IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Topic started by: profisher on Oct 02, 2017, 04:44 PM
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Hey all,
So I really don't have much equipment yet, but Im going to add to my equipment this winter. My dilemma is that I dont have enough to buy both a ice shanty and a flasher. Im not really big on freezing on the lake, but also it gets frustrating drilling a million holes and not knowing where the fish are. What do you think would be the smarter purchase for a new ice fisherman?
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Get out of the wind
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Save up and get both!! Look for used equipment so that you can!!
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What type of fish are you targeting? If you are targeting pan fish I would purchase the flasher. You will find out if you want to catch fish you need to move and those really cold days were you would need a shack you will just stay home. If you are tip-up fishing then the shack would be a better option. Run and gun!
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What type of fish are you targeting? If you are targeting pan fish I would purchase the flasher. You will find out if you want to catch fish you need to move and those really cold days were you would need a shack you will just stay home. If you are tip-up fishing then the shack would be a better option. Run and gun!
I couldn't have said it better, it depends....
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Save up and get both!! Look for used equipment so that you can!!
Some 300 Denier hubs are really reasonable ...a flasher will make you move to find fish...so a flasher would be my pick ..out your way some used deals could be had as opposed to my area which no deals are to be found.
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Flasher, nothing worse than sitting in a shanty not catching anything and not knowing if there are any fish down there
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I was in your position last year. I ended up buying a 2 man shanty. I would either bring a friend with a flasher or position my shanty near other shanties that had flashers. Comfort and warmth is key. This off season I got my flasher. Now I'm counting down the days.
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Thanks for the replies. Im targeting mainly Crappie and Perch, but would like to set up tip ups for pike as well. Decisions Decisions......
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Start checking Craig's List and the For Sale area on this site! Good luck!!
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I’ve bought an Eskimo shelter (insulated), a Marcum Showdown, and a StrikerIce Hardwater suit, all for better ice-fishing, over the years. Not once did I set up the shanty last year, because the bibs and jacket were plenty. The Showdown however, has been a game-changer for me. I think knowing IF there are fish, and what they’re doing, in response to my actions, has been an enormous help! My vote would be for electronics.
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You know what a slip bobber is if so why do you need a fish finder?? First of your cutting trips short cause your cold the longer out the more you catch fish a lot of my pike and crappie come after dark the fish move in.. if I was fishing perch get a hub or flip to to warm up in after hopping from hole to hole to hole for like a hour then after 20 minutes of warming back up go back to it....
here's a bit of advise the fish suspend in deep water no mater the fish summer and winter.. to target with out a fish finder you have to find a funneling point that's adjacent to deep water.. funneling in to a cove is one humps in the lake contours are others.. start looking for some ware in the 8 to 16 fow.. your better off studying lake maps then you are buying a gps or fish finder.. the lake maps are bathometritric type Maps with bottom contours.. like gps maps.. I always study them a lot.. cause the shore thats above water tells what goes on below!
like a cove is a horse shoe shape and if you try to keep the luck in it.. it looks like a u. If you look at this o> the o repersents the deep water the > represents the cove or deep water lake with a cove adjacent to deep water.. the point of the >forms humps most of the time.. along with a deep trench down center of yhe v .. like a dreged ship passing channel.. if you eye ball the v and try aligning your self to the middle of v points you find the channel .. then it's going from crotch of the v towards deeper water to get the depth needed .. I drill one hole aprox were the land is telling me I should be at..
then I use a depth finder to find depth even on a spinning rod.. a depth finder is a lead with a aligator clip on one end you drop it to bottom then flip the bail walk back words and juge depth.. this is done with out reeling in line.. so if it seems like 12 foot you set there if it's only 2 foot you drill another hole towards deeper water maybe 10 to 20 more feet further out.. basically useing land formations to find depth contours of the bottom..
very hard to explain but can be done very easily.. lots of hole drilling and pacing off and judging.. but can be very preductive fishing.. some times the land forms the bottom shape on the land and contors are same but under water..
