Ice fishing, flasher vs sonar?

[BarCO]

Hey there, have been using a helix 5 for a few years. Need another set up, was thinking about a flasher. Any benefits to a flasher over another helix? Any other suggestions? Thanks

 

[ckleeves]

Get something that’s compatible with live sonar (mega live, livescope, activetarget) so you can upgrade down the road. Run whatever ice transducer it comes with and as prices come down on the live sonar stuff at least you have the capability to use one if you decide you want to rather then having to jump into a whole new unit. And it hurts less if you buy it one piece at a time lol.

 

[BarCO]

Get something that’s compatible with live sonar (mega live, livescope, activetarget) so you can upgrade down the road. Run whatever ice transducer it comes with and as prices come down on the live sonar stuff at least you have the capability to use one if you decide you want to rather then having to jump into a whole new unit. And it hurts less if you buy it one piece at a time lol.

Was looking at the garmin echomap 73cv, that allow for panopix and live scope if needed. Thanks

 

[Ferrulewax]

Not an Ice fisherman- but the panoptics livescope is a gamechanger. I see no advantage of a flasher- and I’d definitely be looking at a garmin unit for that reason (coming from a humminbird guy)

 

[ckleeves]

The echomap 73 is a nice ice unit. Watch Russel marine for a used LVS 32 or 34 when the time comes and then get a pole and a lithium battery from Summit fishing (better then the Garmin pole imo).

 

[Rich M]

What about a down hole camera?

Find it interesting that folks are using boat machines for ice fishing.

Can you drag em along the ice and shoot thru the ice?

 

[Jstumbaugh]

Flasher will shoot through the ice.

 

[ChrisS]

What about a down hole camera?

Find it interesting that folks are using boat machines for ice fishing.

Can you drag em along the ice and shoot thru the ice?

As long as there is a skim of water under the transducer, it'll shoot through. I use a helix 5 for ice fishing and on my kayak for open water. A 10AH lithium battery will last me all day. A step up in screen size will chew up more power. I prefer the helix over a flasher (buddy has a marcum). I just got a camera this season, but lo and behold we don't have any ice. Good thing I didn't buy that new sled.

 

[ckleeves]

What about a down hole camera?

Find it interesting that folks are using boat machines for ice fishing.

Can you drag em along the ice and shoot thru the ice?

Cameras are cool for seeing what kinda bottom you’re on, weeds etc but as far as locating fish and being able to see fish throughout the column it’s like glassing for elk thru a drinking straw. Useful tool but a compared to live sonar they don’t even compare.

 

[Rich M]

As long as there is a skim of water under the transducer, it'll shoot through. I use a helix 5 for ice fishing and on my kayak for open water. A 10AH lithium battery will last me all day. A step up in screen size will chew up more power. I prefer the helix over a flasher (buddy has a marcum). I just got a camera this season, but lo and behold we don't have any ice. Good thing I didn't buy that new sled.

Thanks.

My BIL and cousins ice fish whenever there is ice, I'm in FL so haven't been on hard water in 25+ years. Had a lot of fun back then tho. Cousin recently found a cove that had frozen, first day was 3.5 inch, second day was 5 inches. Bass, crappie, pickerel, trout, and perch. Next day it was open water again. go figure. He loves his battery powered auger tho.

I run 2 Garmin Strikers on my boat - a 7 and a 9. One for the GPS and tracking and other for down and side views. Was using the 7 and wanted to get a 12 or 15 inch unit, someone said to use em together and it was like a lightbulb went off. Anyway, they work well.

My dad was just saying we should get a camera for the bottom fishing we do. Feel like it would help know what's down there, and what the fish are orienting to - we've got some bottom fishing spots that seem like flat sand, has to be something down there...

Cameras are cool for seeing what kinda bottom you’re on, weeds etc but as far as locating fish and being able to see fish throughout the column it’s like glassing for elk thru a drinking straw. Useful tool but a compared to live sonar they don’t even compare.

Technology really has made some leaps!

Fishing salt water down here, I'm not sure how the live sonar would work.

