IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Massachusetts => Ice Fishing Massachusetts => Topic started by: Srbcee8 on Jan 10, 2019, 08:51 PM
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Hey Guys,
I'm looking to put a kit (like the striker 4) together in a portable bundle for ice fishing. I can't seem to get a straight forward answer as to whether or not you actually need the ice ducer, or can adapt the one that comes with it. What options have you guys used to adapt traditional sonar for ice fishing?
Thanks,
-S
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Srbcee,
Although I have no experience with the Stirker 4.. or other crossover sonar ...the specs suggest it will get the job done. However several "reviews" suggest the ICE transducer is not the best. Can we assume you want a "crossover" sonar to save money? If it's primary use is for your small boat or kayak....seems like a reasonable price performance trade-off.
Personally, I am not keen on crossover units ... I have a Vexliar for ice and Lowrance for the boat.
If you give it a try ... keep us posted on your observations.
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I have an older Garmin that I have rigged for the ice and my canoe, very happy with the way it works. I do use the skimmer transducer and you must work out a system to get it "level", but other than that it works great.
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I have lowrance elite 4x with the ice machine kit (bag and ducer) it works awesome. Graph mode is the best
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My son and I are both using Garmin sonar units on the ice. I've got an older model (Echo 210dv, I believe) and he's got an Echomap 53cv.
I'm using the skimmer transducer, which is quite long since it has "downview", attached to an old tip-up. I was using it last weekend in a 6" hole and that was still not quite a big enough hole for that long transducer. I had to tip the ducer down, put the tipup in until the ducer was under the ice and then pull on the cord to get it level. It worked fine and I was able to see a 1/64th oz jig in 12' of water ... even among the weeds. Could easily see fish coming after the jig. It will work much nicer in an 8" hole, though, and may not work in a 6" once the ice gets a little thicker.
My son has an ice transducer for his unit, and he just bought himself the Garmin portable kit to mount the fishfinder in. That is working out really well. He has great target separation, even in 10' of water with lots of weeds. If I get hooked on using electronics (which seems likely), I will probably have to get an ice transducer so I can use my fishfinder with smaller holes.
Bottom line, I don't see the need for a specialty ice unit for our uses. Our Garmin fishfinders are working just fine.
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I have my Striker 4 setup in a plastic ammo container and it works great for ice fishing and small vessel fishing. When ice fishing, I use the standard split frequency transducer with the transducer wire looped through a 4” section of pool noodle. It needs some adjustment to make sure it hangs fairly level under the pool noodle but it works.
I keep the battery in the ammo box and mounted the display mount on top. I drilled a hole through the top to route the transducer and power wires to the display, then carved a groove out of the top lip of the ammo box to route the transducer wire out. The ammo box also holds all the extra wire length. It’s not waterproof but it’s just about rainproof and the ammo box let’s you put it down in snow, slush, rain water without worry.
For small vessel fishing I’ll zip tie the transducer to the trolling motor or mount it on a pole and clamp the pole to the gunnel or transom. :tipup:
(https://i.postimg.cc/svFmW4NV/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/svFmW4NV)
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I bought the Helix 5 chirp DI and SI over the summer for my kayak. I bought the iceducer for it and it works perfect. If you are trying so save some money and not buy two separate units it gets the job done. I also used the ram kayak mounts and attached them to an old lowrance platform too so it has a spot for the battery, a case and the head swivels in all directions. The cone angle is a little wide so there are a few drawbacks but its better than fishing blind.
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If anyone is looking for anything electronic let me know. I can get any Fish Finders except for Garmin (we dropped them) that you might be looking for. We also sell the Marcum units. Just hit me with a PM.
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I have used a Marcum VX-1P since 2012 and recently bought the Striker4 portable kit to use as primary, then semi-retire the Marcum and keep as a spare or when friends/kids are with me.
The Garmin dual beam transducer that comes with the kit is small and has a foam float , along with an adapter piece for ram/transom mounting for canoe etc. Also comes with a kayak adapter for thru the hull.
I just took the transom mount adapter and connected it, locked the thing so in the correct position for straight down and looped it thru the float as directed. So far it works great and I've not had to modify anything the kit came equipped with.
