Fishfinder for 2016/2017 season

[straightShot]

I'm poking around manufacturers' sites reading up on fishfinders for ice fishing and their attributes.  I'll be purchasing one around December, 2016, and with eight months to make up my mind and change it a few times in between, I'd like to start a discussion on what people like or don't like with units that are currently available.  If at all possible, I'd like to find out what is important to people on top of the ice.

Which features are important?  Is it the display, screen size, sensitivity, battery life, ease of use, durability, warranty, manufacturer's reputation, or because your friends like a certain brand?  Do you like a tried and true flasher, or do you want a camera as well?  How important is an LCD?

Liking one brand over another is okay, but let's keep it civil!

 

[bshirtd]

NO

[Loudmouth879]

starting early this year I see..... Do a search for Marcum vs Vexilar and you will find pages among pages of answers to the questions you have asked

[ElectricSlide19]

Brands aside, you need to look at what you like in a unit. For example, if you want one with GPS then that will rule out flashers and you will need to look at actually soft water units that are converted as ice packs. For me, if price wasn't holding me back, I would look for something that has the capability to bottom zoom (for bottom hugging eyes and perch), was durable (why have a finder that spends half it's time being worked on?), easy to use (I want to fish, not spend time messing around with electronics), and has good sensitivity/target separation. lot of soft water units that are available in ice packs have become popular lately because they have GPS and offer a readable graph along with bottom zoom. If you fish for eyes, or anything that hugs bottom, bottom zoom is a must. So much arguing and debating goes on in this forum because of certain brands, etc. Go to a store, mess around with all the different features of different units, and FIND A FINDER THAT YOU LIKE, not what someone else said is the best. Because you will be the one using it, not them. My two cents.

[straightShot]

Brands aside, you need to look at what you like in a unit. For example, if you want one with GPS then that will rule out flashers and you will need to look at actually soft water units that are converted as ice packs. For me, if price wasn't holding me back, I would look for something that has the capability to bottom zoom (for bottom hugging eyes and perch), was durable (why have a finder that spends half it's time being worked on?), easy to use (I want to fish, not spend time messing around with electronics), and has good sensitivity/target separation. lot of soft water units that are available in ice packs have become popular lately because they have GPS and offer a readable graph along with bottom zoom. If you fish for eyes, or anything that hugs bottom, bottom zoom is a must. So much arguing and debating goes on in this forum because of certain brands, etc. Go to a store, mess around with all the different features of different units, and FIND A FINDER THAT YOU LIKE, not what someone else said is the best. Because you will be the one using it, not them. My two cents.

Thanks!  On the ice, my friend uses a Marcum flasher and was pulling up ten perch to my one.  I wasn't using anything.  Boat fishing this spring, another friend's Lowrance did a great job hugging the bottom and picking out walleye.  The split screens, GPS, and tracks for the boat path were great. 

Going to the store just prior to the start of the season would probably be a good idea.  I don't need anything that I could also use in a boat, but maybe moving it to a fishing kayak in the warmer months might be an option that I'll consider.  My main focus will be winter perch with an occasional walleye trip to different areas than I normally fish in the winter, ice permitting.   

[BackCountry Kyle]

I think as far as a crossover unit,... hard to soft water, Lowerance is probably the best name in that business followed by Hummingbird. I know a lot of guys make their flashers work in their kayaks/canoes, but they are really made for the ice. As far as ice flashers go price plays a large role unless the budget is limitless. I have tried just about every brand but my comfort level is best when using a Marcum. I own 2 and have a lot of practice with them. If I had to switch it would be to a Vex, then a Bird. I think practice makes perfect (or better at least) and Marcum and Vexlar have been at this for quite some time now. Always the disclaimer,... This is just my opinion! Good luck

[FISHFORPIKE]

fyi - the Marcum LX-6,7 and 9 have a hi-speed ducer available for use in the boat.  I use my LX-7 in my boat with this setup - works well.

