Convince Me and my Dad

[xtrymefire]

I have been wanting to buy a flasher ever since i used my buddies.  I am looking at the Marcum lx-5 or the lx-3 .  I really want the 5 for the upgraded features, but my dad doesn't see the point in spending that much on one or even buying one at all on account of how wacky the Indiana winters have been.  Help me try to convince him to look at one to.  Also, can you use them for open water fishing to because i feel it world work the same way if on water that wasn't to rough for anchored jigging.  Thanks in advance!

[bmxrider11976]

it could work in open water, but if your looking into getting a dual purpose unit, go for something like the lowrance elite 4x. it is a graph instead of flasher, but is simple to use and i think superior to flashers. now get ready to hear 1000000 other opinions.

[Whopper Stopper]

Many use the 5 on their boats, may not be the top choice but they certainly will work. Well worth the cost if you can use it year around.

Don't forget the longer you use it the cheaper the initial investment becomes, and Marcum is built to last. There are also many used ones for sale from people looking to up grade. New is best but a good used one may help in the convincing.

Hope it works out for you. You might as well plan on buying two. Once he gets his hands on it you will never get it away from him. Good luck and Welcome to the board!

                  WS

[Layne]

Get this kid a flasher! A 5 is definitely worth the little bit of extra coin over the 3.

[Crappielover89]

get the 5 and take your dad out and let him use it and he will wonder how he ever caught fish without it!!!

[chumster]

get the 5 and take your dad out and let him use it and he will wonder how he ever caught fish without it!!!

Who's gonna pay for it? He's a dependent.

[eriksat1]

Tell him this, last week I am jigging a Lindy Darter, I see a mark come in on the LX5 flasher a nice one, I start jigging like it is more nervous and start raising the bait, the fish comes closer, I jig and raise a little more wham I pull up a 19" walleye. Now you won't go out jigging without it!

[nute7810]

If you need to justify year-round use, I would go with a graph.  I have 2 units set up for ice fishing, both off the boat, I took the x67 off the trolling motor to start, and then the 520 off the console. I fished with flashers for 30 years and after setting my Lowrance units up for ice fishing you couldn't pay me to go back to a flasher........both units have flasher mode, but I prefer graph mode now. Go to you tube and search for the different depth finders available, all of the popular units have video of some kind or another on there.  It won't matter what brand you buy, every depth finder is better than none !   

[SDFlagChaser]

I also recommend getting a graph unit if you plan to use it for summer/winter use.  Humminbird 385ci

[Bschrock55]

I considered the 3, but couldn't justify that much money on a unit that locks you into a 20 degree ice ducer.  I ended up with a vex fl-18 that I picked up cheap.  I really like what marcum has to offer, but I think it's crazy you have to get a 5 or higher to get something other than a 20 degree. Humminbird will get you a dual beam at the price of an lx-3 and all vexs will work with any of their iceducers, which makes them more flexible. 

[fish-kabob]

what kind of fishing do you like? is it trolling eys  or pan fish etc??? give a hint please it mite help like said earlier try the ones with a graph and a flsher circle on it like the lowrance elite 4x etc... you can but a boat transduecer and buy the flash transduecer.  this way you get the best of the two for the unit then all you got to do   is un-plug it from the boat and go ice fishing... i use the skimmer used for fishing out of a boat for ice fishing works as good as the ice skimmer but if you would like two get two by all means do so.  if it jigging for eyes you may want to consider a dsi down  and side imageing it takes good pick depending on depth of water lets say over 10 foot but less then 150 foot in that range very help full if jigging eyes most of all the elite sereis casue you can watch the sonar screen when you see some thing you like you can back up on the screen and mark it in the gps fuction. if it is the model i am thinking of...  any ways wish you all the best... 

