What about accuracy? The Deeper PRO+ sends 15 scans per second, the Deeper START sends 10 per second. This means with both units you receive instant data when scanning and excellent accuracy in identifying fish. Lowrance do not publish details of how many scans per second their units send. The Fishhunter 3D’s 5 transducers add no benefit in terms of accuracy.
Lowrance Fishhunter Vs Deeper – Which sonar is right for you?
Wireless, castable fish finders are still a pretty new area of fishing tech. Deeper launched the first ever castable fish finder back in 2013, and since then a number of other products have come onto the market.
Many anglers believe that these products are all basically the same. But that’s not the case. In fact, each product has different features and hardware, which makes it harder to choose the right product for your fishing needs.
Here you’ll find a summary of all the Deeper and Lowrance Fishhunter sonars, followed by detailed comparisons.
Casting
Here the Deeper PRO and PRO+ are way out in front with a casting range of 330 ft / 100 m. That’s 130 ft / 40 m. further than either of the Fishhunter units.
But casting either Fishhunter anywhere near that distance will be difficult because of their weight. The Fishhunter 3D is almost 2X as heavy as the Deeper PRO and PRO+, and 3X heavier than the Deeper START. So with Deeper you can use a range of rods and you don’t need to worry about line breaks either.
Scanning
First up, let’s talk depth. Again, the Deeper PRO+ is easily the winner in this category, scanning down to 260 ft / 80 m. That’s 100 ft / 30 m. better than the best Lowrance Fishhunter unit. The Deeper START also outperforms both Fishhunters, despite the fact it is over $100 cheaper than the Fishhunter 3D.
Scanning
All units have a fish finder display showing fish icons, which have depth and fish size data.
The PRO+, Fishhunter PRO and Fishhunter 3D also have a detailed / raw data view. In each of these modes you can adjust the sensitivity and frequency of the sonar. The PRO+ display is smoother and less pixelated. This is probably be due to the unit sending more scans per second – Fishhunter don’t publish how many scans per second their units make, but this would explain the more pixelated and jumpy display.
The Lowrance Fishhunter 3D offers an additional display called directional casting, which suggests which direction the fish marked in relation to the sonar. This feature isn’t really suitable for shore anglers for a couple of reasons:
- This function is only beneficial for targeting moving fish (any castable will find the hotspots that hold fish.) But casting a unit as heavy as the Fish finder 3D at moving targets is likely to disturb them.
- Because the fish are moving, by the time you have accurately cast to that area the fish might not be there any more.
Mapping
With all of these units you can save locations with fishing notes on a map.
The Deeper PRO+ is the only unit with inbuilt GPS. This gives it a huge advantage – creating underwater topographic maps using the Onshore GPS mode. You cast it out then reel in and the map on your phone fills in with depth data. The Fishhunter 3D offers one mapping function from the shore, but because it does not have inbuilt GPS you need to estimate the distance you have cast. It also doesn’t indicate in which direction you cast – you simply get a point saved on your map showing a scan in 3D.
The Deeper PRO and PRO+, and the two Fishhunter units, offer bathymetric mapping as you troll. The PRO can create maps in any water down to 260 ft / 80 m. deep. The Fishhunter PRO is limited to 150 ft / 46 m. depth, and the Fishhunter 3D to waters 160 ft / 49 m.
What can you do with these maps?
Deeper PRO and PRO+:
- View maps in the app on your phone or any other device by loggin in
- All maps backed up on the cloud
- View maps on any computer using Lakebook
- Share any map with your fishing buddies using Lakebook
Fishhunter 3D and Pro:
- View maps in the app on your own phone
Explore Lakebook
Trolling
When trolling a wireless sonar, three factors influence trolling speed and smoothness
The wireless connection used to pair with your phone or tablet
The number of scans per second the sonar sends
How stable the sonar sits in the water as you troll
Stability in the water
The Fishhunter units are attached by a simple cord – there is no possibility to mount these units to your kayak or boat. This means these units can easily be submerged (which breaks the Wi-Fi connection) or rolled (giving inaccurate readings).
The Deeper PRO is compatible with the newly redesigned Deeper Flexible Arm 2.0, which holds it stable in the water. It even has a unique Wave Rider technology that allows the Deeper PRO to float on the surface at all times.
Connection and scans per second
All of these units use a Wi-Fi connection, which gives a secure connection to your phone.
The Deeper PRO and PRO+ send 15 scans per second, and we recommend trolling at 2.5mph, though you can troll faster for less detailed scanning.
Lowrance do not publish how many scans per second their units send, but based on how pixelated and jumpy the scrolling sonar display is, it’s likely to be less than the Deeper PRO units. The Fishhunter PRO and 3D can only be trolled at 2mph.
Why does the trolling speed differ?Let’s imagine you’re trolling at 4mph. If a unit is sending 15 scans per second, each scan is going to be sent at about 5 inches apart. This means you will comfortably pick up drop offs and brushpiles, balls of bait fish and large fish. Slow down to 2mph and now each scan is only 2.5” / 6.3 cm apart, meaning you’ll pick up much smaller objects and get better accuracy. So it all comes down to the number of scans per second.
Data
As castable sonars get smarter, they collect a wider range of mapping data. But there is a big difference in how secure your data is and how you can access it
Deeper START, PRO and PRO+
- Access scans on your smartphone.
- Data synced with Deeper cloud so all your scans are backed up.
- View all data on any device through the Deeper App.
- View your scans and maps on any computer using Lakebook at maps.deepersonar.com
- Share only with the fishing buddies you choose using Lakebook.
Fishhunter
- Access scans on your smartphone.
- Can share spots (but not scans) with all other anglers.
Price
Price range – $100 – $150
Deeper START – still offers better scanning depth than both the Fishhunter PRO and 3D, and better casting range than the Fishhunter PRO. Also the lightest unit.
Price range – $150 – $200
Fishhunter PRO – Worst scanning depth and casting range, no mapping features for shore anglers.
Deeper PRO – Best scanning depth and casting range. 15 scans per second ensure smooth trolling and great accuracy.
Price range – $200 – $250
Deeper PRO+ – The only unit with inbuilt GPS and mapping from the shore. Best casting range and scanning depth, and smooth, detailed display.
Fishhunter 3D – No GPS, 3D mapping based only on your own distance estimates. Directional casting function not suitable for shore fishing. The heaviest unit to cast.
