BEST ICE FISHING ELECTRONICS

[MagicMike]

Goodmorning Iceaholics ,
I am in need of help deciding my next electronic for ice fishing ! I have a few units in mind but i am currently on the FL18 Pro pack . Is there any need for me to upgrade and go for the Helix 7 or Garmin 73CV?
I have a specific budget of spending less than 800$ on the unit .
Any and all help will be appreciated ! Thank you!
Located in the Midwest
Chicago Region

[missoulafish]

Following....

[hardwater diehard]

Goodmorning Iceaholics ,
I am in need of help deciding my next electronic for ice fishing ! I have a few units in mind but i am currently on the FL18 Pro pack . Is there any need for me to upgrade and go for the Helix 7 or Garmin 73CV?
I have a specific budget of spending less than 800$ on the unit .
Any and all help will be appreciated ! Thank you!

Use the SEARCH function on the units you have in mind Plethora of information to be had at your finger tips.

Should add your location County and State ..could be a deal near by  you.

[rodrunner]

Save for another year and get a garmin livescope. You wont regret it. Your current flasher will suit you well for another year.

[tm37]

If you already have a FL-18 You dont need to upgrade..

IF you are looking at buying the FL18 I would go ahead and make the jump to FLX-20.  Screen is easier to read and the battery lasts longer.

[kpd145]

I ran an FL-12,for years, then I got a garmin 73sv and never went back.

The graph and split zoom made the difference for me.

Garmin makes a solid unit and it has lasted me several years. I am waiting on my new 93sv I ordered last Friday, hope it delivers today. My 73sv will go to my son when he fishes with me.

Typically I fish in deeper water for lakers. Anywhere from 30 to 110 FOW. the GT10 transducer is great for this application.

[DR.SPECKLER]

Icefishing is pretty primitive and a decent vexilar,marcum or bird flasher is plenty good for finding and start pulling fish out of hole in the  ice.i still prefer my vexilars over my garmin striker 5.

[IceAddict87]

Personally the only thing I will upgrade to from my flx28 is a livescope or mega live. Not a graph guy, I do have a helix 5 but it made sense because I needed a sonar unit for my pontoon. If you plan to use it on the boat as well I would spend the money to upgrade.

[wyler]

You won't get much more out of another basic unit, save the money this year and go livescope next year.

[ship of fools]

I ran an FL-12,for years, then I got a garmin 73sv and never went back.

The graph and split zoom made the difference for me.

Garmin makes a solid unit and it has lasted me several years. I am waiting on my new 93sv I ordered last Friday, hope it delivers today. My 73sv will go to my son when he fishes with me.

Typically I fish in deeper water for lakers. Anywhere from 30 to 110 FOW. the GT10 transducer is great for this application.

I bought a 73SV this past spring for the boat and am debating getting the ice transducer and selling my vex fl18. What are you doing for a battery for the 73? That's my biggest concern at the moment.

[Jimbow11]

Lot's of different Lithium batteries on the market now, I would recommend something 10ah or better though.

I would also never go back to a round dial unit anymore after fishing with a graph.

[JigAwhopper]

I wouldn't upgrade unless you got money to burn...FL-18 is a fine unit.  I have had one for about 17 years, not about to change it just to be stylish.  If it breaks,  I'll send it in for service.  It gets the job done on the ice and the boat.  I got one of those dual transducers with a switch.  Little noisy, but so what.

[ship of fools]

Lot's of different Lithium batteries on the market now, I would recommend something 10ah or better though.

I would also never go back to a round dial unit anymore after fishing with a graph.

I’m perfectly happy with my vex/flasher and i’m debating the garmin with a $170 cost for the transducer and think a $100 cost for a battery on top would make me stay with my current setup. If I could get a full day out of my 7 ah battery i may pull the trigger.

[Dickbakers]

Goodmorning Iceaholics ,
I am in need of help deciding my next electronic for ice fishing ! I have a few units in mind but i am currently on the FL18 Pro pack . Is there any need for me to upgrade and go for the Helix 7 or Garmin 73CV?
I have a specific budget of spending less than 800$ on the unit .
Any and all help will be appreciated ! Thank you!
Located in the Midwest
Chicago Region

I've loved my FL 20 for a decade.  I think the price of a FL18 might have been a better deal.

Dick

[SLAYERFISH]

Still slayin' with the Marcum LX-5.  Some buds have graphs and I can't stand the graphs. don't need GPS cause i'm almost always with someone who has a GPS.   I actually like ice fishing WITHOUT any electronics. Separates the Pros from the Amateurs-

[WindRiderGear]

I am also one that loves Livescope, if you aren't going to that technology, just stick with the flasher, as upgrading to a Helix is kind of a waste.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I am also one that loves Livescope, if you aren't going to that technology, just stick with the flasher, as upgrading to a Helix is kind of a waste.

