Why are flashers relevant any more?

[SirCranksalot]

OK---here's another thought: The main purpose of  a FF, apart from telling depth, is to keep the fisherman entertained and a bit hopeful. Otherwise if getting no bites he gets bored and goes home. You catch more fish with a FF because you stay longer!

[Gunflint]

OK---here's another thought: The main purpose of  a FF, apart from telling depth, is to keep the fisherman entertained and a bit hopeful. Otherwise if getting no bites he gets bored and goes home. You catch more fish with a FF because you stay longer!

Certainly true in my experience. Happy New Year.

[hunts2long]

You catch more fish with a FF because you stay longer!

You could say that about a good pair of boots....h2l

[Gunflint]

You could say that about a good pair of boots....h2l

Boots, coat, mittens are all about comfort (lack of suffering) more than motivation.

If I am motivated, I will endure suffering.If I am comfortable and unmotivated, I will still go home.

A FF (and a camera in the right conditions even more so) delivers motivation.

[hunts2long]

Gunflint, I use up all my "motivation", just getting out of bed. When I get out there, I am staying. ...h2l

[Gunflint]

Gunflint, I use up all my "motivation", just getting out of bed. When I get out there, I am staying. ...h2l

Agreed, I use up my motivation trudging out there toting 100+ pounds of absolute essentials. The REAL problem comes in finding motivation for that trudge back. 

[DR.SPECKLER]

I dont get out enough and have crazy short ice seasons lately.i stay all day regardless of motivation.i guess im am out of my mind but im pretty happy and enjoy just being out there and i dont catch anything o well.maybe next time..I think my persistence/patience  is key over any electronics.only fishing i even use electronics is icefishing.to many guys think fishing is about catching and stringing up limits of fish everytime.but for me its just getting out and take it all in for the day.idk what this has to do with the thread.lol

[hunts2long]

To be honest, I wasn't sure what the thread was about....h2l

[Iceassin]

To be honest, I wasn't sure what the thread was about....h2l

It was about the relevance of something but it has since become irrelevant...like most threads. 😉

[bigfoot86]

I dont get out enough and have crazy short ice seasons lately.i stay all day regardless of motivation.i guess im am out of my mind but im pretty happy and enjoy just being out there and i dont catch anything o well.maybe next time..I think my persistence/patience  is key over any electronics.only fishing i even use electronics is icefishing.to many guys think fishing is about catching and stringing up limits of fish everytime.but for me its just getting out and take it all in for the day.idk what this has to do with the thread.lol

My wife gave me 'the look' when I came home from fishing the other day, that lets me know I'm in big trouble.  The ONE time I could make it out this year I was on the ice sun up to sun down without having the decency of letting her know via phone....I definitely hear where your coming from, opportunities seem more and more limited every year that goes by to go out, so you try to soak up as much of it as you can.  I just lose track of time and everything else on my mind when I'm out there.  The way the forecast looks in our region for the next coupe weeks, we may have scene our last ice...hopefully not though.

[SirCranksalot]

My wife likes fish as much as I do. When the guys ask when I have to be home my std response is "If I don't have any fish I must be home by 5. If I have fish I can come home any time I like"

As for 'motivation' to stay-----My bad and I were out on a sunny, fairly mild day but catching few if any fish. Around 2 PM I said we might as well go home as we were not catching anything. His one word response---"Why"?     

[icedude999]

I find flasher screens easier to read in sunlight. Battery lasts longer. Whole unit will generally last longer, too. Obviously being able to see the structure like on sonar would be great, but I also don't want to be replacing it every few years. Got my flasher used for $150. Well worth it considering how long they last

[Iceassin]

I find flasher screens easier to read in sunlight. Battery lasts longer. Whole unit will generally last longer, too. Obviously being able to see the structure like on sonar would be great, but I also don't want to be replacing it every few years. Got my flasher used for $150. Well worth it considering how long they last

Yup. I also use a small coffee can over the outer screen collar. Keeps the glare and snow off the screen. Fits perfect. Easy on and off.

