Vexilar rebuttal to the Lx-7?

[Ekruger01]

Facts are simple....the LX7 wont put anymore fish on the ice than any other flasher....I OWN all three of the top end flashers, Fl22,ice55,and Lx7. the lx7 is not any better.

by clutter I meant all the crap on the screen, some people dig it, but I guess it isnt for me. do I like the unit. YES, but it does have flaws even after the 2.9 upgrade i get a bottom flicker that isnt fish, the case sucks, and the screen scratches easy.

[s10xr]

I really dont see why they should add all the bells and whistles that another brand has, when what they've been making has been and will be as reliable a unit as ever. They dont need to keep up with the Joneses to keep their buisness profitable. Some people will always love their products no matter what. If people want bells and whistles on their locator, they can always pay the price of them with other brands. No problem. But vex is always a reliable choice for anyone that can afford them.

some people like the buzz that comes from the vex also.  I dont know why

[Knoodles]

Bee, this year the type of fishing we had to do, yes it put more on the ice than most others around us....As for Vex catching up, I won't hold my breath, still haven't bested the LX-5....

There was more involved than the lx7 I am sure.  Did they have flashers?  Did they know what they were doing?  Where they drinking heavily?

I too am in the camp that a flasher is going to put fish on the ice period, it does not matter the flasher as long as it works.  As I stated earlier, it needs to read your bait, the depth, and fish.  Gadgets and readings are great but I am still curious to hear how they make someone a better fisherman or help someon put more fish on the ice.

Please prove me wrong and give a reason to go buy an Lx7 as I love new toys.  Please clearly describe how the Lx7 will make someone a better fisherman and put more fish on the ice than someone with another brand of flasher that is working perfectly. 

[Knoodles]

Just to clarify my point:

Lx - 7 shows your bait at a certain depth.  It shows how deep you are fishing.  It shows when a fish comes into your cone and it shows if the fish is pursuing your bait.  The rest is up to the angler.  You either jiggle that baby in or it swims away. 

What features other than those listed above are needed and or critical to putting more fish on the ice?  Target seperation, nice but not sure how that lands more fish? 

I have the 55 which hyped up the 6 color system for iding fish.  Guess what I still see my bait go down, the fish show up and jig the rod to get a fish to bite.  I dont care if the colors are red and orange or pink and plaid. 

[esox_magnum]

Yes all had flashers but 1 I know of, he had my old camera,  this season the bite was in deep water over 40', watching 4 lines was simple on the LX-7 not so simple even watching 2 on my buddys FL-8 or HB35 or for that matter my LX-5, single lines the 5 was ok but the others were still tough to read with so little info on the dial, yes it still takes the fisherman to catch them but being able to clearly see whats under you makes catching them alot easier....My buddy with the 8 refuses to fish the area after that 1 time and he's a better fisherman than me but with the clutter and lack of info on his 8 he chose to fish elsewhere, fact the 1 day he was there he opted to use my 5 to hole hop so we took turns with it and left the 7 set up in the shack for the wife and when we wanted to sit and relax inside....

[prospector]

I have found the graph helps me put more fish on the ice when I am doing other things such as helping kids get set up or drilling holes. Every once in a while I check the history and many times have caught fish I would have missed. Works good for A.D.D. types like me! As far as a standard flasher goes, my old bird 55 was miles ahead of my fl20 and the lx7 in flasher mode as well. The main reason I still own the lx7 over the bird is because of the "history" on the graph. I also own a humminbird 597 and if it had a bigger screen, in my opinion it kicks the holy crap out of "marcum technology"! For the price, the screen sharpness and size are hard to beat on an lx7. Just an opinion from a fat guy....

[Knoodles]

When you say watching 4 lines do you mean four different rods?  If so your lines are either in your cone or not.  If all of the line are in your cone you are watching the fish in your cone.  Or are you talking about something else when you refer to lines? 

What clutter did your buddy have and was this a result of a flasher not working properly (again I state if a flasher is working perfectly)?  And what info specifically did he need to help him land more fish?  I am just a little confused as to what you are describing.   

