best flasher for very shallow water

[Papa Sly]

I generally fish in un der 10 feet and often under 6 feet. whats the best flasher to use. I have an old FL8 and at 6 feet  its only using 1/4 of the dial so target separation is very tough. I was thinking of the Marcum lx 6s but that's a lot of money.

[HWeber]

If I fished that shallow often I'd be looking at a camera.  Cone size is ridiculously small at 6 ft but anyways any model with zoom would be an improvement over the fl8 if you're set on a flasher

[MnPucker]

The Helix can be dialed into depth by the foot.  You can also have different zooms on the screen at one in 2d and flasher mode.  I fish shallow a lot and my helix is hands down my choice every time.

[Kevin23]

My Ice series flashers work down to 12" or so of water. we fish a lot of 12-24" of water in river backwaters, flasher doesn't usually help because they hit your bait before they are on the screen because of the tiny cone.. but it does give confidence and I can see my jig and non-biting fish that come in on it.

My marcum was deadzone from the surface down about 18-24". 

[Huntindave]

I generally fish in un der 10 feet and often under 6 feet. whats the best flasher to use. I have an old FL8 and at 6 feet  its only using 1/4 of the dial so target separation is very tough. I was thinking of the Marcum lx 6s but that's a lot of money.

I have a Marcum LX6 and it has been a learning curve from the Vexilar FL12 I was using previously.  I am getting better at adjusting the Marcum to give me good readings in shallow water.  I was just out the other day in 28 foot of water, then moved to 4 foot.  After making the needed adjustments, the info on the screen was perfectly fine.

 I do like the Marcum feature of being able to adjust from either 8 degree or 20 degree cone angles.  I find that one will preform better than the other depending on the situation. As an example;  I was fishing in and around some flooded trees using the 20 degree cone.  If I dialed up the sensitivity to see my jig, it resulted in excessive clutter showing up on the screen.

 By changing  to an 8 degree cone, the clutter disappeared and I could still see my jig.  I believe the 20 degree cone was picking up adjacent tree branches, that the 8 degree cone did not "see".  Thus my screen was clear and gave me a better view of my jig.

I don't know if the Marcum is the BEST, because I have not tried all the others.  I do know, I would purchase one again, because I know it will work just fine for both shallow and deeper waters that I fish.

[FlamDragger]

I have a Marcum Showdown 5.6 and I often fish a lake with a max depth of 15 feet. A 20 degree cone only shows a 3.6’ diameter footprint of the bottom content. An 8 degree would only show you a 1.4’ area. Sometimes it takes a lot of holes to find fish in shallow waters. Then again, that can pertain to the Great Lakes as well, I’m guessing.

[John_BZ]

I'd go any vexilar with low power mode and a 19 degree ducer. Lower power mode is great for fishing in the weeds.

[hnd]

any mechanical marcum or humminbird is going to be better than the 8 in shallow water.  both units allow you to clear the screen.  even a lx6 or any autodepth product is still going to not give you the whole dial to work with.  but you shouldn't really need it.  the marcum or humminbird should allow you the separation you need.  i fish my marcums in as little as 2-3' of water with no issue and can actually separate fish in that water.    my 8 (that i had for 5 years) could do no such thing.   even my 18 with lp mode wasn't great in shallow water comparitively. 

[lowaccord66]

Used flx28 in 3 fow on LP without issues.  Also have recently used the panoptix in 4-7 fow with success.

[DR.SPECKLER]

Vexilar fl22hd.made for shallow water fishing.

[mboss13]

For the money Garmin Livescope is the best. At the prices they sell for it makes other flashers look obsolete.

[Seamonkey84]

For the money Garmin Livescope is the best. At the prices they sell for it makes other flashers look obsolete.

With my panoptix in 5’ of water, I can still see nearly 3ft to either side of my hole.

[hnd]

the livescope/panoptix product is a whole other level from a tech stanpoint but also a price standpoint that i hardly call it a proper comparison or recommendation.

even the OP willing to jump into a 600 dollar price point(lx6) from a 300 dollar price point (FL8) is not a clear sign he's willing to jump into a product thats a $3000 dollar price point. 

