Should I have bought a Humminbird 597ci?????

[DBK81]

Hey guys sold my Ice-35 and bought an Ice-55 this fall pumped to get out and use it, but now I am wondering if I shouldn't have bought a 597ci instead, and bought an ice ducer for it, pulled double duty open water and hard water fishing? What do you think, what kind of job would the 597ci do with the ice ducer? Did I do the right thing getting the Ice-55 or should I sell this and buy the 597ci?

[Woodsman]

Will the 597ci work on the ice? Definitely. Also gives you GPS.
Better than your Ice55? Depends on your preferences.
The Ice55 has a more narrow beam which is a plus. If you plan on using the flasher screen on the 597 than the Ice55 is better.
On the ice I like the sonar screen over the flasher screen. It gives you a little history. On a flasher screen if you look away you miss anything that passes through when you weren't looking where the sonar screen gives you a few more seconds to see things that were there & hopefully can be brought back. I also like top is top & bottom is bottom view instead of a circle.
On the 597 with the iceducer you also lose the temperature capability of the unit which will require you to override this on start up.
Both units have their advantages & drawbacks.

[TType86]

I have an lx5 for winter and a bird 345c I use in summer. I really like both. Im starting to like using the 345 while vertical jigging more and more but never had it on ice yet. As mentioned above, the history is definitely nice at times. Having said all that, I think Ill still give the edge to my mechanical flasher overall for ice (vertical jigging). But thats me, I can definitely see why some guys like that history of an lcd though. It is definitely starting to grow on me.

[Indiananimal]

I have the 385ci and love it! It's nice to have both types of viewz. You might want to think about cost of a navionics or lakemaster chip cause the built in gps isnt as good as other handhelds and such.  But to me useing my machine 12 months outta the year is completely worth it. Just makes more sense than haveing 2 diff machines at 500 bux a pop!

[Damn Yankee]

Humminbird has come out with a 597 Ice Machine which is  the 597 w/ice-ducer, battery, case etc. for $695 which seems about $100 too high.

[DBK81]

Ya I don't like the idea that I would have to drop an additional 1-2 hundred on Navionics that's for sure! I guess for now I will stick with my Ice-55 and my Garmin GPS for marking spots.

[CamoHunter]

It's not just about marking spots in my opinion.  Where I'm at, the lakemaster chips are spot on and extremely accurate.  You just can't get that on any ol' handheld.  It's pretty nice being able to walk to a spot you scouted on the lake map, and within drilling a couple holes know exactly what you're fishing.  Also, do some looking on prices.  You can pick up a used 385 or 597 fairly cheap on ebay or craigslist.  Ice ducers sell for about $62 on amazon.  Pick up a battery, and you're in business. 
My only wish is that you could get a little narrower beam for the sonar graphs, but maybe that will come someday.

[ice dawg]

I have a 597 CI HD DI that I will be using for navigation this winter. I'm not going to buy an ice ducer for it because I have an FL18 and LX5 already. I think the HD maps will be a good addition for my pickup and ATV though.

[DBK81]

I have a 597 CI HD DI that I will be using for navigation this winter. I'm not going to buy an ice ducer for it because I have an FL18 and LX5 already. I think the HD maps will be a good addition for my pickup and ATV though.

I have heard also that the Down Imaging unit will not work with the ice ducer. That was one reason I wasn't considering the DI but the down imaging would be sweet.

Also I just looked and Navionics doesn't cover the two lakes I do most of my fishing at. Maybe I will just have to save my pennies, keep my ice 55, and then but the 597ci DI and use the down imaging to find the honey holes.

[ice dawg]

I have heard also that the Down Imaging unit will not work with the ice ducer. That was one reason I wasn't considering the DI but the down imaging would be sweet.

Also I just looked and Navionics doesn't cover the two lakes I do most of my fishing at. Maybe I will just have to save my pennies, keep my ice 55, and then but the 597ci DI and use the down imaging to find the honey holes.

I was reading yesterday about a way to make the ice ducer work with the DI units. I'll try to find the info again. HB says it won't work, but there is a way to do it according to guys who are doing it.

[DBK81]

I was reading yesterday about a way to make the ice ducer work with the DI units. I'll try to find the info again. HB says it won't work, but there is a way to do it according to guys who are doing it.

Maybe it's just using the flasher mode that doesn't work or something like that, I just remeber a friend having his acting all messed up when he tried the ice ducer with the DI unit.

[bullpine]

I own both I wouldn't trade my Ice 35 for ten 597's. 

[DBK81]

I own both I wouldn't trade my Ice 35 for ten 597's.

Ya I think both is going to be the best, the Ice series from Humminbird are so great loved my 35, but wanted a few things that the 55 had so that is why I upgraded.

Will have to think of excuses to tell my wife as to why I need a 597ci DI in the spring, a $600 GPS/Finder/DI on a $2,000 boat hahaha

[wipike]

Sort of related -

I love my Marcum flasher.  It's been a rock through a lot stupidness on my part, and has never failed me.

I just got a new HDS7 this last summer and have really gotten used to having a GPS, the mapping card, as well as the huge screen.  Getting an Ice ducer for it isn't the issue, but getting me to put a $800 finder/GPS out on the ice where accidents can happen vs the trusted faith I have in my Marcum is making me pause.

[DBK81]

Sort of related -

I love my Marcum flasher.  It's been a rock through a lot stupidness on my part, and has never failed me.

I just got a new HDS7 this last summer and have really gotten used to having a GPS, the mapping card, as well as the huge screen.  Getting an Ice ducer for it isn't the issue, but getting me to put a $800 finder/GPS out on the ice where accidents can happen vs the trusted faith I have in my Marcum is making me pause.

Very good point, my Ice-55 is made for the cold, made to be mobile, the 597 not so much, I mean my Ice-55 is still $500 but I feel it's designed to withstand the wear and tare of ice fishing.

[CamoHunter]

The guys that have a down imaging unit say that the ice ducer does work.  The problem is that humminbird says using an ice ducer on a down imaging unit may cause damage to the unit over time.  It was enough to persuade me to buy a 788ci HD insead of a 788ci HD DI.  I guess it's up to the person who owns a down imaging unit, whether they're willing to risk it or not.
The ice ducer does work with down imaging head units though.  The thing is, the ice ducer doesn't read temperature and therefore doesn't have that pin.  The way the head unit recognized a transducer is the temperature pin, so the head unit thinks there isn't a transducer connected when hooked up to the ice ducer.  The work around is to just manually enter the normal operating mode each time you turn on the head unit.