Lowrance Hook 5 Review: Is It Worth the Money? [2024]

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Without a doubt, a fish finder is an incredibly useful device for fishermen. Allowing you to see fish and other objects you could not otherwise know are there, such a device can be a true asset for elevating your fishing game. To be honest, I wish I had known this years ago when I started fishing. It would have saved me hours of my life! To help you avoid my mistake, I will tell you about one of my favorite fish finders on the market. Hopefully, this Lowrance Hook 5 review will help you decide whether it’s right for you.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Sonar/GPS Fish Finder

A good fish finder is capable of helping you locate fish accurately and reliably. In addition, most fish finders provide a visual representation of the space surrounding (and below) your boat. For that reason, these devices can be a great asset for fishermen. Particularly, those who want to cut right to the chase and begin catching fish without spending hours looking for the right spot. When looking for a fish finder, take into account the following:

GPS Capability

In addition to pin-pointing your exact location, a GPS-equipped fish finder can show you if there are any objects near or below your boat. Without a doubt, GPS can be useful when scouting new potential fishing locations.

High-Quality Display Screen

Fish finders need to display a lot of data at the same time. For that reason, it’s always a good idea to look for one with a high-quality display screen. In addition to a higher level of resolution, they are often capable of displaying color images.

Adequate Screen Size

It doesn’t matter how high the resolution of a screen is if it’s too small to be adequately inspected. With that in mind, take into account the size of a fish finder’s screen before you buy it.

System Flexibility

If you are serious about fishing, you will want a finder that allows you to fine-tune certain aspects of it. For example, adjusting the way the transducer collects information can help you get better readings.

Preloaded Maps and Charts

More often than not, a device will include several preloaded maps and charts, eliminating the need for you to purchase or otherwise obtain the information you need. When buying a finder, make sure it has preloaded maps and charts that will be useful for you.

About the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS

A part of Lowrance’s new Hook line, the Hook 5 is a fish finder that aims at bringing advanced GPS and scanning abilities to anglers with a moderate budget. In addition to its two main functions, the device offers a series of additional features. These features can further help you improve your fishing performance. Among them, one of the most salient is its crystal-clear five-inch display screen.

Dynamic and beautiful in its design, this screen allows you to toggle between three modes. First, you have GPS charts. Then, you have a traditional sonar view. To finish with, you have the manufacturer’s proprietary DownScan sonar. To produce these last two types of display, the device uses a 455/800 kHz and a 83/200 kHz frequencies, respectively. What is more, the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS has user-friendly menus that allow you to create your own maps, review your history and a lot more.

Pros

  • 16-bit color display.
  • Well-designed and user-friendly menus.
  • Includes advanced DownScan sonar technology.
  • Allows fine-tuning and adjustment.
  • Includes GPS alarms.
  • Includes water temperature reading capabilities.

Cons

  • Included base-maps offer very little detail.
  • Some of its functions are difficult to operate.
  • Features and Benefits of the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS Fish Finder

At this point, let me go in-depth into the features and benefits of the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS. With any luck, this will tell you everything you know about the device.

Display

One of the main improvements the Hook 5 has to offer over its predecessors is in its display. Apart from being larger, it has a higher resolution that helps depict details with greater clarity. What is more, this display is a lot brighter and more vivid, resulting in an excellent readability under direct sunlight. As if all that wasn’t enough, the Lowrance Hook 5 has an adjustable LED back light with 11 levels of brightness.

Sonar Capabilities

To scan objects around your boat, the Lowrance Hook 5 uses two types of sonars: CHIRP and DownScan. The former works by emitting slow pulses that travel in various directions through the water. Meanwhile, the latter scans directly below your boat. Combined, these two types of sonar are capable of producing a very thorough and detailed reading of what’s going on in the water.

Having sonar capabilities like these is an industry standard. However, I have to point out that, depending on the device, they can be more or less effective. The Lowrance Hook 5 is incredibly on-point in terms of range, accuracy, and dynamism. What is more, its readings are consistently speedy, allowing anglers to adapt to sudden fish movement in order to use it to their advantage.

Trackback and GPS Capabilities

Used in conjunction, the Hook 5’s GPS and trackback capabilities are incredibly useful for determining specific fishing locations without wasting time or energy. Adaptive and precise, the device’s GPS system is everything an experienced fisherman needs in order to set up a route. The system includes a pack of base-map charts that covers over 3,000 lakes and rivers. Additionally, it features most coastal contours in North America.

Apart from allowing you to load maps, the Hook 5’s GPS system allows you to create your own maps using existing maps as a base. Combine this with the device’s trackback features and you have an all-encompassing system. This system is good for personalizing your maps as you move through them in real-time. As if all that wasn’t enough, the Lowrance Hook 5 allows you to set GPS alarms.

Advanced Signal Processing

Without a doubt, one of the best features that the Lowrance Hook 5 has to offer is its ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) system. Unlike most fish finders out there, the Hook 5 doesn’t just give you the raw visualization of the data its sonar captures. Instead, it runs the data through the ASP system so that it filters out all the unnecessary information. This reduces clutter, making the resulting display a lot clearer.

