Best lower priced fish finder for ice fishing

[icetilt]

Hey guys wondering if anyone has any opinions to what's the best fish finder out there for ice fishing with out breaking the bank. For years i've used a Humminbird black and white model that's worked great but it's getting kind of wonky lately. Before anyone says go with a flasher i'm color blind and i've tried them and they just don't work for me because i can't tell the colors. Any input would be appreciated.

[Old Goat]

can you see red or green only or does red look green/ green look red

[Flint]

Does color blind mean you just see black and white or do colors just look off. If you just see different colors than normal I would think you could figure it out. If you just want black and white with gray scale then the Marcum Showdown might be good for you.

[icetilt]

I have a really hard time with reds and greens, they pretty much look the same

[bootstrap]

garmin striker 4

[RapShack]

I like my Striker 4.  The old one can be found for $99.99 or the new model with larger screen and ability to make contour maps is $140.  I can run it on demo in the different color schemes and post pics if you want to see if there's one that would work for you.  Or you might be able to find a demo model to play with at a sporting goods store.

[kayl]

Vexilar does a color blind conversion for their flashers and the flx28 (and maybe the other flx models) have it as a built in color option.

[Lukaszu]

Marcum showdown 2.0

[3300]

marcum lx6,7 and 9 have black and white. they are lower cost than panoptix.
marcum showdown is grey scale.
marcum has/had 20% off site wide sale.

[DR.SPECKLER]

Decent low cost would be a vexilar fl8se with color blind upgrade or a vexilar model that has different color pallettes that include a color blind pallette.

[icetilt]

Thanks for the input on this. I have been using this humminbird for 5 or six years and has worked great up till now. That's not interference it's a school of white perch on the screen. Looks like I have a lot of research to do. Lol

[3300]

because your used to a graph, i recommend staying with one.

here's a pic of my lx9. vertical water columns on right half. far right is the zoom of the normal column of the left.
the left half is the colored graph. you can push the bottom of the lake to the bottom of the screen on these so it's not so compact for viewing like the picture you showed us is.
this picture shows plankton in blue and bottom in yellow and my bait just above bottom and a big crappie going under my jig (size 5 kodiak glow because i'm fishing in the dark). so you can have up to four charts at one time from a choice of six. this is how i like using mine.



the entire graph space is used for the water. same for the vertical charts. the data in between the vertical charts is sonar setting/hud.

[icetilt]

because your used to a graph, i recommend staying with one.

here's a pic of my lx9. vertical water columns on right half. far right is the zoom of the normal column of the left.
the left half is the colored graph. you can push the bottom of the lake to the bottom of the screen on these so it's not so compact for viewing like the picture you showed us is.
this picture shows plankton in blue and bottom in yellow and my bait just above bottom and a big crappie going under my jig (size 5 kodiak glow because i'm fishing in the dark). so you can have up to four charts at one time from a choice of six. this is how i like using mine.

(Image removed from quote.)

the entire graph space is used for the water. same for the vertical charts. the data in between the vertical charts is sonar setting/hud.

3300 I agree with you on staying with the graph over the flasher. The display and setup looks great on your graph. How's the battery life on it?

[3300]

the lx7 and lx9 are the largest of the two offerings from marcum in their digital lx version. the lx6 is smaller and would give you longer run times. and it would be cheaper.

i never ran out of battery and i used to run a light on the bottom of it because i do a lot of nite fishing. i fish til the fish quit and i fish about 6 to 10 hours, some times more just to be out on a lake.

marcum made a lithium shuttle that i use now instead of the sla battery shuttle, although i have new lithium batteries i could use in the old shuttle. never a problem with run times. i wanted the weight loss advantage because i move a lot unless i'm on fish.
the marcum lithium shuttle test runs i did were 28 hours on low back light and 21 on high, if i recall correctly. if you were to replace the sla battery with a lithium, it would run even longer. i wanted their shuttle tho and there is a difference in batteries.
you can buy them with the lithium shuttle instead of the sla battery/standard shuttle.
https://marcumtech.com/accessories/

heres a pic with a cob light i added (hot glue) to the bottom of the head unit.

[matzilla]

https://www.scheels.com/p/humminbird-helix-5-sonar-g2-locator/08232404899.html $199
Mount it in the same bag as your current HB - it'll use the same transducer. and battery The helix has something like 15 color pallets, my buddy is red/green color blind and can read mine just fine. The menu structure and settings will be nearly the same as your older humminbird

[Elrik]

Has panoptix really raised the price bar so high that we are recommending the lx-7 and lx-9 as lower priced units???

