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Getting back into ice fishing after many years away. Would like to get a "flasher". It seems that there are many more brands available these days. Any thoughts on pro/cons of different brands? Never had one before, but they seem to be a must have if you want to avoid just drilling at random and staring at the hole and hoping for a bite.
I've been looking at Vexilar and Humminbird.
Thanks
Hummingbird flashers have their issues. One post in this area asks a question specifically about them. I tried to detail the best that I could about the issues. More often than not, they tend to have issues reading the teardrop or jig. The smaller the bait, the bigger the issue. Yes, I could get one to work but it was always a frustration to constantly be moving it around.
I've owned Humminbird, Vexilar, and Marcum as dedicated flashers. I have zero issues with either the Vexilar or the marcum units. If I had to pick one over the other, it would be the Vexilar simply because they are a little more crisp in my opinion. We are however comparing similar priced and tricked out models.
Depending on the depther to which you are fishing, the FL8 is a great rig that gives people many years of usage. I've used the 8, the 12, the 18, and the 20. My current go to rig is the Genz fl12. Great unit, runs all day, zero interference from other units, and I can see the smallest of jigs. I fish in waters from zero to 50 feet. My dad uses a Marcum (I think it has the number 3 in it) and that unit is also a great little unit. Works well for what we do.
That being said, many people are going to the actual sonar units. For me, they are harder to read (just what I am used to) and I have had a hard time seeing a jig in sonar mode. If you have a smaller Lowrance HDS5 or 7 you can purchase an "ice Pack" that comes with an ice transducer, mounting case, and battery setup. This will allow you to utilize a unit you already have. I'm not familiar with other models but I do know that lowrance can be set in "flasher" mode. Currently, this is what my buddy uses. We like the HDS 5 because it is small, lightweight, and has all the needed features in flasher mode. Also, we can utilize the GPS software with this unit to pinpoint locations.
The dedicated hummingbird flashers are bulky, heavy, and not really well built. Not to mention the fact that they are louder than a normal unit and the head sensor has a tendancy to break. They do have some nice features on their ice 35 that are not available in similar compared models. Such as split zoom, and the ability to change your beam setting from a 9 degree cone to a 19 degree cone. Most units come with a dedicated cone degree however you can buy other transducers if you want. I think that this is the major issue with hummingbird however and the reason why they just don't pickup a jig nearly as well as the other models. Two other fishing partners both purchased 35's after I got mine (was one of the original testers). Both of them replaced the unit with a vexilar or Marcum. In fact, on of them sent his back within a week of owning it simply because of how unreliable it was in seeing a jig.
Hope that helps you out.
Thanks..looks like I have to do some homework. This stuff can get overwhelming. The guys are out on the ice in front of my place today. I should just walk out there to see what they are using.
Guess for now, I'll just drill some holes and hope for the best!
Thanks again.
Honestly, that is the best thing you could do. Go out and look at their machines. Compare what you like and what you do not like about them. Ask them questions. Most of them will tell you the trueth about what they like about their machines and what they like about others. We all fish with several people that have other units so we get a hands on view of other machines.
Like I said, there are some really high dollar ones that do quit a bit of stuff. Marcum has some high end line models that will do quit a bit. For most people however, you will not use most of the features on them.
Be careful with the ice and the warm up coming. Hopefully, it gets the snow off the ice and actually helps us out. Here in Michigan, we are actually behind were we should be. Too much of an insulation blanket on the ice. Many lakes have good spots and bad spots out there. As much as I want to go, the only thing holding me back is other commitments I have right now. That said, those commitments might be a god send and keep me from putting myself in a bad situation!