Author Topic: Flasher..Needed or Not (Read 2861 times)

toguetaker · « **on:** Oct 12, 2005, 08:21 AM »

O.K. guys without stirring up too much I have a question. Myself and all of the people I have ever fished with do not use flashers and yet we catch fish. The question is are they really that much of a help? I target Togue mostly and have been what I consider to be successful. I scout and mark spots during open water fishing and use those marks during ice season. I found that this and a knowledge of how the fish act in the lakes that I fish work.

Icenutter · « **Reply #1 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 09:03 AM »

I also considered myself a good fisherman and thought I was very successful without a flasher. I asked myself the same question before I bought mine. I target alot of panfish and the flasher really made my eyes open up. I have increased my catch ratio by 2 fold with the flasher. I can now see fish that are suspended and exactly where they are in the water column. Before I had the flasher I would fish a foot off the bottom, now with the flasher I can see the fish that are suspended 6 or 7 feet off the bottom that I never knew were there before. It also makes me alot more mobile. If I drop the transducer down the hole and do not see fish within a few minutes I am off to the next hole. This will also help you pin point those spots you checked out in the boat and can get your exact depth. A matter of a couple feet in one direction or the other can be huge. You will be surprised at how many fish your are not seeing or you think are not there, but they really are there. Good luck.

Bassbug · « **Reply #2 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 09:53 AM »

exactly

Robb · « **Reply #3 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 10:10 AM »

Definately needed! Just by showing the fish are down there and not biting "you're presentation" can make a huge difference, when you can see the fish and adjust tactics it makes all the difference. I can definately outfish someone when they are not using a flasher, especially on specific lakes where the fish prefer a different presentation that can only be done with the aid of a flasher. To me it's like fishing blind. Good luck.

Robb

Jim_C. · « **Reply #4 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 10:44 AM »

When you "scout and mark spots during open water fishing", I assume it's off a boat with the use of electronics?? I don't have a boat, so can't do any such pre-ice scouting...this makes a flasher indispensable for me on ice. I agree with the posts made by others on how it improves the ice game. A simple true story will provide a good illustration. I was fishing with a buddy over 40 feet of water looking for white perch. Before I had my flasher, I would mostly jig within a foot or 2 off bottom. My buddy didn't have a flasher, and this is exactly what he did on this day. On the other hand, I marked a solid layer of fish suspended about 10 feet off bottom on my screen. I proceeded to start hammering them. My buddy was going fishless about 10 feet away. He asked where the fish were and I said right on bottom to toy with him a bit. After a few minutes, I noticed the veins standing out on his neck and he mumbled something about fitting me down one of my holes......at 300 LBS., he could do it, too. At that point, I told him to raise his jig about 9 feet. Just like magic, he was on fish and I stayed dry.

Jim C.

Quote from: toguetaker on Oct 12, 2005, 08:21 AM

O.K. guys without stirring up too much I have a question. Myself and all of the people I have ever fished with do not use flashers and yet we catch fish. The question is are they really that much of a help? I target Togue mostly and have been what I consider to be successful. I scout and mark spots during open water fishing and use those marks during ice season. I found that this and a knowledge of how the fish act in the lakes that I fish work.

jp · « **Reply #5 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 11:33 AM »

until 2 years ago i never had a flasher. I did good jiging or so I thaught. I went the cheap way out and got a Zercom RTS off e-bay. at first i had all kinds of problems. mostly due to the transducer. it just wasn't made to drop down a hole. but with a little backyard engineering i got that fixed. i have never seen a vexilar or marcum in action so i can't compare. but if it is anything like the Zercom you will not want to fish with out it.

jeremy

billditrite · « **Reply #6 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 02:34 PM »

Quote from: toguetaker on Oct 12, 2005, 08:21 AM

I target Togue mostly and have been what I consider to be successful.

i think with togue especially you miss a lot of bites you never even felt if you are in deep water. the flasher will tell you if they are there and maybe when to change up your presentation a little if they are there and not biting. if you are in 100 ft of water and the fish are 45 ft down youll know when you have it right in there face.
Needed ? certainly not but definately a great tool.maybe when i get some experience with it i can tell you more but for now its just hearsay LOL

jrelaxin · « **Reply #7 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 03:54 PM »

guess i need to get some glasses next..................

LINGUINI · « **Reply #8 on:** Oct 12, 2005, 06:49 PM »

i dont have one but i have seen the used and think that it is neet to see the fish moving in now that dave has one lets see if we can land more fish i do have to say i like the colors when a fish get near the area that you are fishing

toguetaker · « **Reply #9 on:** Oct 13, 2005, 12:40 PM »

I can see the use for one if you are a runner and like to move around alot. I usually pick a spot and spend the day. I guess it is either feast or famine when you set up like that.

icejunky · « **Reply #10 on:** Oct 13, 2005, 01:34 PM »

I have just bought one this off season and I cant wait to get it on the ice. After watching them in use and reading all about them on this site I beleive it will aid in catching fish. As mentioned above it will let you know when your presentation is not working and it will let you know where the fish are..suspended or fon the bottom.