[Layne]

Why would anyone want to watch 4 lines? I get pissed when my flasher picks up my buddies line. If you cant catch a fish with one then somethings not right.

[Knoodles]

I have found the graph helps me put more fish on the ice when I am doing other things such as helping kids get set up or drilling holes. Every once in a while I check the history and many times have caught fish I would have missed. Works good for A.D.D. types like me! As far as a standard flasher goes, my old bird 55 was miles ahead of my fl20 and the lx7 in flasher mode as well. The main reason I still own the lx7 over the bird is because of the "history" on the graph. I also own a humminbird 597 and if it had a bigger screen, in my opinion it kicks the holy crap out of "marcum technology"! For the price, the screen sharpness and size are hard to beat on an lx7. Just an opinion from a fat guy....

How does the history catch fish you would have missed?  If it is history that means the fish that was there was history as well correct?  I dont understand as you cant go back and catch a fish that was there but is now gone?

[esox_magnum]

Yes 4 rods, 4 different baits, other units just don't have the room on the dial to see whats all down there, even my 5 was tough in zoom or not 1 line was all I wanted on the screen. As far as the 8 he's not stupid nor am I we know how to set a unit up, what it means is that deep theres just not enough seperation between marks on the flasher to see whats totaly going on....

 4 lines/poles/lures whatever you want to call it and a school of white bass/yellow bass/perch and walleye

[esox_magnum]

Why would anyone want to watch 4 lines? I get pissed when my flasher picks up my buddies line. If you cant catch a fish with one then somethings not right.

Well in 40' of water you have no choice but to watch all lines, but it's simple to do on the 7.... I also hate more than 1 line on my 5 to....

[Knoodles]

Than what the FL 8 is missing is zoom mode.  So that is a technology that helps put more fish on the ice.  So that is one piece of evidence that suggest a flasher can be upgraded and be more effective.  Many flasher have zoom other than the lx7

I am not trying to argue simply looking for facts on which add ons truly help catch more fish compared to another flasher.  I think most would agree a flasher with zoom in deeper water is more effective.  I have this on my 55. 

[prospector]

How does the history catch fish you would have missed?  If it is history that means the fish that was there was history as well correct?  I dont understand as you cant go back and catch a fish that was there but is now gone?
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The history is less than thirty seconds old. If a fish swam through and I missed him, many times I have gone to his level and jigged a little bit and wham!   I like that I have the ability to be a little lazy instead of always being afraid that I will miss some action if I am not On my A game always looking at a circle.   Hope this helps...

[Knoodles]

And i have fished in 40 + feet of water and have not had an issue with figuring out where the fish are on my screen.  My buddies have fl18s with zoom and have no issue fishing that deep either.  It can be more difficult to pick up a bait in deep water with the vex because they do not throw the same amount of power as the bird and marcum.  So more power is another upgrade that improves a flasher.

[Knoodles]

Hmm this is interesting.  I suppose a fish may be hanging in the area for a minute or so and jigging at the depth he went through would be more effective than jiggin above or below.  I am not out with kids and am generally focused on the flasher but if I were to be away this may be helpful. 

[esox_magnum]

Yes many do have zoom but the vertical zoom on the 7 is alot better than the 1/2 screen zoom on the dial flashers, I can't stand more than 1 rod on my LX-5 but running 4 on the 7 is so simple a caveman can do it....Everyone whos sat and fished in my shack with the 7 so far loves it and wants one no matter what brand they currently own....

[prospector]

Hmm this is interesting.  I suppose a fish may be hanging in the area for a minute or so and jigging at the depth he went through would be more effective than jiggin above or below.  I am not out with kids and am generally focused on the flasher but if I were to be away this may be helpful.

It is so helpful, I almost feel it is like cheating.   I am very focused as well most of the time. A week ago, I slept in my hut on the ice and left the lx7 running just before bed while listening to a game on the radio. I was tired and laying in my sleeping bag with eyes closed. Every once in a while I would glance at the machine and was rewarded with a yellowstone cutt on the line after seeing big red streaks where my jig used to be. Talk about gravy or icing on the cake!

