Humminbird 597ci HD

[Yankee Troller]

Has anyone used the unit mentioned above, or even the 345/385, for ice fishing? I was about to pull the trigger on an ICE 55, but I think that GPS will be nice for coming back to honey holes, and the mapping technology might be nice for finding drops when jigging or fishing tip-ups. I primarily fish Lake Ontario bays, the Finger Lakes, and some other Lakes here in NY.

After getting my butt kicked by friends with flashers the last few seasons I need to pull the trigger on something. I'm just not sure if the typical flasher models show more than a digital flasher? I don't want to lose flasher performance just to add a GPS.

[bpiatt]

The only performance difference you will notice on the 597 vs the ice55 is the 597 doesn't have a narrow beam transducer. They have the same target seperation as the ice55. The gps will definitely come in handy, especially if you also plan to mount it in your boat. You'll be able to mark locations that look good in the fall and then come back to them in the winter. You'll also love using the traditional graph while your ice fishing. I like having a history of my jigging motion and its awesome to watch a huge thick line fly up off the bottom.

[Woodsman]

I have a 345 & love it.
I have used it over 120' and have no problem seeing my jigs or fish.
The sonar screen is all I use.
I also have a 580 which has GPS that I used before getting the 345 and where I fish I seldom used the GPS.
With a paper map & finder I can find spots fairly quickly.
The best part of GPS for me is for marking spots to return to them & navigation if the weather turns bad. These I can do with my hand held GPS.
Now I have a smart phone I plan on getting the Navionics app for an extra tool.

[CamoHunter]

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=229531.0
Some information on extremely similar units: 385ci, 788ci.  Check it out.  No matter what you choose, you'll increase your catch rate immensely with a flasher or sonar.

[mjmeyer]

I made a couple comments in the link above, but on the subject of GPS.
You can walk to a spot seemingly in the middle of nowhere and sink a hole over a spot that you marked last year, last summer or last week.
Nice feature. Well worth the extra $. The smaller screen on the 385ci is only a minor handicap. Plenty big even for my eyesight.
Mike

[Yankee Troller]

The only performance difference you will notice on the 597 vs the ice55 is the 597 doesn't have a narrow beam transducer. They have the same target seperation as the ice55. The gps will definitely come in handy, especially if you also plan to mount it in your boat. You'll be able to mark locations that look good in the fall and then come back to them in the winter. You'll also love using the traditional graph while your ice fishing. I like having a history of my jigging motion and its awesome to watch a huge thick line fly up off the bottom.

It looks like there is a dual beam ducer that comes with it?
http://store.humminbird.com/products/598266/ICE_597ci_HD_Combo

Edit: Now I see what your talking about! The ICE55 has a 9deg and a 19deg beam vs the standard HB 20/60deg

Now this just got more complicated. You would want the narrower/tighter beam when ice fishing wouldn't you? Or is a 20degree cone small enough?

[CamoHunter]

Yes, the Humminbird flashers come with a 9deg and 19deg dual transducer.  The Humminbird sonars some with 20deg and 60deg dual transducer. 
By comparison, most vexilars come with a 12deg or 19deg transducer, or you can get a tri beam ducer. 
Marcum: typically a 20deg.  8deg/20deg on the Showdown. 

Looked that up really quick, so might not be totally accurate, but close.

[bpiatt]

It looks like there is a dual beam ducer that comes with it?
http://store.humminbird.com/products/598266/ICE_597ci_HD_Combo

Edit: Now I see what your talking about! The ICE55 has a 9deg and a 19deg beam vs the standard HB 20/60deg

Now this just got more complicated. You would want the narrower/tighter beam when ice fishing wouldn't you? Or is a 20degree cone small enough?

Typically you can get away with a 20* cone. There are some instances where you need a narrow beam though. If your fishing on a drop off, the wider the cone angle the bigger the blind spot. It will show you the high point in the cone as the bottom. If you ever target lake trout in very deep water you will also want to have the narrow beam. Narrow beams also come in handy when fishing tight to structure or in weeds. I use the narrow beam on my lx-7 roughly 40% of the time if that helps you any.

