Fish N Buddy used on ice!

[mjgonehunting]

Who uses thier Fish N Buddy fish finder through the ice?
I was given an older model(pre Hummingbird) and it doesn't have any instruction book to figure out functions.
What settings do you use?
I tried I out jigging by slipping it through the carry handles of a milk box,so that it was at just about the bottom of the ice,and it seemed to work ok,but o am going to make up a slab of 1x4 with a hole in it,and see if it is stable enough.
Can't really afford a new unit now so would like to hear others experiences.

[Baetis62]

Still have mine but I haven't used it for a few years now.  Mine was extendable by loosening the collet on the bottom and sliding it apart.  I don't think those things had the power of today's units so it might be good to have the bottom extend well below the ice.  One of my buds cut a 14" circle out of 3/8" plywood and punched a 2" hole in the middle. We'd set that on the ice over the auger hole and drop the wand in.  It sat low...right on the ice.  This required drilling an extra hole adjacent to your jigging hole but we caught 1000's of lakers with that setup.  Good luck!

[VTWoodchuck]

I put this rig together using a Humminbird Fishing Buddy 110 that I got off craigslist for$35, the padded cover on Ebay for 6$, and a Stansport 1lb propane bottle holder $5 off Amazon, and a piece of stiff foam kneepad that I cut to fit to hold the bottle holder in place.  The bottle holder has swing out feet that expand it from about 6-3/4" to 11-5/8"+-, so it works best on 6", 8" and even 10" holes.  I originally got the fish finder for my pond boat and liked it so much I thought it might be worth a try for ice fishing too.  It works good for getting your depth and seeing fish under the hole.  I don't know if you can see your lure like a flasher but it still does what it's supposed to do which is find fish.  I found you need to use Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries because they are made to work and be stored in extremely cold temperatures, the regular Energizers give out quicker in the cold.  I put 6 of them in last winter, used them through the summer and haven't changed them yet.  If you have one remember to put the scroll rate on fast and the sensitivity on high.  The whole thing is 35" long and skinny so it fits in my sled good on the top of the pile, bungeed down next to my auger.  I like just being able to pop off the transducer cover, stick it in the hole and turn it on.  Nothing to set up, no wires or separate transducers to fool with.  It is nice for being on the move.

[prosty41]

mine works great like this

[VTWoodchuck]

Who uses thier Fish N Buddy fish finder through the ice?
I was given an older model(pre Hummingbird) and it doesn't have any instruction book to figure out functions.
What settings do you use?
I tried I out jigging by slipping it through the carry handles of a milk box,so that it was at just about the bottom of the ice,and it seemed to work ok,but o am going to make up a slab of 1x4 with a hole in it,and see if it is stable enough.
Can't really afford a new unit now so would like to hear others experiences.

Here is a link to the Huminbird manual for the models 110, 120, 130 and 140c.  Hope this helps.   http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.humminbird.com%2FWorkArea%2FDownloadAsset.aspx%3Fid%3D2990&ei=iaTHVOn-F8OkgwTDuIHQCg&usg=AFQjCNF_7_sqm9ZfMDfjQH9U8TcQpdSDoA

[prosty41]

Having that board with a hold in the middle is really perfect. It transports very easily in my sled.

[JOBBER]

Nice setups. Simple and direct (KISS).
Question though. Did either of you use the "side finder" feature?
If so, what were the results?
I would think seeing horizontally from the hole would be a real asset.

[DFresh75]

I too would love to see a vid of the side imaging and it working live -

Is it a graph too?

[chasdc1]

I clamp mine to the side of my 5 gallon bucket and drop it right into a hole.
The bucket needs some weight to counterbalance the unit but there is always stuff in it anyway.
Does a good job.
I'll drill a first hole and use the sideview feature to spot fish then move in that direction to set up shop.
The sideview has a foot scale so you know how far to go on the ice.

[Townie]

I used 2 different buddies on ice; HORRIBLE battery life but any sonar is better than no sonar. I used the ice bracket with it. Fish would often wrap around transducer shaft and shake off too. Crank up sensitivity till you see jig movement  & you're  good to go. Invest in rechargeable  lithium batteries to power it.

[prosty41]

I am not sure that the side finder is all that important. I see fish on it but I assume its only in one direction and it seems as regular as the spot I am in. IDK if I have the settings wrong but I am not able to see my jog either on the finder. I really think the board is so much eacier than clamping it to a bucket. Less to carry and much easier to transport.

