Norcross Hawkeye H22PX
Whether you are hitting the lake or the river with your kick boat, kayak or canoe, or you are taking to the flats in your sea kayak to chase tarpon, you need to know the waters depth. You can go online and look at charts but as everyone knows the bottom of the water changes daily and those subtle changes could affect where the fish are, so you need the best information available to you in real time.
The Norcross Hawkeye H22PX Sonar System is a small, battery operated and hand-held sonar unit that gives you an accurate picture of the floor below. You will now be able to get accurate depth readings up to 200 feet. That power at your fingertips will put you on fish more consistently and will help you keep a constant update on what is going on below.
An area you fished last week that had a really sweet honey hole, might have completely vanished due to an overnight storm that you were unaware of even taking place. Rather than spending the entire day wondering what you were doing right yesterday, you now know that the situation has changed.
The added advantage of being able to tell the water’s temperature is a great bonus. Some like it hot and some like it cool so depending on what you are chasing it is really good to know what the water temperature is WHERE YOU ARE, what you get on TV and online is only where THEIR sensors are and that could be very different than where you are even on the same body of water.
Norcross Hawkeye H22PX Features
This device comes with instant depth readings that can range from 2.5 feet to 200 feet. It’s waterproof up to 200 feet, so your device will be able to remain safe. You’ll be able to get the air and water temperature to the nearest 1/10th of a degree as well as a convenient fish indicator that will allow you to find even those that are hiding. It also has a polarized LCD screen with a Softglow backlight so that you can easily see the screen at night and special Shoot-Thru technology that will let you get readings through ice or even boat hulls.
Norcross Hawkeye H22PX Fish Finder Advantages
If you just want something simple to tell how deep the water is below you while you are fishing in your boat trying to find those largemouth bass you are after or while you are sitting in your ice shack waiting on that prized northern pike to swim by, then the Hawkeye is for you. It’s lightweight, hand held, waterproof up to 200 feet and gives you a great reading of the depths below. No clunky install on your boat, the ability to transport it by hand and to be able to use it no mater your watercraft. If you are out on the lake in your Water Master by Big Sky Inflatables this easy to use, hand held depth sonar is perfect. Chasing those big browns at night? Figure out areas they may be lurking by using the Hawkeye H22PX.
Being able to tell the water temperature is great as well. Most of us just go online and see what the weather is, and get a water temp based off what the weather report says. Well that information is gathered at a location that could be miles and miles away from where you plan on fishing. If you are going after fish that prefer warmer water and you need those temperatures to be higher for that right bite now you can tell right where you need to be. Not only seeing the depth below but knowing how warm it is, so you know how hot the fishing will be.
The ability to shoot through the bottom of the deck of your boat or through ice is a really great addition. Now you can carry in your hand all you need to get an accurate reading of how deep the water is below you. This opens a lot of doors for anglers who do not want to spend a lot of money on a more complicated device that requires an installation. Now you can whip it out and get what you need without having strings attached. No longer are you going to have to drill through the ice to be able to get a reading! Because we all love spending the entire day digging holes through thick sheets of ice, right? Spend more time fishing and less time cutting.
Norcross Hawkeye Disadvantages
The Hawkeye boasts the ability to help you find those hard to find fish, with a fish locator built in as well. If you are buying this to use a fish finder, you are going to be disappointed It should really only be considered useful as a depth finder and as a means to check the water temperature. It is sold as a sonar depth finder and should be used as such. Norcross does make another handheld unit that IS a fish finder and works differently, so it depends on what you’re after.
If you use the device often sometimes you get a bug where it will not display the depth below. The water temperature will still work fine but the screen will show a —- reading. This is rather annoying and requires letting the unit time out and reset, which after that it works fine but still it makes it frustrating sometimes when it fails to work.
Another issue is, the construction. It is not the most sturdy of units out there in fact while it was waterproof it does tend to eventually leak. It does not hold up to a lot of abuse and the more you use it, the less time you will have with it, however with that said there is a warranty. So, while it is not the most robust piece of equipment when it breaks you can get a replacement/repair.
Final Verdict
For a handheld depth finder and temperature gauge, the Norcross Hawkeyeperforms perfectly. It is easy to use, gives accurate readings for both the waters depth as well as the waters temperature. The unit being portable means you can use it no matter what you are in and it can shoot its sonar through ice and the hull of your boat giving you more options. It does not hold up to a beating, and its ability as a fish finder is questionable however its affordable and it does work. Also having the warranty is nice in case it does break on you. Take care of it and it works fine despite its issues.