[The Cod Father]

I run a an HDS7
and I don't think it can get much better on the ice
I tri screen it with flasher, gpsmapping, and regular screen
But i find I run on full normal screen more and more
And ps they don't run slow in cold weather contary to everybodys belief

[Knoodles]

Yes many do have zoom but the vertical zoom on the 7 is alot better than the 1/2 screen zoom on the dial flashers, I can't stand more than 1 rod on my LX-5 but running 4 on the 7 is so simple a caveman can do it....Everyone whos sat and fished in my shack with the 7 so far loves it and wants one no matter what brand they currently own....

We are simply not getting to the point here.

 I pour through the vex vs bird vs marcum threads.  They are tiring to be quite honest and I rarely, if ever, read them anymore.  It has become the Ford vs Chevy battle over and over.  Guess what, if 1/2 the people swear by vex and 1/2 the people swear by marcum................ ....................wa it for it.................... ...they are probably both really damn good machines.  So, it boils down to user preference as opposed to quality or which will put more fish on the ice.

I wonder if those standing behind you fall in love because of the flashing lights or because they think it will truly put more fish on the ice than their current flasher.  Let's face it, the Lx7 looks very cool and I think I may fall in love at first sight.  BUT I say...............why will it put more fish on the ice, other than the zoom feature this question has been dodged.  I am not sure if the 4 line point is a good one as most dont fish with 4 lines (as a matter of fact that many lines is illegal in some states).

So tell me what my Ice 55 (or the vex fl series with zoom, brand matters not here) does not have that the Lx7 does that will put more fish on the ice.  Ice 55 has fully adjustable zoom, same power output, has no issue fishing deep water and picking up bait.

I think the point here is most everything boils down to preference and peoples expendable income (for example your preference to use verticle mode to fish the bottom).  I have read many threads where people prefer standard zoom mode to vertical mode (preference).  Trust me if I were rich I would have a new flasher every year just cuz. 

Again, not arguing or trying to cause a war here, simply looking for things beyond individual preference.

[esox_magnum]

Seperation is what the rest lack....You don't notice it untill you use one with better seperation, 1/2" or 3/4" is alot better than 2.5" or 2.68", argue all you want it doesn't matter but only after you use a unit with 1/2-3/4" seperation....Allows you to seperate fish in a school, picks up bottom huggers better so in essence it will increase your catch due to you seeing more fish....Units with 2.5" seperation will miss fish that are tight or almost tight to the bottom, have seen it many times....We use these units side by side in gin clear water allowing us to see for a fact what swims by and what unit picks them up and what doesn't...Would you be surprised your unit will miss a 3 pound eye swimming directly below you? You should be since 9 times out of 10 it won't mark them, the LX5-7 9 out of 10 will.....

[bluemountainlaker]

i think the lx 7 is a little to fragile. my buddy dropped his from a foor into the ice and now it wont turn on. but his fl 20 has fallen of buckets and sleds and been nocked around in the back of the truck and still works like it is new. dont fix it if it aint broken, vrx has a great product and i see a new flasher within a year or 2.

[onemoreperch]

Seperation is what the rest lack....You don't notice it untill you use one with better seperation, 1/2" or 3/4" is alot better than 2.5" or 2.68", argue all you want it doesn't matter but only after you use a unit with 1/2-3/4" seperation....Allows you to seperate fish in a school, picks up bottom huggers better so in essence it will increase your catch due to you seeing more fish....Units with 2.5" seperation will miss fish that are tight or almost tight to the bottom, have seen it many times....We use these units side by side in gin clear water allowing us to see for a fact what swims by and what unit picks them up and what doesn't...Would you be surprised your unit will miss a 3 pound eye swimming directly below you? You should be since 9 times out of 10 it won't mark them, the LX5-7 9 out of 10 will.....

allows you to seperate fish in a school? seriously? you were one of the guys saying their unit lost bottom when a school came through now you can pick out the biggest fish right? even when the screen is all red for 5 feet from the bottom?

