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There are two components to a fish finder display: Display Type and Display Resolution.

Display Type

Fish Finders have two main display types: Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). An LCD display generally have good contract in daylight, use a small amount of current and tend to be compact. They are available in resolutions up to 320 x 200 pixels, the smallest dot on the display screen. Note that the protective lens over the display must not cause excessive reflections in direct sunlight or it may be difficult to read the display.

A CRT display is often compared to a television screen. CRTs are available in full color and monochrome (grey scale) models. On color models the relative strength of the sonar echo back to the fish finder is displayed which allows the angler to differentiate between different objects easier. Some color displays are harder to see in direct sunlight than others. Depending on the model you choose you may wish to consider a viewing hood or mounting the display unit in a shaded area.

Display Resolution

The key to the display resolution is the number of pixels which is the number of "dots" on the screen. The rule of thumb is that the more pixels on the screen the more detail that you will see. Higher resolution models will allow you to see fish near the bottom, distinguish tightly grouped objects from one another and be able to see fish near bait balls.

There are two important components to the resolution: the vertical pixel count and the total pixel count. The vertical pixel count is the number of pixels from the top to the bottom of the display. The higher number of vertical pixels the more accurately the fish finder will show target depths.

The total pixel count is the number of pixels per square inch of the display screen. The higher number of pixels the more detail you will see, the better the representation on the screen will be and the better split screen images will be. Keep in mind that in order to take advantage of very high resolutions your unit will also need a high contrast on the display.

Monochrome vs Color Displays

Monochrome, or grey scale, displays show images in black and white or in shades of grey. The low priced fish finders may have no grey scale at all or a 4 level grey scale. This means that there will not be too much contrast on the display for different objects. The higher priced models may have up to a 12 level grey scale per pixel. This higher level will allow for more target contrast and definition.

Color displays are generally more pricey. You will also pay more as you increase the resolution of the display. In general color displays actually have fewer pixels than monochrome fish finders, but each pixel will have up to 256 color choices. The different colors do make it easier to distinguish between different types of targets.

Split-screen or Data Window

Some fish finders will come with Split-screen displays or data windows. A split screen allows you to see different types of information simultaneously. You may have a dual transducer fish finder and the split screen would allow the display to show images from both transducers at the same time. Another application of the split screen is to have a data window on one half of the screen. A data window can display digital information such as speed, depth, water temperature or longitude/latitude. The other half of the screen can display the usual graphics of what objects are in the water.

Grayline®, White Line or Bottom Hardness

Most fish finder displays will depict the bottom by using a thin line with a variable width band beneath it. This section of the display allows you to see targets near the bottom and also indicates bottom hardness. An experience angler will often be able to differentiate between mud, sand and rocky bottoms. This functionality has different names from brand to brand such as Grayline, White Line or just plain Bottom Hardness.

Obviously without a reasonable display you will not be able to "see" the fish that the sonar is finding. Make sure you know what type of display your fish finder has when purchasing.

Karen Janos is an expert on fish finders. When she is not fishing, she is the webmaster for http://www.fishfindersdirect.com, an ecommerce site dedicated to helping fishermen catch more fish.

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