if you study the maps wich most states provide free lake maps.. and read the book ice fishing secrets you will get lots of fish!! That book shows how to set up on those contours for pike and crappie perch are bottom dependant they prefer cretin depths and bottoms .. same with crappie any how it all can be done with out the fancy tools ..
but number one thing you tell people Takeing kids fishing is to keep the kids warm cause it ruins trips same goes for adults if your cold your uncomfortable and it wrecks the trip out.. I used to fish be fore gps was around a lot of people did not have sounders to find fish so you got to get by tI'll you can get one so start with this advise and go from there.. I learned from my dad he fished with out a finder cause they were not around.. when he learned to fish.. same with me for a wIle but sooner or later I got one.. so did he it changed the game but like the saying goes .. Rome was not built in a day so build it slowly.. meaning your arsenal of gear..
but for sure get that book ice fishing secrets you can find them every ware used book are sold ebay etc like half.com , amazon , Barns and Noble , etc.. etc.. there's to much knowledgein that book to spew it out in one post ..
use the info in book and those lake maps and find your spots on lake.. also the book crappie wisdom might help for crappie it explain a lot about them too.. I got my coppy of bolth book for under 5 bucks plus shipping..
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Flasher. End of story. ;D
I was an annual trip (or two) to LOTW and sit in a shack kinda ice fisherman until I finally got a flasher. Same reason as others mentioned...I thought it was stupid to walk out onto a lake, drill a hole, and hope you're over the cover you saw on Google Earth, and even if you were, were there fish there? No point sitting in the cold fishing a spot where there are no fish.
I was gifted a used Vex for Xmas two years ago and that lit a fire in me that now annoys the sh!t out of my wife. The past two winters I cannot wait to ice fish. I go out 2-3 days a week now, even if only for an hour or two, whenever I get a chance.
The next best thing I bought that made ice fishing even more enjoyable...a pair of float bibs that were waterproof and warm. I could sit on my folding hunting chair with my back to the wind and fish most days until I bought a pop-up hub. But now that's so clunky I rarely use the hub anyway. Warm (and safe) in a good suite like a Striker, Frabil, etc and a flasher. Heaven.
(stumbling off my soapbox now)
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Flasher, nothing worse than sitting in a shanty not catching anything and not knowing if there are any fish down there
It can be worse: sitting in a shanty not catching anything staring at a screen full of non-biters..... >:D :wacko:
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You are ice fishing, not ice sitting.
With a shanty, you can set it up and sit hoping that you are over fish. Hoping that you can find the right depth. Hoping you can find the right lure,and jigging cadence.
With a flasher you can eliminate wasting time on dead holes. You can fish the proper depths, and you can watch how fish react to your lure, and jigging cadence. It allows you to follow the school provided you have the holes pretty drilled. It allows more mobility, which in turn means more fish caught most days. Quite simply, a flasher will revolutionize how you fish. It helps you to maximize your success, and spending productive time on the ice.
I have a nice 2 man flip over, in the last 3 years I have used it less than half a dozen times. Conversely I use my flasher every time.
Good luck with whatever you decide to purchase.
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Just starting out... buy used. Check craigslist every day, the deals will start popping up pretty soon. You'll probably be able to get both for less than you would get either singly. But, if I had to choose, I would get the flasher first and sit on a bucket.
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when you shop for shanty's, look for the flip over style to cut costs for a sled and it is way easier to set up/take down and move for hole hopping. being self contained is the way to go. if you go with a hub style, you have to move the hub and then move the sled and chair(s). really bad isea on super windy days.
you should be able to find a older flasher cheap and used should be cheaper yet. if you can, make sure it works when buying used. go to a lake and see if it can see bottom at least. don't buy if the seller refuses.
i have a friend who has neither and when we fish, he sits next to me outside so my shanty blocks the wind on windy days and he asks about the fish to know more because i use a sonar.
all he has is a sled (most recent addition to his arsenal) a few buckets and rods and a folding chair and a 12 pack (always) all for himself.
i tired to explain the 12 pack money could become gear, but the 12 pack is more important. maybe he doesn't feel the cold and that is his shanty lol.
we don't fish together much.
i have both types of shelters and my flip goes over 90% of the time. it is my sled unless some one needs shelter like my wife. then, if i need the shelter using my flip it is there. better to have it and not use it than want to use it and it's not there.