so lets do some math..in your infinite wisdom, we only see one out of ten fish with a vex, when we catch 30 walleyes in the morning , we must have missed a few or had a few that didn't bite, so if we only see one out of ten, that means we had 300+ fish come through? with 5 guys, thats pretty easily 350 fish.  you'd think a marcum guy would have come along and caught our limits for us, or maybe since we were able to sight them to tell when the marked fish was a northern, we'd have noticed our units only marked one out of ten fish, and then we could have smashed them with a hammer and raced off to Iowa for an education...no, your not biased, not one bit... lol

[gemcityslayer]

Seperation is what the rest lack....You don't notice it untill you use one with better seperation, 1/2" or 3/4" is alot better than 2.5" or 2.68", argue all you want it doesn't matter but only after you use a unit with 1/2-3/4" seperation....Allows you to seperate fish in a school, picks up bottom huggers better so in essence it will increase your catch due to you seeing more fish....Units with 2.5" seperation will miss fish that are tight or almost tight to the bottom, have seen it many times....We use these units side by side in gin clear water allowing us to see for a fact what swims by and what unit picks them up and what doesn't...Would you be surprised your unit will miss a 3 pound eye swimming directly below you? You should be since 9 times out of 10 it won't mark them, the LX5-7 9 out of 10 will.....

+1 Esox.

Looks like a sound argument to me.  I'll be buying an lx-7 next year.  The haters will hate regardless of the facts.  That is one reason I started this thread though, because I don't personally think Vexilar will go long without trying to counter the lx-7.  They will make a unit with a big, LCD screen... that has 1//2" separation.  Or... they will lose a lot of business to Marcum.  I'll let you be the judge of what will happen

[gemcityslayer]

i think the lx 7 is a little to fragile. my buddy dropped his from a foor into the ice and now it wont turn on. but his fl 20 has fallen of buckets and sleds and been nocked around in the back of the truck and still works like it is new. dont fix it if it aint broken, vrx has a great product and i see a new flasher within a year or 2.

It's easy for you to say don't fix what is not broke.  This is not as black and white as something being broke or not.  If we did not try to create new, better things, with innovation and creativity... well then hell.  Where would we be?....

Better target separation is better.  You can't argue against that. 

----------

As for the unit not being as durable.  You might have a point there.  Maybe they could take steps to make the lx-7 more durable. 

[Knoodles]

Have not used better seperation so cannot comment from experience.  But that is the first possible real point made that puts one flasher ahead of another.

The 9 of 10 comment does seem a little bold.  I do find it hard to believe I am missing 90% of the fish below me on the bottom.  I am guessing this assumes you have a flat solid bottom as well, as loose muck and weeds will not give you a true bottom. 

[esox_magnum]

allows you to seperate fish in a school? seriously? you were one of the guys saying their unit lost bottom when a school came through now you can pick out the biggest fish right? even when the screen is all red for 5 feet from the bottom?

so lets do some math..in your infinite wisdom, we only see one out of ten fish with a vex, when we catch 30 walleyes in the morning , we must have missed a few or had a few that didn't bite, so if we only see one out of ten, that means we had 300+ fish come through? with 5 guys, thats pretty easily 350 fish.  you'd think a marcum guy would have come along and caught our limits for us, or maybe since we were able to sight them to tell when the marked fish was a northern, we'd have noticed our units only marked one out of ten fish, and then we could have smashed them with a hammer and raced off to Iowa for an education...no, your not biased, not one bit... lol

 Didn't loose bottom on the flasher only the zoom, school was thick enough and up to 12' solid off the bottom, any and all units will confuse this as bottom...Have seen it happen on all brands.... When in a school of say a dozen fish yes it will pick out bigger ones or bottom huggers.... Also not saying you miss 9 out of 10 fish, but 9 times out of 10 a fish cruising on the bottom or even 2" off bottom other units miss that fish 9 out of 10 times, read slower next time and put down your beer and think about that your reading instead of twisting what was written in your foggy brain....We are blessed with water clarity that lets us sight fish to 20-25' so seeing what units show and don't show are easily seen, has been interesting doing this the past 5-7 years, Yes your Vex misses alot of fish and also fools you into thinking several small fish are 1 big fish....

