IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Nebraska => Ice Fishing Nebraska => Topic started by: icefishnrancher on Nov 15, 2015, 08:01 AM
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how well do flashers work in the shallow sandhill lakes with the vegetation and mushy bottom? Thanks Scott
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In my experience they work fine, a wide angle x-ducer is ideal to cover more bottom, the new flx 28 with the pro view and weed mode is pretty awesome. I use my vex fl20 with a tri beam ducer on low power mode in shallow weedy water and it works flawlessly.
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My Marcum misses nothing in the weeds- ;)
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Most of the time it works great. There are times when it's not good, but you have to remember something is better than nothing. I started with a FL-8, then a FL-20 and now have a FLX-28. Wouldn't give them up for nothing.
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The only time I'm not running a flasher is when I can sight fish. Thing is not all flashers are created equal when you are talking less than five foot of water. Add vegetation plus agitated sediment to the mix, which is common in many sandhill lakes, and you have narrowed the flasher field to one. A Vexilar. It has low power mode for reducing clutter to the transducer.
My observation varies some from sandhillguy. In water < 5' both the pro view and tri beam transducers many times need to be rotated in the hole before I can find the sweet spot and see a jig. I actually have more vision in shallow water with a standard 9 degree transducer. Vexilar unit set on low power mode, the 9 degree doesn't have a problem reading the jig even in 2 fow. Gain turned between 3 & 5 depending on clutter, I will mark approaching fish first in second echo and bottom bounce. It's like normal after that, as the fish moves in on the bait, red burn moves up from the bottom of the vex screen to the level of the bait.
Imo the FL-22 with a 9 degree transducer is ideal for Sandhill lakes. Mostly depends on if you fish Sandhill lakes exclusively, which transducer or unit to go with.
dc
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Sandbilly, you know that Harold is going to have to chime in on that one right? ;D
I however agree 100% with you. I run a FL22 with a tri-beam, or a proview. I have not been overly impressed with the proview. Finding the sweet spot with the tri-beam can be frustrating at times, but running on the narrow beam on low power mode is a must to keep "clutter" to a minimum.
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I run a fl-22 and it works awesome on sandhill lakes. Originally it had the tri beam but sure if it was working properly so I bought a 12° and works great! Vex traded me the tri beam for the pro beam. I haven't got to play it with it much to see if will like it. I have an old showdown unit that I sent in last year to get the updated software (can't remember the version) and it actually works decent in shallow waters...nothing like the fl-22.
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The only time I'm not running a flasher is when I can sight fish. Thing is not all flashers are created equal when you are talking less than five foot of water. Add vegetation plus agitated sediment to the mix, which is common in many sandhill lakes, and you have narrowed the flasher field to one. A Vexilar. It has low power mode for reducing clutter to the transducer.
My observation varies some from sandhillguy. In water < 5' both the pro view and tri beam transducers many times need to be rotated in the hole before I can find the sweet spot and see a jig. I actually have more vision in shallow water with a standard 9 degree transducer. Vexilar unit set on low power mode, the 9 degree doesn't have a problem reading the jig even in 2 fow. Gain turned between 3 & 5 depending on clutter, I will mark approaching fish first in second echo and bottom bounce. It's like normal after that, as the fish moves in on the bait, red burn moves up from the bottom of the vex screen to the level of the bait.
Imo the FL-22 with a 9 degree transducer is ideal for Sandhill lakes. Mostly depends on if you fish Sandhill lakes exclusively, which transducer or unit to go with.
dc
I forgot to add that, I have noticed on 20 deg I have to spin mine also because it falls out of view and I think its because of the cone bubble and the viewed area has much more lobed ears if you know what I mean? like a 3 leaf clover of sorts, agreed that 12 and 9 deg offer better viewing in low power, im rarely in less than 6ft though honestly.
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Dont want to make this a M vs V thing. But my LX-5 has a dual beam transducer (8/20) and the unit works flawlessly from 75 ft to 5 ft deep. At most all I do is adjust the Gain. Thats it-
I'll go away now-- ;D
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Dont want to make this a M vs V thing. But my LX-5 has a dual beam transducer (8/20) and the unit works flawlessly from 75 ft to 5 ft deep. At most all I do is adjust the Gain. Thats it-
;D
I agree completely.
That said, I am inviting you to stop in for a visit this winter where we can spend time comparing flashers on Sandhill lakes where the entire water column is less than five foot. :)
dc
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Thx, Would love to. I'm thinking a little north of Oshkosh in mid-December?
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Thx, Would love to. I'm thinking a little north of Oshkosh in mid-December?
Cool. Meet ya on little Smith, Crescent Lake Refuge.
dc
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I'm really hoping for that Marcum LX7 update before I make my way to Cherry county...lol
After seeing what how it behaved in 6 FOW, I may be starting off with my backup Elite-4 on those lakes.
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Cool. Meet ya on little Smith, Crescent Lake Refuge.
dc
Weather permitting, it's on!
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newer vexs w/ 9deg. proview best thing goin right now for this and deeper water then?
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I think so
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newer vexs w/ 9deg. proview best thing goin right now for this and deeper water then?
Yes sir.
Which transducer you go with mostly depends on the % of shallow Sandhill lakes fished compared to deeper lakes like say Merritt. If you will be spending more than 70% of your time on Sandhill lakes, I would specify the 9 degree transducer. They will all work, just some are better suited for shallow water.
Any flasher is better than fishing blind.
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LX-5's work well. Shorten the transducer lead up as shallow as you can and it will help no matter what brand or style you are using. Keeping the transducer above the bottom of the ice makes a big difference when you're in 4' of water.
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went with a vex flx 28, thanks for the help guys!! maybe i'll even get to try it out sometime this winter!!???
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Good luck just get ahold of me when we get ice and we will get together and get this figured out for you.