[lowaccord66]

the livescope/panoptix product is a whole other level from a tech stanpoint but also a price standpoint that i hardly call it a proper comparison or recommendation.

even the OP willing to jump into a 600 dollar price point(lx6) from a 300 dollar price point (FL8) is not a clear sign he's willing to jump into a product thats a $3000 dollar price point.

Not 3000 unless you own both livescope and panoptics ducers which would be overkill.

[hnd]

oh sorry, the GAR-ICE-EMP95SV-LIVESCOPE is only 2700 bucks, totally overshot it. my bad. 

[DR.SPECKLER]

Lol

[hardwater diehard]

I generally fish in un der 10 feet and often under 6 feet. whats the best flasher to use. I have an old FL8 and at 6 feet  its only using 1/4 of the dial so target separation is very tough. I was thinking of the Marcum lx 6s but that's a lot of money.

Are you using the S cable...cuts down the power of the return signal

https://www.thornebros.com/products/s-cable

http://vexilar.com/blog/2014/08/28/s-is-for-suppression

Mark 4:52

[mboss13]

I built my livescope ice kit for around $2000, of course I worked on those deals for months. For the money the tech is absolutely amazing. I see panoptix for sale used for around $1300 listed (so I assume those guys would take about $1100).  I realize it seems expensive, but the question is what is the "best", I am currently not aware of anything better in this field (available for consumers through common retail venues), than the Garmin products.

[fishermantim]

Come on, no one has even thought about saying "Look down the hole"?

Your best bet would probably be a camera, since (as mentioned by most others) the cone angle would make marking fish very difficult unless they happen to swim straight under the hole.

[Papa Sly]

Are you using the S cable...cuts down the power of the return signal

https://www.thornebros.com/products/s-cable

http://vexilar.com/blog/2014/08/28/s-is-for-suppression

Mark 4:52

   yes I do but then I just have to turn up the gain

[Papa Sly]

any mechanical marcum or humminbird is going to be better than the 8 in shallow water.  both units allow you to clear the screen.  even a lx6 or any autodepth product is still going to not give you the whole dial to work with.  but you shouldn't really need it.  the marcum or humminbird should allow you the separation you need.  i fish my marcums in as little as 2-3' of water with no issue and can actually separate fish in that water.    my 8 (that i had for 5 years) could do no such thing.   even my 18 with lp mode wasn't great in shallow water comparitively.

even if I could get 1/2 the dial. Problem is if the dial was 10 feet then it would work better for my needs.

[hardwater diehard]

The FL18 and up has better target separation..but my FL18 can be frustrating in shallow water situation ..not much of a cone ..add weeds and even more cumbersome

http://vexilar.com/pages/product-comparison

[hnd]

even if I could get 1/2 the dial. Problem is if the dial was 10 feet then it would work better for my needs.

i'm not certain any system will give you even half the dial.  My buddies lx6 doesn't but his target separation is pretty good.  perhaps the helix's might.  the flx28 does not either.   

I think your best bet is just something that gives you the best separation. 

[Huntindave]

even if I could get 1/2 the dial. Problem is if the dial was 10 feet then it would work better for my needs.

I own a Marcum LX6.  The dial screen can be set for a zero to 10 foot view and the zoom window can be set for a  1 to 6 foot coverage range. No fish shown on the screen, as this was taken with the unit sitting on my kitchen table.

[Light liner]

My Vex fl18 will work in less than 10.

[havejigwilltravel]

Drop the top of the pullover. Close the windows. Drop some eggshells in the hole to lighten up the bottom. Set the vexilar fl8 in the hole. Sightfishing is the way to go in shallow water. I watch the vex when I'm busy eating,drinking or doing other things.

[lowaccord66]

even if I could get 1/2 the dial. Problem is if the dial was 10 feet then it would work better for my needs.

1800 bucks and your all set!

[big_guy_13021]

The best flasher for 6 and under is your eyes

[IceFishFreak]

I personally don't use a flasher for anything under 6ft,  it's nothing to work a water column and figure out what they want.  Many many times i've had guys watching me pound them w o a flasher and I know they are thinking,  WTH,  how can that guy catch fish w o knowing they are there?  it's pretty easy when you been fishing like that for 40 years.  LOL.  Personally i'd rather work a spring and concentrate on technique.  To me it's harder to watch the spring,  look at the locator, watch,  look away.  no, not for me.