[bwana72]

Electronics for fishing are just like any other electronics...next week there will be "newer and better"...so buy the best you can afford. The lx5 is a great unit..and if you can afford it...between the two..that's the one to get. And as far as "do you need one" No and Yes...can you catch fish without one...Sure. Guys have done it for years. Can you catch more fish with one...Absolutely !!! I didn't use a locator for ice fishing until a couple years ago. The first time I took it out... my son and I went to a local lake that we hadn't fished before...we went to where "the pack" was...We were in 35 FOW...Now normally we would have found bottom and fished about 1-2' up from there...but with the locator we were able to see that the fish were stacked up under us...12' down. There was Nothing on the bottom. Without the locator we would have sat there thinking there was nothing there. But with it...we put 75 nice gills on the ice instead of fishing 22 feet too deep. It will make you a more successful fisherman...and it is honestly just fun. And I think it really keeps you more focused. There's my 2-cents....are you convinced

[hntfsh09]

I only partially agree with the earlier remarks on the graph style for open water use.  While I think the best primary open water unit is a graph style device, a flasher still has a ton of utility in open water, and is better through the ice. For example, when you are up on plane in a boat reading a graph style unit, the depth it is showing may be 30 feet behind you.  By the time it shows a reef, you've hit it.  Flashers are more real time, and I still prefer them for navigation as well as quick depth readouts.  That said, go with the one best suited for whichever you care more about.

Apart from that, remember that in the face of side imaging sonar on boats, underwater cameras year round, and lx9trillion things that cook breakfast for you the one thing you still see, and will always see is conventional style flashers on the ice.  The level of utility and value you get with units like you mentioned is something that doesn't easily get left in the dust.  My lx6 will be obsolete 3 years from now, but my dads fl-8 which is over 10 years old looks darn near the same as today's fl-8.

[Fishrmn]

I only partially agree with the earlier remarks on the graph style for open water use.  While I think the best primary open water unit is a graph style device, a flasher still has a ton of utility in open water, and is better through the ice. For example, when you are up on plane in a boat reading a graph style unit, the depth it is showing may be 30 feet behind you.  By the time it shows a reef, you've hit it.  Flashers are more real time, and I still prefer them for navigation as well as quick depth readouts.  That said, go with the one best suited for whichever you care more about.

Apart from that, remember that in the face of side imaging sonar on boats, underwater cameras year round, and lx9trillion things that cook breakfast for you the one thing you still see, and will always see is conventional style flashers on the ice.  The level of utility and value you get with units like you mentioned is something that doesn't easily get left in the dust.  My lx6 will be obsolete 3 years from now, but my dads fl-8 which is over 10 years old looks darn near the same as today's fl-8.

Not. 

[DoubleG]

http://youtu.be/eEjjFxnpZrE

Here's video of a guy using the LX-5 out of his boat.  I've seen him do it more than once and catch some great fish!  Good luck convincing your dad!

[marmooskapaul]

I've used my fl8 just like the guy in the video. I take a peice of 1/2" pvc conduit about six feet long and have a clamp on the side of my boat. Tape the transducer cable to one end of the conduit and clamp other end. Vertical jig and keeps the ducer away from the boat. If it's not real windy it works just like ice fishing.
Paul

[quivira kid]

When we are fishing, the flashers are along! Summer or winter.... they get used probably 10-11make months out of the year.

[nodakclam19]

Get the 5 no questions. I moved to MarCum from Vexilar this year and went with the LX-6. You already got the right brand now just finish it by getting the 5.

[boss j]

all the vex and marcum boys look at me like i have no clue but i have the Lowrance x67 and i use it hardcore ALL YEAR. i truely wonder how i ever caught anything through the ice without it! it has all the features: graph, flasher, zoom, split screen zoom that you can adjust ANYWHERE in the water column, temp, speed, distance...

for a unit to use on both open and hard water it is awesome!

[Whopper Stopper]

xtrymefire

Does your Dad appear to be weakening yet?

             WS

[bwana72]

Whopper Stopper....he would reply, but he and his dad are probably sitting on the ice playing with an lx5 right about now 

[Whopper Stopper]

Whopper Stopper....he would reply, but he and his dad are probably sitting on the ice playing with an lx5 right about now 

Hope you are right 

       WS

[kevs]

Don't leave the Showdown out of the mix. Third season of using mine and I like it. Watch for end of season clearance sales and might be able to pick one up for around $200-$250. No pretty flashing lights or whirring buzz, just a vertical screen w 1/2" target seperation and can watch as fish move up and down the water column or come in and out of the 'cone'. Stay on Dads good side, and be happy Dad takes you fishin.