Deeper Pro Sonar for ice fishing?

[3rdgenrf]

Hi. Anyone tried the Deeper Pro series sonars for ice fishing? The reviews on the flasher setup for your smartphone look pretty good and I'm thinking of trying one.

[metalbender]

Have one. Sadly only used it a couple of times last season. Utilize it with a 12 inch tablet. Ice fishing mode is great, good target separation. Wasn't out long enough to check actual battery lif, was good for four hrs. Don't remember what the batt indicator % showed. Personally wouldn't want to run it on a phone, especially the risk of dropping the phone in the excitement of hauling in that big one. The wifi hooks up quick, really no noticeable lag, jig your lure, watch it on the screen.

[3rdgenrf]

Thanks. I was thinking of getting an actual flasher but this is cheaper and way more portable. Fits in your pocket.

[jpicks]

You can get a showdown for $75 more, so be careful because alot of the ice electronics (like most other stuff), you get  what you pay for.   I've never personally used a deeper unit, so maybe I'll missing out as well.

[metalbender]

Also have a showdown 2.0. Nice unit, compact, quick to check water depth in handheld mode. I get hooked by gadgets more than fish hooks. For chits and giggles I have an Aqua vu micro 5, dvr hooked to a 22 inch tv in the shack. Might as well see what fish are window-shopping around your lure.

[cburns94]

I think anything that shows whats down there is great. If there is nothing marking on a flasher/camera might as well move. It does get frustrating though when you see them on the camera and they have absolutely no interest in your hook lol

[herschel]

I really like my deeper but like anything, there are good and bad things. 


It is great for hole hopping.  You can quickly check depths and get a good read on the area quickly and without much effort. 
Battery live of the deeper really surprised me even in cold weather.

The biggest drawback, at least for me, is that when I am actively fishing outside my shack/tent it is a pain to use a tablet or phone.  First, you either need to lay it down on something like a chair or else you are holding it with your free hand.  Second, the battery live of your phone/tablet is typically not great when they are exposed to the cold weather.

How I use mine now:
 - the initial hole hopping to find the fish, once I have found them I either switch to a traditional flasher or else set up shack/tent around the hole so I can continue to use the deeper.   

[3rdgenrf]

Thanks! I mostly fish out of or close to my shack so I plan to use the deeper to find out where I wanna fish and go from there?

[KRASHED]

I know this post is a bit dated but I'm into my first season using the Deeper and I gotta say I love it. Fishing in about 12-18 inches of ice in depths around 6-20 feet mostly.

Last week I had it out and was watching as crappie came up from the bottom (8') and smashed my lure at 4 feet. The connection is great and the detail is fantastic. My dad was using his Marcum flasher and wasn't getting the quality of detail which I was getting. I would imagine that his unit would perform better in deeper depths but we haven't done a comparison so far.

If you're not careful the Deeper will crush your phone battery. I darken my screen and put on a battery saving mode without any issues. I also carry a small battery pack for a recharge if necessary. My deeper usually lasts about 5 hours before a recharge is needed. I never fish all day long so this isn't an issue with me.

So far the Deeper Pro Plus has exceeded my expectations and if you know how to run apps on a phone this unit is a breeze.

[WYOBEAR]

I have been using my Deeper pro for 3 years now and love it!  True the bat life is not the best.  I can get about 6 hrs hard fishing with it then I just recharge over my lunch break.  The thing that we have seen is your phone will die faster then your Deeper.   We put our phones on small tripods and just plug in portable power to them. They are so portable and easy to use.   We use 2 side by side with no problem.   The pro+ isn't worth the extra money but the Deeper pro is one of my most valuable items I take with me every trip. 

[EVAN NIM]

Whats it like for thicker ice considering it floats on top- do you see issues with thick ice

[WYOBEAR]

Iv used mine with over 2 feet of ice with no problem.  The thickness of ice doesn't really matter.