To vex or not to vex?..that is the question

[Rkoomler]

Really depends if you fish the same place year after year for pan fish or bass and know it, no vex.

If you go new places and fish eyes and perch, trout.....vex

[Meatyball]

My first ice flasher was a 1980 Lowrance portable that holds two 6 volt lantern batteries, I made a bracket out of perforated galvanized angle shaped like a tee...it worked, I still have it, but my fl-20 vex is bad to the bone compared to that...I just won't go out without it..no way. And utilize the water on the ice days to drag transducer around on top the ice to see whats below...did I mention I won't go without it? lol

[chez]

Good Luck with your vex 28.
I have a FL18 for the last 12 years.
I love it....

[1moslab]

I think you will really like what ever vex you decide to get it simply is more fun.

[EssoxHunter]

  it's a crime to let a vexilar sit in a bucket collecting dust. More of this  with a vexilar. You still gotta find fish, it's not Majic, but it works like it is.   

[iceintioga]

There are many reasons to own a sonar-unfamiliar waters, time restrictions, need for food, need to not look old fashioned, sales pitches by manufacturers etc etc..  I had one at one time, but got bored with it..as for me something that easy gets boring quickly... But these things exist, and so life goes on...I find that in water less than 15ft. , and the bite is on, I am catching as many big panfish as my friends with sonars. Actually more in some cases, as while they are untangling a big gill from their puck wire, I am landing another fish.. Another issue for me is fair chase, and conservation. ...but like I said, I don't have a problem with sonars, I just don't need to use one on my local lakes...
It is not old fashioned, or old school to fish without one, or perhaps it is, as it is like hunting with a long bow, when all around people are hunting with compounds..

[Raquettedacker]

If you cant MarCum how are you going to vex them?   

[1moslab]

 

[bullscrickbowfishing]

I've had the 28 since it came out and let me tell ya. Bill you are gonna love it!!

[Flatheadcat]

Ive thought about adding electronics but the cost and minimal usage is hard to swallow. Don't even use a $1500 one on the boat most of the time.

[Meatyball]

I installed a vexilar shoot through the hull transducer on my little aluminum boat to use my vex during boating season, it just flat out works great. Sure I love my HDS 9 Gen 3 on my bigger boat, but flasher is instant real time right now right below me

[builder]

I use my fl8se in my boat with the ice ducer over the side and jig with an ice rod and dead stick with another. love the vex

[beerduck]

iceintioga opened my eyes to a guy who just sits on a bucket and rips a lure up and down with a treble filled with bait and as he gets up to meet you his a bucket half filled with perch and good size perch. I hope that lake comes around again in the future  props to ice. but you don't need to have the latest sonar any will do if you dial it in

[Jaggerhunter]

Well I did it. Ordered a vex 28 last night. The Madness never stops.

U won't regret the 28 a truly awesome unit Tom's of options

[chez]

I installed a vexilar shoot through the hull transducer on my little aluminum boat to use my vex during boating season, it just flat out works great. Sure I love my HDS 9 Gen 3 on my bigger boat, but flasher is instant real time right now right below me

Meatball. Was was the cost on that transducer?
Was is a major project to install???
I would be very interested in this setup.
I luv My vex.

[eaglejac]

I've had the 28 since it came out and let me tell ya. Bill you are gonna love it!!

Same Here    Best one I ever used , love it

[Meatyball]

Meatball. Was was the cost on that transducer?
Was is a major project to install???
I would be very interested in this setup.
I luv My vex.

It was easy chez, I got what vex calls "Alumaducer with summer mount kit" from Amazon back in Sept. 2015, 53.00 prime, they must have screwed up on the price, I was shocked it was that cheap, price went up to 123.48 immediately after I received mine. It has a bracket for unit, power cord, transducer, and their special epoxy to mount it to the hull, just wire brush a spot real good to bare metal, clean with alcohol, pour epoxy out of package, stick ducer in it, and wait 24 hours to cure, I stuck mine slightly under back seat. It works excellent. I also take my regular transducer and hang it from a piece of 3/4" pvc pipe with an eye bolt drilled into a glue on cap at the end and stick it in a rod holder so I can jig under it like ice fishing too (like builder said). It's well worth it, you'll love it.

