When looking for a sonar for fishing, is Garmin 300 or 400c the right unit correct for you?
If you are looking for a sonar fish recognizer that has all the great features of the high-end models at a much smaller price, then you don't have to search any farther than the Garmin 400c and Garmin 300c Fishfinders. With either of these two models, you will are going to find all the fish - and have a great time doing it! Each of these models will work in both salt or fresh water and, although the units are very close to the same, they do have some subtle differences, which I will outline in this product review.
While both Garmin Fishfinders work well in either lakes or oceans, the 400c is really very strong in saltwater because of its capability to reach depths of 1500 feet with moment-by-moment accuracy. The 300c has the ability to reach an impressive 900 feet deep. The difference lies within the sonar equipment called transducers. The 300c uses a dual-beam transducer, while the 400c offers the ability to use either a dual-beam transducer or a dual-frequency transducer. Yes, this can be confusing; let me see if I can clear it up. The dual-beam (standard for 300c) uses a cone system that you can set to send out sonar beams at either 15 or 45 degree from the craft. Basically, this allows you to see the contours of the river bottom and fish that are not directly under the craft. If I could draw a picture, it would look like a cone with the small end starting at the bottom of the boat and the wide end on the bottom of the lake or river. The dual-frequency transducer (an optional for the 400c) sends out a single beam but has two settings: high frequency, which allows for higher resolution in deep water, and low frequency, which is suggested for shallower water.
Each of these Garmin Fishfinder models has a 256-color, high-resolution (240 vertical by 320 horizontal pixels) screen, designed to be readable even in direct sunlight. This means an awesome color readout that is crystal clear, making it simple to distinguish fish from debris. The 300c screen is 3.5 inches and the 400c is 4 inches. Each has a night mode, which gives top-notch readability even in low-light conditions. And, speaking of night viewing, the keypad on both units is backlit making it easy to operate at night without the use of a flashlight.
Both units sports what is called, Ultrascroll. This gives you instant sonar updates that show fish even when you are cruising across the water. No more passing over a school or fish while you are cruising to your favorite fishing spot! Another fantastic feature is called whiteline, which determines whether the bottom is hard or soft. It also allows you to distinguish whether the debris on the bottom is really a fish or just an old boot. Fish Symbol ID is factory issue on both Garmin 300c and 400c fish locators. This helps you to know the different sizes of fish so you are not pursuing shad instead of sturgeon. Also, both units come with A-Scope. This allows you to see moment-by-moment display of fish passing through the transducer beam. Both of these fantastic sonars have an auto gain feature. This automatically sets the sensitivity on the sonar depending on the density of the water, or fish, and also has three settings to give you even more options. Both of these units also have audible alarms that can be turned on and off. They can be set to alert you of low battery power, shallow water (of any depth you set) and, of course, the presence of fish. This means no more surprise dead batteries, no more aggravating damaged props, and hundreds more fish in the boat!
Both units sport a split screen function allowing you to completely take advantage of all the moment-by-moment data these fish finders offer. Data such as water temperature the water depth, water speed for river fishing, voltage readings plus many more choices of other data. On the other side of the screen, you can view moment-by-moment fish traffic, including determining large from small fish, bottom density, and even the ability to tell if fish are nesting on the bottom. Both models allow you to zoom in on targets -- both 2x and 4x. Of course, if you just want to see the fish you can simply toggle the rocker switch and the split-screen is disabled. Both models also have the automatic settings save feature. Once you have your model set the way you like it, when you park the craft for the evening, just turn the unit off and your settings will be remembered.
Here is where the Garmin 400c is set apart from the Garmin 300c. The 400c is CANet-compatible. CANet is a communication protocol that creates a faster transfer rate of data. This means you can share sonar reports with other plotters in your craft making this part of your GPS system, not just a wonderful fishfinder. One satisfied customer said, "I have a Garmin GPSMap 496 and I use it in tandem with my 400c. The two units work together perfectly. Even way out in the middle of the seas I can never get lost!" Another customer says "I recently got a Garmin fishfinder and was very surprised to find it works right along with my chart plotter." Where to buy the Garmin 300c and the Garmin 400c for the best price is Amazon.com
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