James C. Michaud

If you are looking for a sonar fish recognizer that has all the fantastic features of the high-end models at a lower price, then you don't have to seek 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 superb time doing it! Each of these models will work in both salt or fresh water and, although the units are very similar, they do have some minor differences, which I will outline in this product review.

While either Garmin Fishfinders work well in either lakes or oceans, the 400c is really exceptionaly strong in saltwater because of its capability to reach depths of 1500 feet with real-time accuracy. The 300c has the ability to reach an impressive 900 feet deep. The secret lies within the sonar equipment called transducers. The 300c uses a dual-beam transducer, while the 400c offers the ability to use both a dual-beam transducer or a dual-frequency transducer. Naturally, 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. Essentially, this allows you to see the contours of the lake bottom and fish that are not directly under the craft. If I could draw a picture, it would look like a funnel with the pointy 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 waters.

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 bright sunlight. This means an incredible color readout that is crystal clear, making it easy to distinguish fish from debris. The 300c screen is 3.5 inches and the 400c is 4 inches. Both has a night mode, which gives top-notch readability even in low-light surroundings. And, talking about low-light viewing, the keypad on both units is backlit making it easy to operate at night without the use of another light source.

Both units features 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 superb feature is called whiteline, which interprets whether the bottom is hard or soft. It also allows you to tell whether the debris on the bottom is really a fish or just an old boot. Fish Symbol ID is standard issue on both Garmin 300c and 400c fish locators. This helps you to distinguish the different sizes of fish so you are not chasing minnows instead of bass. Also, both units come with A-Scope. This allows you to see real-time display of fish passing through the transducer beam. Both of these fabulous sonars have an auto gain feature. This automatically adjusts the sensitivity on the sonar depending on the density of the water, or fish, and also has three settings to give you even more flexability. Both of these models 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 want) 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 models have a split screen function allowing you to fully take advantage of all the real-time data these fish finders offer. Data such as how deep the water is and how cold it is, water speed for river fishing, voltage readings plus many more choices of other data. On the other side of the screen, you can view instant 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 dialed in, when you park the boat for the evening, just turn the unit off and your settings are saved.

Here is where the Garmin 400c is set apart from the Garmin 300c. The 400c is CANet-compatible. CANet is a communication sytem that creates a faster transfer rate of information. This means you can share sonar information with other plotters in your craft making this part of your navigation system system, not just a incredible 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 well. 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 with my chart plotter." Where to find the Garmin 300c and the Garmin 400c for the best price is Amazon.com