[HWeber]

Has panoptix really raised the price bar so high that we are recommending the lx-7 and lx-9 as lower priced units???

It's more the challenge of colorblindness that's steering the conversation towards higher priced units

[Old Goat]

the Fl-3 could go one color only there about 30 bucks on ebay and have both ft. and fathoms  pair it with a vex ice ducer total less than 150.00 and add a vex head wen you can afford it

[Elrik]

It's more the challenge of colorblindness that's steering the conversation towards higher priced units

Lots of inexpensive graphs come in black and white or have different color pallets that aren’t predominantly red and green. I would suggest going to a store with demo units and switch through the color options and see if any work well with the op's color blindness. A lower priced hummingbird, lowrance or garmin should serve well. I have had no issues with my lowrance 4 over the last four years and it has several color pallets to choose from.

[Seamonkey84]

Lots of inexpensive graphs come in black and white or have different color pallets that aren’t predominantly red and green. I would suggest going to a store with demo units and switch through the color options and see if any work well with the op's color blindness. A lower priced hummingbird, lowrance or garmin should serve well. I have had no issues with my lowrance 4 over the last four years and it has several color pallets to choose from.

Second the lowrance, their all seasons pack is an excellent value for the money.

[3300]

Has panoptix really raised the price bar so high that we are recommending the lx-7 and lx-9 as lower priced units???

and the marcum lx6. saw it for just over 5 bills. the marcum showdown is 4 bills and it's the least expensive digital sonar they make.
all of the ones i mentioned are gray scale or can go black and white.

but, sure, panoptix live scope is 3g, so 5 bills is a drop in the bucket.

[Seamonkey84]

lowrance hook2 4x sonar/gps all seasons pack for $250, does everything you need without the marcum or vex fan club prices. https://www.cabelas.com/product/LOWRANCE-HOOK-X-GPS-ALL-SEASON-PACK/2655253.uts
I recently got the panoptix ice package to use as an all seasons portable package. I’ll use it to do most of the searching and fishing in most situations, but will prob still be keeping my older elite 4 chirp unit for hopping around (the panoptix pack is nearly 18lbs) and to lend to friends.

[3300]

i picked up a panoptix at an ice show. glad it's not me lugging it around. it's huge. and heavy.

[Seamonkey84]

i picked up a panoptix at an ice show. glad it's not me lugging it around. it's huge. and heavy.

What do you have a caddy for you gear out on the ice? I’m thought about putting it on one a small kids sled and just dragging it from hole to hole lol.

[3300]

wait, you thought i bought one? no, i picked one up and it was the version one in a ice bag. the thing must be nearly 2 foot around and heavy and only had one 12amp sla and then the pipe and plate to hold the pipe and large cables and the huge transducer with big knobs to tighten the transducer to the pipe at the transducer.
they had the live scope next to it on the table, but the rep had his in a 5 gal bucket with the head on the lid.

i thought it was cool until i saw one in person. too much to bother with and if you fall thru and loose it, yikes.

[gman51]

agreed on the bulky part of that whole set up. imo its just to much hardware to deal with. setting it up... moving.. packing it away most likely more user friendly in the warmer parts of the ice belt or on the boat. where your not freezing your ass or fingers off or breaking plastic just trying to get it set up to enjoy it..   there,s a time and place.... or a just got to have it.

[3300]

here is a code to get 30% off at gander to help you on your way. working on augers and tents too.
use code CC8883 online. it is working on electronics even tho it says it won't.

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=331034.msg3880368#msg3880368
https://www.retailmenot.com/showcoupon/10546504/

[hotdogman]

This is my first post as a member. I am trying to buy a lower priced flasher / sonar. My three choices are the Marcum Troller 2.0 with upgrade, VEXILAR Fl-8SE Genz Pack with 19 Deg Ice-Ducer, or the Humminbird Ice 35 which I have on layaway right now.  Both the Vexlar and Humminbird are $255.00. The Marcum Troller is around $200.00 used. I like the concept of the Troller or the Showdown which is also around $225.00 used. I only go out a couple dozen times a year on the Finger Lakes in western NY.

[3300]

welcome!

you can get a MarCum M1 Flasher System for 245 with code i posted above at gander and free ship.  that's 105 off. and 10.50 more off if your already a member.
https://www.ganderoutdoors.com/product/details?i=219596

i had bad trouble with hb and their repairs are nearly 200 after warranty. this unit repairs will be under 100.

[Elkhnter]

Get the: Humminbird Helix 5 portable.. you wont need anything more than that!