Oval Fish Finder Locks — Black, 2-Pack

Source disclosure: Amazon Vine review of a free product.

The aluminum bodies of these locks are perfectly machined, and the dove-tail joints slide together smoothly. They have a satin black finish, which appears to be hard-coat anodized – the listing doesn’t specify.

The barrel locks are chrome-plated and work flawlessly. Two keys are included with each lock - keep one in a safe place.

Several sizes of stainless panhead machine screws are included to affix the base plate to your device using a Phillips screwdriver. There are also two sizes of plastic washers/bushings to shim the thickness so the screws don’t bottom out before tightening down the base.

The instructions are the only negative of this kit. They are a tiny single-sided , black and white printed piece of paper with printing so small it's almost impossible to read. They could have been printed on a 1/2 sheet of paper.
Installation is not difficult though. There is a critical omission in the instructions: you must install a spring pin into one of four holes in the back of the base, that aligns with the slot in your sonar's mounting arm. The pin prevents the lock base from turning. While the instructions mention installing a washer between the screw and base plate, I also had to install a couple washers between the base plate and gimbal arm on my Humminbird Helix unit, so the lock would sit level and not cocked.

The only thing lacking in the kit is a screwdriver to install the base screws.

Overall, these locks look great and perform flawlessly. Having two locks at this price is great peace of mind for securing two units.

PROS:
- Perfectly machined
- Exceptional fit
- Smooth satin-black finish
- Variety of stainless screws, and nylon spacers included
- Good price for a pair of locks

CONS:
- Instructions are too small, hard to read, and lack critical assembly information

Source disclosure: Amazon Vine review of a free product.

I am highly impressed with this fish finder lock. I got it for my Humminbird for two main reasons:

1. To help keep the unit securely mounted during rough water and road travel.
2. To make it considerably harder for someone to quickly remove and steal it.

Those are both things that have been in the back of my mind for a long time. When you're running across rough water, or even just towing the boat down a rough stretch of road, there's always that tiny little voice saying, "what if something comes loose?”

My unit has always been fine, but when you're talking about an expensive piece of electronics, even that small possibility is enough to make you nervous. This gives me considerably more peace of mind.

Theft deterrence was just as important to me. My dad and I like to stop and actually sit down somewhere to eat when we're traveling with the boat rather than always going through a drive-thru. Whenever possible, we park where we can see the boat. But sometimes that's simply not possible.

Then you're faced with the choice of either removing expensive electronics and carrying them into the vehicle, or leaving them mounted and hoping nobody decides they can make a quick grab. We've been fortunate so far. 😂

With this lock installed, I feel considerably better about leaving the fish finder mounted while we're briefly away from the boat. No lock can make something completely theft-proof if someone is determined enough and has the right tools, but this takes away the easy, quick-removal opportunity.

Someone isn't simply going to walk up, remove the unit in a few seconds and casually walk away with it. They'd have to work at it, and that's exactly the kind of deterrent I wanted.

This thing feels SOLID. The lock itself feels strong, substantial and very well made. Installation was straightforward, there aren't a bunch of unnecessary pieces to figure out, and the entire setup feels much more robust than I expected.

It also comes with four keys, which I appreciate because apparently the manufacturer already knows some of us are going to lose at least one. 🤣 Having several spares is definitely a nice addition.

Exactly what I wanted it to accomplish. For me, the purpose is simple: Keep my fish finder where it belongs.

Whether I'm running across rough water, towing the boat down the highway, stopping somewhere for lunch,
or simply leaving the boat unattended briefly, I want another layer of security around one of the most expensive pieces of fishing equipment on the boat. And this gives me that.

Obviously, I can't promise that no determined thief could ever defeat it, nor am I planning to intentionally abuse my electronics just to test how much force the lock can withstand. 😂 But based on the construction, fit and way it secures the unit, I feel considerably more confident with this installed than I did without it.

A small investment protecting a MUCH larger investment. That's ultimately how I look at this product. Fish finders and fishing electronics are expensive. Really expensive. Compared with the amount of money we invest into our graphs, sonar and other electronics, adding a relatively small security device to help protect that equipment makes a lot of sense to me.

The lock is simple to install, solidly constructed, easy to use, comes with multiple keys, and gives me substantially more peace of mind both while traveling and when I have to step away from the boat.

If you have an expensive fish finder that you want to make harder to remove quickly, I absolutely think something like this belongs in your setup. Overall, I definitely recommend it. Sometimes a small investment that helps protect a large investment is money very well spent.

I hope this helps you decide whether a fish finder lock is something you need in your fishing arsenal!

Source disclosure: Amazon Vine review of a free product.

The locks seem sturdy and came with a variety of bolts for use on different brand units. They came with two complete bags of hardware, which seemed strange, as only one bag was needed for both locks. One of the provided bolts fit my unit, but were still just a bit too long. I solved that by using the plastic spacers from both bags of hardware.

In my kayak application, the display base is on a Scotty post mount, which means these locks are essentially useless for theft protection. But I still like that they should prevent accidental release.

work well

Worked great!

Very secure and simple application. Discreet locking system that contours to the bracket.

As advertised

Nicely built but. No directions. Roll pin badly undersize have to go to hardware store to finish.