My opinion differs.  All I had  was an FL8 and I upgraded to a used Helix 5 SI/DI with a lithium battery couple years ago for $450.  If a guy can find that kind of deal, that's a very long way from the Livescope pricing.  Some guys just can't swing that.

[Nessmuck]

Nevah used any electronics….just poke and hope…

[aacosta]

Making the switch this year to helix 7 from fl18. i wanted to helix for the boat as well as GPS in the same unit and i can take it off the shuttle easily and use on ATV on ice. Pieced the Helix unit together for about $600

[JohnnyO19]

Nevah used any electronics….just poke and hope…

Would highly suggest using some form of electronics, definitely a game changer & will put more fish on the ice.

[djhornet]

Go with the vex, its just a much better all around unit in most situations.  If you plan on doing most of your fishing in one spot, not moving much, and inside a shelter I may give you a different answer.

Ease of use in cold weather.  You dont want to mess around with settings when youre moving and moving.  I think you will also appreciate that you will see the screen easily on a bright sunny day ( good luck with the bird).  You wont need a lithium battery either as you can run for hours without worries.

[DR.SPECKLER]

Good point.my vexilar is easily viewable in the sun,i get headaches from the glare on my garmin striker 5 screen when its bright out and hole hopping.

[Papa Sly]

I had a vexilar FL-8 and it was terrible in water under 10 feet even with the special cord they make you buy for shallow water. I sold it and got a MarCum LX-6 and being digital makes all the difference in the world...no comparison. Much more accurate, no noise, much better target seperation and an all around superior unit. When fishing in 8' of water your entire dial is 8 feet not a 20 foot dial on the flasher and you only use 1/3 of the screen on the Vex. Once you go digital you will NEVER go back!

[jerryfishing]

Livescope IMHO

[Sylvanboat]

I use a graph and AquaVu camera. The camera is very addicting. I can spend endless time just watching fish.

[mboss13]

I'm not condemning anyone for taking a camera and graph out on the ice, well perhaps I am.  Not just you.  I do wonder why one needs a graph when they can drop the camera down the hole and actually see if there are any fish there.  I guess my disdain for cameras and graphs and too much stuff in general comes from a buddy of mine.  I am 64 and in not so good health, having congestive heart failure and COPD.  My fishing buddy is 83.  While I continue to try and downsize, he does just the opposite.  Last year he added a camera to his collection.  The problem with this scenario is that he has Parkinson's and needs help toting his gear.  So, I pretty much have to get him all set up.  I'm the one hauling his sled and contents, to include: Big director chair, graph, camera, 6 rods, heater, lunch cooler, four tackle boxes, two five gallon buckets "full" of various fishing materials purchased on late night tv, a shovel- you never know when you might have to dig yourself out, drill/auger, spud and ice scoop!  I'm pretty sure I have missed many items that were obviously too many for me to remember.  Every time we go, I tell him that he doesn't need 6 poles.  His response was yes he does, so that he doesn't have to change hooks on the ice, he can do it in his living room.  The time before last I told him bring two poles and "I' will change hooks for you.  The next time we went, he insisted on the 6 poles and I'm sure he added a few extra items out of spite!!!

I felt just like you. Then I tried livescope........don't try it. You'll want one.

[grizzlyhackle]

I already know I want one, just by watching videos of them.  I don't have a problem with cameras and graphs, but why is the world would anyone want to hall "both" out onto the ice?  You can only watch one at a time.  And, If you have a camera down in the hole, why do you need a flasher to see if there are any fish there?  Just sounds like a lot of overkill to me.  Not to mention, just one more thing to lug out onto the ice.  I'm out, just not doing it!

The Parkinson’s part is real shi**y, but I hope I’m 83 and still living it up like your buddy. Sounds like what you guys need is a couple younger guys to help out or maybe invest in an ATV?

[lowaccord66]

I ran an FL-12,for years, then I got a garmin 73sv and never went back.

The graph and split zoom made the difference for me.

Garmin makes a solid unit and it has lasted me several years. I am waiting on my new 93sv I ordered last Friday, hope it delivers today. My 73sv will go to my son when he fishes with me.

Typically I fish in deeper water for lakers. Anywhere from 30 to 110 FOW. the GT10 transducer is great for this application.

Its not great over 100 brotha.  I still have my ps22 transducer from my first unit just in case.

[kpd145]

I bought a 73SV this past spring for the boat and am debating getting the ice transducer and selling my vex fl18. What are you doing for a battery for the 73? That's my biggest concern at the moment.

I run a 10ah nocqua lithium or i use my 40v auger batteries as well but I need to add in a step down converter.

My 73sv draws less than .7 amps on medium brightness. I can get a full day off battery with full brightness too.

I have the GT10 for ducer because I fish deep water more than anything else.

Going to be using a 93sv this year and I still plan on using my same 10ah battery for it

[lowaccord66]

Oh my bad Ken I was talking lvs32 livescope.