Flashers/Sonars

[Seedtree]

My FL 18 in action this weekend.

[bquick]

Hands down, flashers/sonars up the odds, but you still have to catch the fish.  I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I have iced more fish ONLY because I used a flasher.  BUT, on the flip side to it all, if the fish are finicky and you are fishing with too heavy of a line or the wrong lure... you won't catch them even with a flasher.  And yes, this happens more than you know.

Case in point, just a few days ago out on the lake, I watched one guy ice over 30 perch while no one else did a thing.  I checked his gear and technique, changed my approach and then came home with at least a few to eat.  I sat down that night and changed out all of my gear to a different setup, lightened the line, terminal tackle, weights, and lures substantially.  This week has since produced the most perch for me at any one time in the last 10 years.

A flasher is an outstanding tool.  When used in combination with a little bit of experience and the right setup, you will simply catch more fish more often.  I don't own a very expensive one either.  I use the Marcum Showdown Ice Troller.  It does what they are supposed to do.  The features on more expensive units are great as long as that is what you need.  It also depends on what species you are targeting.  I hear a lot of guys who rave about the ability to focus on the bottom and the midsection water column at the same time with a zoom feature, but this isn't always practical for everyone.

Like I said in the above paragraph, you need to focus on a specific species in your approach.  If I am fishing for perch and/or eyes in 30ft of water, it does me no good to see a trout at 10ft below the surface.  I might try to reel up and get him, but he is not my focus and most likely it won't do me any good other than just to try it.  If you are fishing both the bottom and mid or top sections, then your spread of holes is probably going to be a little bigger and you are doing this out at places like Canyon Ferry that allow you to have more poles.  For the occasional person who likes to fish one pole high and one pole low, this might be a good option.  But most of the time, even the $200 Troller I have will get me by.

Lastly, I have fished in Montana for 25 years for everything from Paddlefish to 9" trophy trout in the high mountain lakes, fished Bass tourneys in Vegas, the open ocean and the flats in Florida, shore casting and spear fishing in Hawaii, and even fished in Africa when I was 9.  I definitely don't know enough to be a great angler, but trust me when I say that your setup and technique must be correct for the fish you are fishing for, even if you drop $600 into a finder.

[andercee]

I wouldn't go without one now.  You should be able to pick up one off of ebay for 200 or less.

[icefishnaddct]

bquick said it best. it will help you catch more fish, as long as you know how to catch em in the first place. the flasher won't make em bite the hook, but if you already have the proper technique/gear for the species of your preference and are catching them, a flasher should ATLEAST double your catch

[fishinwithbrittanies]

I like what bquick said....I would add to that by saying a sonar will tell you VERY QUICKLY that you could be doing something wrong.  Look at it this way.  Your flasher/sonar will tell you there are fish or there are not.  If there are not fish....move.   If there are fish and your catching them great.  If there are fish and your not catching them something has to change.  Maybe jig, maybe color, maybe size of jig or type, maybe the bait, maybe the line.  Thats the best part of it though is figuring it out.  I mean come on, whats the fun in going out and icing tons of fish every time you go out.

[Jay K]

First season's experience with a flasher - x67c, and I love it.  I think I probably would not go out without it charged up and ready, unless the perch are stacked up to the top of the water column and biting bare hooks.  I cobbled my ice setup together from individual parts, but I'd recommend the x67c ice-machine setup at Cabela's online.  Like others have said, another advantage is with a change in transducer, you can setup the x67c for open water (kayak in my case).

[greenmonster57]

I would go out on the ice in my bare feet before i would go out without my trusty vexilar.  Ive used a Fl-12 now for about 6 ot 7 years and love it. definitely without a doubt it helps me catch more fish.   

[natedogg18]

My buddy got a Vexilar Fl-12 this season and it is pretty sweet.  Its fun to watch fish react to different presentations. It definitely helps catch more fish.  It even helps me catch more fish when we are together.  Especially for perch.  He finds the fish and I can follow.  From what ive seen, they are expensive but well worth it.

