My fishing buddy bought this to replace his old fish finder. It's absolute crap. We spend 4 frustrating days trying to get this thing to work. We both read the Quick Guide and the 30 page on-line Operators Manual. There was no understandable method of how to turn this thing on to the Sonar page. There we several times we were tempted to throw this junk in the river. Each day we had to have one Marina techs come down and turn this thing on to the Sonar page. Save yourself a lot of frustration and buy something that works.
I've had the same problems. One time out the unit works properly, the next time out I can't get the basics of temp, depth and fish no matter how much time I spend trying to get to those functions. On one outing a fellow with years of experience on similar units offered to help and 15 minutes later walked away muttering to himself unable to do anything with my unit. That I have to go to UA-cam to find videos like this to even discuss the problems tells me all I need to know about Lowrance "customer service" and will inform any future fish finder purchases I make.
I'm not certain but I think the issues a lot of people have are related to the cord end from the transducer not being clean. Try spraying it with contact cleaner from time to time. I have two Lowrance units. One , the hook2 5ts, I noticed that the fit on the plugs are very tight. Both can force themselves loose. They hold air when I plug in and then it gets compressed when I push the plug in all the way. I've watched them pop right back out. It helps to wiggle as you plug up to let the air escape. Them plugs do fit tightly once in right. My second unit is an elite 4. The plug has a screw lock. I fish out of a cheap jon boat. That's why I use fairly cheap electronics. I have about $450 in electronics.
It took me about 6 outings before I took the time to play with it and figure out the navigation. I use it in the manual mode as the auto mode drove me nuts. Suddenly it is wonderful. I set the depth and signal manually and it stays in range and I clean up the clutter.
@@mikeries8549 I also spray cleaned the transducer on mine and am hoping for better readings. Wire connectors changed. I'll know next week when I'm fishing.
In general, the TI units are faster in response to inputs. This is seen when quickly switching between sonar, downscan, chart, and split screens ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxeAxH15LxhjGlg5-CRYqjTGTEH0tbY4vk recommend The Hook units will show some lag on button pushes and screen switching. The big ticket item though is maps. If you install a mapping card such as Navionics or the free C-Map Genesis which has a lot of map detail, then moving around the map with the cursor or when running down the lake can lag significantly on the Hook units, but is seamless with the TI units.
I've found my Hook2 5 to be great. Just takes a little know how about what the settings do and what to change. For the price people seem to be expecting waaayyyy more than what they get for some reason. I see people complaining about the depth issue a lot- your just zoomed in lol
This topic is a bit old now but for those having problems, 3 key things to do every time. 1 make sure the plug is in firm as hell, all the way to the 3rd ring on the plug, 2 clean the bloody ducer before you take it out warm water and clean it good especially if used in salt water salt encrustation on the ducer can fog proper readings also weed and crap gets stuck on it, 3 make sure your ducer is in the correct position bubbles produced from props and paddles give false depth and temp readings, 90 percent of the problems are user error.
I have the Hook Reveal 5 without charts on my 12 foot Jon Boat. This is an absolute great product. You do have to read the manual, unless you’re some kind of electronic Wizard. You have to understand what does what. This is more than a fish finder, it is absolutely a modern reliable piece of equipment. Take the time to learn how to set it up or else you are not going to be happy. Do not be inpatient, look at you tube videos and read the manual Fish are not just going to jump in your boat, you actually have to apply yourself. Font bash a good affordable product until you learn how to use it.
Auto settings on any unit whether high end or low end, is not going to give you the best result. Set everything manually plus this will give you the opportunity to really learn on how to use your unit. This is definitely a user error IMO.
We bought a hook2 5ts. Installed on the old aluminum jon boat and it works perfectly right out of the box. We have a.second older Lowrance unit that confirms that it's working. Many of the complaints I see online about Lowrance are posted by people with little to no electronics experience. I have lots. Ries Labs Inc. Custom electronics design...hello.
Glad to see 6months later Lowrence hasn’t fixed the issues, I paid 120 dollars in Australia has gps like you said no map just trails, and is jumpy as hell. Sometimes I get interference at 0.4m in 2-3m of water and comes and goes and even nice flat surface gets those bumpy parts where it can’t pick up anything real piece of crap don’t recommend it. Lucky I bought it as a second sounder for fishing up front on the bow still not happy with it! Nice review I know it’s an honest one
For sure do a factory reset and check all connections make sure you have good voltage. If the leads are loose or dirty it could play havoc with the screen. Finaly call Lowrance but you have to wait for "HOURS TO GET THREW" on the phone and they will just factory reset anyway.
Did you know you can hit the power button and go to "edit overlay" to change the size, location, and black/white color of the information on the screen? That way the "yellow line" at the top of the screen in murky waters wont affect the depth readout if you adjust it a little bit.
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors I also have the dame issues on the lake I played with it and had it working good then the very next trip out same issues I had it picking up fish very well now i cant pick up a single fish just lines on the screen
I had the same issue with mine. I called Lowrance about that too and they didn’t know what I was talking about... my biggest complaint was the screen tearing when the water column adjusts and the scroll speed. Like you said, I don’t have a problem with Lowrance but I got want I paid for. For everyone watching this... don’t skimp on a fish finder unit. If you get one, get one $350+. If you don’t wanna pay that, you’re better off not having one.
I have the same unit and don't have these issues at all. I don't run it on auto I use my custom settings and have great bottom contour and depth readings
Wow, I guess I should feel lucky. I've got the same Hook2 5 and I don't have any of your issues. No huge yellow lines on top, I've never had it not detect bottom unless I'm going 45+ mph but I don't t think any fish finders will at that speed. My brother's boat has humminbirds and they don't detect bottom over 40mph. I've got the tripleshot though. One thing you have to remember is how important transducer installation and placement is. The angle at which it's sitting at is soooo important. I have no idea how you're supposed to install one on a kayak but on my boat it took me 3 different times taking it out to get the angle of the transducer correct. You should video your transducer installation so we all can see it. I mean if you still have the unit, this video is almost 2 years old now. Anyway, if someone else is reading this, if you're having issues make sure you know how and where and what angle will work best on your boat.
