Garmin makes some of the best fishfinders on the market, the company which is known for its top quality products has manufactured fishfinders ranging from low to high-end fishfinders. One of the lower-end fishfinders on the Garmin lineup is the Striker Cast – A castable fishfinder that lets you easily pair a sonar and your phone so that you can see images of fish in the water right from your phone. The Striker Cast is one of the best castable fishfinders and its suitable for shore, lake, pond and even ice fishing. It is durable, easy to use, and very capable of helping you find and catch fish. This Garmin Striker Cast review takes a look at what this fishfinder has to offer, and help you decide if it’s worth the investment?
Frequency: 260kHz/455kHz | Battery Life: 10hrs | Inbuilt GPS: Yes | Sonar beams: 22° x 63° (260kHz), 9° x 14° (455kHz) | Weight: 75g Casting range: 200ft Scanning Depth: 150ft
How Do You Find Fish With Garmin Striker Cast? – How it Works
Like other castable fishfinders, the Striker Cast works in conjunction with the Striker Cast app to show you fish. When you install this app, and the Striker Cast sonar is on the water, you’ll be able to pair the sonar and your phone. This will allow you to see fish and other objects in the water. In other words, the Striker Cast app turns your phone into a fishfinder. This is the concept behind all castable fishfinders.
When you receive the Striker Cast, the first thing you should do is to charge the sonar using the charging cable that ships with it. After you have fully charged the sonar, install the app, and cast the Striker Cast on the water, it will automatically turn on. Follow the prompts on the app to pair the sonar and your phone. Once you have successfully paired the sonar and your phone, the Striker Cast will show you images of fish and other objects in the water. It has a 150ft scanning depth and 200ft casting range, and the connection is very stable despite connecting via Bluetooth.
The Striker Cast doesn’t need internet connectivity to show you fish, it works without an internet connection.
How to Use Garmin Striker Cast Sonar
To setup and use the Striker Cast fishfinder is very easy. All you need do is first install the Striker Cast app on your phone. Next, you need to charge to full the sonar, then Cast or troll the sonar on the water. Once the sonar is in the water, it automatically switches on and you can search for the device from the app installed on your phone. Pair the sonar and your phone to be able to find and catch fish.
If you choose to troll the Striker Cast, it works best when trolled at a speed less than 5mph. Also, the Striker Cast will deliver the best result in water over 3ft deep. It tends to return false signals when on water less than 3ft deep.
Garmin Striker Cast App Features
As I mentioned above, the Striker Cast app is the companion app for the Striker Cast sonar that allows you to pair sonar and your phone so that you will be able to see fish and other objects passing under the transducer right on your phone.
The app is quite intuitive with a clean interface that’s easy to use. The app is available for both iPhone and Android users. You can get the app from Google Playstore or the Apple app store.
The Striker Cast app has a handful of pretty nice features that can help you catch the most fish while on the water. The features include the following.
- Displays fish and structure in a crisp and easy to interpret manner.
- Select sonar display mode: This gives you options to choose from easy-to-understand traditional 2D sonar or the ice fishing flasher mode.
- You can make adjustments for gain, range and more.
- Quickdraw contours mapping: The Striker Cast with GPS will allow you to generate a 1° contour map as you travel on the water. You can also access and download maps created by other users from the Garmin Quickdraw Community. This map will serve as a reference point, you can mark your favorite fishing spots so that you can increase your productivity. Moreover, the map can also help you find your way back.
- Fish icons: To make using the sonar easier, you can turn on fish icons to view graphic images of fish targets and their depth readings, so you’ll know exactly where to drop your jig or lure.
- A-Scope: You can also turn on A-scope. This will display a vertical flasher along the right side of your screen showing instantaneously the range to targets along a scale.
- Choose frequency: You can also select your preferred frequency to adjust the sonar to fit your goal. Two frequencies are available, a 260kHz or a higher 455kHz. The 260kHz has a wider 45° beamscope and greater depth penetration, while the 455kHz has a smaller 15° beamscope and a lower depth penetration, but offers better image quality.
Garmin Striker Cast Review 2024
The Striker Cast is an outstanding fishfinder. It’s also great for ice fishing
Design – Compact and durable
The Striker Cast is a compact, sturdy, and lightweight device weighing just 75 grams. It’s easy to carry, so you shouldn’t have any problem carrying it along. Moreover, it’s also very easy to setup. You only need to install the Striker Cast app, Cast the sonar into the water which automatically switches it on. You can then find and pair the sonar from the app. Once the sonar is connected to your phone, the app will show you images of fish and other objects in the water. It’s rated IPX7 which means it’s waterproof up to 1meter under water. So you shouldn’t worry about getting the Striker Cast in the water.
From the app, you can use auto gain to minimize clutter in other to maximize your target. You can also use Fish symbol ID to identify fish targets as this will show fish using fish icons rather than the normal color pattern.
You can choose to cast the Striker Cast or troll from your boat. If you choose to troll the sonar, then you’ll need a flexible arm mount which is sold separately.
