flasher vs. under water cam

[westlakeangler]

i recently got a ice 55 flasher was debating on returning for a underwater cam was trying to hear what other peoplse opion was or people that have used both and what they prefered

[westlakeangler]

 come on no one has gone out in a group that has had both systems  or has used both

[gaustin]

Simple in my mind.....

A flasher is a necessity and a Camera is a luxury.

[axtell31]

I have both and the flasher is a much better tool than the camera.  The camera is a lot more work to set up correctly, sure you can see the fish actually hitting your bait, but if there is suspended fish you won't see them.  I only use my camera in my perm shack when I plan on sitting over the same holes all day, but i still always have the flasher in the water.  If you want to be mobile I would def. stick with the flasher for sure.  There is always time in the future when you can buy a camera to play around with.

[Swift]

Simple in my mind.....

A flasher is a necessity and a Camera is a luxury.

Camera is for fine tuning an area for the most part and you can easily catch fish without it. Without a flasher you're guessing on depth of fish if there are even any below you

[damanfrgr]

I have both and the flasher is a much better tool than the camera.  The camera is a lot more work to set up correctly, sure you can see the fish actually hitting your bait, but if there is suspended fish you won't see them.  I only use my camera in my perm shack when I plan on sitting over the same holes all day, but i still always have the flasher in the water.  If you want to be mobile I would def. stick with the flasher for sure.  There is always time in the future when you can buy a camera to play around with.

same here have both camera not really needed for ice fishing unless u are looking for structure or maybe watching a tip up???

[gaylordgolfer]

I agree with all. A flasher will give more info and a camera is a luxury. I have used a camera a couple times in the past, and while it is fun, it doesn't produce nearly the results of a flasher. I will buy a camera for next year, only to look for shelter on bottom or to see what fish we are marking in an area.

[afishhawk]

For 8 to 10 yrs. I have both the camera and a Vexiler fl-18 and I can tell you this,
The camera is a "novelty" ,But you will learn from it, It's alot of setup with the risk of tangling your line on. It's cool to watch the fish and learn how they react to your jig and how they travel. Watching how they inhale the jig and spit it out and barely move the Bobber, then swim away as if it tasted bad or some suspicion of something. Then you will see aggressive gills moving fast and aggressively thru the water eating everything in site. When those aggressive fish are on the move is when they gulp the bait with no hesitation. You will learn alot for a while then it becomes more work then benefit. After I learned their behavior the only benefit I can see is to see the bottom or structure and weeds. For those reasons, I have not used the camera in 5 yrs. But if I forgot the VEX or the battery is dead We're not fish in' today. The flasher lets you know if there is fish or not. That's really all that matters anyway, right ?
Buy the flasher and get a used camera on eBay to learn the behavior of the fish, then you may never use the camera again, But you will always use the flasher. Hope this helps you some.  



 

[blueultra2]

I have a vex and I wouldn't go fishing without it.  I just made a costly mistake by buying a camera.  I realized that it doesn't fit my style of fishing.  I like to hole hop which is perfect for the vex but a camera is best if your set up in a shanty and don't plan on moving around.  I bought a marcum camera and just sold it on Ebay!  It just depends on your style of fishing.

[jrtbaits]

in my opinion you need both ... the flasher for moving around and finding the fish, but once you've found them and plan to be on that spot the camera is a far superior tool. that being said, if i could only choose one it would be the flasher for it's all around use but unless i plan on moving around all day i always have my showdown and my fish tv with me.

[westlakeangler]

thanks been really helpfull  ill stick with the flasher then

[ThreeBears]

I agree with the luxury statement.  I sold my camera for a flasher and without a doubt it was the right decision.  A flasher can “see” all the way to the bottom, whereas a camera cannot.  A camera will not tell you in the same amount of time as a flasher whether or not there are fish in the immediate area.  This is one of the great benefits of a flasher it reduces the time to find the fish and get after them.  A down side for a camera, IMO, is that if you use a camera in a really cloudy lake, like West Lake, it becomes worthless and you loose interest really quick.  On the plus side I have used a camera in Higgins in 75 FOW to catch perch that I never would have caught with a flasher due to the light bite.  However, that was a one time event for me.

[pzoch]

The camera is definately a luxury but can be a great tool to hone your jigging skills as well as your bait
presentation for different species of fish in different weather conditions.I have both and use my Marcum
LX5 always and my camera very little these days.When you can mark fish all over with  a finder and can't
get the fish to bite,you can drop your camera down and see what the fish are actually doing down there
and their reaction to different baits and lure-jig combinations.That is why I like having a camera in the
arsenal and they are great for looking for weeds,rocks, and structure in a lake or river.My advice would be
to first buy a flasher or fish finder and then get a camera.I have used both but beware of tangles and wrapped
lines if you have them too close together and remember fish love making knots.lol

[TCfishman]

Trade it for a FL-18. Had a camera before too, helps to finds structure and see the fish, flasher helps you catch the fish. Tons of people returned the ice 55 at gander and traded for the fl18

[walleyehawger]

FLASHER.........next question?

[Basshole]

Ive got both a camera and a vexilar. cameras are nice if you are really trying to pinpoint an exact spot. but flashers i find are more useful in general.Ive only used my camera 2 times this season and each time i wish i would have brought the vexilar instead. cameras are a lot more work as well and youll find yourself messing around with it more than you'll be fishing.

[allcaughtup]

I have a little cabin on a little lake up north and I know where the fish are everytime out....I love the camera in this situation...I use it in the shallows where the crappie and bluegills stack together and all hit at pretty much the top....I angle the camerea in the downward position...if you have a couple lakes that you basically fish the same spot everytime...bring the camera....if your not sure where your gonna be fishing use the flasher...The camera has it's situations where I would not trade mine for anything...if you already have it...dont get rid of it....just have both...

[blueyes]

come on no one has gone out in a group that has had both systems  or has used both

really looks like most guys that responded have or have had both