[Fishslayer3]

I never hit the ice without my FL8! Its truly amazing how many fish I've seen this year that were just lookers. Plus I hooked a decent bass after sticking a jig in his face for 10 minutes until he finally hit it. I would have moved on thinking I was in a dead hole without my Vex. 

[bootstrap]

not a vex, just got a garmin 4 use it with A scope. sure is nice to know when to expecta bite. first flasher. love it now that I have figured it out. was cheap.

[Fat Boy]

I fished with a buddy in 1989 that introduced us to ice fishing and the use of a sonar through the ice.  It was eye opening.  It took me a few years to save enough money, but I think it was 1992 or 1993 that I bought my first unit, a Zercom Clearwater Classic.  It is still my backup.  I purchased a Vexilar FL-18 and have had it about 10 years or so, not sure, but I love it.  Once I bought one, I never looked back.  Other than a hand auger, purchasing sonar was the best investment that I ever made in icefishing.  The third was my Fish Trap.

As far as people feeling the need to use them or not, it's a personal choice, just like people that fish out of a canoe, boat or kayak feeling the need to own one or not.  It's a tool and does not catch fish.  We use tools to help us catch more fish.  The benefits of fishing with a sonar are not in dispute.  Some people are perfectly happy doing things their way, and that is great.  For me, my personal preference when I'm on the ice is to catch as many fish as I can catch.  My free time is at a premium and our ice seasons are short, so I need to make sure that I make each trip count.

Good luck with your decision.  If you decide to purchase a sonar unit, then welcome to the fun!

[Hefe]

I used to walk everywhere, then I got a car! Zoom Zoom! There is no argument here. Want to catch more fish , no brainer! Wanna stay old school , cool go home empty handed!

Most of us go home empty handed anyhow because we catch and release...

[Spider1]

weeeeellll, I wouldn't say "most of us"... 

But I also wouldn't say that if you don't use a flasher you won't catch fish. It's just another element that can be very beneficial.

[chez]

Thanks for the info
Meatyball.

[Hefe]

I use a Garmin striker4 I love it has gps also I love to mark a productive hole and go back to the exact spot next time out and hammer the fish again. You can use the traditional fish finder or use flasher mode

PikemanEd - is that a regular striker 4 or 4cv? 4dv?  Just wondered what version you have...thx

[Black Jack]

Got a Vex 28 two years ago after fishing with a friend who has one. Best purchase I ever made. It just literally changed the sport for me.....so much more fun!

[buck05]

A definite yes. We fish lake Eire when ever we can. U would not believe how many walleye just show up suspended at 5-10ft off the bottom. Without it u never would no they were there. My Pb best walleye was a team effort by my son and I he hooked it got the fish about ten foot off the bottom and the hook popped out. I could still see the mark reeled up to it and landed a 32in 13 pounder.  As others have said if I forgot it I would turn back and go get it. That being said I prefer my marcum but my son likes his fl 22better. Kinda of a person preference on which u choose. Mark

[Perry C]

All I can tell you, is when you get into a school of suspended fish about 5 feet off the bottom, and you watch your bait go down into the column and catch 6 crappie in a row all over 10 in laying on the ice , you'll be buying a Vexilar in a minute( without the Vexilar you'll still be fishing on the bottom).I'm hooked ha ha

[fleasimbeck]

Got my 28 and used it over the weekend.  Love it. It's  brighter then my 12 out side my clam. I use the lower light setting in the clam. The zoom is main reason for getting it. It works great. I also like the auto depth setting.  I caught a lot of fish with my 12, but if you are thinking of up grading to one with the zoom , I'd say do it.