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It can be worse: sitting in a shanty not catching anything staring at a screen full of non-biters..... >:D :wacko:
At least your warm in the shanty with out the fish biting.. drinking a cold beer laughing at the sucker with the fish finder freezing his arse off not catching fish.. with no shanty..
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I ignored the advice on this site that said to get a flasher first. I purchased a pop-up shanty first because I wanted to make sure my kids were comfortable if they went out with me. They were comfortable but we didn't catch a lot of fish. I purchased a flasher the next year and it made a huge difference in the catch rate. Get the flasher first.
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Well i guess a flasher it is lol. Is a vexilar fl8 good enough, or should i save for 18 or 20?
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I would get an FL8 used somewhere. Then a popup blind then buy an fl18 later on.
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Well i guess a flasher it is lol. Is a vexilar fl8 good enough, or should i save for 18 or 20?
For a starter on a budget, FL8 is just fine. The auto zoom feature is definitely worth the extra money if you can spare it though.
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when you shop for shanty's, look for the flip over style to cut costs for a sled and it is way easier to set up/take down and move for hole hopping. being self contained is the way to go. if you go with a hub style, you have to move the hub and then move the sled and chair(s). really bad isea on super windy days.
you should be able to find a older flasher cheap and used should be cheaper yet. if you can, make sure it works when buying used. go to a lake and see if it can see bottom at least. don't buy if the seller refuses.
i have a friend who has neither and when we fish, he sits next to me outside so my shanty blocks the wind on windy days and he asks about the fish to know more because i use a sonar.
all he has is a sled (most recent addition to his arsenal) a few buckets and rods and a folding chair and a 12 pack (always) all for himself.
i tired to explain the 12 pack money could become gear, but the 12 pack is more important. maybe he doesn't feel the cold and that is his shanty lol.
we don't fish together much.
i have both types of shelters and my flip goes over 90% of the time. it is my sled unless some one needs shelter like my wife. then, if i need the shelter using my flip it is there. better to have it and not use it than want to use it and it's not there.
I agree!
I had to think about it, but then I remembered I got a good deal on a flip-over shelter before the electronics. I usually only have $150-200 to spend each year out of the budget, so I get one BIG ticket item each season. First big ticket item was flip-over, the next year was a used Marcum Flasher, and last year was Milwaukee Fuel drill to use on my (hand)auger. Actually, I also managed to weasel a pair of Striker Ice bibs out of the financial planner(wife)! ;) But most years it is one major purchase. THis year I will get the Striker Ice Parka to go with last year's bibs.
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Well i guess a flasher it is lol. Is a vexilar fl8 good enough, or should i save for 18 or 20?
Wait for black Friday no matter what you do I am sure stores will have sales!