D Bender I have the HOOK2 5 triple shot and as soon as I got it I updated the software and when I took it on the water (in a kayak) I slowed down the ping speed because I can’t paddle at a constant 3.5-5 mph that’s needed for the preset ping speed. I think that has a lot to do with it. I love mine
@@johnchamberlin9915 Ya I had all sorts of issues until I got the angle right. It wasn't reading the depth correctly or not reading depth at all. Or it would be darn near blank on the screen. After owning this depth finder now for awhile though I just don't like it. I've got a cheap-o 125$ garmin on the bow and this lowrance on the console and my cheap Garmin reads the bottom, fish and schools of baitfish more accurately than my Lowrance. So basically all I use my lowrance for now is to find rock piles or structure then get on the trolling motor and go over the area again to see what's actually there. It's like looking at 2 different worlds and both are using the same Chirp and frequency too. I'll be upgrading to better Garmin's and replacing my cheap garmin and my lowrance as soon as I can afford it. I don't like my Lowrance at all now and I don't trust it. I've seriously checked my garmin repeatedly to see if it's in simulation mode cause between the garmin and lowrance it looks so different. But I find when my garmin picks up fish and structure it's always right where it shows it...my lowrance, well I can find the structure it picks up sometimes but don't trust it to read fish or baitfish accurately.
John Chamberlin go to the settings when you have the sonar on the screen and a little pop up menu will show up to the right it’s on there you can adjust it from min to max. I think before I updated it may have been 1-20 settings I’ll have to look at mine again I haven’t messed with it in several weeks. I broke my shoulder severely so no kayaking for me for a couple months
I did the same only used the quick start figured the rest out as I went along. This thing is awesome for what it cost. I use my Navionics chartplotter and the Lowrance for finding the fish and this unit will do just that. I hit into whitefish near the Mackinac Bridge a couple weeks ago. Without a decent sonar unit you would never know the fish are down there as they are taking mayfly larva out of the marl and are rubbing their bellies on the bottom. Being able to interpret the info. on your screen is of the utmost importance too. In this case it takes very calm water and then you will see only bumps on the bottom that look as if they are rocks but the return is not quite right for rocks and I know the bottom is covered in thick mud/marl. Great video.
I just got fed up of Garmin and was looking at Lowrance. Then I see this and the loss of bottom is the reason i got out of lowrance. I think I'll save up and get a Furuno. Had em.all.over 30 years.
I have this unit and have not experienced any of these issues. The auto settings have worked fine but it is also very easy to customize. I wonder how this guy has his transducer mounted. I use a Scotty track mount and it works great and my whole set up mounts or dismounts from my kayak in about 2 minutes.
I had same issues before when i put lowrance hook 4x on my yak..truth is..its user error. All you guys that have this issue here. Ya gotta check your settings etc..i had to play with the settings till i got it right on my yak..go ahead and blow a thousand bucks for high end and still have this issue..user error
100% user error. i have none of that screen issues, losing depth, etc problems. i have base model, and its flawless. You need to play around with ducer, and settings.
Their lack of communication is not good . I was just looking at buying one of these so thanks for the heads up . Customer care should be upmost. Not good at all !!!!
@@YankeeTankerOutdoorsI think he means that at the 3:40 Mark in the video you had the unit set to 10 feet (Max Depth) the 10 in the Lower Right Hand corner ¡¡¡¡
I just put 2 Hook2 9" on my mico bass boat. They both work as expected. You were talking about losing the bottom in 18' of water. If you look at the lower right corner of the screen it said 10'. You were zoomed in and on the 10' scale. The + - keys would probably fix the problem as you could zoom out to the full auto mode.
He’s kinda right. You didn’t read the manual because ,… who needs that ? Had issues , still didn’t read the manual , called lowrance , still had issues made a video about your issues you are experiencing.
Mine is about a year old and I'm having problems with it. Sucks man, I just changed the wire connections to the battery and am going to test it next week. Hopefully I get proper readings on it.
man, I'm surprised there are these issues with this unit. Pretty concerning actually given the brand, IMO. thanks for the honest feedback, curious if lots of others have run into similar issues, especially out on the Delta
Great review and truthful tips. I got a low end hummingbird a few months back and I wish I had gotten the gps version as well. It is what is. Keep up the great work Matt. Tight Lines
I paid for a marina to install the hook2 tripleshot and had problems from the start: I waste many fishing hours unplugging, replugging in just to get this thing working.i got the 7 inch screen so it wasn’t cheap. On my fourth day fishing the scanning stopped working. I called support twice on the water. Later I spent hours updating the software as they told me, had to spend money on a microchip card, . The new software 18.3 only tells you the connection is not detected: piece of junk. Also no support on weekends from the company. I will see if any warranty available on Monday: very disappointed
I am havig tons of problems with mine! To the point that it will no longer power on. At this point I have contacted Lowance via email four times and by phone five. Not once have they replied to me. Do your research and find another brand!
I have the Hook 2 seven triple shot and my issue is I have to unplug and then replug the transducer cable to the unit while on the water in order for it to read correctly.. A bit annoying to say the least..
We have to keep turning ours on and off again on the water because we lose depth every 5 to 10 minutes. Ruins your trip and we dont know how to solve it. Fully charged battery, ean good connection, battery properly placed, clean transducer,....still sucks.
I would reset the unit back to factory settings. Then take it out on the lake and fine tune the adjustments. I have the Hook2 5 and it's been working great. Check you transducer connections and the location. If it is not totally submerged it will give erratic readings.
I saw a similar video and the loss of bottom was caused by mud/sand under the transducer. The kayak mount allowed the debris to enter. Something to check. Good luck.
Back in '05 I had a low-end Lowrance (can't recall the model) that came with the Bass Tracker I bought. I basically just used it for depth readings, but never did like the unit due to the small numbers which were hard to read (at least for me), and the bottom would disappear on that unit also. When I bought my jon boat I got a Humminbird (low-end also) mainly because it had much larger numbers, but it had nice clear depictions of the bottom, fish, bait, etc. I'm not much on trying to decipher tech manuals either. :)
My experience with the Hook2 12TS is a complete nightmare. The machine shows noise and clutter, it will not find the bottom in 54 or more meters of water (in any mode). Lowrance here in Australia are are diabolical to deal with and terribly unhelpful. I would not touch the Hook2 or Lowrance with a barge pole.
