By: Mark Romanack
Fish Hawk Electronics is a leader in providing Great Lakes anglers with critical trolling speed at depth and water temperature at depth data thanks to the X4D, X4 and X2 models. New for 2024 Fish Hawk has redesigned their probe to be 40% smaller, it features a rechargeable lithium battery and battery charging matt so that the probe can be charged on the water. The battery offers 50 hours of service on one charge and can be recharged over 5,000 times.
Now that Fish Hawk’s long awaited announcement has been made, we are getting a lot of questions from consumers. Anyone serious about trolling for Great Lakes trout and salmon is familiar with the benefits of owning a Fish Hawk sub-surface temperature and trolling speed probe. The X4D, X4 and the X2 have been on the market for a number of years providing dependable trolling speed and and water temperature data. All the trusted Fish Hawk products of the past are still available for a limited time while supplies last. Moving forward a host of new and improved products will pave the way into the future of Great Lakes trolling.
New for Fish Hawk the probe has been redesigned to be 40% smaller, the probe is now a sealed unit and the battery has been upgraded from AA style to rechargeable lithium batteries. Charging the lithium battery is done with a charging matt similar to used with smart phones.
The Fish Hawk Lithium Ultra System includes a newly designed monitor, smaller sealed probe, lithium battery charging matt, power cord and transom mounted transducer and retails for approximately $1,400.00. This unit provides surface trolling speed, surface water temperature, sub-surface trolling speed, sub-surface water temperature and the true depth of the downrigger weight. The monitor can be deck mounted or flush mounted. This unit effectively offers the same features as the X4D, but features the smaller probe, lithium battery and lithium battery charging matt.
The Fish Hawk Lithium Pro System retails for approximately $1,200.00 and provides the new monitor, new smaller sealed probe, lithium battery charging matt, transducer and power cord. This product offers surface water temperature, surface trolling speed, sub-surface water temperature and sub-surface trolling speed. These features are the same as the X4 unit except for the new monitor, lithium powered smaller probe and the lithium battery charging matt.
The Fish Hawk Lithium Multi System is essentially the X2 Unit with the new smaller lithium powered probe and the lithium charging matt. This is a portable system for anglers who don’t have downriggers on their boat. The probe is lowered into the water using a short rod with a line counter reel. A specially designed transducer slips over the fishing line and slides into the water a foot or two.
Mark and Jake have been using Fish Hawk products for over 20 years. Anytime they are on Great Lakes waters they depend on the Fish Hawk to provide accurate and dependable sub-surface trolling and water temperature data.
Popular with walleye anglers and others who don’t routinely use downriggers, the Fish Hawk Lithium Multi System has opened up the world of monitoring sub-surface trolling speeds and water temperatures for a host of anglers.
BENEFITS OF THE NEW SYSTEM
The new Fish Hawk probe is 40% smaller and of course suffers less from blow back issues. Because the probe is now a sealed unit, the problem of condensation forming inside the probe has been solved. The lithium rechargeable battery provides up to 50 hours of service on one charge, and the probe can be quickly recharged on the boat should the need arise.
Anglers can upgrade their current system by purchasing just the new probe and charging matt that retails for $530.00 for the Ultra System and $480.00 for the Pro System. If you lose a probe, replacements are available for $500.00 for the Ultra and $450.00 for the Pro model.
SUMMARY
For those who understand the benefits of monitoring sub-surface trolling speed and sub-surface water temperature, no other product provides this critical data better than Fish Hawk Electronics. Yes, the upgraded units are more expensive, but it’s money well spent compared to other fishing electronics and accessories.
At Fishing 411 TV we are especially excited about the smaller probe and also the ability to charge the probe on board. More than once we’ve found ourselves with dead AA batteries and no spares on board.