Why are flashers more popular than fish finders?

[EatenByLimestone]

Probably around 30 years ago my father had a flasher on the boat.  Then he went to fish finders as technology improved. 

I just started getting into ice fishing and was surprised to find flashers are the thing to have.  How come I don't see portable fish finders in use?  It seems they would give a better representation of the bottom.

What am I missing?

[Fry Flier]

Not sure about the others here, I find or found when I bought my Vexilar flasher that in my opinion it was and is in true real time. Also if you are fishing down and only down what benefit is the pictorial of the bottom. Not sure if or how the finder will show my 1/4 ounce jig in the water column but my vex locks onto it and will show it to me at 200 feet below.

[hamms]

People seem to think a flasher is the only "real time" display and so that is what is popular. Flashers are very durable as well, but I will say the graphs I use have zero lag and are "real time".  These same graphs go on my boat and are used year round. Just making better use of my gear.

[matzilla]

Fish finders:
Show history which can be a huge help when trying to finesse fish into biting
Multiple real time displays
Easily and clearly shows the movement of bait fish
Multi color display (many more colors per return strength)
More power
Multiple (mine has 6) levels of noise reduction
Surface clutter reduction
Ability to overlay or display 2 frequencies at the same time and adjust the sensitivity of each independently
No moving parts
Built in GPS/Mapping - mark waypoints, plot hole hopping tracks, use custom maps
Ability to log and screen shot sonar readings
Highly adjustable zoom settings
Greater resolution (100's of pixel lines per x amount of depth vs #lights per unit of depth)
Larger screens are easier to see
Quiet operation
Clearly see fish moving in heavy weeds and/or brush
More bang for the buck

[ducati]

Simplicity

[Chawk190]

Fished with both on ice and prefer a flasher when stationary at a hole. I've ice fished with more guys that had fish finders that wanted to get a flasher than the the other way around. However on my boat I have both a chart plotter/sonar and a dedicated touchscreen bottom machine, mostly for saltwater inshore drift fishing and they work great for navigating, marking waypoints and structure and finding fish when moving. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages and boil down to preference and utilization. JMO.

[3300]

now you can buy some that have both displays all at the same time and in 6 color. you don't have to stand at the store trying to decide like the olden days.
they sure are nice!

[Woodsman]

"Why are flashers more popular than fish finders?"
Are they or are flasher owners just more vocal about their choice on the icefishing forums?
When your on the ice check what others are using.
You may find that your title of this thread doesn't pan out.
At least where I fish it doesn't.

[krazykid]

Fish finder that has a flasher function!

I just got into ice fishing this season, and i am hooked.   I bought the new Helix 5 from Humminbird with standard 2d imaging and GPS.  Lakemaster chip coming soon for depth reading on the lakes I fish so my hole placement will be much easier and more accurate/repeatable.  Best $300 unit IMO on the martket right now.

This unit has the 200/83hz dual beam ducer.  Leave it on 200 for ice and with the RTS feature running I see my jig working with absolutely zero lag.  The resolution is great too.  I can see a mark for my tiny little barrel swivel on 4lb test 6" above my smallest Swedish pimple on the graph too.  it looks like a line right above a slightly thicker line on the rts.  I have even seen small perch come up and mouth the swivel and i see/feel the nibble on that at the rod to confirm.   Its as deadly accurate as it gets IMO, especially for the price.   Also its nice to see the history march by on the graph to see what jigging techniques produce activity.

I leave it on the RTS and full sonar & the 2x zoom function when I am on the ice.   It has the flasher feature and that is just as good as any marcum/vex from what I can tell if thats the "look" you are used to fishing with.

The GPS function once i pop the lakemaster chip in (im kind of bummed the unimap built in doesn't show depths on the chart, unless i am missing something in the setup) i will be drilling far less blind holes looking for my spots based on a paper lake map and guessing my locations.  Also finding honey holes and setting way points over them is clutch too.  IRC its within 15' accuracy to boot.

I rigged the skimmer ducer on a foldable piece of 1/2X1/2 aluminum tube so the ducer is horizontal to the hole and it works perfectly fine if my sonar is a bit choppy or the marks are thin its because i dont have the ducer dead level with the lake just a little preposition and its good to go.  It can support the floating ice ducers to eliminate that hassle too.

Lastly, when i get myself a smaller boat this summer for lake fishing instead of the Grady we have for primarily ocean fishing I will permanently mount this ducer on the boat and get another $8 power plug so each season change i just grab the head unit and plug it into the ice ducer or back on the boat.