 

[TFrank]

I have a Helix 7 for my yak then convert it over to ice fishing for the season. I personally would only go away from the helix series for a live scope.

 

[TFrank]

Out of curiosity what fish do you target?

 

[BarCO]

I’d referring to me mostly lake trout, but some smaller trout, walleye, hoping for some panfish.

 

[budweiserlovr]

I have all pieces mentioned. The vexilar flasher I have not used since I bought a humminbird 597 when they came out with the ice package. I still use it for the GPS and sonar. I have a garmin 106 with livescope setup for ice fishing and put it on the boat in that time of year. The 106 is very bulky and heavy to move around easily. I would recommend the 93sv package for ice fishing. Livescope is awesome for finding structure and fish. Really is a game changer on hard or soft water.

 

[PorterNY]

Interesting topic for me as well…..
I have started to research fish finders for ice fishing. I have fished for 30 years with tip ups for pike etc… but the older I get started thinking about perch and walleye on a jig rod.
It seems to me a light weight unit, with good battery power and one that you can see the screen in the sun would be important factors , but also durability.
I was looking at some vexilar units..
if you were going to buy once with my above criteria, what would you buy??

 

[KurtR]

Internet topic for mevas well…..
I have started to research fish finders for ice fishing. I have fished for 30 years with tip ups for pike etc… but the older I get started thinking about perch and walleye on a jig rod.
It seems to me a light weight unit, with good battery power and one that you can see the screen in the sun would be important factors , but also durability.
I was looking at some vexilar units..
if you were going to buy once with my above criteria, what would you buy??

Me I’m buying a graph with gps and mapping. Knowing points and ledges makes or breaks walleye fishing. And having a trail back if it storms or gets foggy with the mapping is literally a life saver. Been 10-15 miles out on lake Oahe and with out it we would have been spending the night.

 

[budweiserlovr]

Me I’m buying a graph with gps and mapping. Knowing points and ledges makes or breaks walleye fishing. And having a trail back if it storms or gets foggy with the mapping is literally a life saver. Been 10-15 miles out on lake Oahe and with out it we would have been spending the night.

Main reason I got the 597 is gps and lakemaster chip. Makes coming home in the dark with lake oahe ice heaves and blowing snow a little easier. After using it for a while decided I liked the sonar also and the vexilar was given to the kids.

 

[WoodDuck]

If you’re buying new, no reason not to go with a graph as opposed to a traditional flasher. Flashers have internal motors and brushes that can wear out. Only negative that I see of a graph is potential excess battery consumption, but with todays lithium batteries it is a non-issue.

Forward facing sonar is an entirely different discussion (and price bracket). It is irreplaceable for locating structure and fish, but cumbersome if trying to hole hop. We mostly use the forward sonar for locating fish then break out the flashers for catching. If going down this path, I wouldn’t recommend smaller than a 9” screen from whichever manufacturer you choose.

 

[TFrank]

Interesting topic for me as well…..
I have started to research fish finders for ice fishing. I have fished for 30 years with tip ups for pike etc… but the older I get started thinking about perch and walleye on a jig rod.
It seems to me a light weight unit, with good battery power and one that you can see the screen in the sun would be important factors , but also durability.
I was looking at some vexilar units..
if you were going to buy once with my above criteria, what would you buy??

You won’t go wrong with a vex. FL 28 or similar. I would still advocate for hummingbird. Having the flasher, graph, topos all in the same package is the cats meow.

Best tech these days though is the live scope. I understand a live scope is a serious expense though if you only fish a few times a year.

5” screen on the hummingbird is on the small side. The 7” is the most reasonable in my opinion strictly for ice fishing.

 

[timmymac24]

I have 2 Vexilar FLX-8's that are on their third season. Very basic but very helpful in the ponds/lakes we fish for panfish and bass. I am in the process of converting the Garmin 73sv from my boat to an ice unit for the hard water now. That will give me a lot more options. I can't justify the cost of livescope regardless of how big a game changer it is. We catch tons of fish the basic Vexilars and Marcus around here. Pay once cry once I guess get what works for your area.