[3300]

i prefer digital sonar over flashers, such as marcum lx9 or lx7 or lx6. they are about the same unit with lx7 being in the middle of the pack. the lx7 can be upgraded into the lx9 which is just a 500$ camera pack added.
the way you fish marcums is also the best by not having wire or swim noodles in your way while fishing one hole.
the graph feature along side the vertical display at the same time is the best display option available. they offer 6 charts and you can have up to 4 of them at one time.
you can also buy a open water transducer for these and the mount it comes with is what you use on your boat/kayak.
there is really nothing like it and their support is top notch. having plenty of display options and features is great and not out growing it too soon will be key also. it is first an ice machine and is also for open water, unlike the other digital units that are firstly an open water machine with ice options to add or are added already.
the only con i can think of is the carry case, like most they seem to be more of in the way. these are off balanced, but not a big problem and is more of a nit pick than a con. it can be remedied if you added your own carry strap to it so it is centered.
marcum said some thing like 150 thousand units are in the field and half are digital now. this will be changing rapidly as people learn to move forward.

i used vex and birds and can't stand the flashing lights and lack of features and noise and fixed displays. hated the swim noodle method of fishing them.
bird makes digital sonar, but are built for open water and have the worst support.
vex has zero digitals offered and so no point shopping them until they do. i look forward to their digital offerings tho as i hear no bad things about their support.

a mod started a poll to settle what we all use and marcum wins, understandably so.
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=331371.0

i considered lowrance and read horror stories about their support and won't be looking at that brand again.
i have experienced the worst support one could get from humminbird and is the most expensive also for support.

it's all about support and features when i buy any thing and a company who stands behind it's products.

[straightShot]

i prefer digital sonar over flashers such as marcum lx9 or lx7 or lx6.

Are you saying that Marcum LX9s, 7s, and 6s are flashers and you like digital sonars instead, or did you mean to say that you prefer digital sonars, such as the Marcum LXs, are your preference over flashers?  Since I'm not sure what "digital sonars" actually are, I'm confused.  Could you please clarify what you mean?  I appreciate it.  Thanks!

[ElectricSlide19]

I think what he meant was that he prefers digital sonar, and marcum makes sonar that is digital so technically they aren't flashers because flashers have flashing brush lights, hence the name. Digital sonars are sonar that have a screen similar to soft water fish finders that can be modified so that you can have a circle graph, a vertical graph or even a regular graph like you would see on a soft water finder. Some people dislike regular flashers because they can be hard to see in bright light, and sometimes need to have the brushes cleaned. With digital, you don't have that problem, but instead get technical problems. I guess you could call the LXs digital flashers if you'd like, but they can be arranged so that you don't have the circle graph on them

[straightShot]

ElectricSlide19:

Thanks!

[3300]

Are you saying that Marcum LX9s, 7s, and 6s are flashers and you like digital sonars instead, or did you mean to say that you prefer digital sonars, such as the Marcum LXs, are your preference over flashers?  Since I'm not sure what "digital sonars" actually are, I'm confused.  Could you please clarify what you mean?  I appreciate it.  Thanks!

digital sonars are not flasher sonars. flasher sonars are analog with spinning plastic hubs driven by a tiny motor with lights on them that flash lights.

the marcums i mention do have the capability to draw the circular display like many have grown accustom to due to using what used to only be available were flashers, but the the vertical display makes more sense and it offers both and at the same time if that's your choice to view. your fishing vertically not circular. they also have the ability to draw the colors your accustom to from using flashers so the transition is easier, but it can draw gray scale and several 3 color palates as well as 6 color palate.

i recall an early version of flasher sonar that had one color that was red only that was used on a boat. was faster at response times tho.

 look at the ones you narrow it down to in youtube videos. check the specs and service records and warranty and cost of repair out of warranty and how long the new warranty is after getting service.
the best time to buy is black friday sales time of the year. i can give you a link to get marcum cheapest every day in a pm.

as mentioned, there are tons of info already posted here if you want to read more of what others have to say. what ever they buy, they will like it until it breaks or they out grow it or the manufacture did the person wrong or all of it as that's what happened with my hb ice-55.

good luck with what ever you choose. they make fishing a new game.

[BackCountry Kyle]

Right on, 3300... Good Explanation and Good Advice! I had to laugh a little bit, I failed to be politically correct on this one. I should have known, in this day and age, that Digital Sonar would find it offensive to be called a "Flasher'! Some peoples kids... 

[straightShot]

Thanks, 3300!