Small pond fishing

[lunkahville]

Got out this afternoon for a couple hours. Packed everything out to what I thought was a good spot. Set 4 traps and decided to jig for the 5th. Well after 4 hours and 1 flag. All I had to speak for myself was 1 little pickeral that I jigged. But I didn't get the skunk. Time for electronics I think

[blacktrap]

A nice lx6 or 7 will help

[thedirtydirtyfisherman]

honestly i know people here and there that are doing okay, but ive heard less than amazing things for anyone using traps and targeting trout.  Maybe small ponds are getting fished out, but i think the weather just has them tight lipped at least in southern maine.  I know the guys up north are having some decent action.

[44 Degrees North]

Any day you beat the skunk it's a good day.

[Shawn Breton]

Hoping tonight's cold will make them active for tomorrow headed out early

[lunkahville]

Any day you beat the skunk it's a good day.

If i hadn't of pulled out the ol twitch pole I would have been skunked

[Ohiocatfish]

A single yellow perch beat my skunk off this morning...got me all fishy smelling. I felt accomplished

[nbg]

your jig stick will outdo traps any day of the week John.  If your doing good with tip ups you'll do even better with the stick.   

[lunkahville]

My problem is staying interested. Maybe next weekend I'll bring the portable out and giver the college try.

[APJ]

My problem is staying interested. Maybe next weekend I'll bring the portable out and giver the college try.

Comon! You know you want to pull the trigger on a new LX... Ive caught over 50 fish this past week with mine.. Not bragging..

[lunkahville]

Comon! You know you want to pull the trigger on a new LX... Ive caught over 50 fish this past week with mine.. Not bragging..

Haha just sell me yours. We all know it catches fish

[fishingsurveyor]

IMO a flasher is a game changer. It helps out so much from marking fish to letting you know nothing is down there. I like to set my traps with it to make sure I am where I want to be in the column. I have forgotten to charge my battery once and left it home once (which I turned around and drove the hr home to pick it up) it will never happen again. Its an investment for sure but once you take the plunge you will see what the rave is about

[lunkahville]

I'd like too. But then do you go lx6 lx7 lx9 showdown? Obviously looking for bang for my buck but also user friendly. I'm just a simple guy that has a hard time figuring out my smartphone sometimes. So simpler the better. But would probably help my hunt for the elusive 10lb togue

[fishingsurveyor]

I'd like too. But then do you go lx6 lx7 lx9 showdown? Obviously looking for bang for my buck but also user friendly. I'm just a simple guy that has a hard time figuring out my smartphone sometimes. So simpler the better

I would suggest you get out with some people with different brands and models and get a hands on feel for them. I love my LX-5 and see no need to upgrade

[Snopro]

I have been using a vex fl20 for 3-4 years trouble free. See no problem's with this brand.

[cap]

lunkaville...



I'm like you..I think simple is best too...

Based on what you posted, you might want to look at an old school Vexilar style fish flasher....two knobs...off-range and gain..

I have tried the new stuff...and I either gave it to my kids or sold it...and went back to my old school flasher...

sure the new stuff might have all the bells and whistles...and I'm sure there are folks who know how to use all of them...

I turn mine on...put it the correct depth range and adjust the gain to see my lure and keep the noise low...

Just sayin'...and you'll save yourself a penny or two...

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Vexilar-FL-8SE-Genz-Pack-Flasher-with-19-Ice-Ducer&i=732857

[Fishn'Rod]

That's a good price!!

I've been using a Showdown Troller 2.0 for a couple years now.  Very simple to use and it tells me if there is anything looking at my offering, which is all I need it to do.  Most of the time now my traps never leave the house.

[blacktrap]

Take it from someone that used a vexilar for many years, spend the extra money and get at least an lx6.  Both of my vexilar's stay home collecting dust and I really dont ever want to use one again after using an lx7 the past two 2 years

[lunkahville]

Ok that looks like it's stupid proof but the only question I have is the transducers. One size fits all. One size fits most? It comes with a 19° so that's good for 0-? Or ?-? F.o.w. Cause I'd like to maybe get into jigging perch and crappie and bass. But head to the blessed waters and jig 70+ f.o.w for monsters? If you guys understand my mumbo jumbo

[cap]

I've never had a problem with the cone angle causing problems for me in deeper water say 80 or 90 feet.  I think it should be good beyond that too, I'd guess easily to 150 or even 200 feet.  The problem with a narrow cone angle is that it might not show fish in shallower water and since we fish in lakes and not oceans I'd say the engineers have figured it out well enough to work in wide range of conditions and depths

If it really became too much of an issue Vexilar sells a range of transducers beam angles and even ones that switch and they are all supposedly interchangeable on any unit.

