and your desired fish in a highly distinctive manner.
So, you see, there’s no room for guess-games; we want you to go for the jugular directly.
Unlike others, the DownVu is also Chirp-supported so you can observe bottom composition and plantation existing beneath your vessel with photographic-like clarity. I can assure you that you will hardly miss even a twig within 750ft depth in DownVu.
Since Striker 5dv is specifically designed for harsh outdoor use, you can observe the same compactness and resilience in the display too.
A 5-inch display with 800 x 480 resolutions and backlighting allows you to read everything clearly, even under scorching sunlight. Also, the screen can be split into multiple panels, which means you can observe sonar returns and GPS results at once.
Speaking of GPS, this one has one of the fastest and most accurate GPS function available in the market. Meaning, you will have the correct coordinates of the locations to help you isolate lucrative fishing spots for revisiting.
As a cherry on the top, the integration of the waypoint map enables you to view and pinpoint important landmarks and fish hotspots.
All in all, I would suggest you buy this Garmin Striker 5dv if you want a ruggedly built fish finder carrying a retinue of features for a productive fishing tour.
Display
Striker 5dv features a compact screen, 5-inch in size, with a standard resolution of 800 x 480 coupled with backlighting adjustments and waterproofing quality.
This means you will observe all the data brightly come what may – no need to worry about blinding sunlight or insufficient lighting hindering your visibility.
Besides, the split-screen option means you can check multiple pieces of data at once.
Chirp Sonar
The unit should have come with a warning for fish, “threat alert!” I doubt it would have worked, though, because it comes with a powerful transducer (GT20-TM) along with Chirp sonar and DownVU.
The Chirp tech uses medium and high Chirp frequencies for 2D scanning to acquire more detail about the surrounding area and location of targeted fish. Oh, poor creatures, you have nowhere to hide!
Alternatively, directing DownVu will give you a thorough view of the layout of the bottom, plantation and structure that’s present directly below the vessel.
The maximum depth of the unit for saltwater is 1100 ft and 2300ft for freshwater. Meaning, it is compatible both for coastal use and inland fishing.
On top of that, you have got the support of ice flasher mode that can completely turn game dynamics in your favour during ice fishing and vertical jigging.
Navigational Support
As we have already stated in our review above that Striker 5dv features a supersonic, hyper-sensitive GPS that updates your coordinates rapidly to prevent you from going astray, making it truly the best inexpensive fish finder for offshore use.
Furthermore, you can keep a bulky account of crucial waypoints, landmarks and fish-populated spots through a waypoint map. That way you will not have to start from scratch whenever you want to revisit them.
Unfortunately, the unit lacks a micro SDcard reader so you won’t be able to expand its storage to download maps and charts.
Pros
- Sturdy build can withstand the nastiness of offshores.
- Chirp works both for 2D sonar and DownVu to offer clearer results about the bottom’s shape, vegetation and targeted fish’s hideouts.
- Sunlight readable screen with a split-window format offers a vivid view of multiple pieces of information.
- Super fast and accurate GPS.
- Ice flasher mode works effectively for ice fishing or vertical jigging.
- Waypoint map can mark thousands of important landmarks and fish-active spots.
- Compatible with both freshwater and saltwater fishing.
Cons
- Scarce connectivity options.
- No SDcard reader for extending memory.
- Devoid of built-in maps and charts.
Why Should You Buy Garmin Striker 5dv ?
Garmin Striker 5dv is a compact and budget-friendly unit yet features a decent number of navigational aids along with powerful sonars and special flasher mode, which means it can serve you well in frozen-water fishing, freshwater fishing and coastal fishing.
Also, the unit has a very sensitive and efficient GPS that will work as your north compass to help you reach desired fish-active spots without getting lost.
Final Thought
Garmin Striker 5dv is a budget- and space-conscious unit loaded with powerful sonar technology and basic navigation support to serve according to your expectations in various fishing scenarios. However, the price cut comes at the expense of networking and chart plotting. Rest assured, it is a fine choice for small boats and kayaks. So, buy it if you want impressive sonar technologies at an affordable price.
You May Also Like to Read:
- What Do You Need for Fishing - August 18, 2022
- How to Find Offshore Fishing Spots - August 18, 2022
- What to Use for Trout Fishing - August 17, 2022