UPDATE: Since using this a few times now, I've noticed there's a distinct lag in the unit receiving the signal from the transducer, as compared to my old Marcum VX-1P, which is very much realtime.
So far only used in less than 20FOW.
UPDATE: GARMIN tech support walked me thru how to adjust the surface clutter, and running in flasher mode there's still delay, however, using the split frequency screen with the A-Scope it's highly accurate and real time, I'm impressed with the entry level transducer in this mode...definitely a keeper unit and will recommend to anyone that's looking to get a fish finder for an inexpensive price tag!
The Garmin Striker4 with the packaged 010-10249-20 transducer works as expected, however, it shows lots of "clutter" just under the ice, no matter what gain setting is applied, and also doesn't pick up the small bibbet or jig as well as I'd like to have seen from my old Marcum.
All in all not displeased, and I'm going to ask Garmin support staff if the ice transducer will work better to alleviate the lag, clutter & give better pick up of the jig.
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All great advice. This quells my fears. I've gone from considering to dial down my interest in ice fishing to getting a power auger and now fish finder. Ice shanty...what have you done to me? ;)
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Just bought the lowrance 3x bundle it comes with ice transducer and a portable pack with 2 tackle trays. I got it for 200$ and I will be able to use it ice fishing and on my kayak. I will let you know how it is.
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I have striker 4cv, currently rigging up a box for it, I will be using regular transducer. Haven’t tried it yet but I’ll let you know how it goes, hopefully have it going this week!
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I got the Garmin Striker 4, Im gonna complain about mine, playing devils advocate here, I actual like the unit.
Things that suck about the unit in my experience.
The tranducer angle is a problem I find myself bending over and checking the angle of it often. Most of the time it sets in the whole correctly, but the black can be hard to see in a hole.
I don't find it to be very accurate. I normally used the dual beam mode and a lot of the time I wont see my jig on the screen. I have to use bigger baits or vibrating rattles to be seen sometimes.
If I take it out of a hole and move to another hole sometimes the unit will stop responding or reading the water, have to REBOOT it, or it will say 4000 feet but I am in 14 feet, REBOOT it.
In my boat I have issues with it picking up trolling motor turbulence, maybe its how/where its mounted.
If the boat rocks it makes the graph go crazy, hard to pick up anything.
False positive reading, is that a fish or what the heck is that down there???
However it does help me catch more fish for sure, its a cheaper unit and you get what you pay for...
Something I discovered the other day is it can give you a depth reading through thinner black ice if the ice is wet. Good for finding depth with out drilling I guess, but I dont really use that feature.
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on the striker 4 the skimmer works great. just use the adjustable float. put the bolt in the skimmer and run the cord around it and it will work great. you will see. just dont run it without water.
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I used my humminbird 160 piranha max with a skimmer for years and it worked fine on the ice, then 4 years ago I got the ice ducer for it and it made a huge difference. If I were you I'd buy the ice ducer. Easier set up and on less thing to carry. I had my skimmer mounted on an old wooden tip up.
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I also use the lowrance elite 3x with ice transducer.
It is great for my yak. Marks depth and picks up schools of bait and marks fish well.
I love it for the ice too.
Complaints for the ice: it gets some feedback/echoes if the ice is thick and the first 3 fow right below ice is hard to read.
It has some lagtime compared to marcum flashers. It doesnt bother me at all, but my buddy always points out “the delay.”
Otherwise, great unit for finding structure and fish.
Battery lasts forever. I charge inbetween trips, but have put 12 hours on it without putting a dent in battery life.
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Hey Guys,
I'm looking to put a kit (like the striker 4) together in a portable bundle for ice fishing. I can't seem to get a straight forward answer as to whether or not you actually need the ice ducer, or can adapt the one that comes with it. What options have you guys used to adapt traditional sonar for ice fishing?
Thanks,
-S
Try the i bobber its a very portable ball that you can use for ice fishing and open water fishing and it connects to an app on your phone.
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Alright. So I got the striker 4. It works great for me finding depths, I can see my jig and fish (I think). Still don't really know how to read it, but I've been able to dial in the settings correct.
Example of something I've seen, but don't know what it means. You can clearly see my jig dropping down.
(https://i.postimg.cc/f3Gbhynk/20190202-135851.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/f3Gbhynk)