[filetandrelease]

 Paint the inside of the 1# coffee flat black

[Iceassin]

Paint the inside of the 1# coffee flat black

Did. Outside too.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

As a FORMER hard headed Vexilar worshipper. I thought that was the apex of ice fishing electronics.
I am a 72 year battle scarred veteran of many years. But seeing is believing . Its not only Panoptix tech.

Humminbird used to make a quadbeam + transducer. That made finding fish a lot faster and easier than any flasher. Why ? because its beam covered twice the depth it was being used in. Fished in Wisconsin with a guy that used a 787 Humminbird with the quadbeam. Everyday I went with him he was on fish one helluva lot quicker than me with my Vex.

Upon returning home I setup my 788 Humminbird with that Quadbeam.  First year I still packed the Vex every trip just in case. Second year it became a garage queen. Third year I finally sold it. Haven't looked back since.

Been ice fishing since I have been 12 years old. Have always caught fish. Before I used electronics and after. I now use a Panoptix PS 22.

My observations over the years ;

1. I go fishing to catch fish. Not to drink , chase women , or eat gourmet meals.
2. I don't buy into the just being out there. To me like going bowling and just staring at the pins.
3. Saving money does not enter into fishing. No matter how economical your approach. Still cheaper to go to your local fish market.
4. Long time ago oldtimer taught me ice fishing tea. Which is Nestles mix in with coffee. That way no policeman ever has to have me standing on one foot. Sing the star spangled banner backward to determine if I am soused or not.
5. saving money over rated. You came in this life naked and broke. Checkout the same way.
6. Always do what you like not what someone else thinks you ought to like.
7. I have spent almost my entire fortune on fishing tackle. The rest I wasted on shelter , clothing and food.
8. Politics and religion ought to be debated often and loudly. Freedom of speech not about discussing the weather. Good fishing partner understands this and often disagrees with you.

Figured I better end there as God only needed 10.

Love it.

[hnd]

the longevity of the mechanical flasher on the ice is a combination of many things.   ultimately a mechanical flasher is all that is required for about 80% of all ice fishing situations.   The key is the fact that it is used in a stationary position.  Many of the advantages of a Traditional fish finder are seen in a moving environment.  mapping, 2d sonar, side imaging, down imaging etc (lets remove the 2000 dollar elephant in the room that is the panoptix.  a game changer but a pretty penny comparitively).  since you are sitting still and looking at a column of water, outside of historical charting (does absolutely nothing for me) there is no real advantage of a traditional 2d finder. 

I've used sonar 20 years in the boat.  many brands and have really only gotten so many hours out of them before issues arise.  Buttons not working, doors for chips not working, software issues etc etc etc.   

A mechanical flasher while obviously not bulletproof we've had for 20+ years with no real issue. 

So if i'm using a product that seems to have a much longer track record and will suit me in 80% of all ice fishing situations and I have no other use for the other bells and whistles it makes sense why i'd purchase a mechanical flasher. 

I've used 3 traditional units while ice fishing.  An 67c lowrance, a humminbird 798ciHD, and a Helix 5.   All are gone (798 is on the boat) and the LX5 is more accurate, easier and quicker to tune, and I feel way more comfortable running and gunning with it.   And it last longer on a battery (not a huge deal).   

The Helix 5 went to an older gentleman who said that his vexilar flasher hurt his eyes as he had some condition.  Which makes a ton of sense.  looking at an LCD screen was easier on his eyes. 

basically in short, in a stationary position, there isn't a ton more advantage running traditional vs mechanical . 

[kpd145]

So it started a long time ago when digital tech got into the ice fishing scene.

Everyone used a mechanical flasher. The response was instant because it was mechanical. That's why they are noisy as well. The dial is spinning in the head unit.

Digital flashers sucked when they first came out, the lag was terrible because it was digital. Not mechanical. It took time to create the image on the screen. Flasher dont create anything. They just spit out an mark, instantly.

