will a regular sonar work through ice?

[bassaddict23]

I'm thinking about pulling my fish finder from the front of my boat ta try and do some jigging through the ice. I was just gonna rig a adjustable float for the transducer,  just didn't know if you need a special transducer for the cold water temps? My fishfinder has a flasher, nothing fancy but it it should do the trick.

[MrFishfinger]

I run a Lowrance m68c in boat and on the ice. the first season i used the standered transducer that came with it, it works fine, just make sure it hangs straight in the water. Last year i purchased the Ice transducer for it, performance is the same, altho not having 25' of cable is nice, the ice transducer has a 6' cable. I got a 12v 5aH battery from radio shack, runs all day on it.

[bassaddict23]

awesome! thanks for the reply!

[westfish]

I have a Humminbird Piranhamax portable fish finder that I use on a Kayak with a suction cup in summer and attach to an old tip up type stand to hold the transducer vertical and to prevent it from falling in the hole - they make an ice transducer too but I'm not sure it would work any better.

[octanehi5]

They do not work well through the ice but in the whole there good,good for quick checking depths,rather than sounding

[waltsfishing]

you can check thru black ice u need to put water on ice first in spot u check

[bassaddict23]

thanks guys! I meant putting the transducer in the hole, but i understand the confusion as i should've said in the hole, not through the ice

[hawk01]

I have used fish finders in the past this way with limited success. I resisted investing in a real time flasher for years. This year I was convinced to buy one. It was by far the best Ice Fishing equipment investment I have ever made.  To say I was missing the boat is an understatement. I don't care what brand real time ice unit you go with, for me its now essential equipment.


Hawk.

[stripernut]

I use my Garmin on the ice and have used the other "ice" machines and have found little difference in how the units work. A ice transducer would be nice, but for the $225. that I spent, I get what one of those $500 ice units do and more. I have a flasher screen and a scroll screen so at least I can choose what I want to use... My sounder is just as real time as any other, maybe years ago there was a lag, but not on any of the units that I have used. I lift my rod tip, I see the jig rise, as I do it...

[hawk01]

If your happy with what you have that's all that really matters, I have used both and was not satisfied.

[bassaddict23]

hm well i'm gonna give the fishfinder a try this week hopefully, and until i can get a better unit for ice fishing ill have to make due with what i have. I just got a lowrance elite 4x this fall, it's got a small screen so the flasher is really small, but as long as i can see my lure and the fish it will work, luckaly i  have good eyes