[Townie]

I used to try chasing sidescan marks but couldn't  determine if they were real fish. Seems it would only sidescan a couple feet under ice, as deep as transducer... Resolution was ok see jig and dropping fish

[VTWoodchuck]

Nice setups. Simple and direct (KISS).
Question though. Did either of you use the "side finder" feature?
If so, what were the results?
I would think seeing horizontally from the hole would be a real asset.

My Model#110 doesn't have side imaging but since I'm fishing through a hole and can't cast it hasn't hindered me.  ; - ) 

[VTWoodchuck]

I used 2 different buddies in ice; HORRIBLE battery life but any sonar is better than no sonar. I used the ice bracket with it. Fish would often wrap around transducer shaft and shake off too. Crank up sensitivity till you see jig movement  & you're  good to go. Invest in rechargeable  lithium batteries to power it.

I really like your ice bracket set up. Did you make it?

If you are able to use the AA or AAA size I found that the Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries work great because they are made to work and be stored in extremely cold temperatures.  I put 6 of them in last winter, used them through the summer and haven't changed them yet.  Much cheaper than the rechargables.  They are about $13 to $15 for an 8 pack and they last a long time.  They are rated for -40 and can be stored for 20 years in cold temperatures.  They are used a lot on artic expeditions and other extreme cold ventures.  Here is a link to their spec page.  http://www.energizer.com/batteries/performance-lithium/ultimate-lithium/Pages/aa.aspx

[lefty2053]

Used one for 2 years and it worked good.

[mjgonehunting]

I made up a board today while riding out the snow storm!
4.5" wide 14" long and tapered hole so it fits snug.
I'm mostly jigging for perch,and have no problem picking up the unit if a fish wraps around it.
I should be able to use same 8" hole to jig in!
I also found an Under Armour baseball equipment bag that is just the right size for storage,and a hunk of 2" PVC zip tied to my pack basket is perfect for transporting!

[Townie]

I really like your ice bracket set up. Did you make it.?

No i bought it years ago from Bottomline. I sold it last year to another Ice Shanty member.

I bought a Lowrance x67c ice machine & never looked back

[DFresh75]

I have to tell you, I've owned a lot of fishing electronics for ice in my day and I'm 100% convinced like most things people overbuy.

I've seen friends have no problem outdoing me and others with LX5s and VX1 Pros using my Marcum Troller.  And I've outdone folks using an X67c vs a friends FL-18 - Part of it is experience, but the reality is, any cheap graph can be turned into a great fish finder.  This is just more proof.

I am excited to take out my Lowrance Elite 3x to see how that graph compares to my FLX28.  I'm pretty sure I'll have equal success on both.  $150 just makes more sense than $600.  There isn't that much "wow" factor in the upper end units IMO both in flasher/finders and cameras.

I'll take a Marcum Camera over a Vexilar Fish Scout any day, but $200 vs $500?  The difference isn't a $300 difference.  Trust me.

[VTWoodchuck]

I take a lot of pleasure in getting the job done without spending a lot of money on gear.  I have a total of $46 tied up in my rig pictured above and it gets the job done quite well and I use it on soft water too. A bit of imagination combined with keeping an eye on Craigslist and Ebay which are wonderful salvage yards for great gear and there is no limit to what you can cobble together.  I also drive salvage vehicles, have duct tape as a prominent tool in my workshop, and drink Miller High Life rather than a microbrew with hints of nutmeg and notes of orange peel.   ; - )

[Rather-B-Fishin]

wow that brings back memories!
I used a fishing buddy with sideview for years. I made a light and strong wood mounting bracket to sit in a hole.
Once I saw the real time view and accuracy of a flasher, I seriously upgraded to tithe lx-7....big difference!
Although if you are just looking to mark bottom and fish it is awesome economical choice
GOod luck

[prosty41]

Can anyone actually see thier jig on a fishin buddy?

[mjgonehunting]

I might have just found an older Eagle Portable that is set up for ice use.
25.00 I can find,400.00 plus for a new setup I can not!
If it falls through,the Fishin Buddy was free and I can fall back to it!
We will see!

[DFresh75]

$25 is a nice deal!

[Townie]

Can anyone actually see thier jig on a fishin buddy?

I posted a pic of the graph on page 1

[buddy396]

used one for 2yrs...till i could afford a marcum....it got the job done