[snakeyes_981984]

My wife got me the hummingbird 35 and i love it. It is the one thing i know for sure (excluding my tackle and poles.) i would not leave home without.

[iceholer]

First season's experience with a flasher - x67c, and I love it.  I think I probably would not go out without it charged up and ready, unless the perch are stacked up to the top of the water column and biting bare hooks.  I cobbled my ice setup together from individual parts, but I'd recommend the x67c ice-machine setup at Cabela's online.  Like others have said, another advantage is with a change in transducer, you can setup the x67c for open water (kayak in my case).

i agree x67c is great i have the m68c  :icefish:with gps and mapping best unit out there in my mind don't have all the bell and whistles  figured out "yet".lets say your catching fish mark your spot no need for a second gps unit crossing the lake in the fog. Or a snow storm Comes up go to map follow you track back and yes put it on the boat  flasher and graf mode Lowrance has it figured out check them out

[iceandwiskey]

I agree with the X67C  I have fished with other flashers and I love my Lowrance the best.  I will say I think it is what ever you are used to... but I do love my X67!!!  It has payed for it's self in fish dinners

[fatguysfish]

replying to your post on flashers and sonars.  my buddy and i have a vexilar fl18 and a marcum camera. i have fished for many years without both. and have caught good numbers of fish. but since we have them i know that it is hands down more reliable and more convenient with them. some of my friends say that it is cheating. but we are not in agreement. very reliable tool in the ice hut. would not go without them anymore. if i had to choose camera over finder?? I would probobally go with camera. hope this helps....

[salmonhead54]

I purchased a showdown dual transducer fish finder this year and it is one of the best investments i've made thus far for ice fishing.  You can see exactly where the fish are in the water column.  It was pricy but well worth the money.  I've already caught more salmon this year then all of last year.

[trappermike82]

I've used both vexilar and Marcum.  I would have to agree that the marcum is pretty sweet.  Got to be around one last winter fishing with icenadwiskey on Holter and they are cool.  How's that cabelas camera treating you by the way F???  Ready to hit Holter or even tiber?

I just picked up a vex FL18 for $220 so I am itching to get it out.  Two of my buddies have FL18's and they work well!  Last weekend my buddy and I were perch fishing up north.  I would have normally thought there wasn't any fish down the hole, but the vex showed em stacked up in the first 3 ft of the water column.  We just switched jigs until we found something that they would take and extended our catch by 20 or more fish in that location.

[iceandwiskey]

Well I am on my 4th camera....  That should answer that.  Yes we need to make some plans for a Holter or Tiber trip, I am up for either one!

[trappermike82]

That sucks about the camera.  Guess I know not to buy a cabelas brand when I do...  we used one up north of here two weekends ago fishing for perch and it sure was a hell of a lot of fun!

Just picked up an otter resort 4 man shanty for $50 bucks, but I need to purchase the sled, so I will be into it for about $350.  Whole lot better than $850 though... might have it ready to go soon if your wheeler is good for towin' it!  Let me know what works for you...  I'll be around the next two weekends with no set plans, so just let me know F!

[CarpCopRetired]

This is the first year that I’ve used a “fish finder” for ice fishing…what a hoot…HDS-5 in a PPP-i16. Almost doesn’t seem fair to the fish…almost…

[filetandrelease]

This is the first year that I’ve used a “fish finder” for ice fishing…what a hoot…HDS-5 in a PPP-i16. Almost doesn’t seem fair to the fish…almost…

sucks to be a fish 

[ih772]

99% of the people giving you an opinion on which sonar to buy have never used any other sonar (for a season) than the one they bought. You can't really get an accurate comparison that way can you?

You want to buy an X67c and here's why....a side to side comparison of a spinning wheel flasher vs and color TFT sonar.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2582526&postcount=20

[jshunter94]

It makes a big differance finding the fish and how agressive the fish are. Example this past weekend I was in 18 Foot of water. Fish were on bottom but they didnt bite until I would raise my jig slowly up. Without the Vex, I wouldnt have known that there was even fish there.

[slipperybob]

blahhh, you've got to be a member to see the discussion...what did they say?