Fl8 will do what about humming bird, lowrance or garmin I prefer humming bird cause its made in usa .. could get one with gps to . I got lowrance and for I think the new one is the 3x for 79.99 it's not bad if you search around I know field and stream store has 20 off 100 purchase throw in a ice rod or tip up etc battery etc .. you can use the boat transduecer for fishing there are ways get it done but truth fully $90 for the ice transducer is it some thing you need right now no! But is it usefull yes! Batteries are around $15 to $30 you can build a genz box out of wood 1/2 ply wood to hold battery and set unit on it on a bucket.. if it was me I would get the hook 4 minimum with the gps with the lake maps.. nice thing is you don't have to have it in flasher mode to ice fish and jig wile jigging it leAves a past history on. The screen when not in flasher mode this really helps cause you can tell how fish are reacting to your presintation of the jig like as you wiggle the jig it rose when you stopped it left so next time keep wiggling see if they strike?? Etc etc.. I like my lowrace better then the fl8 my buddy has as long as the unit is warm .. if it gets cold it slows down.. that's were the fl8 Excels but no biggie.. btw your not fishing lakers were a 8* transduecer is needed for deep water the lowrace trancduecer is fine but its all up to you.. I think the fl8 run about $280 cheapest I seen lately some time you can pick up the hook 4 for around $150 black friday.. for a boat model and rig it for ice not hard to do a lot cheaper maybe $30 to rig for ice with battery then take the extra cash and get a ground blind or a shanty on sale but for sure wait till then when the add come out to decide.. if you can get a eskimo quick fish 2 or 3 for 159.99 and a lowrace that would be best to wait for black Friday even seen the fl8 for $229 a few years ago for black friday.. it up to you but I would save and wait.. to see what you find.. it's what two months away??
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Well i guess a flasher it is lol. Is a vexilar fl8 good enough, or should i save for 18 or 20?
Send this dude a line. See if he'll ship to you. Great price.
https://cleveland.craigslist.org/spo/d/vexilar-fish-flasher/6278102437.html
DN
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That's a heck of a deal on a FL-18!! Up here in MN/WI they usually retain their value so well I sometimes think they'd be a better investment than gold.
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I agree, nice scouting ninja!!
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Well i guess a flasher it is lol. Is a vexilar fl8 good enough, or should i save for 18 or 20?
if you are going with a flasher and want to save a little money on it but still get a basically new unit I would go and check out the Vexilar website and check out what they have for reconditioned units. last year you could get a reconditioned fl-18 for like $350. also with them releasing the new flx 12 and 20 this year they might have some of the original fl 12's or 20's at a discounted price. https://shop.vexilar.com/en/reconditioned-products-1
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Flasher....easier to find a buddy who has a two man shelter then one that will let you use his vex
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My advice for you is to get the flasher because it'll help you find the fish, see how they're reacting to your presentation, and you will use it on every trip out where you're not going to need a shelter every trip. If you get the shelter you going to be in the same boat of not knowing where the fish are and have the extra aggravation of moving the shelter while you're running around the lake drilling holes trying to find the fish.
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Flasher first, most of the time I leave my shanty at home. Unless wind chill is below zero you can dress warm enough to not need a shanty. I have two shanties that are at home 75% of the time.
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Start checking Craig's List and the For Sale area on this site! Good luck!!
And e-bay , and classifieds in your area
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I agree with the posters that mentioned by used. You might be able to find a deal if someone upgrades for the new season.
I purchased a shelter first. I'm glad i did bc I want my wife and if guests comes to stay warm. The coldest I've endured was -49*c with 70 k winds. Good luck and stay warm
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keep an eye on CL, people want to unload gear for new stuff
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Hey all,
So I really don't have much equipment yet, but Im going to add to my equipment this winter. My dilemma is that I dont have enough to buy both a ice shanty and a flasher. Im not really big on freezing on the lake, but also it gets frustrating drilling a million holes and not knowing where the fish are. What do you think would be the smarter purchase for a new ice fisherman?
I could probably set you up with both.
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I could probably set you up with both.
Amen brother. I was thinking the same thing, but I am quite a ways away.
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flasher. when i first started i had everything but a flasher and i ice fished for 2 years before i was like, never again. i bought a bunch of equipment 2nd hand and a flasher was in it a few years later. i tried again and with a flasher in hand i was hooked.
you can find used equipment pretty easily.
i'd much rather pick my days or bundle up and fish with a flasher than be able to fish everyday without one.
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Hey all,
So I really don't have much equipment yet, but Im going to add to my equipment this winter. My dilemma is that I dont have enough to buy both a ice shanty and a flasher. Im not really big on freezing on the lake, but also it gets frustrating drilling a million holes and not knowing where the fish are. What do you think would be the smarter purchase for a new ice fisherman?