I mounted it on a little 6 pack cooler.  $40 atv battery with 10ah cap gell cell battery (dont get acid get a sealed gell so it can be tipped all over and be perfectly fine).  plenty of room inside for 3 little bait boxes and knife/pliers and I am good to go.  Light and tidy.   I have been out twice with it sofar.   full days fishing and the battery when i put it back on the charger it has never had less than 11.8 volts and 48% charge, so I est about 10-14 hours of use to a charge before it drops voltage too low to turn on the unit.  I am building a nice aluminum carrying case for the unit to hold 2 batteries, wire them up parallel and you have 12.x volts still but double the run time. But i doubt i even need 2 at this point.

[Idahogator]

Very well done, Krazykid !     

Welcome to the addiction.     

[krazykid]

thanks boss.  dude you have no idea how deep i am into this sport already. hahaha.  i am never one to half ass anything I go big right outa the gate.

First day on the ice was 3 weeks ago... sofar I blew my bonus check that couldnt have come at a better time on a 50v strikemaster auger, that sonar, pair of jigging rods (need another ultra lite and ill rig up some old bass rods cut down for a heavy laker rod this week) got the jet sled today at lunch time, im going to build a lift kit and take some old twintip ski's i have collecting dust for that, rod holders etc and trick that sled out.  Thursday a guys selling a ClamXL2000 locally in great shape for $125 to me too.   so yeah I went all in right outa the gate and I am SO STOKED to be on the ice now, i eat sleep and dream about fishing!

[Idahogator]

WOW !   

You've exceeded all expectations of a newb.     

I venture, we'll be learning/listening , ha.     

[youp50]

About half and half here.  Only advantage that I know about is cold weather reliability.  My screen is not useable when its cold.  I am in a heated tent or flip over so that is of little consequence.  This unit will show a barrel swivel on a handline 280 feet down.

Since this image was made I added an ice transducer.  Advantage, no need to fiddle with the transducer angle.  Disadvantage, I no longer have the wide angle to discourage someone from setting up 20 feet away.  Wide angle puts too much sound in the water for most other nearby units to properly function.

Next year I will expect to have a side scan Lowrance HDS 7 tricked out for ice fishing. I think the side scan will really allow me to pin point my location.  I also think it may totally over power anyone too close.

And I am too frugal to have a dedicated ice flasher when for a few bucks more I am in the game with top of the line electronics.

[EatenByLimestone]

How did you rig the part in the water?  It looks like you just dropped it in like an ice transponder.

[ship of fools]

I used to use my Lowrance X67c but after issues with interference and having to screw around with the stupid transducer i bought a vex and have never once felt a need to go back to the old one.

My vex is bulletproof and couldn't be simpler to use.

And i bought it used for $275 and i know i could sell it for $300 any time i want 

[Coachkwj]

My Humminbird can show both a flasher and graph mode. Both have teir uses. I gave my Vexilar to my son. Bought a portable unit and mounted my Bird from the console of my boat on it. Had to but an iceducer for it. For about $500.00 total, including the unit, I have what I feel is one of the best units out there. 8 colors, more sensitivity, more noise rejection even though it's not necessary, GPS, screen snapshot capability. I could go on but you get the picture. And battery life is twice what the Vex is. There easva thread a while back showing the benefits and how to set things up. Nice write up by Camohunter. Search for it.

[matzilla]

Something I've been playing around with lately is the 455/200khz split screen view with different sensitivity settings on each frequency to track fish through heavy brush piles. There are several times when you can pick up a fish on 455khz that doesn't show on 200khz due to drop offs or having a fish come into the edge of the 200khz cone and covering up anything under it. For every 2 fish I had come through on the 200, there was 1 I would have missed if I didn't have the split screen going. This is a perfect example of what you cannot do or see on a flasher.

[Knife2sharp]

For cold weather use, the flasher outproduces, but they also have a larger viewing area, in most cases.  I've had a 383 Humminbird 383c on my kayak and got the case and ice transducer for it this year.  The depth finder has the flasher screen.  The ice transucer is dual beam, but I don't think Humminbird offers the narrower 9 degree transducer that Vexilar has.  So you could run into noise issues fishing close to others, but I don't.

[Fry Flier]

Not sure about the others here, I find or found when I bought my Vexilar flasher that in my opinion it was and is in true real time. Also if you are fishing down and only down what benefit is the pictorial of the bottom. Not sure if or how the finder will show my 1/4 ounce jig in the water column but my vex locks onto it and will show it to me at 200 feet below.

Well corrected maybe, impressed yes.
Bought the Lowrance Elite 3 all season and it was a lot better then I could ever remember my old Hummingbird to be. Took it and the Vexilar out today and after 15-20 mins and seeing that the Elite 3 was working nicely I decided to put the Vex away. Has a bit of and not much of a learning curve to it, I believe I will keep it and be happy that the unit will go out on the kayak and canoe with me.

