Flasher or camera

[DawntoDusk]

What do you all think would be better for fishing shallow water perch. A flasher or an underwater camera. Not sure which one would benefit me more in this situation.

[skifisher]

Flasher...hands down!

[Ramp 23]

Flasher no question

[Unclegillhunter]

Any kind of sonar! Think a flasher will get more use than a camera. Works in shallow to deep, clear to murky! I have a couple different sonar units. I also have a Aqua View, micro. Only thing I really use the AV for is to help locate the weed edges. Good luck!
Keep it safe! JDL

[Gunflint]

I love cameras but you need clear water. I would say you need a flasher.

[filetandrelease]

  Flasher

[Seamonkey84]

Sonar! I hardly ever use the camera, takes too long to set up to fish with, and most of the time I have to drop the camera right to the bottom to see the composition. Now that I have panoptix, the camera is pointless in all but the clearest waters.
Check out this thread from last year, you’ll see how often camera comes up as worst investment
https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=360450.0

[Stickhick86]

I have both and I love both but I would definitely go with flasher or sonar first. If you don't have good water clarity the camera could be practically useless unless the fish are right on top of it. The flasher works no mater what. Hope this helps.

[Gunflint]

I have both and I love both but I would definitely go with flasher or sonar first. If you don't have good water clarity the camera could be practically useless unless the fish are right on top of it. The flasher works no mater what. Hope this helps.

Ditto...clear water is a must and not always available.

[hardwater diehard]

Flasher ...right tool for the job ..locating fish ...depth...structure ..works in all water/light conditions . The camera is a great tool ..for the job of identifying the structure type ..condition of weeds ..filming ..you can fish with it but not nearly as efficient .

[Gunflint]

Flasher ...right tool for the job ..locating fish ...depth...structure ..works in all water/light conditions . The camera is a great tool ..for the job of identifying the structure type ..condition of weeds ..filming ..you can fish with it but not nearly as efficient .

But in clear water it is as efficient and far more fun - just need the right conditions (which are far more limited than a flasher).

[ice dawg]

Some lakes I fish are very clear and I use a camera to find perch. I drill holes until I see perch on the screen. If they are in the area a flashy spoon or one with rattles works well to call them in. Some of the waters I fish are very cloudy which makes my camera pretty useless. A flasher always works. I was on a clear lake and could watch school's of perch swim by when they were following a SnoBear. A guy drove up to about 100 feet from me and started drilling holes. I'll bet a couple hundred perch swam over to check the noise out.

[cajuntony]

Well I have 2 micro aqavu cameras n 2 vexilars I get more use out of the vexilars hands down

[Iceassin]

Part of what draws me to ice fishing is the unknown. I started in the days of no electronics...no augers...and no "micro" anything. Just sitting over a hole or 2...depending how much ice I wanted to spud through. Waiting for that "plunk-plunk" of a foam bobber dipping below the surface. Ok...memories..I know. But it's a nice trip now and then. So my vote...flasher...which I have. Cause I don't want to see too much.😉

[skifisher]

Ice,
You brought me back several years. I also remember fishing for lakers with one hole drilled with a hand auger, sitting on a wooden “tackle box”, with a Coleman lantern between my legs, and a jury-rigged windbreak made out of a GI tent flap. I’ve often wondered how we ever caught anything not knowing much more then how deep we were fishing, and where we hoped the fish would be. We’ve come a long way since then with motorized augers, electronics and such. While I’ve “evolved” as an ice angler since then.
I sometimes wish we could go back to simpler times when ice fishing was much more challenging, and the rewards that meant so much more.

[TickleStick]

I use a flasher, my buddy uses a camera....I wouldn't trade him 

[Iceassin]

Ice,
You brought me back several years. I also remember fishing for lakers with one hole drilled with a hand auger, sitting on a wooden “tackle box”, with a Coleman lantern between my legs, and a jury-rigged windbreak made out of a GI tent flap. I’ve often wondered how we ever caught anything not knowing much more then how deep we were fishing, and where we hoped the fish would be. We’ve come a long way since then with motorized augers, electronics and such. While I’ve “evolved” as an ice angler since then.
I sometimes wish we could go back to simpler times when ice fishing was much more challenging, and the rewards that meant so much more.

Exactly. I've often thought about an "Old School Fishing Tourney " but...  .

[musky8it]

But in clear water it is as efficient and far more fun - just need the right conditions (which are far more limited than a flasher).

stained water its the flasher but I agree in clear the camera is a blast. If they aren't biting at least you can watch them.