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors G'Day Mate. Lowrance "support" in the last 10 minutes just asked for a copy of my receipt so I am hoping that me they will replace it so we can at least determine if my unit was faulty. This has been a grueling process.
I just bought a helix 5 di g2 yesterday. In the demo mode at least, the hummingbird DI image was so much cleaner than the lowrance. And it has a few different settings to clean up the sonar image, it has fish id and fish alert, which might kinda cool when not paying attention to the screen. Lowrance does have the hummingbird beat on price though. I paid $250 and no maps. I figured in a kayak i don't cover enough water to warrant maps anyways.
Bought a helix5 si.. lasted a year and a half and crapped out.. hummingbirds are a good unit but very fragile when it comes to humidity and moisture - take it off when you’re finished for the day “imho”
Lol I see it’s been a year this been up guess you herd this already. Read the manual if you have it if not you can get it on line from Lowrance and for Navionic you can get the chip or like updates download on a 32g chip and update on unit is easy just cost more nothing is plug and play over $200
The biggest problems I have experienced with my Hook2-7ts is the cables are hit or miss and are not secure...the unit works fine if you can keep the transducer cable securely seated and the power cable securely seated...they are a bear to get seated and to stay seated...why Lowrance chose this feature of push in connectors over screw in is beyond my understanding...
I'd like to see your installation process and how you set it up. I've watched other in depth reviews that walked thru installation, setup, options, etc. Looks like a pretty good unit from other experienced users. Doesn't mean your problems aren't real, but it raises more questions than it answers. interesting... Is it mounted internally? Do you have it external? What is the transducer angle? Have you tried adjusting?
This is a great unit, but I can’t see the depth, I can’t see the bottom, have no idea how deep I am (shows 5 feet in 18 feet), it creates weird vertical sections that don’t relate to what I’m seeing, and I can’t see a map of where I am when in GPS mode. Could you maybe show us why this is a great unit, if it doesn’t work at all?
You need to talk too Ken Sauret on Western Bass! He is the ultimate in Lowrance knowledge, he will know exactly what to do. He was always at all the FLW events back when I was fishing them and was always so helpful whenever there was a problem or issue. On a side note I see all the Bulldog and Falcon stuff!! Are you from GA? My wife is from Woodstock GA. Go there all the time!! Ok talk too Ken.
Yankee Tanker Outdoors yup we love it in GA nothing like fishing the tuna or Lanier for spots. We didn’t get a chance to go back this year as we have 3 kids and it’s fairly expensive to fly. But next year definitely!! Let’s hope them Bulldogs have a run like last year, well except for the Championship game😬😬😬
Need help. Hook2 7 worked fine in the fall.. Just put boat in water and hook2 is not showing depth or temp. Screen is white on 2d sonar and di and Si is not showing a thing. Transducer is tripleshot and was not moved or hit when boat was stored. Any trouble shooting advice would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
These are very unreliable units. I've seen these throw completely different sonar readouts with two identical perfectly functioning transducers. Compared with a separate unit to ensure it was the Hook causing the problem. Buy a HB Helix or a Garmin Striker unit.
OMG it took me a month to find someone talking about this. I have the small 5 inch hook 2 $100 from BPS (which I was leary about). My unit in auto doesn't change depth layers when the depth changes. I have to manually change the depth range. Also had LOT of issues with screen getting garbled. I put piece of rubber under my transducer on the trolling motor thinking it was was water cavitation from the prop. All the while I felt like it may just be operator error you know, but I've played with everything to experiment. I've got it somewhat better, but this depth range thing is killing me. I'm looking behind me at my transom mounted 25 year old hummingbird to see the bottom. Somebody help me!!!
sounds like ya might better go to hummingbird. I just ordered and actually being delivered today. after watching a 5 or 8 videos on the hook2 5 split shot, wish I had bought a hummingbird. oh welll next spring Ill get one for the trolling motor so I can actually compare presentations.
We went round and round about this unit, I knew you should’ve sprung for the triple shot. Crazy that it never really delivered like it was sold in all the marketing. I’m still holding out for 5 or 7ti... I just need to sell one of my kids first
Theres something wrong with your unit. I have the same unit and the Hook2 7 and I have seen none of the issues you have. in the future if you have an issue with any unit return it. This is not normal at all bud.
dont think it happens on the lower ends guys...i own a hook2 tripleshot 7 and everything on the right side of the boat comes out on the left side of the screen...lol...kinda stinks but gonna do a soft reset and see what happens...thanks for the info on ur unit hope u get it fixed...
They're should be a setting to switch the left and right side for the side scan. It's effected by the way you mount the transducer. At least on my elite there is.
I hate the lower end units from lowrance. They just do not have the processing power. If the unit has.an x, do not get it. I don't care how big of a screen it is.
I have the same unit on my yak. I have some of the same issues, especially the depth being covered up by screen colors, which drives me nuts because my lake is deep and steep, so the depth can drastically change quickly. I would not recommend this unit, I will be replacing mine soon.
Mine died 2 months out of warranty. Lowrance told me I’m out of luck. I got my credit card company to cover under their extended warranty. Bought a Garmin, so many features, works perfectly, never going back!!!!! Check out my video of the dead unit.
I’m in Australia and have the same model as you. Mine is not reading the bottom and not picking up depth of water and downscan is also not working. Also having trouble hearing back from Lowrance.
Hey Mate, I got a replacement unit, which worked well for 2 months. However it has reverted back to being horrible and not working properly. May have to look for an alternative. What about yourself?
Sounds like, if you use the plug and play settings, you get plug and play performance. If you are willing to custom set up a higher end unit why not the cheaper one? I wouldn’t expect a cheaper unit to do more for you than a more expensive one.
Called Lowrance support and they helped out with the settings. And yeah...it was user error after all. It works as it should now. Dont use "plug and play" settings
On the verge of buying a triple shot 7 when I saw this. I've read that this problem happens often to the "x" series of the Hook 2..May I ask which was yours?
I bought a boat with one of these hook Lowrance on it and I know nothing about these things. I have the same white screen on maps that this guy has. Do I need to buy a navigation card or something?? I’d like to see the maps. Anything helps thanks
I'm actually in the process of waiting for my Hook2 5x to be delivered but after watching this video and noticing the lack of Hook2 reviews and discussions, I'm already having second thoughts...
