Upgrading my Flasher - HB ICE55 or Marcum LX6?

[bigstorm]

I currently have a HB ICE35 and have had no problems with it, however, I used it yesterday in deep water for the first time(80ft, perch fishing) and noticed that it had trouble picking up my jig and sometimes even fish. I have the power cranked all the way up. Fishing in this spot last weekend, a friend brought his HB ICE45 and that worked way better than mine.

That got me doing some reasearch last night and today, I see there is a quite a difference in the amount of power that the lower end flashers have (including my ICE35) and the mid to high end ranger flashers.

This has me thinking about upgrading. Looking at either LX6 or HB ICE55.

I'm happy with the HB products but the added features/functions on the LX6 seem really nice too.

I havent found many reviews on the LX6, seems most people talk about the LX7 - I dont want to spend the extra $ for the LX7

I can find a HB ICE55 for $420 and the LX6 for $499

Any ideas?

[gman51]

i have an idea, read some of the 3000 posts on this very topic it should give you a pretty good idea.lol 

[chumster]

Go with the more reliable unit. A great number of the newer marcum units are having issues of some kind. Not many bad reports on the HB55. Take your time and read the electronics section here. Then make your decision on which model you believe will let you fish all season.

[bigstorm]

I actually spent about 2hr searching thru old posts on here looking for a comparison on these 2 flashers. I really didn't see much info on the LX6 (as I mentioned in my post, most people talk about the LX7) and I didn't see anything comparing these 2 flashers.

So I did my research before posting and I didn't see the info I wanted, that's why I started the new post.

[Mudeyes]

I don't own either of these but if I would buy one I would get the Marcum.  Digital is becoming the new standard.

[buz23]

I don't own either of these but if I would buy one I would get the Marcum.  Digital is becoming the new standard.

I think the functionality of the LX-6 and LX-7 are pretty much identical.  The LX-7 has a bigger screen and is heavier.  So comments on the LX-7 (and you are right, most comments are about it because most people pop for the bigger screen) will give you information that applies to both units.

[Alex Delarge]

People tend to compare the ICE55 with the LX5. The feature set and price are similar. I've never really heard much about the LX6 either. As someone else mentioned, it seems like marcum is having issues with their units this year. If I were to buy a marcum it would be the lx5, lots of good reviews on it, but I choose to get an ICE55 this season. I like it and its' feature set, but I probably would've also liked the lx5. As long as either is working properly, you'd probably be happy with either one.

[Elkhnter]

Bigstorm:

If you want a good fish finder- Stay with Humminbird and get there 570 portable it has a RTS "real time sonar screen" and when you move your jig you see it on the screen- No lag what so ever..

Humminbird.com and look under products and closeouts $177.00.. Cant beat that, then you can use it on a boat in the summer..

You actually see fish instead of a blue,green or yellow line- Ten times better than any flasher you will ever see...

[Loudmouth879]

"real time sonar screen" and when you move your jig you see it on the screen- No lag what so ever..
Humminbird.com and look under products and closeouts $177.00.. Cant beat that, then you can use it on a boat in the summer..

the "lag" is not noticeable to the naked eye with today's flashers (vex, marcum etc.) and I use my vex on the open water all the time and it works great

[troy_built68]

My Ice - 55 works great MOST of the time , however every once in a while the digital depth readout start's getting confused and bounces all over It just effects the digital read out the flasher stay's the same . I had friends tell me it happens when a large school of bait fish swims through the area it will confuse the unit . I don't know if this is true or just a theory .

[Yankee Troller]

I fished 135' of water with my ICE55, and a buddy had his LX5. The ICE55 worked a lot better picking up jigs and fish down that deep a few weeks ago. Another buddy had a LX9, and that worked just as good if not a tad bit better than my ICE55. We were fishing LT with 1/2-3/4oz spoons and blade baits.

[bigstorm]

From what I can tell, there isnt much difference between the LX6 and LX7, only the size of the screen and target separation on the LX7 is 1/4" better. The only negatives I have found on the Marcum LX6 (or LX7) is that if it has an older firmware on it, it may have a few glitches and those are generally fixed when upgraded to the latest firmware. Functionality and power seems the same

I havent hear too much for negatives on the HB ICE55 other than sometimes the digital readout of the depth flickers or gets confused if something large swims by. The ICE55 has less power than the Marcum LX6, more power should be more accurate in deeper water I would think

[yotepounder]

I have both the Ice 55 and a lx7. I like the Ice 55 for visibility outside. I will say when  you get down to deeper depths 90 feet plus the 55 is straining to see. As far as features and power to see all the way down in deep water, if  you fish a lot inside the Marcum is the way to go hands down. Does way more in its features and picks up jigs way better. If marcum comes up with updates or tweeks to the software, they are easy to download online. Either unit the 55 or the lx6 is going to be a big upgrade from a ice 35. I did break a gain knob off my 55 and was charged $135 to fix it which seemed high but they got it done quickly.I believe the lx6 and lx7 are pretty much same  unit other than screen size. You can pick up a ice 55 on ebay in the off season for 275-300. Humminbird gets alone with everybody but other humminbirds. Marcum and Lowrance dont play well together. But I think interference is fixable with a little patience and some adjustment. I believe marcum and vex struggle also when used together in the same area.

[Knoodles]

Something to consider.....I have not done the research on how much power the 35 puts out compared to other units.  But, I would check to make sure your ducer is not going bad.  I can see at 80 feet a flasher might have a hard time picking up a tiny jig but I am thinking it should graph fish.  Just a thought and worth a look before you spend a ton on a new flasher.  Again without doing the research I am guessing a flasher should pick up your jig in 80ft with the gain cranked way up......I could be wrong.

[Svengalli]

You shouldn't have any trouble with 35 in deeper water like 80 foot.  Especially not picking up a fish... been beside a 35 in over 60 foot and he was picking up his jig (1/2 ounce) and every fish including the perch which were investigating the lure at not even half of his gain.

Two things to consider, especially at that depth:

1) have you ditched the silly support cable yet? if not, ditch it because it causes the ducer head to sit sideways and your jig would be in the peripheries of the cone or even outside of it
2) any current what so ever at that depth would cause your jig to drift away from the hole and end up the same as above unless you compensate by drilling your transducer hole downstream

[BassOn]

i have a lx7 and have 2 buddys with lx6s and the units are equaly well...i like the lx7 better just because its a bigger screen and its easier for me to see...in bright sun its a little hard to see but as long as ure setup facing the sun or use a fishtrap shanty and have the wind break up it is perfectly fine...after all its a lcd screen.i do have a buddy with a ice 45 and it is a great starter unit and you get alot of features in a flasher for the price but in all honesty it cant compare to my old lx3 tc...the marcum is faster at detecting fish, has a way better zoom and puts out more power...lx6 is the new age of sonars and as upgrades come out to make the unit better the upgradable feature is really nice...think of it as ure 10 year plan where as  mechanical flasher cannot be upgraded.

and no im not a spokesman for marcum i just really enjoy thier units and in my opinion they are better than any other flasher on the market...if they made a unit with gps im sure they would pull all the hb597 and lowrance users also.

[bigstorm]

Ended up ordering a LX6 yesterday, not I just have to wait for it to show up and then figure out how to use it.