Fish hawk forum

We would like to get one but have heard different stories. A lot of reviews seem to be out dated it's 2018 going into 19. Are there any value buys or end of season sales that will trigger? In March last year @ Jelensky's seminar Depth Raider was offering (show price) to us $419.00. We put a ton of money into our boat last yr. and did not know if or how it would run and troll. Long story for another post but short The boat ran and caught fish so we are going to get either one and maybe a camera. Thanks for any thoughts and reviews.

There are pros and cons to all the systems out there. I have owned a Moor subtroll, a Depth Raider, and a Cannon Speed n Temp. All three are systems that rely on installing coated cable on your rigger and using an antenna wire that wraps around your rigger cable to read the signal. You get quicker updates with cable read systems, and they are less expensive than transducer read systems (including probe replacement if you lose one). You will get more blowback with coated cable, and some rigger pulleys have a tendency to strip the coating off the cable.

I have fished on several boats that use Fishhawks, and they are very nice when they work right. One boat I fished on had lots of issues with the Fishhawk and ended up installing a Depth Raider which worked flawlessly. The rest of the FH units I've seen worked perfectly and it was nice to be able to decide which rigger to run the probe on (although most guys I know always still use the same rigger every day) and the display is nicer as well. They take considerably longer to update information than cable systems, and some people have had issues with transducer signal interference.

I really like my Cannon system, which I have some backup equipment for if I have any issues since they haven't made them for several years. I have been kicking around picking up a Smart Troll system as a way to check my depth and temperature on my dipseys as well, and even test the true depth of my weighted line setups. They also have probes to read speed now as well so it would be a nice replacement for my Cannon when life support ends for it. Very impressive technology at a price, and you need a tablet to use as a display, which might not work well on an open boat in direct sunlight. It also uses a transducer which worries me with my twin outboards. I have talked with a couple guys that run them with twins with success.

Fishhawk makes a new X2 system that solves the transducer mounting issue by providing a ducer that clips around your downrigger cable and sits in the water just below the end of your rigger boom. A data cable connects from the ducer to the back of the display (that appears you must mount right near your rigger). This looks like a great idea for someone with more than 1 boat to be able to swap the unit from boat to boat.

All these systems work great when installed properly but it really comes down to your personal needs and situation. I personally like getting the quick updates and lower cost of the cable read systems and I like the battery voltage, light clarity, and depth readings I get with my Cannon. I hope I can continue to use it for years to come along with it's future Smart Troll team mate.

TyeeII, I met PaPa d yesterday he said you were full of info. WOW!!! Thank you for giving me some ideas. I heard that cannon was a good unit.

I had used the Canon Speed-N-Temp for years but my head unit started flaking out.
I installed the Fish Hawk which has blue tooth so I can use my phone in the back on the boat to see the readings.
I really miss the Canon because the readings were instantaneous and could see slight temp and speed changes.
And I agree with TyeeII on the light penetration feature is good.
The Fish Hawk seems to lag on the updates but still you get the general speed and temp readings you need.

Fish hawk is way to slow depth raider is real time info i wouldn't leave the dock with out my depth raider it has been a tool on my boat for years i also have a fish hawk that i bought 3 years a go we just use it for surface temp now seems to be ok for that

I just purchased the Depth Raider this year and love it, no hiccups at all , it works extremely well and respons very quickly. Ii would stongerly lean towards the Depth Raider. I give it 5 stars

Both are great units and essential to salmon fishing. Temp is much less of a issue to me the last few years but speed at the ball is huge. Depth raider I like the smaller screen as the fish hawk takes up a lot of space. Depth Raider update rate is much faster. The coated cable sucks. The fish hawk x4 has a BRIGHT BLUE display that is BLINDING at night. The x4d is red so much better.

I like the fish hawk because of the lack of coated cable. The wireless seems to work very well. I had the x4 and sold it with a past boat. Worked very well. Then I got the x4d. Problem with the X4D is the update rate is VERY slow and getting accurate readings is terrible especially when trying to dial in a speed. It was so bad that I thought there was something wrong and they sent me out a new probe and display. When I lost my x4d probe I bought a normal x4 probe which works with the x4d display and the update rate was so much better.

No idea about depth raider but Fish Hawks customer service is second to none.

+1 for the Depth Raider. I have had mine for many years and I like it alot. The only issue I had was with the pulleys on my Big Jon downriggers. The pulleys have a small groove in the bottom of the channel where the cable runs and it would slowly wear away the coating on the cable. I fixed this by putting the pulley in a lathe and using a round gouge to make a smooth channel for the cable to run in. Easy fix. I love the fact that one 9V battery will last the whole season and there are numerous ways to make the connection from the cable to the probe that still makes the probe removable. I don't find that the coated cable blows back that much more than the cable on my other riggers and the quick updates make it easy to dial in your speed.

I have not owned a Fish Hawk, but have fished on several boats equipped with them. They do the job, but I preferred to not mount another transducer on my hull.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Jerry
Runnin' Bare

My head is spinning. Thanks everyone for the info. I'll do due diligence and report back. Anyone else please chime in THANK YOU.

I got a depth radar for sale give me $300 its yours

Fish hawk. Got introduced and saw it in action first by Brian's boat so thats what I saved for back in 2015 when x4d came out. Majority I read online also leaning towards fishhawk being better, like the simplicity of and the wireless idea. No mix reviews about coated downrigger cables. On the other hand, I agree that fhawks slow refresh rate but for regular angler like me that is all that I need.
So far the only problem fish hawk probe gave me which my mistake was leaving the battery inside the probe all winter long. Due to gas build up it cracked the probe. Like Brian mentioned, fishhawk customer service was top notch! My unit was 3yrs old and out of warranty n they still gave me about 75% off for a brand new probe plus shipment to my door the next day free!!!
Good luck which ever brand u decide.