Yankee Tanker Outdoors Yeah I agree, I’m returning it as soon as it arrives. Would there be any other equivalents out there that you would recommend that have similar features?
So I have a Lowrance TI 7 in on my other kayak. I love it. If I were on the market I would be seriously looking at the Hummingbirds. Farming makes a good high end unit from what I understand.
oh sweet jesus.. I cannot wait till this year.. still building but Smart is moving us better every year.. I am a dawg since I was 3.. that is 40 years of heart break minus 1 - but i was too little to even appreciate it lol
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors I blame Kirby for BOTH losses this past season. What did he have to lose in those games by putting in his now departed #1 Nationally Ranked underclassman quarterback? There is a reason why he is a defensive guy & we still must see what the new Offensive coaching staff does as well. I love our chances. Been a DAWG now for 58 plus years because my daddy raised me to be one. God bless & WOOF WOOF! {:>) HUNKER DOWN & go fishing!
Got stuck with the hook2 5x on a new boat. Can't even find someone at lowrance who know how to get it to do what it's supposed to do. Getting ready to do a water burial next time out. Lowrance sucks.
My hook 2 5x triple shot died 2 months out of warranty. Lowrance said bad unit. They told me I’m out of luck. Hopefully you bought yours on a good credit card, because my cc company had an extended warranty and refunded me ALMOST all of the $429 I paid for it. Good luck!
Thanks for this review. I am about to get the Lowrance Hook2 5 Triple Shot with Navionics+ Maps, do you think these issues have been resolved by now? I will be fishing mainly in intracoastal waters and near shore (ocean).
@@michaelbailey8879 don't know I sold that unit with my old kayak - I tried everything.. and good luck dealing with Lowrance customer service.. sorry man
Some of their older models before Hook series were better showing depth. No problems even if your boat was moving fast or you were in shallow water (like less than 1 meter). I have most often trouble in shallow and that's when it's most important so your boat doesn't hit bottom. Maybe there are some settings which help (Lowrance website gives some tips for solving depth problems), but I haven't found them yet. Still, when you know what the problems are I think it's a usable device. Not the best, but I don't expect it from their cheapest models.
![[UA] Team Vitality проти NAVI | IEM Cologne 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wttO1zVRTC0/mqdefault.jpg)
My fishing buddy bought this to replace his old fish finder. It's absolute crap. We spend 4 frustrating days trying to get this thing to work. We both read the Quick Guide and the 30 page on-line Operators Manual. There was no understandable method of how to turn this thing on to the Sonar page. There we several times we were tempted to throw this junk in the river. Each day we had to have one Marina techs come down and turn this thing on to the Sonar page. Save yourself a lot of frustration and buy something that works.
Exactly.
I've had the same problems. One time out the unit works properly, the next time out I can't get the basics of temp, depth and fish no matter how much time I spend trying to get to those functions. On one outing a fellow with years of experience on similar units offered to help and 15 minutes later walked away muttering to himself unable to do anything with my unit. That I have to go to UA-cam to find videos like this to even discuss the problems tells me all I need to know about Lowrance "customer service" and will inform any future fish finder purchases I make.
I'm not certain but I think the issues a lot of people have are related to the cord end from the transducer not being clean.
Try spraying it with contact cleaner from time to time. I have two Lowrance units.
One , the hook2 5ts, I noticed that the fit on the plugs are very tight. Both can force themselves loose. They hold air when I plug in and then it gets compressed when I push the plug in all the way. I've watched them pop right back out. It helps to wiggle as you plug up to let the air escape.
Them plugs do fit tightly once in right.
My second unit is an elite 4.
The plug has a screw lock. I fish out of a cheap jon boat. That's why I use fairly cheap electronics. I have about $450 in electronics.
It took me about 6 outings before I took the time to play with it and figure out the navigation. I use it in the manual mode as the auto mode drove me nuts. Suddenly it is wonderful. I set the depth and signal manually and it stays in range and I clean up the clutter.
@@mikeries8549 I also spray cleaned the transducer on mine and am hoping for better readings. Wire connectors changed. I'll know next week when I'm fishing.
In general, the TI units are faster in response to inputs. This is seen when quickly switching between sonar, downscan, chart, and split screens ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxeAxH15LxhjGlg5-CRYqjTGTEH0tbY4vk recommend The Hook units will show some lag on button pushes and screen switching. The big ticket item though is maps. If you install a mapping card such as Navionics or the free C-Map Genesis which has a lot of map detail, then moving around the map with the cursor or when running down the lake can lag significantly on the Hook units, but is seamless with the TI units.
I've found my Hook2 5 to be great. Just takes a little know how about what the settings do and what to change. For the price people seem to be expecting waaayyyy more than what they get for some reason. I see people complaining about the depth issue a lot- your just zoomed in lol
This topic is a bit old now but for those having problems, 3 key things to do every time. 1 make sure the plug is in firm as hell, all the way to the 3rd ring on the plug, 2 clean the bloody ducer before you take it out warm water and clean it good especially if used in salt water salt encrustation on the ducer can fog proper readings also weed and crap gets stuck on it, 3 make sure your ducer is in the correct position bubbles produced from props and paddles give false depth and temp readings, 90 percent of the problems are user error.
I have the Hook Reveal 5 without charts on my 12 foot Jon Boat. This is an absolute great product. You do have to read the manual, unless you’re some kind of electronic Wizard. You have to understand what does what. This is more than a fish finder, it is absolutely a modern reliable piece of equipment. Take the time to learn how to set it up or else you are not going to be happy. Do not be inpatient, look at you tube videos and read the manual Fish are not just going to jump in your boat, you actually have to apply yourself. Font bash a good affordable product until you learn how to use it.
I’ve got a hook2-5x and have had ZERO issues. Don’t use auto settings and you are good to go!! These are great units!!
It is still on my second kayak.. I am going to mess with it next time I take that yak out.. see if I take it off auto if it works better.
Auto settings on any unit whether high end or low end, is not going to give you the best result. Set everything manually plus this will give you the opportunity to really learn on how to use your unit. This is definitely a user error IMO.