Then graph modes became the sexy open water look, that also migrated to ice. Same issues, the lag.

While the newest digital graphs and flashers are much better, some guys still swear there is lag, although very little of it.

I switched over to graph mode a few seasons ago and I like it only because I see a history of the marks I have gotten.  I cam check what I did to trigger the bite.

Was it dead sticked, did I jig at a fast cadence, slow cadence, how high did I pull jig when I was working it....graphs and the ability to record them give me alot more info on how I fish and what makes me successful on the water.

There is still a need to flasher tech but the digital side is catching up.

My vex is now a back up. Ill always keep it, for nothing more than it is a very reliable tool for ice fishing that works with minimal effort and alot less things to break

[Flint]

This is a real easy question. It’s because they work very well and are quick and easy to use. I kind of doubt most of the flasher bashers have ever used a well tuned quality unit like a LX5.

The Americans spent tons of money developing the pressurized ball point pen so it would write in zero gravity (outer space) and the Russians just used a pencil.

[SirCranksalot]

Yup. I also use a small coffee can over the outer screen collar. Keeps the glare and snow off the screen. Fits perfect. Easy on and off.

I am having trouble visualizing what you just described.thx

[FishDoktor]

This is a real easy question. It’s because they work very well and are quick and easy to use. I kind of doubt most of the flasher bashers have ever used a well tuned quality unit like a LX5.

The Americans spent tons of money developing the pressurized ball point pen so it would write in zero gravity (outer space) and the Russians just used a pencil.

The US used pencils at first too actually. But there were problems, like the concern of graphite breaking off and messing up instruments and the potential of being flammable (especially after Apollo 1). A private person/company (Paul Fisher of Fisher Pen Company) actually created the pen and spent their own money on development and then sold them to the US AND the Soviets at a discounted price of....$2.39 each.

[buz23]

Fishing in weeds I don't see how anyone can use a flasher.  Its all I can do to sort out where my jig is on the LX-7 chart, and being able to see a blob that follows the jig is key.

[DR.SPECKLER]

Weed mode on a vexilar is pretty nice.takes out the clutter of thick weeds and shows the fish hiding in them.

[icehound67]

X2

[winterbuddy]

Weed mode on a vexilar is pretty nice.takes out the clutter of thick weeds and shows the fish hiding in them.

X3.  Color mode 2 on the vex28 is pretty sweet too.  Graphs ain't got that functionality

[SKIFFLAKEJIMMY]

I dont get out enough and have crazy short ice seasons lately.i stay all day regardless of motivation.i guess im am out of my mind but im pretty happy and enjoy just being out there and i dont catch anything o well.maybe next time..I think my persistence/patience  is key over any electronics.only fishing i even use electronics is icefishing.to many guys think fishing is about catching and stringing up limits of fish everytime.but for me its just getting out and take it all in for the day.idk what this has to do with the thread.lol

You nailed it Doc.

[Lizardking419]

I have an LX-5 that worked fine but I wanted something else.  Bought a Helix 7 and will be using it this Saturday.  I almost sold the LX-5 for $280 on Craigslist the other day but decided against it.  I don't think I can find a flasher with all those capabilities for under $300.  When my kids are ready to fish, I will let them use the LX-5 or else I will be stuck with it.  No problem to me. 

I go to work and want to enjoy my time when I get out.  I bought a nice hunting rifle I only use 1-2 weekends a year.  I don't see any reason why a Helix 7 can't last many years if it is taken care of.  Having fun costs money. 

[jethro]

Sonar technology is well over 100 years old now. There is very little magic behind it. You can make the clicks look fancy or you can keep them simple, but it all works the same, exact way for all intensive purposes.

[Fisherman 1]

Sonar technology is well over 100 years old now. There is very little magic behind it. You can make the clicks look fancy or you can keep them simple, but it all works the same, exact way for all intensive purposes.

intensive purposes.. must be auto correct, hahahaha.