This is all too much stuff to think about AFAIAC. Don't over think it. If you want simple and cheap having a flasher like the one I posted is better than not having a flasher at all. To be honest with you I haven't got a clue what cone angle my flasher has because it is a Zercom and is like probably 20 years old.

For what it's worth I did have to send both a VX1 and a Troller back to Marcum for faults within weeks of purchasing either....they fixed them, no worries...but it was a PITA to deal with it.

I have had the same "regular" Flasher, Zercom tricolor, for almost 20 years...I'd not know maybe it's 15...but for a long time...

A couple years back I thought I was missing out on the new stuff so I bought the new technology

I also don't do well with buttons and menus...and I don't like to futz around with stuff.

The two Marcums are with my kids and they haven't had any problems with them now....but they are kids who like this computer stuff...

I turn mine on and I fish...I don't use zoom....I don't use nothin'...I see the bottom...I see if it's hard or soft...I see my lure ...and I see fish near it...good enough for me....

[cap]

Blacktarp..since your Vexilars are even newer than my Zercom,and if they are as simple with two knobs and no multifunction menus and buttons, and since you don't use either of them, if they still function and they still have all the parts I'll give you 50 bucks for the two of them, no worries.

[lunkahville]

Well that answers that. Guess I'll have to order one in the next couple weeks and give it a go. Who knows I might start leaving the traps at home. Highly doubtful but maybe

[Seamonkey84]

Well that answers that. Guess I'll have to order one in the next couple weeks and give it a go. Who knows I might start leaving the traps at home. Highly doubtful but maybe

I usually pack my traps out with me, but I usually don't set any unless I have a friend with me.  once you star playing the cat and mouse game on the sonar screen you prob won't go back. But that also depends on location and target species. Some days I look back and think I prob should of set some traps and just jigged around them when fishing for trout/salmon. If I'm going for anything else I like to keep moving.

[lunkahville]

I like to trout/ salmon fish the most. But wouldn't mind doing the run and gun from time to time

[cap]

I don't ever leave the traps at home?...Why would I? The more lines in the water, the more baits you soak at different depths or on different structures the more chances you have. Jigging might be very productive but sometimes traps are the bomb too!

Since we are allowed 5 lines in Maine... I set my out my 4 traps and I jig in the other hole...IF we were allowed 10 lines I'd set 9 traps and jig the other hole......I usually don't move around too much...I set up the pop-up portable...get the radio on...pop a brewski...get the Coleman stove going...work on my tan.

The other way to approach it, the running and gunning method? Making swiss cheese?  It is productive too....I've done it...it works...but it certainly is more effort..I have a flip over for that kind of fishing...

It is all good.

[Seamonkey84]

My biggest thing is I dislike hand lineing in fish, I like to play them on a rod. Plus actively jigging results in much fewer deep hooked fish. When I do set traps, it's usually just one or two so I can just pick up and move.

[lunkahville]

I don't ever leave the traps at home?...Why would I? The more lines in the water, the more baits you soak at different depths or on different structures the more chances you have. Jigging might be very productive but sometimes traps are the bomb too!

Since we are allowed 5 lines in Maine... I set my out my 4 traps and I jig in the other hole...IF we were allowed 10 lines I'd set 9 traps and jig the other hole......I usually don't move around too much...I set up the pop-up portable...get the radio on...pop a brewski...get the Coleman stove going...work on my tan.

The other way to approach it, the running and gunning method? Making swiss cheese?  It is productive too....I've done it...it works...but it certainly is more effort..I have a flip over for that kind of fishing...

It is all good.

Oh if it's a sport fish lake I'll be setting traps. But trying to get some perch for a friend that wants a fish fry that's a diff story

[blacktrap]

If your worried about cone angle, the lx7 has adjustable cone angle just by changing it on the menu and it tells you how much of the bottom you are seeing under the transducer.  A basic flasher is fine if that's what you want to do.  It's better than nothing, but they are old technology compared to the lx6 or 7.   It is worth spending the extra cash and not that hard to use.

[blacktrap]

Blacktarp..since your Vexilars are even newer than my Zercom,and if they are as simple with two knobs and no multifunction menus and buttons, and since you don't use either of them, if they still function and they still have all the parts I'll give you 50 bucks for the two of them, no worries.

50 bucks huh?  That's really generous of you.  You sure that an fl-18 isnt more than you can handle?.   Pretty sure I can do better than that if I really wanted to sell one

[cap]

Hey man, you said you would rather not fish them ever again in your whole life, and they have been just collecting dust for two years, since you discovered the awesomeness of LX5, LX6, LX plus, or whatever flashers.... and everything like a cheap, workable Vexilar blows.

If you don't want to sell them?? no worries...

I thought I was helping you out by taking them off your hands, brah...easy does it....

Aloha