When I fish Maxinkukee here in Ind. I would pick the camera. I can set in my 2man shanty with 3 lines I don't even turn the flasher on. When I see a fish suck in the jig I yank, lots of times my spring bobber doesn't even move but I still catch the fish cause I can see them inhale the jig. With a camera I don't miss those bites where the fish is just tasting it. Those suck in/blow out bites I'll catch more with a camera.

Bottom line I fish more stained water lakes so if I had to pick one it would be the vexilar.

[fishinator]

stained water its the flasher but I agree in clear the camera is a blast. If they aren't biting at least you can watch them.

When I fish Maxinkukee here in Ind. I would pick the camera. I can set in my 2man shanty with 3 lines I don't even turn the flasher on. When I see a fish suck in the jig I yank, lots of times my spring bobber doesn't even move but I still catch the fish cause I can see them inhale the jig. With a camera I don't miss those bites where the fish is just tasting it. Those suck in/blow out bites I'll catch more with a camera.

Bottom line I fish more stained water lakes so if I had to pick one it would be the vexilar.

Totally agree here. I have been to places using my flasher only to see marks around my bait but no bites. Drop the camera down and watch them eat the jig and spit it out without moving my line at all. I have caught crappie that hit and spit so quick you have to set the hook when you see their mouth open, any later and they are gone.
  Overall I think flasher is better but certain lakes i won't fish without my camera.

[Gunflint]

Here is a great video demonstrating the camera I use that was posted this week.

[Mizayikaa]

I think that I agree with everyone here. The only thing that I would ad that I don't believe was said is that a camera shows only one direction and a sonar is (well, not entirely different but) more of a full circumference. That being said, I have a blast with my camera in the right conditions.

[Iceicemike]

Totally agree here. I have been to places using my flasher only to see marks around my bait but no bites. Drop the camera down and watch them eat the jig and spit it out without moving my line at all. I have caught crappie that hit and spit so quick you have to set the hook when you see their mouth open, any later and they are gone.
  Overall I think flasher is better but certain lakes i won't fish without my camera.

First time I seen that on camera was amazed how fast they suck in and spit it out! Lol
Also seen them just put in mouth and do nothing.
Cameras are very fun though!
But flasher would be above camera.

[Iceassin]

Totally agree. But if you have the right balance between jig and a "good" wire indicator, you will notice even those subtle "suck in" bites. And I like the slight challenge that a flasher gives me over a camera. Much more gratifying to me.

[EYOYO]

It's sure nice to see exactly what may be down there with a camera! And see how your hook acts. See how they react to different jigging. See if you lost your bait. Etc.

Plus it is just damn entertaining to watch fish if your kids around you...

[Gunflint]

It's sure nice to see exactly what may be down there with a camera! And see how your hook acts. See how they react to different jigging. See if you lost your bait. Etc.

Plus it is just damn entertaining to watch fish if your kids around you...

Exactly, something between "Fish TV" and a video game where you catch a real fish when you win.

[bearnoob]

I agree, get a flasher. My brother-in-law bought a camera and we were all excited to use it until we weren't.

It worked okay to check bottom composition, weed type, and to see if fish were down there in bright sunlight. It was nice to be able to tell if the weak signals on my flasher was a school of fish at the edge of the cone or weeds swaying in the current. But in stained water or low light conditions (and we usually fished the evening bite so just about all the time), visibility seemed to drop to about 6 inches and the lights on the camera picked up a whole lot of plankton in the water so it looked like snow.

It took forever to set up.  We could not tell which direction it was pointing so it took 20 mins to find our baits to sight fish with it.

I don't have a lot of time to fish and I usually only get out for an hour or two at a time. The only reason I use electronics is to maximize that time by getting in fish and keeping the kids interested. If I spend more time messing with the camera than fishing, it doesn't help me.


If you look close, you can see the eye and face of a bluegill in the shot above. It is less than a foot from the camera.

[jethro]

Imma vote BOTH!!

[Seamonkey84]

Imma vote BOTH!!

I’ll throw in that panoptix let’s you see the fish movements very well, livescope is like a camera. Both work in any lighting and water condition.

[Warren_G]

My motto is: the camera is a toy, the flasher is a tool. I have a Vex Double Vision, and love it. I use the camera about half the time, but the flasher all the time.

[EYOYO]

Imma vote BOTH!!

Lol, if money not a problem!