The problems are it doesn’t read. Did you watch the video? Those issues are setting related
We bought a hook2 5ts. Installed on the old aluminum jon boat and it works perfectly right out of the box. We have a.second older Lowrance unit that confirms that it's working.
Many of the complaints I see online about Lowrance are posted by people with little to no electronics experience.
I have lots. Ries Labs Inc.
Custom electronics design...hello.
Glad to see 6months later Lowrence hasn’t fixed the issues, I paid 120 dollars in Australia has gps like you said no map just trails, and is jumpy as hell. Sometimes I get interference at 0.4m in 2-3m of water and comes and goes and even nice flat surface gets those bumpy parts where it can’t pick up anything real piece of crap don’t recommend it. Lucky I bought it as a second sounder for fishing up front on the bow still not happy with it! Nice review I know it’s an honest one
For sure do a factory reset and check all connections make sure you have good voltage. If the leads are loose or dirty it could play havoc with the screen.
Finaly call Lowrance but you have to wait for "HOURS TO GET THREW" on the phone and they will just factory reset anyway.
Bad connection to ur transducer or water in the wire mine did the exact same thing. Bought a new transducer now works without a problem
I have the same unit. The bottom is always visible. You may have a bad unit. I do adjust my settings to more sensitive. Good luck
Good to know. Thx for sharing
got 5 friends with that model on floaters and one in kayak , all work great
Yes. That’s a good thing. My unit was just garbage.
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors my unit is the same way I get so frustrated I just wanna unplug it and toss it across the lake at times
Did you know you can hit the power button and go to "edit overlay" to change the size, location, and black/white color of the information on the screen? That way the "yellow line" at the top of the screen in murky waters wont affect the depth readout if you adjust it a little bit.
yes I know all of that.. the unit is flawed.. it is not user error.. there are too many comments below that clarify this.
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors I also have the dame issues on the lake I played with it and had it working good then the very next trip out same issues I had it picking up fish very well now i cant pick up a single fish just lines on the screen
Reviews like this are priceless, its too many
'unboxing' or ''first impesion'' clips and after that -silence,
I’m making it a point to do an initial impression review and then a 6 month review as well.
I had the same issue with mine. I called Lowrance about that too and they didn’t know what I was talking about... my biggest complaint was the screen tearing when the water column adjusts and the scroll speed. Like you said, I don’t have a problem with Lowrance but I got want I paid for. For everyone watching this... don’t skimp on a fish finder unit. If you get one, get one $350+. If you don’t wanna pay that, you’re better off not having one.
Lowrance CS SUUUUUCKKS!!!!!!!
I have the same unit and don't have these issues at all. I don't run it on auto I use my custom settings and have great bottom contour and depth readings
Wow, I guess I should feel lucky. I've got the same Hook2 5 and I don't have any of your issues. No huge yellow lines on top, I've never had it not detect bottom unless I'm going 45+ mph but I don't t think any fish finders will at that speed. My brother's boat has humminbirds and they don't detect bottom over 40mph. I've got the tripleshot though. One thing you have to remember is how important transducer installation and placement is. The angle at which it's sitting at is soooo important. I have no idea how you're supposed to install one on a kayak but on my boat it took me 3 different times taking it out to get the angle of the transducer correct. You should video your transducer installation so we all can see it. I mean if you still have the unit, this video is almost 2 years old now. Anyway, if someone else is reading this, if you're having issues make sure you know how and where and what angle will work best on your boat.
D Bender I have the HOOK2 5 triple shot and as soon as I got it I updated the software and when I took it on the water (in a kayak) I slowed down the ping speed because I can’t paddle at a constant 3.5-5 mph that’s needed for the preset ping speed. I think that has a lot to do with it. I love mine
@@bryanjdw how did u slow down ping speed I also have the same one but mine ia having major issues
Bender did u have issues until u got the angle correct? I may have to adjust my angle
@@johnchamberlin9915 Ya I had all sorts of issues until I got the angle right. It wasn't reading the depth correctly or not reading depth at all. Or it would be darn near blank on the screen. After owning this depth finder now for awhile though I just don't like it. I've got a cheap-o 125$ garmin on the bow and this lowrance on the console and my cheap Garmin reads the bottom, fish and schools of baitfish more accurately than my Lowrance. So basically all I use my lowrance for now is to find rock piles or structure then get on the trolling motor and go over the area again to see what's actually there. It's like looking at 2 different worlds and both are using the same Chirp and frequency too. I'll be upgrading to better Garmin's and replacing my cheap garmin and my lowrance as soon as I can afford it. I don't like my Lowrance at all now and I don't trust it. I've seriously checked my garmin repeatedly to see if it's in simulation mode cause between the garmin and lowrance it looks so different. But I find when my garmin picks up fish and structure it's always right where it shows it...my lowrance, well I can find the structure it picks up sometimes but don't trust it to read fish or baitfish accurately.
John Chamberlin go to the settings when you have the sonar on the screen and a little pop up menu will show up to the right it’s on there you can adjust it from min to max. I think before I updated it may have been 1-20 settings I’ll have to look at mine again I haven’t messed with it in several weeks. I broke my shoulder severely so no kayaking for me for a couple months
I did the same only used the quick start figured the rest out as I went along. This thing is awesome for what it cost. I use my Navionics chartplotter and the Lowrance for finding the fish and this unit will do just that. I hit into whitefish near the Mackinac Bridge a couple weeks ago. Without a decent sonar unit you would never know the fish are down there as they are taking mayfly larva out of the marl and are rubbing their bellies on the bottom. Being able to interpret the info. on your screen is of the utmost importance too. In this case it takes very calm water and then you will see only bumps on the bottom that look as if they are rocks but the return is not quite right for rocks and I know the bottom is covered in thick mud/marl. Great video.
Glad I got the triple shot w the chip and pre-loaded maps. About the same price if you find them on sale.
Gotta adjust you're settings. Turn your depth to auto. That's why it does that. It takes time to fine tune a fish finder.
Nope it was a bad unit. This video is so old. I don’t even own this unit any more.
I just got fed up of Garmin and was looking at Lowrance. Then I see this and the loss of bottom is the reason i got out of lowrance.
I think I'll save up and get a Furuno.
Had em.all.over 30 years.
