Pros and cons of using a NON Ice Fishing Unit for Ice Fishing

[hoppy]

What makes an "ice fishing" unit like the Elite 5 differant from any "boat use" unit? Say like a Hummingbird 787. internal heaters to keep it warm? the transducer?

I have a nice hummingbird 787 with gps. Is there any reason i cant use this on the ice? I see they sell "ice" transducers but what is differant about them vs. what i have that works on the boat. The only thing i can think of is the cold factor. water is water in my eyes, and aslong as ive got the ducer shooting straight down why wouldnt it work? If i can do the same with this as i could do with a Elite 5 and save all that money id like to.
I can bottom zoom, have a display flasher, graph and GPS. amongst a bunch of other features the Elite cant do. I know some guys use units like this.
Power her up and go? I do alot of Bass fishing and alot of droppshotting. I can pickup my bait no problem on the finder.

[CdnSlayer]

I use an Lowrance X125 with a skimmer transducer works PERFECTLLY! make up a nice box for your bird and throw that ducer in the hole good to go my friend! The ice ducer is nice do you need it......no! All i do on mine is take off the suction cup that i use to put it on the boat and put her down! I wish my unit was a GPS too!  you will like it trust me!

[hoppy]

Exactly the answer i was hoping for! Thanks for the quick response! Now i can kick myself in the Ass for not doing this a few years ago.

[CdnSlayer]

Hahaha ya and the added feature of the GPS will be alot better then just a sonar unit! 

[IDbasser]

I use a lowrance too.  I got the ice pack kit which gave me a way to carry it around, a battery, another power cord and the transducer.  It has worked fine for me.  I took the unit off the front of my bass boat to use on the ice, and it is nice to be able to get more use out of it.

[nd_guy]

I use my Humminbird 788 on the ice and love it. It is very responsive and provides a 5second history of what is happening under the ice. It is so easy to interpret that I have to give it to my girlfriend when she comes with. I prefer the Humminbird to my FL8. I have not experienced any screen slow down due to the cold but I don't open ice fish for long below 0 degrees. Below 0 degrees I primarily fish out of the icehouse.

I use an Iceducer and bought an extra power-cord and mount so I didn't have remove them from the boat.

[stripernut]

I use a Garmin 300C Fish finder that I picked up for my boat last year. I was able to get this great color unit new for $225 including shipping. It has every feature that I could want including; zoom, Split screen, battery voltage, temp, Dual beam (15 or 45), gain that has 100 points, great separation, flasher screen if you want old school and many more features. I put the boat transducer on a old tip up frame and the unit is in a small lunch box with the battery. I laugh when I see guy getting $400 unit that have the same features... Garmin is in the USA and has always been great with customer service for me.     

[hoppy]

Thankyou for all the feedback!

[tinyfisher]

The only differences with the ice-ducers is they are usually made out of softer cable that stays flexible in the cold, and the transducer cable comes out of the top of the transducer which allows it to hang level in the water.  You can use a skimmer or puck transducer, but you'll have to find a way to level it in the hole.  The old Vex's were like this.  We even put a small bubble-level on the transducer to make it easier to keep level in the hole.  Plus, you'll either have to get another transducer anyways, or pull one off of the boat.

Before ice-fishing untis were around, anyone with a flasher on the ice had a converted open-water unit.

[hoppy]

Thankfully this is just a spare unti i have when i replaced it with side imaging So i dont have to worry about removal and reinstall on the boat.

[mjmeyer]

I went the opposite direction. I bought a Humminbird 385ci ICE. Sonar and GPS. Then took advantage of an offer for a portable transducer with the suction cup.
As tinyfisher says the Ice transducer hangs vertical allowing the face of the transducer to be parallel to the bottom. And the cord is soft and pliable. I’ve seen homemade rigs for the portable transducer to accomplish this. You can get the ICE bag and base from Humminbird which would give you the rechargeable battery and the quick mount wired bracket. Fits nicely in a 5 gallon bucket.

[Fishrmn]

There are no cons.

Fishrmn

[TrackerG]

I use the Humminbird 323 from my boat. It has the flasher view. not color but I set it up in a portable base with an iceducer and the setup works pretty good. So I bought a new 325 model for my wife and set it up the same.  Only thing I would do different is buy the 345 color unit so you can utilize the different colors on flasher view.

[stevek]

I use my Humminbird 788 on the ice and love it. It is very responsive and provides a 5second history of what is happening under the ice. It is so easy to interpret that I have to give it to my girlfriend when she comes with. I prefer the Humminbird to my FL8. I have not experienced any screen slow down due to the cold but I don't open ice fish for long below 0 degrees. Below 0 degrees I primarily fish out of the icehouse.

I use an Iceducer and bought an extra power-cord and mount so I didn't have remove them from the boat.

I have the same set up, except it's a 787 and I got the ice pack for it. My GF prefers the FL18 though, lucky me.

[Handy]

The biggest pro is you already have it! I am currently using my 565 on a vexillar pro pack mount. So far it has worked great other than its heavy.


Paul

[hoppy]

Anyone try side imaging through the ice? "100ft to the right.......quick drill a hole, just saw a walleye"..................

not this weekend but next i will give it a shot. Heading to the Great Eastern Whiteout this weekend!!!

[esox_magnum]

Anyone try side imaging through the ice? "100ft to the right.......quick drill a hole, just saw a walleye"..................

not this weekend but next i will give it a shot. Heading to the Great Eastern Whiteout this weekend!!!

 Side imaging you need to be moving to get it to work right...

[hobobob]

It's not impossible if you are willing to do some work.  Not easy, but definitely doable.

360 degree side imaging