Ill let you know how I make out

Icenutter · « **Reply #11 on:** Oct 13, 2005, 02:43 PM »

For years I used to be that perrson that would find one spot and sit there all day. That was when I had a tent like shelter and we would put tip-ups out for the entire day. Since I got my Fish trap I am always on the move and the vexilar makes that move even easier when I don't see fish on the screen.

jacksmelt71 · « **Reply #12 on:** Oct 13, 2005, 08:44 PM »

i think that flashers are awesome for schooling fish and fish that hold on to structure but ive noticed for sal. and togue that move around alot the flasher doesnt work as well. i fished a area that ive caught alot of fish in the past with a friend that had a flasher. when he checked the holes i drilled he sugested we move because he wasnt marking much fish. i set up anyway and about 830 the flags were popping so much we couldnt keep up. i knew they came in at a certian time on this particular spot. for bottom holding or schooling fish i believe a flasher is invaluable but for fish higher in the water columb or very mobile species i would rather rely on my depth map and my handheld depthfinder to find fish. just my 2 cents.

Jim_C. · « **Reply #13 on:** Oct 14, 2005, 01:10 PM »

Jacksmelt, makes some very good points. Jigging with a flasher is all I need in most situations for bass and panfish. However, there are certain situations where is a flasher is less useful. I wouldn't jig without a flasher, but you can only jig one hole at a time. Also, jigging isn't nearly as effective on single or small groups of suspended trout that are just passing through. So, particularly for trout, I use a combination of jigging with a flasher in one hole and traps set at various depths to cover the water in the other holes. Set a picket fence of traps to intercept cruising suspended fish. I used to just jig, but have had better success in the past couple years on trout with the double barrel approach. A flasher is also next to useless in shallow water applications(less than 5 foot depths) as for brookies.

Jim C.

smeltshack · « **Reply #14 on:** Oct 16, 2005, 01:44 PM »

YOU MAKE SOME GOOD POINTS BECAUSE ALTHOUGH I LIKE TO CATCH A NUMBER OF FISH PER DAY, I WOULD RATHER CATCH A COUPLE OF TROUT AS OPPOSED TO 6-7 PICKERAL OR YELLOW PERCH. THAT WAS MY QUESTION AS WELL ABOUT THE TROUT AND SALMON WHICH I MAINLY TARGET (UNLESS I GO TO SABATTUS) WE ALL KNOW WHAT WERE AFTER AT THAT LAKE, BUT I STILL NEED TO SEE JRELAXINS IN ACTION TO CONVINCE MYSELF IF I SHOULD FORK OUT THE CASH FOR A MACHINE THAT WILL ONLY HELP ME IN THE SCHOOLING FISH DEPARTMENT.

STILL NOT READY TO FORK IT OVER--

Polar · « **Reply #15 on:** Oct 16, 2005, 01:53 PM »

With a flasher you can see whats going on right now.You can alter your jigging style by what you see on the screen.If I where you I would fish with someone who has one and knows how to use it,by days end you'll being buying one.

jacksmelt71 · « **Reply #16 on:** Oct 17, 2005, 04:53 PM »

i have a guide friend that swears by them. hes been using it for years. even he admits there are limitations for them. he goes for bass in southern maine alot and finds it works excellent but for trout and sal. he uses it mostly for depth and bottom structure. up here the fish will hit the lure the instant you see them on the flasher so most of the time youre not ahead of the game. like i said they have their advantages but truthfully i catch as much fish if not more, fishing right next to him and his flasher. my 2 cents.

billditrite · « **Reply #17 on:** Oct 17, 2005, 05:00 PM »

well this thread could really use a little Loveice to liven it up!! he'd tell ya why you need a flasher!!

havent heard from him or black pheonix in a while now $:-\$ hope all is well.

Scott Wright · « **Reply #18 on:** Oct 17, 2005, 08:17 PM »

Quote from: billditrite on Oct 17, 2005, 05:00 PM

well this thread could really use a little Loveice to liven it up!! he'd tell ya why you need a flasher!! havent heard from him or black pheonix in a while now $:-\$ hope all is well.

... not everyone is aware that the ice fishing talk starts in October around here....

jacksmelt71 · « **Reply #19 on:** Oct 17, 2005, 08:41 PM »

yeah , sure is boring without corey to argue with!! esp. on this thread. i tried to bait him scott but it didnt work. lol. i know what loveice is doin' but where the heck is black phoenix? i still have his pole from when he came up earlier this summer.

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Author Topic: Flasher..Needed or Not (Read 2861 times)