I have this unit and have not experienced any of these issues. The auto settings have worked fine but it is also very easy to customize. I wonder how this guy has his transducer mounted. I use a Scotty track mount and it works great and my whole set up mounts or dismounts from my kayak in about 2 minutes.
It’s mounted in my sonar pod.
I had same issues before when i put lowrance hook 4x on my yak..truth is..its user error. All you guys that have this issue here. Ya gotta check your settings etc..i had to play with the settings till i got it right on my yak..go ahead and blow a thousand bucks for high end and still have this issue..user error
no it is not.. this the 2x series which is plug and play.. it's not user error.
100% user error. i have none of that screen issues, losing depth, etc problems. i have base model, and its flawless. You need to play around with ducer, and settings.
You are wrong.
Check your transducer,transducer head do not kiss with your kayak body,but just little free space.
that is not english.. what are you saying?
I bought 2 Hook 2-4x and had alot of problems. Not happy with fishfinders but Lorwance service was fantastic.
The auto settings are useless. Get the settings right and they are ok.
Their lack of communication is not good . I was just looking at buying one of these so thanks for the heads up . Customer care should be upmost. Not good at all !!!!
When you said you were in 18ft of water, didn't the graph only have a max depth of 10ft?
That sounds like a setting issue. Do you have it on auto?
@@YankeeTankerOutdoorsI think he means that at the 3:40 Mark
in the video you had the unit set to 10 feet (Max Depth)
the 10 in the Lower Right Hand corner ¡¡¡¡
I just put 2 Hook2 9" on my mico bass boat. They both work as expected. You were talking about losing the bottom in 18' of water. If you look at the lower right corner of the screen it said 10'. You were zoomed in and on the 10' scale. The + - keys would probably fix the problem as you could zoom out to the full auto mode.
This video is super old so I have been on a TI 7 for over a year now. But thank you for watching.
Lol, this guy reviewing products and don’t know how to set up his finder
Aww thanks sweetheart. Big kisses.
He’s kinda right. You didn’t read the manual because ,… who needs that ? Had issues , still didn’t read the manual , called lowrance , still had issues made a video about your issues you are experiencing.
Mine is about a year old and I'm having problems with it. Sucks man, I just changed the wire connections to the battery and am going to test it next week. Hopefully I get proper readings on it.
man, I'm surprised there are these issues with this unit. Pretty concerning actually given the brand, IMO. thanks for the honest feedback, curious if lots of others have run into similar issues, especially out on the Delta
Great review and truthful tips. I got a low end hummingbird a few months back and I wish I had gotten the gps version as well. It is what is. Keep up the great work Matt. Tight Lines
I paid for a marina to install the hook2 tripleshot and had problems from the start: I waste many fishing hours unplugging, replugging in just to get this thing working.i got the 7 inch screen so it wasn’t cheap. On my fourth day fishing the scanning stopped working. I called support twice on the water. Later I spent hours updating the software as they told me, had to spend money on a microchip card, . The new software 18.3 only tells you the connection is not detected: piece of junk. Also no support on weekends from the company. I will see if any warranty available on Monday: very disappointed
Had mine for ages and havent had an issue
impossible.. they have been out only for a year and a half.. so that is not ages.
I am havig tons of problems with mine! To the point that it will no longer power on. At this point I have contacted Lowance via email four times and by phone five. Not once have they replied to me. Do your research and find another brand!
They do suck with customer success.
U always give the most honest reviews.
dude where the F you been? Your vids arent coming up on my feed anymore!!!
Its weeds and your settings. Read the book mate.
That’s not it. It’s the unit. I don’t care this unit is long gone anyways.
Ur getting weed block even high ends do that over weeds u gotta lock in the area ur fishing so u can see all the weeds and the bottom
I have the Hook 2 seven triple shot and my issue is I have to unplug and then replug the transducer cable to the unit while on the water in order for it to read correctly..
A bit annoying to say the least..
We have to keep turning ours on and off again on the water because we lose depth every 5 to 10 minutes. Ruins your trip and we dont know how to solve it. Fully charged battery, ean good connection, battery properly placed, clean transducer,....still sucks.
I would reset the unit back to factory settings. Then take it out on the lake and fine tune the adjustments. I have the Hook2 5 and it's been working great. Check you transducer connections and the location. If it is not totally submerged it will give erratic readings.
I saw a similar video and the loss of bottom was caused by mud/sand under the transducer. The kayak mount allowed the debris to enter. Something to check. Good luck.
thank you for the update, I will take your advise and buy a higher end unit
Back in '05 I had a low-end Lowrance (can't recall the model) that came with the Bass Tracker I bought. I basically just used it for depth readings, but never did like the unit due to the small numbers which were hard to read (at least for me), and the bottom would disappear on that unit also. When I bought my jon boat I got a Humminbird (low-end also) mainly because it had much larger numbers, but it had nice clear depictions of the bottom, fish, bait, etc.
I'm not much on trying to decipher tech manuals either. :)
Had one for about a year only good for depth and speed anything else useless sold it and got a garmin striker vivid 5cv.
Check and see if you have sand and/or mud around the transducer.. especially if you have it mounted under a kayak.. hope it helps👍
Just bought a new Ranger with the Hook 2 4xgps, not impressed with it. Just subscribed, good review 🚜🪵👍🏼🇺🇸
My experience with the Hook2 12TS is a complete nightmare. The machine shows noise and clutter, it will not find the bottom in 54 or more meters of water (in any mode). Lowrance here in Australia are are diabolical to deal with and terribly unhelpful. I would not touch the Hook2 or Lowrance with a barge pole.
Wow. Can you send yours back?
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors G'Day Mate. Lowrance "support" in the last 10 minutes just asked for a copy of my receipt so I am hoping that me they will replace it so we can at least determine if my unit was faulty. This has been a grueling process.
👍
Helix 5 for the win.
Yes. No more lowrance
I just bought a helix 5 di g2 yesterday. In the demo mode at least, the hummingbird DI image was so much cleaner than the lowrance. And it has a few different settings to clean up the sonar image, it has fish id and fish alert, which might kinda cool when not paying attention to the screen. Lowrance does have the hummingbird beat on price though. I paid $250 and no maps. I figured in a kayak i don't cover enough water to warrant maps anyways.