[Layne]

We've fished an lx7 and an HB55 side by side since the LX7 came out and Ill tell you right now the target seperation is no better on the LX7. I actually found that I could tighter, smaller lines on the bird(gasp).. I actually joking call my friend blob watcher as he thought the lx7 was going to be light years ahead of our Birds but in reality.. they mark the exact same things, with no real advantage given to either flasher. They both work great.

The LX7 will not help you put more fish on the ice than the next guy with the other brand, period. The timeline on the graph isnt a good argument either, as an attentive fisherman should always be watching his screen.

[onemoreperch]

... Also not saying you miss 9 out of 10 fish, but 9 times out of 10 a fish cruising on the bottom or even 2" off bottom other units miss that fish 9 out of 10 times, read slower next time and put down your beer and think about that your reading instead of twisting what was written in your foggy brain......

ok mr foggy brain, you read, and read good, you just contradicted yourself in one paragraph. and your redundant.. i'm sober as a judge, but you, i wonder about... i'll match my brain with yours anyday... really, read your post and tell me you'd like to match wits... that'd be like taking a knife to a gunfight..if you're gonna give advise about reading, maybe read your own post, and edit the post, "think about that your reading"... try " think about WHAT your reading" next time

i know what your saying about big schools coming in 12 feet thick off bottom, and agree, once the screen is red, it don't matter. now that being said, when i use the lx5 and have a dozen fish come in (see them on the camera, also a marcum) that are all from the bottom to six inches off the bottom, theres no way you can seperate them, i too have a marcum and it's no different when they are scattered in a three foot radius, and within 6 inches depth of each other.
target seperation can be overrated, most times where we fish, the school is not that thick in depth, but covers a larger area..

[mattg]

Seperation is what the rest lack....You don't notice it untill you use one with better seperation, 1/2" or 3/4" is alot better than 2.5" or 2.68", argue all you want it doesn't matter but only after you use a unit with 1/2-3/4" seperation....Allows you to seperate fish in a school, picks up bottom huggers better so in essence it will increase your catch due to you seeing more fish....Units with 2.5" seperation will miss fish that are tight or almost tight to the bottom, have seen it many times....We use these units side by side in gin clear water allowing us to see for a fact what swims by and what unit picks them up and what doesn't...Would you be surprised your unit will miss a 3 pound eye swimming directly below you? You should be since 9 times out of 10 it won't mark them, the LX5-7 9 out of 10 will.....

Fishing my lx5 and ice 55 in the same hole at the same time for a full day I know this is false.  My ice 55 actually picked up bottom huggers the lx5 missed. Numbers are great on paper but when it comes down to actual performance that 3/4 inch separation is exaggerated and overhyped. 

[Gillfisher]

Seperation is what the rest lack....You don't notice it untill you use one with better seperation, 1/2" or 3/4" is alot better than 2.5" or 2.68", argue all you want it doesn't matter but only after you use a unit with 1/2-3/4" seperation....Allows you to seperate fish in a school, picks up bottom huggers better so in essence it will increase your catch due to you seeing more fish....Units with 2.5" seperation will miss fish that are tight or almost tight to the bottom, have seen it many times....We use these units side by side in gin clear water allowing us to see for a fact what swims by and what unit picks them up and what doesn't...Would you be surprised your unit will miss a 3 pound eye swimming directly below you? You should be since 9 times out of 10 it won't mark them, the LX5-7 9 out of 10 will.....

I agree with this totally, even the Vex FL-22 which has great separation capability just cant get there because the marks are so thick, I've tried everything to get the marks a thin line and it just doesn't happen unless you have the perfect conditions for it. The LX-7 can be dialed right down to a super fine line now and you can keep track of fish vs lure right up to the bite. I was die hard Vex before the LX-7, no going back now. I won a LX-5 last weekend and have only been out with it once and I already know it has better separation than any Vex they make.