LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder Review

Quick Overview

In the past, even experienced anglers often struggled to find the perfect fishing sites.

It’s common to waste hours of the day’s fishing trips figuring out the fish’s location.

Thanks to fish finders, this issue has become less prominent.

And because of their mobility and general features, it’s no surprise that handheld versions have grown in popularity.

If you’re still reluctant to try fish finders, this LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder review might change your mind.

LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder Review

The LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder is a helpful tool for fishing in different environments.

In fact, you will find it useful regardless of the fishing activities you enjoy practicing.

This particular model became widely available in 2020 and was one of the highest-quality units for handheld fish finders.

Weighing about 400 grams and with a screen size of 2.9 inches, the device leaves little about its portability.

Red and black colors stylized the fish finder, while the sonar transducer sports a dominant yellow color.

Not only do these colors speak to the device’s aesthetics but also make it easier to spot when mixed in with your other gear.

Who Is This Product For?

Having doubts if this unit is the right model for you?

This handheld fish finder from LUCKY Sonar works effectively for anglers of all skill levels.

What makes it ideal for everyone is its relatively simple user interface.

You will find that it requires little to no effort to master the features and make the fish finder available for use.

Like other standard fish finders, it exhibits 200 kHz of detection and a 45-degree beam angle.

Given these capacities, seasoned anglers will have no issues tinkering the device to their preferred settings.

Overall, beginners and pros will most find the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder tailored to their needs.

What’s Included?

The contents of the package include the handheld fish finder, a sonar sensor transducer, and a manual/quick reference guide.

An adapter and USB cable are also available for charging the device on the go.

To give you more bang for your buck, there are three items included in the package labeled as freebies.

The first one is the bracket, which is useful for mounting the fish finder to your kayak or boat instead of just holding it.

The second freebie is the neck strap, letting you wear the fish finder around your neck to keep your hands free.

Lastly, the micro auto charger is an accessory that will enable you to charge the device via your vehicle’s auxiliary power outlet.

This ensures that you won’t have to worry about losing power in the middle of your fishing trip.

Overview of the Features

Now that you know who can benefit the most from this fish finder, let’s talk about the nitty-gritty details.

This way, you can figure out if the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder is the suitable model for you.

Because of its budget-friendly nature, note that most of this handheld fish finder’s features are considered standard.

• Operating Distance

With a maximum operating range of 26 feet, the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder has a wired transducer.

Many anglers prefer their sonar sensor wired because it delivers a more predictable and consistent data transfer time than wireless models.

In addition to that, wired connectivity is far less susceptible to interference from radios and phones.

• Depth Detection

The LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder can detect depths up to 328 feet.

While it may sound impressive, it’s not necessarily fair to assess it as such.

The average depth detection of high-quality transducers with 200 kHz is about 600 feet or more.

That said, if you’re fishing in ponds, creeks, rivers, and lakes, the disparity shouldn’t affect your fish-finding experience.

• Battery Life

A fully-charged LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder can operate for approximately five hours.

You may extend the battery life for a bit if you lower the brightness of the LCD screen.

If your fishing sessions usually last for about a couple of hours, this capacity should be sufficient.

However, if you expect extra hours on the water and don’t have a portable charger, you’d be better off with a longer-lasting model.

• Measurement Unit

With the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder, you can choose from four types of measurement units.

These include FT/C, FT/F, M/F, and M/C.

If you’re particular in the unit of measurement displayed on the screen, this feature is indeed favorable.

• Castable Design

Not all transducers are ideal for casting via a fishing rod, primarily because of the weight.

With the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder, you have the option to either cast it by hand or together with the fishing line.

As such, those hard-to-reach fishing spots will be more accessible to your transducer.

• Display Quality and Modes

This LUCKY fish finder exhibits an improved 2.4-inch TFT color LCD screen.

It displays underwater contour, water temperature, water depth, fish size, and fish depth.

Two user modes are programmed to the device: the transducer and simulation.

When you’re not sure how to properly use the fish finder, try the simulation first. Then, once you get the hang of it, activate the transducer mode.

How To Get the Most Out of the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder

To maximize the functionality of the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder, there are some suggested actions you need to consider.

For instance, if you’re fishing in all seasons except winter, it’s best to attach and secure a sonar sensor transducer to the hull of your boat.

For casting, ensure that the removable float is fixed firmly to the transducer before throwing it into the water.

By doing this, the sonar device will be less prone to unintended sinking.

Ice fishing with this handheld fish finder is also ideal, provided that you follow the recommendations below.

• Before you use the fish finder, you must remove the snow from the ice layer first.

• Once cleared, place the fish depth finder directly on the ice to identify fish dispersion.
• When the fish location is determined, you have to drill a hole above it.
• There should be no air flowing between the sensor and the ice. Also, there should be no air between the ice and the underwater. Otherwise, the device might not function correctly

• After setting everything, put the transducer in the water as it is.

Alternatives

The LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder is rightfully considered by many as one of the most cost-effective fish finders on the market.

With that said, there is no shortage of models within the same handheld design that can do more.

Let’s look at a couple of fish finders that are comparable to this LUCKY Sonar device.

ReelSonar iBobber Bluetooth Smart Castable Fish Finder

In today’s digital age, the smartphone is the number one handheld device used by people worldwide.

You can convert your smartphone into a fish finder with this gadget from ReelSonar.

Here are the most astounding qualities of the iBobber to see if it’s an excellent alternative to the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder.

• Device Compatibility

As mentioned, smartphones are the primary means of display for this fish finder.

In addition to smartphones, though, smartwatches are also compatible with iBobber, particularly Google and Apple models.

• Unmatched Portability

While the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder requires less space, this fish finder is even more space-friendly.

There’s no separate display, and the transducer is small enough to fit the palm of your hand.

If you want a bit more hands-free experience, you can connect it to your smartwatch.

You’ll sacrifice some display quality, but the portability of a smartwatch and the size of the iBobber are hard to beat.

• Smart Functionality

Want the option to tag or save your favorite fishing spots?

For that purpose, the Reelsonar iBobber features GPS technology with an interactive map.

The Trip Log function can record time, date, water temperature, species of fish caught, and other related information.

Deeper START

The Deeper START can scan up to 165 feet.

Like the iBobber, this fish finder also utilizes a smartphone as its user interface and display.

After installing the Deeper App, you’ll be able to determine fish position, size, and suspended depth.

Other information, such as underwater vegetation and bottom contour, is also detectable.

• Fish Arches Mode

Compared to the traditional fish icon display, the fish arches mode is an advanced and accurate feature.

When this mode is activated, it uses raw data for better accuracy when detecting fish and its surroundings.

•  Smart Technology

The Deeper START comes with its own Wi-Fi, which means it doesn’t require mobile data from your phone to function.

Even better, every time the transducer is operational, the device automatically saves the scans’ time and location.

Is the LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder for You?

By now, this LUCKY Handheld Kayak Fish Finder review has tackled most of the relevant topics that you might find helpful.

With all of the features available on the device, considering it for your fishing adventures is a sound decision.