Bought a helix5 si.. lasted a year and a half and crapped out.. hummingbirds are a good unit but very fragile when it comes to humidity and moisture - take it off when you’re finished for the day “imho”
I hate this unit constantly have problems the manual is useless it replaced a Garmin 300 lm putting the Garmin back on my pontoon boat
You have to make sure all your settings are on property
Good review, very helpful. Go JACKETS!
noooooo lol.. DAWGS!!! lol.. Hey we might not even get a season which sucks even worse.
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors Lol, yeah I'm not convinced at all that there will be a season at all. maybe spring season though.
Lol I see it’s been a year this been up guess you herd this already. Read the manual if you have it if not you can get it on line from Lowrance and for Navionic you can get the chip or like updates download on a 32g chip and update on unit is easy just cost more nothing is plug and play over $200
dude.. one I sold the unit 6 months ago . And it has nothing to do with reading the manual . .
Manual did nothing for me in fixing the same exact problems
Thanks for the review I am not going to buy reveal 7 50-200 hdi
I've never had an issue with mine it's a little over a year old
The biggest problems I have experienced with my Hook2-7ts is the cables are hit or miss and are not secure...the unit works fine if you can keep the transducer cable securely seated and the power cable securely seated...they are a bear to get seated and to stay seated...why Lowrance chose this feature of push in connectors over screw in is beyond my understanding...
actually that is a great point.. and odd indeed.. the hook 4's had em.. good observation.
If people would come together, we would have a voice.
I ve been looking at a garmin this time..
I'd like to see your installation process and how you set it up. I've watched other in depth reviews that walked thru installation, setup, options, etc. Looks like a pretty good unit from other experienced users. Doesn't mean your problems aren't real, but it raises more questions than it answers. interesting... Is it mounted internally? Do you have it external? What is the transducer angle? Have you tried adjusting?
this unit is long gone.. and it was the unit.
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors Good to know! Thank you for reply. Sounds like your replacement is much better.
I can’t say yes or no. Could have been just my unit.
This is a great unit, but I can’t see the depth, I can’t see the bottom, have no idea how deep I am (shows 5 feet in 18 feet), it creates weird vertical sections that don’t relate to what I’m seeing, and I can’t see a map of where I am when in GPS mode.
Could you maybe show us why this is a great unit, if it doesn’t work at all?
You need to talk too Ken Sauret on Western Bass! He is the ultimate in Lowrance knowledge, he will know exactly what to do. He was always at all the FLW events back when I was fishing them and was always so helpful whenever there was a problem or issue.
On a side note I see all the Bulldog and Falcon stuff!! Are you from GA? My wife is from Woodstock GA. Go there all the time!! Ok talk too Ken.
I am and that's my school. Miss the south dearly!
Yankee Tanker Outdoors yup we love it in GA nothing like fishing the tuna or Lanier for spots. We didn’t get a chance to go back this year as we have 3 kids and it’s fairly expensive to fly. But next year definitely!! Let’s hope them Bulldogs have a run like last year, well except for the Championship game😬😬😬
thanks a lot I just bought a boat with one of these on it. I thought it was me.
Need help. Hook2 7 worked fine in the fall.. Just put boat in water and hook2 is not showing depth or temp. Screen is white on 2d sonar and di and Si is not showing a thing. Transducer is tripleshot and was not moved or hit when boat was stored. Any trouble shooting advice would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
Jason Kennedy ouch. Man I wish I could help. They just are crappy units. Good luck with lowrance.
Jason Kennedy sounds crazy but try pushing the plugs in or wiggle them. Mine does the same thing and this works for me most times.
These are very unreliable units. I've seen these throw completely different sonar readouts with two identical perfectly functioning transducers. Compared with a separate unit to ensure it was the Hook causing the problem. Buy a HB Helix or a Garmin Striker unit.
yes they suck!
OMG it took me a month to find someone talking about this. I have the small 5 inch hook 2 $100 from BPS (which I was leary about). My unit in auto doesn't change depth layers when the depth changes. I have to manually change the depth range. Also had LOT of issues with screen getting garbled. I put piece of rubber under my transducer on the trolling motor thinking it was was water cavitation from the prop. All the while I felt like it may just be operator error you know, but I've played with everything to experiment. I've got it somewhat better, but this depth range thing is killing me. I'm looking behind me at my transom mounted 25 year old hummingbird to see the bottom. Somebody help me!!!
+Ed Hesse I have a ti7 and it hasn’t given me really any problems.
The hook2 series is just a fail for Lowrance.
sounds like ya might better go to hummingbird. I just ordered and actually being delivered today. after watching a 5 or 8 videos on the hook2 5 split shot, wish I had bought a hummingbird. oh welll next spring Ill get one for the trolling motor so I can actually compare presentations.
Raf G how did it do for you
We went round and round about this unit, I knew you should’ve sprung for the triple shot. Crazy that it never really delivered like it was sold in all the marketing. I’m still holding out for 5 or 7ti... I just need to sell one of my kids first
Theres something wrong with your unit. I have the same unit and the Hook2 7 and I have seen none of the issues you have. in the future if you have an issue with any unit return it. This is not normal at all bud.
Nice review buddy. Hopefully lowrance will fix the issues man. See ya out on the water
dont think it happens on the lower ends guys...i own a hook2 tripleshot 7 and everything on the right side of the boat comes out on the left side of the screen...lol...kinda stinks but gonna do a soft reset and see what happens...thanks for the info on ur unit hope u get it fixed...
They're should be a setting to switch the left and right side for the side scan. It's effected by the way you mount the transducer. At least on my elite there is.
Is there a Lowrance program or something I can use to put tracks and waypoints on a SD card and then transfer them to my Hook2?
hi mate with the Lowrance Hook²-4x GPS Fish Finder how can i change the saltwater and freshwater settings
I hate the lower end units from lowrance. They just do not have the processing power. If the unit has.an x, do not get it. I don't care how big of a screen it is.
I have the same unit on my yak. I have some of the same issues, especially the depth being covered up by screen colors, which drives me nuts because my lake is deep and steep, so the depth can drastically change quickly. I would not recommend this unit, I will be replacing mine soon.
Where is your transducer mounted
it was the UNIT nothing else. The ducer was placed in the sonar pod.