The Hook 5’s Advanced Signal Processing system is particularly efficient with the addition of the information provided by its DownScan sonar system. It provides a standard that the ASP system can interpret and apply to all the signals it receives. Even better than that, this process is automatic. This allows the device to adjust its settings in real-time to provide the clearest and most accurate reading possible.

Performance

Without a doubt, the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS performs incredibly well. Despite having various functions, it’s user-friendly enough to be practical. At the same time, both its sonar and GPS systems are very efficient, providing range as well as clarity at all times. What is more, the device offers enough in terms of trackback and customization capabilities. The result allows you to personalize every aspect of your user experience.

At its best, the Lowrance Hook 5 is capable of scanning up to 1,000 feet in 2D (water column) and up to 300 ft below using DownScan. By most accounts, those are impressive numbers. This is particularly true when you take into account that the Hook 5 is still one of the most affordable fish finders of its kind. The fact that it’s also compact and portable only adds to its versatility. It means you can use it in all types of watercrafts and geographic locations.

Material Quality

Even though it’s relatively affordable, the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS is extremely well constructed. It uses high-quality materials only. As a result, it’s durable and resistant to external elements. Of course, it’s waterproof, and it is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. Unfortunately, it has a very short power cord, which can be problematic if you are using it on a large boat. However, that is nothing that a good extension cord won’t solve. Just remember to use a waterproof extension cord with a high level of quality.

Lowrance Hook 5 Review: Social Proof

At this point in the article, I will provide you with proof that the Lowrance Hook 5 has been well-received by the general public. As you can see by these screenshots of real customer reviews, many people have nothing but good things to say about the device. In particular, many customers praised the Lowrance Hook 5’s processing speed and accuracy. Additionally, many said great things about the device’s Advanced Signal Processing feature. Finally, there are various comments from kayak enthusiasts and other small-watercraft users. They positively discuss the product’s compact size and low weight.

Alternatives to the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS

If the Lowrance Hook 5 does not convince you, don’t worry. Up next, I will provide some great alternatives that you can look into. Even if none of them convince you, being able to compare their features and characteristics will be undoubtedly useful for you.

Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS Specs

  • Display size: 5 inches.
  • Colors: 16-bit.
  • Sonar type: CHIRP.
  • Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.4 x 7.9 inches.

Raymarine Axiom 7 Fish Finder

If you are looking for a larger and more powerful fish finder, you may want to give the Raymarine Axiom 7 a look. This award-winning device features a powerful dual CHIRP sonar, FLIR thermal cameras, EVOLUTION autopilot and even audio capabilities. However, this device is expensive and very complex in its use, making it a good choice only for advanced and expert anglers.

Specs

  • Display size: 7 inches.
  • Colors: 32-bit.
  • Sonar type: CHIRP.
  • Dimensions: 18 x 13 x 13 inches.

Garmin Striker 4 with Transducer

On the other hand, if you are looking for a simpler and even more affordable finder than the Lowrance Hook 5, maybe you should give this one a try. Despite being compact and lightweight, the Garmin Striker 4 is efficient and detailed in its imaging. It also includes a built-in flasher that makes it a great choice for enthusiasts of ice fishing.

Specs

  • Display size: 3,5 inches.
  • Colors: 8-bit.
  • Sonar type: CHIRP.
  • Dimensions: 3.6 x 1.6 x 5.9 inches.

Humminbird HELIX 5 Fish Finder

In addition to range and accuracy, the Humminbird HELIX 5 Fish Finder offers an incredible amount of detail in its readings. Thanks to its 5-inch WVGA color display, every bit of detail can be seen and differentiated. This makes interpretation easier and a lot more faithful. Having a built-in Anima cartography system, this device is capable of producing precise GPS readings.

 Specs

  • Display size: 5 inches.
  • Colors: 16-bit WVGA.
  • Sonar type: CHIRP Dual Beam PLUS.
  • Dimensions: 1.13 x 7.55 x 4.28 inches.

Conclusion

With everything laid out at plain sight, I can say that the Lowrance Hook 5 is a fantastic tool for casual and professional anglers alike. Well-designed and expertly constructed, the device is both user-friendly and durable. At the same time, its two main functions (GPS and sonar-based fish finding) are efficient, offering range as well as precision. What is more, despite its affordability, the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS offers a surprising wide range of functionality. All this considered, I can’t but recommend the Lowrance Hook 5 Sonar and GPS to anyone that wants to elevate their fishing performance without breaking the bank. Did you like this Lowrance Hook 5 review? If so, you can find this product here.

David Linsmeyer Avatar

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1 thought on “Lowrance Hook 5 Review: Is It Worth the Money? [2024]”

  1. My hook 5 with chirp has suddenly stopped scrolling and won’t show depth and temp, just constantly flashing 0,0 in depth and temp. Bought a new transducer and still doing same thing, checked all connections all seems good. is there a way to reset or must i send back to Lowrance in DURBAN to check it out. Basically i sent the boat in for a service and removed finders x 3 ,i am almost sure when i put finder back on that’s when the trouble started but i am not 100% sure if it worked for a short time or immediately stopped working, Maybe i left the finder powered up for a couple of days by mistake and thought i have cooed the transducer that is why i purchased a new one to no avail

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