The Striker Cast will work for both freshwater and saltwater. So, irrespective of the water you fish on, it will work perfectly fine. It can also work for ice fishing as it has a built-in ice flasher mode in the app. Note that the Striker Cast works best in water over 3ft deep.
Connectivity – How Striker Cast Connects to Your Phone
The Striker Cast connects to your phone via Bluetooth connection. This allows it to transfer data to the Striker Cast app that shows you images of whatever is in the water. Even though the Striker Cast lacks WiFi which is faster, the transfer of data is seamless and fast too s that you can get the most out of your fishing activity. Using the A-scope feature in the app will allow you see real-time images of fish passing under the transducer.
It’s worth noting that the Striker Cast streams scanned data without internet connectivity. This means that you don’t need an internet connection on your phone to catch fish.
Sonar and Available Frequencies
The Striker Cast operates on two frequency modes. A lower 260kHz with a 22° x 63° beamscope and a higher 455kHz with a 9° x 14° beamscope. In other words, the higher frequency has a smaller coverage area and this can be used to horn in on your target. Meanwhile, the lower frequency has a wider coverage area and has a higher depth penetration. The maximum depth penetration of the Striker Cast is 150ft while the maximum streaming range is 200ft.
Inbuilt GPS & Quickdraw Contours Mapping
There is an inbuilt GPS in the Striker Cast GPS, this enables the sonar to generate a quickdraw 1° contour map as you move on the water. This can serve as a replacement in the absence of a preloaded map. Although not a detailed map, it will allow you to mark your favorite fishing spots as well as other places of interest so that you can easily navigate your way in future journeys on the water. This sonar also allows you to get the temperature of the water.
Battery Life
One of the things I like about the Striker Cast is its long battery life. When fully charged, the device can last up to 10 hours. That’s one of the longest among all the best castable fishfinders we reviewed. It comes with a built-in non-removable lithium-ion battery. It takes about 1.5 hours to fully charged the sonar. A LED light flashes when the device is charging, and it turns off when the device is fully charged.
The design of this fishfinder allows it to automatically turn off when not in water and back on when in water. This helps elongate the battery life.
The Striker Cast comes with a USB charger that allows you to charge the device. It’s the same charger used in charging Garmin Fenix and Quatix lineup. If the sonar will not be in use for a long time, it’s recommended that you charge it up to 50%. This will prevent the battery from getting damaged. You’re required to charge it back to full before putting it to use after storage.
How to Update Garmin Striker Cast
From time to time, you will be required to update the software of the Striker Cast. This can be done from the Striker Cast app. All you need do is to open the app, then tap on the settings button >>Striker Cast>>software update, and tap on install to update the sonar. When there is a new update, the settings button will show a red color.
Garmin Striker Cast GPS vs no-GPS
Please note that the Striker Cast comes in two versions, the Striker Cast with GPS and Striker Cast with no GPS. The difference between these two is that the version with GPS can generate a 1° contour map, and you can also download maps created by other users from the Garmin Quickdraw community. Moreover, with the Striker Cast GPS, you can create waypoints and mark your favorite spots.
As a result of the inbuilt GPS, the Striker Cast with GPS is priced at $180 which is $50 higher than the non-GPS version. In my opinion, I’ll say the GPS model is a better bargain.
Conclusion
In final words, the Striker Cast is a great fishfinder. It’s one of the best on the market and coming from Garmin, its great quality. This sonar simply turns your phone into a fishfinder and allows you to see images of fish directly from your phone so that you know exactly when and where to cast your line. Its a suitable fishfinder for shallow water fishing and due to it’s portability, it’s also a great choice for kayak and other small boat owners.
So, whether you fishing on a pond, shoreline or lake, the Striker Cast is a decent choice. It also works great for ice fishing just as was described by this fella.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I turn on Garmin Striker Cast?
First, make sure the sonar is fully charged. Simply connect the charging cable to the port on the back of the device and plug the other end to a 5V or 12V USB port. You can power on the Striker Cast in two ways;
- Connect the USB cable to the sonar, if the device’s LED light blinks and turns off, it means the Striker Cast is fully charged and ready to connect.
- Alternatvely, when the Striker cast is floating on the water, it will automatically turn on. Moreover, to conserve battery life, the Striker Cast will automatically turn off when it’s out of the water.
Can you use a Garmin striker Cast for ice fishing?
Absolutely yes, you can use the Garmin Striker Cast for ice fishing. You simply drill a hole on the ice, drop your Striker Cast which you have already paired with your phone into the hole, and then you can lower your lure or jig. The Striker Cast will show your jig and will also show you fish. You can select between the default 2D interface or ice flasher mode which I think is a lot easier. The fishfinder will show the water temperature, depth, and battery level of the sonar.
Does the Garmin Striker Cast float?
Yes, going by its name, the Striker Cast is designed to float on the water. So when you cast it out, it will simply float on the water. It’s rated IPX7 which means it’s waterproof up to 1meter. In other words, the Striker Cast is waterproof.