[Yankee Troller]

Yes, the Humminbird flashers come with a 9deg and 19deg dual transducer.  The Humminbird sonars some with 20deg and 60deg dual transducer. 
By comparison, most vexilars come with a 12deg or 19deg transducer, or you can get a tri beam ducer. 
Marcum: typically a 20deg.  8deg/20deg on the Showdown. 

Looked that up really quick, so might not be totally accurate, but close.

Thanks bud I did the same research, which makes it even more annoying that there isn't a "standard" in the industry.

[Perch_Whisperer]

I have the 345. I really like it and its a pretty versatile unit that you can use summer or winter and choose whether you want graph or flasher. If prefer the graph and never use the flasher and probably never will. The unit is also much cheaper than most of the flashers. You should be able to buy it for about 350 with the carrying case and ice ducer.  My only knock on the 345 is the size of the screen.

[bpiatt]

Thanks bud I did the same research, which makes it even more annoying that there isn't a "standard" in the industry.

Hey man I live right in webster, NY and I own an LX-7. If your having trouble making up your mind I can meet up with you and let you check out what features this unit has so you can compare to others. Maybe seeing something in person will help you make up your mind.

[Curley]

One thing about the Humminbird combo units is there charts are crude to say the least. A navionics chip fixes the issue at $100 to $200 depending on what you want. I know a few guys who use them on there kayaks and like them alot.

[Yankee Troller]

Hey man I live right in webster, NY and I own an LX-7. If your having trouble making up your mind I can meet up with you and let you check out what features this unit has so you can compare to others. Maybe seeing something in person will help you make up your mind.

I appreciate that, but it has to be Humminbird for me. I've owned a bunch of their products, and they are great to work with.

I think I am leaning towards the ICE55 to have more of the "traditional flasher." Although the GPS mapping would be nice I often don't venture out looking for drops and humps where we fish. Weeds change year to year, so a hole in the weeds in a bay wont be there the next year most likely. Oh yea, and the ICE55 is cheaper. I knew there was something else.....

[bpiatt]

I appreciate that. I'm kinda stuck when it comes to the brand. So, it has to be Humminbird.

I think I am leaning towards the ICE55 to have more of the "traditional flasher." Although the GPS mapping would be nice I often don't venture out looking for drops and humps where we fish. Weeds change year to year, so a hole in the weeds in a bay wont be there the next year most likely. Oh yea, and the ICE55 is cheaper. I knew there was something else.....

Yeah you can always go that route and pick up a handheld for gps capabilities, lots of guys do that, then you don't have to have your sonar out when your moving locations.

[ice dawg]

I have my HB 597 CI HD DI mounted on the handlebars of my ATV and loaded with Lakemaster HD lake maps. Since it is the DI unit it will be used only for navigation, but I have an FL18 and an LX5 to do the rest. What I like about the Lakemaster chip is I can change the maps to match the present water level in the lakes I fish and highlight a depth which will have sunken humps show up in red which makes them easier to find. Too bad the DI unit needs the DI ducer to be used on ;the ice.

[Yankee Troller]

What I like about the Lakemaster chip is I can change the maps to match the present water level in the lakes I fish and highlight a depth which will have sunken humps show up in red which makes them easier to find.

I am waiting patiently for Lakemaster to come out with maps for NY. I am told 2013/14. That is a great feature!

[ice dawg]

One feature I really like is highlighting a depth contour and a couple feet deeper and shallower when trolling crank baits.

[KevinWI]

di finders will not work with the humminbird ice ducers..you can even damage the unit after doing research on my 597ci HD di...I was so upset when I realized that was the case. 

[ice dawg]

That's why mine is being used for the GPS function only. I'll have to trust my FL18 or LX5 for the rest.

[bprohs]

I used my 597 ci HD with optional ice transducer, just yesterday and it worked flawlessly!  I used both the regular sonar screens and the flasher screen and liked both views equally well.  I did end up using the flasher screen more by the end of the day, because that's what my fishing partner was using and it was fun to compare the screens.  He was also catching more fish than I was in the beginning, but as I got use to reading the screen, I got much better.  Based on my limited experience with using this for ice fishing and ice fishing in general, I don't think I'd spend my money on anything else at this time.

[Oneicehole]

580 with ice ducer= great results!