New to using sonar/flashers, can you..

[EVAN NIM]

Hey Guys,
 I have never used a flasher. Can you use above ice to get depth and or structure? I've also seen the Marcum showdown which looks like a fish finder screen. would this work above the ice?

I guess this year I am considering investing in something other than a camera, but I wanted to know if there was such a way to check depths and any possible structure without having to drill a hole. ive seen online on cabalas small yellow portable depth sounders but their reviews are terrible.

any insight would be greatly appreciated of suggestions.

[ice dawg]

If it is clear ice with few bubbles you can pour a little water or other liquid on the ice, set the bottom of the transducer in the liquid and shoot through the ice. Doesn't work nearly as well with cloudy ice or layered ice.

[Whytie]

yes and no.

If it's clear black ice, you put a bit of water on the ice then the transducer on the ice. It can give you depths and show fish. Snow covered or cloudy ice you get a lot of interference in the flasher. Seems to work up till the ice is over 20" thick.

on a side note if it's really cold out and you do this, the transducer can freeze to the ice.

[EVAN NIM]

ok. makes sense, thank you.
does any flasher or sonar fish finder for ice fishing work to show any kind of structure if I were to punch holes?

[Whytie]

It will only show a flat bottom. Same as if you were jigging in a stationary boat.

Playing with the sensitivity you can tell if it's a hard or soft bottom and if there are weeds present. Weeds will look like fish but never move.

[canada]

hummingbird    get it

[Mancaveburnett]

If you get the navionics app for your phone, that will get you to a desired depth as your traveling out on the lake.

[Seamonkey84]

The way sonata show structures is by passing a beam over them and showing you the distance from you to it. Other than Garmin panoptix or Humminbird 360 you won’t get a side sweeping image to show you the bottom other than what’s directly below you. Or if clear early ice, I guess you could drag your transducer over wet ice with a graph unit and it’ll show you contour and structure.

[beast]

Humminbird does not recommend using the 360 transducer in winter, it's not made to take the cold weather and can damage the transducer itself.gps lakemaps and underwater camera maybe you best bet along with the new garmin units.

[zforste1]

If you get the navionics app for your phone, that will get you to a desired depth as your traveling out on the lake.

which Navionics app exactly? i would be interested in purchasing it but i see several in the App store. thanks.

[jpicks]

Navionics US & Canada Boating.  I think it's around $15 or so.  only app I've ever actually spent money on.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.navionics.singleAppUsaCanada&hl=en_CA

[EVAN NIM]

looking at this unit?
thoughts

Garmin® Striker Plus 5 Ice Bundle

[zforste1]

Navionics US & Canada Boating.  I think it's around $15 or so.  only app I've ever actually spent money on.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.navionics.singleAppUsaCanada&hl=en_CA

thanks!

[hardwater diehard]

It will only show a flat bottom. Same as if you were jigging in a stationary boat.

Playing with the sensitivity you can tell if it's a hard or soft bottom and if there are weeds present. Weeds will look like fish but never move.

some video

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=334480.msg3544659#msg3544659

[jpicks]

you can also look at the navionics maps here..

https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@6&key=oxi%7DHrjdjS

[3rdgenrf]

Anyone use the Vexilar depth sounder? Amazon has it for $170.  Would be handy to shoot depths from ontop the ice.

[hardwater diehard]

Anyone use the Vexilar depth sounder? Amazon has it for $170.  Would be handy to shoot depths from ontop the ice.

The LPS-1 ...I have one ..great when i used it...but since getting the DD-100 hardly gets much use...could not get it to shoot through ice though .