Using your Humminbird for Ice Fishing

[Fisher Man]

I made a video on how you can use your Humminbird out of your boat and use it for ice fishing.  No one else really details everything that comes with this kit you can get from HB so I went over kit assembly and features. This will work on all HB units with the base, not just the 798.

Converting a 798ci HD SI graph/fish finder to be used for ice fishing.

Check it out here:

http://www.usaoutdoors.org/f229/humminbird-portable-ice-fishing-conversion-kit-3419.html#post17680

[TrackerG]

this is a good video. Pretty close to what I did. I bought the Piranhamax 160 portable unit for ice fishing. Wasnt happy with it at all so I took the base off and replaced it with my 325 base and electronic unit. With the grayscale flasher view it worked pretty good on the ice. The suction cup transducer works okay if you take some electrical tape and fasten the cable so the transducer hangs straight.
to set one up for my wife I ordered the portable base and handle from HB, bought a battery and picked up the HB325 model on ebay. she loves it. I recently upgraded to the 345 color DI unit. Im really pleased with the color flasher. Looking forward to using this unit on the boat. One drawback about the DI unit. It doesnt work with the ice ducer like the manual says it will but I rigged the transducer that came with the unit and it works good.   
I scrapped the soft case tho...it was hard to reach in on the back to hook up charging connectors. Now we both put our portable units in a five gallon bucket with a lid and turn the bucket upside down to set unit on for icefishing.

[Fisher Man]

Thanks,

Yea that is the only thing that makes it difficult is getting at the battery terminals.  I leave the positive (red) on and just disconnect the black near the opening.  Makes it a little easier.  I am getting better at hooking up the charger to it.  I still use the case as it does protect my $1000+ head unit from the elements better than without.

Its nice having the GPS as well. I can mark things in the summer time and then fish them in the winter.  Works very well!

[Whopper Stopper]

Good video. I had a 345 one time. A very good unit until the mother board went to pots. It started turning itself on which obviously made my battery in the boat dead. Anyway, Humminbird sent me a brand new one.

                    WS

[Fisher Man]

Did anyone use their head unit for ice fishing this year using this portable bag?

[frldyz]

No offense.  And not to be crude...
But @ 1:30 in the video...... did you fart?
 

[Fisher Man]

Huh?  I just went and watched the entire thing 4 times and I do not notice any kind of noise other than the noise of me setting the plastic base onto the bench.

What you be smoking Willis?

[Whopper Stopper]

 

       WS

[Curley]

Great video. I've been looking for that kit with no luck. Once I had the part number I scored at Wallmart.com. The transducer is on sale for 45 buck now.

[Fisher Man]

I used it this summer too in a few smaller boats I took out.  Man its sweet being able to use it everywhere you can fish!

[Fisher Man]

Has anyone else bought this kit and tried it?

[TrackerG]

I did another upgrade this year. I bought the 346 c DI model. HB fixed the iceducer problem by adding a 2 dimensional feature setting  for ice fishing..now it works with the original transducer or the iceducer....I am anxious to try it on the ice cuz it works great on the boat. The wife is happy cuz now she has a color fishfinder with flasher mode. Come on hard deck!

[Fisher Man]

Well Tracker, did you get on the ice yet with it?

[TrackerG]

yes...I got on the ice 3 times over the holidays and I am pretty pleased with the performance...love the color screen. deepest water we fished in was 23 ft. so I am looking forward to some deeper water. I don't use portable bag for mine. The unit sits perfect inside a 5 gallon bucket and I flip the bucket over on the ice and use to set unit on for fishing.

[thegoodoldboy]

Hey Tracker. I just got pretty excited when I read your message. I bought a 346 c DI over the summer for my boat. I ultimately chose this one thinking I could use it for ice fishing and then found out recently that its not. I don't want to have to take the ducer of my boat. I would prefer to use an iceducer that levels itself. Whats your set up? Do you have a part # for the iceducer your using? Do I need to do anything special to my unit to make it work? Your help would be immensely appreciated.

[Fisher Man]

You will need the XI 9 20 Ice Transducer for your 346c DI . Please remember that your DI will not work with an ice transducer, only your flasher and other 2D views.  As an option you can purchase another standard DI transducer, and rig it up using a swimming noodle piece of foam, zip tie, etc or purchase just the hummingbird floater.

[TrackerG]

sent a PM good ole boy but fisherman called it right