Lowrance HOOK2-9 SplitShot US Inland

The HOOK2-9 SplitShot is one of the Lowrance fish finders released in 2018. It’s also a chartplotter pre-loaded with the US Inland Basemaps from C-MAP. For reference, this is the Lowrance part number 000-14297-001, the model that includes the SplitShot transducer. It’s also important to mention that a newer version is already available, this being the Hook Reveal 9 SplitShot.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 9″ diagonal, 800H x 480V pixel matrix, color TFT, with LED backlight
• Sonar: High Wide-Angle CHIRP & DownScan
• Max. Depth Capability:
  • 500 ft (153 m) for the CHIRP sonar
  • 300 ft. (91 m) for DownScan
• Frequency and Coverage:
  • 2D Sonar: 200 kHz / 40°
  • DownScan: 455/800 kHz
• Transducer: SplitShot (000-14028-001)
• Power Supply: 12 VDC (10.4-17 VDC min-max)
• GPS: Internal, WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS
• Maps: US Inland
• Routes, Waypoints, Tracks: 100; 3,000, 100 (10,000) points per trail)

Sonar and transducer

This Lowrance fish finder includes the new SplitShot 2-in-1 transducer which is slightly different from the older HDI skimmer transducer. To begin with, it has a metallic transom mount, and its top section is flattened with several spaces which allow you to attach it to a trolling motor. But on the other hand, it uses only one 2D CHIRP conical sonar beam for High-Wide CHIRP (200 kHz), with a coverage of 40°. The CHIRP frequency interval is not specified; it’s probably between 180 kHz and 210 kHz, though.

The transducer also integrates a water temperature sensor, while the unit can show the temperature readings. It has 20′ (6m) of cable and an 8-pin connector.

For DownScan, it basically uses the same type of fan-shaped beams as the older HDI skimmer, which operate at 455 kHz, and respectively 800 kHz. The DownScan beamwidths are not specified.

In terms of depth capabilities, the 2D beam can reach depths of 500 ft (153 m), while the maximum depth for DownScan is 300 ft (91 m) @ 455 kHz. The system should be able to maintain an optimal bottom and target reading at a sailing speed of 20-30 MPH, but the recommended speed for the best imaging is up to 10 MPH.

Several other important sonar features require being mentioned here. To begin with, this Lowrance fish finder has Sonar Autotuning. Differently put, the unit can autotune itself giving you the possibility to spend less time adjusting its settings and spend more time fishing. In all, it’s a plug-and-fish system, which actively adjusts the sonar settings as the fishing conditions change.

Sonar recording and sonar history rewind features are also available. These allow you to record the sonar feed and scroll back through it in case you want to have a second look at a certain location that you have scanned.

Via DownScan Overlay, you can blend the DownScan imaging with the 2D CHIRP sonar imaging in order to have a better look at the relation between fish targets (or other targets), and vegetation, structure or the bottom.

Several other features are also available, including Fish ID, Bottom Lock, Fish Alarm, Depth Alarm, Circular Flasher, Bottom Lock, A-Scope, and more.

Navigation features

The first aspect to mention with regards to the unit’s navigation features is its high-sensitivity internal GPS which provides fast and accurate position fixes and a movement of the boat on the map in real-time. The GPS system can also use enhancements via WAAS, EGNOS, and MSAS. Needless to say, it shows the coordinates of any waypoints and your current coordinates. It can also calculate the speed of your boat.

As the title suggests, in terms of charts this Lowrance unit comes with the U.S. Inland map database. These are maps based on the C-MAP charts; they don’t offer exceptional detail and data but do cover more than 3,000 U.S. lakes in high detail with 1-foot contours. Of course, the unit can be upgraded with various premium charts from C-MAP and Navionics.

Waypoint creation, route creation, and trail recording are also functions available with this unit. It can record up to 3,000 waypoints and up to 100 routes, while its trail function can record and save up to 100 trails with 10,000 points per trail.

Although it’s a large display unit, the Lowrance HOOK2-9 SplitShot is still a minimalistic one in terms of navigation features and capabilities, in comparison with the Lowrance Elite-9 Ti or the Lowrance HDS-9 Carbon. For example, it does not support AIS or Radar units, doesn’t have autopilot or SmartSteer features, doesn’t support SiriusXM radio etc.

Control unit features

The Lowrance HOOK2-9 SplitShot is equipped with a 9-inch diagonal LCD SolarMAX display, with adjustable LED backlight (1,300 nits) for superior readability in direct sunlight. In case you’re wondering, its angle visibility is 70°/50°/70°/70° top/bottom/left/right. The display is full color and has a pixel resolution of 800 x 480, providing sharp images for the sonar and maps.

Although the unit doesn’t have touchscreen navigation, its homepage can still be customized with the most used applications so you can quickly access them. The unit’s interface is highly intuitive and easy to use. There are various split-screen possibilities (up to 4 screens per view). Also, the unit is IPX7 waterproof, which means that it can withstand incidental water exposure.

It’s important to mention that the unit doesn’t have NMEA connectors, not it has Ethernet connectivity. It does have a microSD card slot for chart upgrades, software updates or data transfer.

Finally, the unit includes a tilt-swivel mount, but a surface mounting kit is also available.

The Pros

• 2D Broadband Wide CHIRP Sonar;
• DownScan sonar;
• SplitShot 2-in-1 transducer included;
• Metallic transom mount for the transducer, and also the possibility to attach it to a trolling motor;
• Sonar recording and rewind;
• DownScan overlay;
• Various functions included, such as Fish ID, A-Scope, Bottom Lock, Flasher, Colorline etc;
• Fast and accurate GPS;
• GPS speed reading;
• US Inland basemaps included;
• Compatible with superior charts, such as C-MAP®, C-MAP Genesis, Navionics® and more;
• Color display;
• SolarMAX display with adjustable backlight for excellent readability in direct sunlight;
• MicroSD card reader (1 slot);
• Bracket mount included;
• Fairly easy to install;
• One year warranty.

The Cons

• No NMEA connectivity;
• Doesn’t support AIS or external GPS.
• No unit cover.

Summary

The Lowrance HOOK2-9 SplitShot is fish finder and chartplotter system which offers 2D CHIRP sonar, DownScan sonar, GPS and the US inland basemaps. It includes the SplitShot 2-in-1 transducer. It’s compatible with various premium charts from C-MAP and Navionics. It doesn’t have the full range of navigation features and capabilities as the Elite or Carbon units, but on the other hand, it costs considerably less. In all, it’s a great unit for a wide variety of boats, perfect for inland fishing.