[Craig M]

My bother has a Vex and I have a graph.  As stated above as to the advantages of a graph over a vex are true (love my graph and spring for a unit that has color!!!) but it ultimately comes down to knowing how to use it.  It took me 1 outing to play and tune my graph to my likings and now its second nature to adjust it when I'm hole hopping.  As for which is better, some day's I out fish my brother and his vex and some days he out fishes me so I would say it's a preference thing.  You like what you like and you'll be happy with wither either once your put a little research in to get the one that's right for you..

[chummyhole]

im a fish finder guy.  Dont like flashers.  I prefure the kitty litter buckets or sault buckets.  Holds two batteries.   I have Styrofoam around the batteries  last for ever

[jethro]

The thing about sonar is it's all the same. Don't let anyone tell you different. This technology was created over 100 years ago and has changed very, very little. It's a click of sound that is fired at the bottom and measured how long it comes back. Some companies have fancy head units that can do all sorts of things, some have different algorithms that fancy-up what you see, but it's all the same. I prefer a flasher type for vertical fishing and a graphing type for open water fishing, but both have their advantages. This year I am going to have both as I will be using my Helix 5 for ice fishing but I still think my ICE55 will be coming on the ice with me for the first few trips.

[Tomz1986]

I believe flashers are more popular just cause of the fact that they are so simple....I have lowerance elite chirp n it is spot on compared to flasher I would say it works equally as well...however I can still use it in the boat in the summer and have one heck of a good fish finder for both situations. So for me it made more sense to buy something I can use all year. Sure I may need to keep in a heated shelter longer but I really don't mind staying warm longer.

[river rat78]

Never used a flasher before but I have heard that it takes awhile getting used to reading the dial. I prefer the fish finder cause it's easier to read. It doesn't really matter what you use as long as it marks fish and you are able to read it.

[DLB]

Hated my flasher..sold it and went with a graph and very glad I did so.

[Arctic Addict]

My Vexilar actually hooks the fish and I hear the new models even real them in for you too.  Sorry, couldn't resist.  I use a combo of my Garmin 440s that I remove from my boat for the winter and a Vex.  The Garmin helps me navigate to the exact fishing grounds and then I use my Vex as I start punching holes.  This is mainly preference as most of the units are all very good.  I also use Navionics and a camera.

[upnortfishing]

A lot more people using graph sonars on the ice than I would've thought. The answer to the original question though is really simple, the reason why flashers are more popular than fish finders for ice fishing is mechanical flasher displays are not affected by the cold in the way a liquid crystal display is. Newer LCDs are a bit better with it and the current equipment is LED but 10 years ago the flasher was your only reliable option.

As far as digital dual-use fish finders Humminbird is kind of leading the way with their previous offering of the 386ci and 686ci and now the Helix line being sold in ice set-ups. Lowrance spent some advertising dollars to get in In Fisherman's annual ice mag to let people know about their Elite CHIRP series ice lineup. 

If you have a boat and you fish a lot it only makes sense to get one of the high end digital units and use it for hard-water and open water. However my Vexilar in a genz box is nigh indestructible and the simpleness of the flasher dial can tell me all the information I need to reliably catch fish. The technology has outpaced the tradition but as this thread illustrates the trend is proving to be more split.

[sandhillguy]

I just recently converted my Bird 688ci Hd to an ice unit, used a cabelas universal sonar base, dave genz soft pack and bought the ice-ducer. Main reason for doing it was to have my Lakemaster chip with me, it has our major lakes in nebraska mapped extremely well imo and just as I do during open water I wanted to utilize that on the ice like many guys do. The other reason was because I got to fooling around with jigging on my bow of my boat using the 688 with my US2 sonar on my Minnkota and it picks up jigs very well, in both flasher mode and graph mode. Now will it flat out replace my Vex FL20? Absolutely not. The traditional flasher style fits my preference so much better, I even feel that just from some dinkin around on the dock with the 688 that it might truly be a better unit to fish with but I wont ever choose to use it over my Vex. Maybe with some use this winter my mind may change but will have to wait till then to find out.

[don519]

For me it was easy my fishing partner   that got me hooked on ice fishing had a vex fl8 and that was what I learned to fish with so I bought a fl12 and wouldn't fish with out it

[SirCranksalot]

As I see it you need to be staring at a flasher all the time or else you can miss seeing a fish whereas with a graph you can glance at it then look around at the scenery.  I fish out in the open and don't like the 'video game' aspects of using a flasher.