When it comes to fishing equipment, choosing the best product is always a tough job. What is even more complicated, there are a lot of accessories to look into. These accessories are not just mere decoration but are beneficial throughout the fishing performance. Obviously, like any other product, you can have your considerations in choosing like budget and preferences.
One of the must-haves and the way into your fishing success is having a fish finder onboard your vessel, regardless of whether it’s a kayak or a sport fisher.
Many anglers would agree that having a fish finder is a game-changer. One can indeed do a limited amount of period attempting to foresee where the fish are by reading current lines or understanding where they move at specific seasons. You’ll have the option to discover regions underneath the surface that hold fish-like edges, drop-offs, and structures like fallen trees. You’ll have the opportunity to check whether fish are staying there and plan your fishing strategies appropriately.
Even though you need to consider a couple of essential things before buying the equipment, you should pick carefully because such models are not cheap, depending on the environment, poles, and other factors.
Nevertheless, a modern fish finder is a piece of valuable and reliable equipment for locating fish underwater. For fishfinders like the Humminbird Helix 5, it’ll let you see what is lurking beneath you. Check more about this must-have equipment below.
Humminbird Helix 5 Series Review
The Humminbird Helix 5 shows how fish finders give away to see precisely what is underneath your boat because of its scope of sonar features.
These units Humminbird Helix 5 guarantees that you can see and discover fish quickly, just as any fascinating features like fallen trees they may jump at the chance to hang out by.
Regardless of whether you’re ice fishing, searching for bass in a lake, or looking for marlin seaward, this Humminbird Helix 5 review will highlight what you’re looking for on your next or new fish finder.
Key Features
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Combo or Standalone
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If you need your fish finder integrated with a GPS Chartplotter, you will find that it’s advantageous, particularly on a smaller boat. You can combine the two functions onto a single screen.
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Screen size
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Screen sizes differ from as little as 3.5″ to this 5″ Humminbird HELIX 5 displays or larger.
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Pixels
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The display has 480 pixels vertically, which gives you a clear image of a fish, its structure, and what’s around it. The screen size needs to balance with the pixels as you need to have a detailed picture of the data.
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Power
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The power is estimated in watts RMS. Smaller fish finders may have as few as 100 watts RMS while larger models may have 1,000 watts or more. More power implies a more remarkable capacity to dive deep in salt and freshwater and often gives you a more accurate image.
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Sonar
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The units can reach 50/83/200 kHz. Likewise, the transducer included in the bundle is the XNT 9 20 T, and it can get a frequency of 83/200 kHz. Moreover, the conical beams used by the transducer range somewhere between 60° and 20°.
The units have been made with the most recent CHIRP technology.
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Double Beam Plus
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The 2D view is reasonable for those that don’t need extra extravagant features. It does accompany a Dual Beam Plus. This implies that it empowers you to check the water with both sonar beams.
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Fish ID+
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The Fish ID+ can eliminate the arches displayed into a fish symbol. Just as, it will likewise show you the depth of each fish.
You can likewise use the Fish Alarm. It has three sound modes that will tell you whether the fish found is small, medium, or large. It’s effective in case you’re just following one certain fish.
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Sonar Recording
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If you need to return to a spot you have passed, you can use this valuable feature. Using an SD card to store the data, you can return to the feed, and you will want to review it indeed.
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SwitchFire
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This feature will allow you to see just the things you need at a particular time. The Clear View will dispose of the pointless data, and it will alone leave you with the information you require. The Max Mode view will guarantee that you will see all that is in the water around you.
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The Humminbird Basemap
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It is built-in all post CHIRP Digital Sonar Humminbird Helix 5 fish finders. It depends on NOAA information (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the U.S. Branch of Commerce).
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LakeMaster
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This is Humminbird’s improvement to the Basemap, giving higher definition information that is much more precise. Adding this on the Basemap improves the precision, and you can more readily see the shapes and gauge the depth of the water.
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Navionics
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This boating application furnishes boaters from one side of the planet to the other with electronic cartography for navigation in marine regions, lakes, and rivers.
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AutoChart Live
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It is a feature that allows you to make your maps based on experience. You can save the shapes encountered, the lay of the underwater territory, your best fishing spots, and the courses are taken. If you integrate this data with the Basemap and LakeMaster features, you will enormously remove guessing games from your fishing and invest more energy really fishing.
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CHIRP Side Imaging
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A signal is sent with CHIRP Digital Sonar precision on the two sides of the boat, concealing to 480 feet. It gives a clear view of the lay of the waterbed encompassing you. Integrating side imaging gives you to sift through the unnecessary commotion and just spotlight on what is pertinent.
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CHIRP Down Imaging
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This time the signal is sent downwards to cover what is underneath your boat. It has a similar CHIRP Digital Sonar accuracy that gives precise and exact pictures while observing underwater structures, vegetation, and fish. It additionally tells you the water depth and state of shapes underneath you.
Things To Consider Buying a Humminbird Helix 5 Series Fish Finder
Where are you going to use the unit?
The Humminbird Helix 5 series has various models, and every unit is better for multiple areas and kinds of fishing. There are units made for ice fishing, others that can reach 600ft, some that go to 1500ft, and others that can reach 2500ft with the correct transducer.
Does the Humminbird Helix 5 Fish Finder have GPS?
Not all units have a GPS, and some are simply fish finders without charts or any navigation systems.