I know it has been suggested a lot already but get both. I found a frabill recon one man flip over a year or so ago at and auction for $25. It was almost new condition. Find a used vexilar fl-8 or look for sales. If you can swing one or the other spend your money on a flasher and buy a use one man flip over. You can buy hub shelters cheap but they are a pain to move. I bought one my first year and hardly used it because of this reason. With a one man flip over you can drill a hole, drop your electronics in, and check for fish. If you find fish flip your shanty over and stay warm, if not move on. Hun shelters are heavier and are at least 3 times slower. You will find a cheap one man. Spend your money on electronics. I got an LX-7 last year and words can not explain how many more fish I caught. No because it’s an lx-7 , a fl-8 would about do the same exact thing with nearly the same exact results 95% of the time. Enjoy your time out with both items you mentioned. You won’t regret getting both even if the shanty is an old recon. Good luck
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For the first couple years I was on the ice I fished sitting on a bucket. Sometimes the weather was pretty nasty too. The first year I ended up with a cheap old fish finder and I knew I wouldn't want to be out there without electronics. The second year I had an ice-45. The third year I got the clam. The clam is comfy and gets me out of the weather but half the time I fish with it open so I might as well be sitting on a bucket... well, except that swivel seat is way more comfy and I can flip any time I want to go dark or the weather changes. I'll ice fish without my flip, but I won't go without my flasher!
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I use an FL8 and it does everything that I need it to do. Haven't even thought of upgrading.
If I had to do without my one man flip over or my FL8, the decision would be easy. I can always dress warmer, but the FL8 is my eyes below the ice!
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My vote as most of the other posts would be a flasher. I rarely take a shanty out unless the windy is really bad or it is really cold. I'd say 80+% of the time I don't take a shanty, but I 100% of the time I take my flasher.
Just my 2 cents.
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I have everything you could imagine for fishing. Sometimes I even catch and keep my own chubs for pike. I'd say shack, then flasher. Cold people catch more fish because they can't afford to be bored.
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you get anything yet pro fisher
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http://www.bbcboards.net/forumdisplay.php?f=12 check here for some excellent deals on used fish finders
Look at facebook ice fishing for sale groups too, you can often find very cheap flips and hubs on there
You should have no problem getting both items used for the price of a new shelter or finder. I started out with no electronics, no shelter...it was a huge waste of time! I got a cheap fishtv camera at a yardsale, hated it, upgraded to a fish finder - it completely changed the game! Having a fish finder meant more time spent on the ice, being productive, so I added a 1 man flip soon after.
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My story I bought a shelter first ...a Clam 6800...my buddy bought a SM Mag 2000 chipper at the same time ...both changed the way we fished ....tip up fished...for pickerel ...then came the Mr Heater Buddy ...even better ...did a little jigging inside that without much success .Then came my Vexilar FL18 ...that was due to a bigger interest in ice fishing via In-Fisherman TV,Video and their magazine ...then came a flip over HT Polar Escape...once again a game changer . Then an even more increased interested and focus on jigging when some buddies became involved . With todays information highway filled with tons and tons of information ,reviews and deals it would be easier to be a great jigging fisherman now then it was when I was first introduced . My many many tip ups, which I still have, have been replaced with tip downs. My prey has changed from pickerel to pan fish. I believe your choice boils down to what kind of fisherman are you or aspire to be ....a good seven gallon bucket ,a flasher and a good rod and reel will bring in more fish and make you more productive overall .My biggest takeway/advice for jigging ...scale down your line to match your prey..your lures in your tackle box will be like new lure ...acting much different .Good luck with your choice ...keep us posted.
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get a fishing buddy who will always go with you, and buy one of each of equal price. best of both worlds and someone to fish with.
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https://stcloud.craigslist.org/spo/d/vexilar-fl-18/6370003324.html
Good deal on a FL-18 if he will ship it to you.