Mine died 2 months out of warranty. Lowrance told me I’m out of luck. I got my credit card company to cover under their extended warranty. Bought a Garmin, so many features, works perfectly, never going back!!!!! Check out my video of the dead unit.
I’m in Australia and have the same model as you. Mine is not reading the bottom and not picking up depth of water and downscan is also not working. Also having trouble hearing back from Lowrance.
It’s the unit as a whole. It’s not good.
Hey Mate, I got a replacement unit, which worked well for 2 months. However it has reverted back to being horrible and not working properly. May have to look for an alternative. What about yourself?
U r 100/ right and I have eshos with brand new Lowrance I resantly bought off BCF the bigest thef off fishing stores rep off blodey BCF
Well I was thinking about getting this for the new kayak with triple shot and Navionics. 🤔
You recommend the triple shot or think I should go with helix 5
Go for it.
Guys set it up. It’s user error check your settings!
dude the hook2 is plug and play.. that is the whole concept.. so it is not the settings. On my ti7 yes you need to set it up.
Sounds like, if you use the plug and play settings, you get plug and play performance. If you are willing to custom set up a higher end unit why not the cheaper one? I wouldn’t expect a cheaper unit to do more for you than a more expensive one.
Called Lowrance support and they helped out with the settings. And yeah...it was user error after all. It works as it should now. Dont use "plug and play" settings
Disappointing to hear that Lowrance isn't very responsive to their customers.
how dou you get your speed miles and depth all on the same chart i cant on my sd 7
So, you didn't take the time to learn your device, then complain about it. Ok. Next vid...
hey way to show up late to a party.. Next dumb comment please.
I have the triple shot with the same issues. DM'd you on IG...
On the verge of buying a triple shot 7 when I saw this. I've read that this problem happens often to the "x" series of the Hook 2..May I ask which was yours?
I have this model on my boat....can anyone fix this?
I bought a boat with one of these hook Lowrance on it and I know nothing about these things. I have the same white screen on maps that this guy has. Do I need to buy a navigation card or something?? I’d like to see the maps. Anything helps thanks
Depends what model you have. But if you do need maps make sure to get navionics
I'm actually in the process of waiting for my Hook2 5x to be delivered but after watching this video and noticing the lack of Hook2 reviews and discussions, I'm already having second thoughts...
Don’t do it. I would not recommend buying it
Yankee Tanker Outdoors Yeah I agree, I’m returning it as soon as it arrives. Would there be any other equivalents out there that you would recommend that have similar features?
I hear good things about the Helix line
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors Is the Garmin Striker Plus 5cv worth considering as well?
what are your thoughts on the Garmin 4 and 5 units. would you recommend
So I have a Lowrance TI 7 in on my other kayak. I love it.
If I were on the market I would be seriously looking at the Hummingbirds.
Farming makes a good high end unit from what I understand.
Triple shot isn't any better
I just ordered the Hook2 5X just an hour ago so I hope it works well for me. Also HOW ABOUT THEM DAWGS? Love my DAWGS!
oh sweet jesus.. I cannot wait till this year.. still building but Smart is moving us better every year.. I am a dawg since I was 3.. that is 40 years of heart break minus 1 - but i was too little to even appreciate it lol
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors I blame Kirby for BOTH losses this past season. What did he have to lose in those games by putting in his now departed #1 Nationally Ranked underclassman quarterback? There is a reason why he is a defensive guy & we still must see what the new Offensive coaching staff does as well. I love our chances. Been a DAWG now for 58 plus years because my daddy raised me to be one. God bless & WOOF WOOF! {:>) HUNKER DOWN & go fishing!
Oh hell yeah Kirby lost. .Org those games. The LSU game drove me apeshit.
Got stuck with the hook2 5x on a new boat. Can't even find someone at lowrance who know how to get it to do what it's supposed to do. Getting ready to do a water burial next time out. Lowrance sucks.
My hook 2 5x triple shot died 2 months out of warranty. Lowrance said bad unit. They told me I’m out of luck. Hopefully you bought yours on a good credit card, because my cc company had an extended warranty and refunded me ALMOST all of the $429 I paid for it. Good luck!
I have actually bought three I'm that stupid all three have failed save your money buy something else anything but Lowrance.
Thanks for this review. I am about to get the Lowrance Hook2 5 Triple Shot with Navionics+ Maps, do you think these issues have been resolved by now? I will be fishing mainly in intracoastal waters and near shore (ocean).
You should be fine.
Took mine out for the first time today. Worked fine for about 4 hours. Next 4 hours the unit quit showing depth and the bottom
Common thing with these units.
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors how did you correct it when it happened to you? I tried powering off and turning the sensitivity down
@@michaelbailey8879 don't know I sold that unit with my old kayak - I tried everything.. and good luck dealing with Lowrance customer service.. sorry man
Same issues since day one we have had it a year and it is so unreliable. Going hummingbird next year
Yeah. Might be a good move.
The Tripleshot with GPS/inland maps is going to be 299 for thanksgiving and I was looking to get one. How to you have your transducer set up?
I beat Chris woot woot.
will this work with inside hull transducer ?
Yes
@@YankeeTankerOutdoors great do you know which one ? and is best to use with ? thanks
What are you asking? Any ducer can be put into a hull. I’m confused?
I have the same unit and still can’t figure it out yet.
It’s plug and play man.
Keep it all on automatic.
I have a Elite-TI7 on my bow I have issue with it losing bottom I could be in 10ft of water it says I’m in 400ft drives me CRAZY
Pisses me off happened to me again tonight.
This unit is crap. it lasted me 4 months now I have no readings .DON"T BUY
I have the Hook2/9 with tripleshot on the console and Elite 7 at the bow and both have the same problem with losing bottom. Garbage,
exactly - people either have a good unit or a bad one with these.
Some of their older models before Hook series were better showing depth. No problems even if your boat was moving fast or you were in shallow water (like less than 1 meter). I have most often trouble in shallow and that's when it's most important so your boat doesn't hit bottom. Maybe there are some settings which help (Lowrance website gives some tips for solving depth problems), but I haven't found them yet. Still, when you know what the problems are I think it's a usable device. Not the best, but I don't expect it from their cheapest models.