GPS and charts are significant to have when fishing, particularly in huge lakes, rivers, and the sea.
They assist you with exploring the climate, mark great fishing spots to get back to later and read the bottom shapes so you can see where highlights like drop-offs or peaks are that fish would sit close to.
Does the Humminbird Helix 5 Come With A Transducer?
Indeed, every Humminbird Helix 5 fishfinder unit accompanies an XNT 9 transom mount transducer or ice-ducer as a standard that helps the sonar frequencies of every unit.
You can select to upgrade your transducer to one that covers each of the unit’s frequencies, depending on the model, so that you can enter depths of up to 2500ft.
Does The Humminbird Helix 5 Series Have Side-Imaging?
Indeed, however, this is just accessible with the Helix 5 Si GPS unit. With the Helix 5 Si GPS unit, you’ll see detailed pictures of up to 200ft on one or the other side of your vessel.
Humminbird Helix 5 models: Which is right for you?
The Humminbird Helix 5 fish finders have seven variations to choose from, and each model differs on the depth it can reach and the features it incorporates. Below is a rundown of each of the accessible models with their descriptions, respectively.
Helix 5 CHIRP SI GPS G2
This fish finder is the most feature-loaded out of all the models and upgrades the Humminbird Helix 5 kvd. It has a built-in GPS for navigation, charts to use and follow, and has all the sonar features you could want.
The model incorporates DualBeam Plus, CHIRP, Down Imaging, and Side Imaging, giving you a full sonar image of what’s under your boat in every way.
The Helix 5 CHIRP SI GPS G2 goes to a maximum depth of 1500ft with the added transducer, and you can choose to pick a transducer that includes a 50 kHz frequency to get you down to 2500 ft.
It’s the ideal model for a game fisher or any individual who needs to have the option to see all that is aside and underneath their boat.
Helix 5 CHIRP DI GPS G2
This fish finder generally accompanies similar features as the SI unit above, except Side Imaging. It incorporates CHIRP, a built-in GPS, charts, and you can likewise select to go for a superior transducer to hit 2500ft if you need to.
This unit is an excellent choice for sea and lake anglers who don’t see the use for side-checking. It’s pretty more reasonable than the Si unit.
Helix 5 CHIRP GPS G2
This fish finder accompanies everything except Down Imaging and Side Imaging. So you can look to the side of your boat with it or get a more specific look at what’s under your boat with Down Imaging. In addition, it hits depths of 1500 ft, up to 2500 ft with the upgraded transducer, and has a built-in GPS with charts.
This is an amazing unit for any individual who needs to spend somewhat less yet at the same time requires a GPS, graphs, and detailed CHIRP sounder pictures.
Helix 5 DI G2
This fish finder has many features when contrasted with the Si and comes with Down Imaging and Dualbeam Plus.
There is no GPS, no charts, no CHIRP, and no Side Imaging. It hits depths of up to 600ft, and there is no transducer choice to expand this making it restricted in spaces of the ocean more than 600 ft.
This fish finder is for any individual who needs to save a couple of bucks yet at the same time needs access to Down Imaging for definite pictures of fish-holding regions or has a GPS and chart plotter previously installed on their boat.
Helix 5 SONAR G2
The Helix 5 SONAR G2 is pretty much essential and comes with one feature, dualbeam +.
With it, you’ll have the option to see definite pictures down to 1500ft that will, in any case, show you structure and fish-holding regions. However, you will not get as much detail as you would with Down Imaging or CHIRP.
The Helix 5 SONAR G2 is the most reasonable fish finder in the series, and this is because of the lesser features.
It’s ideal for any individual with a low budget or needs dual-beam + to satisfy their fishing.
Ice Helix 5 CHIRP GPS G2
This fish finder accompanies comparative features to the Helix 5 CHIRP GPS G2 with CHIRP sonar, built-in GPS, charts, yet it additionally has a flasher for ice fishing on it too.
It gives you definite pictures down to 400ft, and the GPS and charts make it simple to target certain pieces of the lake where there are shaded regions like drop-offs, for instance, and mark great fishing spots to get back to later.
Ice Helix 5 CHIRP G2
These fish finders accompany similar features as the Ice Helix 5 CHIRP GPS G2, without any charts or built-in GPS.
You’ll, in any case, get great pictures down to 400ft with the CHIRP sounder and have the flasher capacities. However, you will not have the option to check fishing spots or use charts to discover great places on a lake.
Pros
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- Access to an incredible range of sonar features
- A lot of models to choose from to suit your needs and budget
- Incredible maximum depth of 2500ft on specific models
- Accurate sonar images across all the features
- Large 5-inch screen size with a high-resolution display screen
- Accurate GPS with a range of compatible chart alternatives
- User-friendly interface
- Sunlight readable, waterproof display
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Cons
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- No networking available like wifi, Bluetooth, or NMEA
- Pricey compared with other 5” fishfinder
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Final Thoughts
The Humminbird Helix 5 series shows precisely how diverse fish finders are. Within each of the models, you’ll have the option to discover a fish finder that matches your budget and preferences.
Hummingbird is a solid brand with excellent client care, and splashing out for the Helix 5 Si GPS G2 would be a typical choice as it’s practically the most affordable fish finder with Side imaging included, in addition to it has all of the features you need to discover fish anyplace on the planet.
