Looks like ice could be on the way. Lakes are iced over, and we have some cold temps coming in. I think we could be fishing by, if not before, the first of the year....YEEEHAAA!!!
Printable View
Looks like ice could be on the way. Lakes are iced over, and we have some cold temps coming in. I think we could be fishing by, if not before, the first of the year....YEEEHAAA!!!
I know we are getting close to ice fishing when our sheeps watering buckets start to freeze overnight. When I have to plug in the heated watering buckets ice is not far behind. Last year I never took the shanty out of the barn.
Hope you get out soon
I plan on hitting it one more time tomorrow , lakes are still open around here and i hope they ice up soon I had my ice gear ready for weeks now
I can't wait!! Most of our lakes have a thin coat on them, on the south east side of the state, and yes colder temps are coming! We are supposed to get a good snow Wednesday which will blanket the lakes and allow the ice to thicken even more. I bought a used power auger, in GREAT shape, and a used flasher, in GREAT shape, so my flip over Clam shanty will be heavier to pull this year but these things will make life on the ice much better for this old guy. Any ice fishing "get togethers" in the works this winter?
There was a group of us that got together at Cadillac last winter.. We stayed at Pilgrim's Village. Heard talk earlier about it, but nothing lately.
OleTimer - where are you located in SE Michigan? And I'm curious what type of flasher you picked up. I don't know much about them but have thought about trying to find a inexpensive one.
Mike. Ive tried every flasher on the market. Currently i own a hummingbird ice 35. I prefer the marcum but the vexilar fl8 is also a good little unit and can be found on craigslist quite a bit. And we are still planning a weekend crappie trip when the lakes firm up.
Glad to hear that there is going to be an outing this year. I haven't made any of the previous outings but would like to make the Ice one. Keep me posted.
Mmaveal...I am up off of I-96 and and I-696 in Commerce Township. I bought the Marcum Flasher. I JUST bought it so I have not had it to use yet. Now I can move around and find fish before I plant my Clam flip over shanty.
Haven't heard anything for Jimmy, Kev, Eric, or John. Don't know what the fella's are doing?Quote:
Originally Posted by wicklundrh
We saw 2 guys walking out on the ice on Houghton Lake yesterday. Didn't stay long enough to see if they made it back to shore. 3 of the 4 impoundments of the Tittabawassee that we looked at were still wide open. I won't be on the ice until I KNOW it will support 240 lbs/2 feet........MY 2 feet! http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w...smiley-021.gif
There are some guys with their shacks fishing on Houghton Lake this morning. Son called about an hour ago to tell me.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappietale
The channels on Gun lake arent even froze up as of yesterday. I saw a guy in his canoe out fishing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crappie 1
Would of thought they would be froze over by now, looks like we still have a good week till lakes are fish able, Eric let me know when you see or here of safe ice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hermin
Looking at Pilgrim village web site there out fishing in certain spots, looks like i might have to do a road trip in a couple of days
I got a 2 person ice fishing tent for Christmas. Bring on the ice!Quote:
Originally Posted by ready2fish
aw yea im fishin with you this year, which one did you get?
Killzone igloo 2/3 manQuote:
Originally Posted by skillett007
Great present, cant wait till try it out :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by Hermin
I know I am super excited. I really needed a tent so I can haul it around in my car. I have set it up in the living room a few times but the fish aren't biting there.Quote:
Originally Posted by ready2fish
I have been using the Marcum VX1, their basic unit for some years now. I would not be on the ice without a flasher. I need nothing more than a real basic unit, although I love the split screen bottom mag. More expensive units have additional bells and whistles that can easily more than double the price, but I have not felt the need for them. Others who fish the ice harder than I do find some of those features invaluable, but you pay for them upfront whether you use them or not. Vexilar has some decent videos about how to use a flasher on their website. Those are well worth watching, if you are a tyro, and rewatching from time to time anyway. I prefer the Marcums I have to the Vexilars but that is more a matter of ford versus chevy type personal preference.
A flasher or even a standard depthfinder allows you to both mark holes with action to fish in, identify and watch the bait you are presenting and notice any fish approaches made to that bait. All are real pluses on the ice, since mobility is limited by the need to drill new holes in order to move around.
If I were to buy another new unit, though I think I would just get a Marcum Showdown Troller which is nothing more than a vertical reader, which is about all I need or use anyway and a whole lot less money than any circular flasher. They are all digital with a built in display heater. Both models of the Troller even run on AA batteries (or on the heavier 12V battery standard to most of the flashers) where weight is a consideration and short trips are the rule as they both are for me. The Trollers are a whole lot less money as well as much lighter than any of the flashers are.
Just a couple of hints here, make sure your transducer is clean and kept that way for the best possible signal, and then learn how to adjust the gain for tightest resolution and the interference control, if you are going to fish near somebody else using a flasher.
Hi no1. I have the FL18, I never owned one before I bought it, so have nothing to compare it to. We have ice now. The lake across the street must have 4" I took my spud and cut 4 holes out from shore. They are riding snow mobiles on it, don't think I would be doing that yet. Going to try and fish it tomorrow or Sat. I heard that a few lakes are being fished close by here.
Are you talking about the Marcum Showdown 2.0 for about $199.00? I have never had one of these but they look interesting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mmaveal
This would work OK. but if i was to start out with my 1st ice ff i would look on Craigslist for a used vexilar FL8 these ff are bullet proof or a hummingbird 35 or Marcum lx3
I did this for my first ff , you should be able to find something cheaper then 200.00
good luck and let us know when the perch are biting
Anybody ever try a Hawkeye hand-held sonar that is supposed to tell the depth through the ice?
If its clear ice I can turn the gain up on vex, splash some water on the top of it and do the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by mmaveal
Hermin - thanks for the info. I'm taking the advice and looking around for a vexilar fl 8.
You wont be disappointed with whatever you end up getting. Fishing with a flasher is so much fun!Quote:
Originally Posted by mmaveal
Drop your transducer into your minnow bucket. Turn the gain up and it will shoot through the ice. Also we use a ziplock with water. Originally, i wanted an fl8 but the year i bought mine they were discontinued. Like hermin said, once you fish with one, you will have a blast.
They all do that if the ice is still good and clear, and you have a liquid connection between your transducer and the ice. The thicker the ice the more gain you will need. I believe there is a video at the Vexilar website showing Dave Gentz doing just that. Where that is possible you save a whole lot of time effort and power.Quote:
Originally Posted by mmaveal
It also shows him using a cordless electric drill to cut his holes, which is how I cut mine (I use 6"), all winter, but you must keep your blades sharp or you will use a lot of batteries just to get to the water.
Even the last of the smaller lakes to freeze over in most years have fishermen out around here already. I go right past one of the deep walleye holes to and from work and there were shacks out even tonight as cold as it is. We may get to 10 below tonight or colder and might not make it out of the single digits tomorrow. Too bitter for this old boy to sit in the open on a bucket for sure, but I will be out this week once the temps moderate a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crappie 1
Once you get the hang of your flasher you are going to wonder how you ever got along without one before. Like I said I use the basic Marcum VX1. That has proven to be as rugged for me as the FL8 is known to be. Choosing between them is a Ford versus Chevy type of argument. I really doesn't make all that much difference.
Don't just use it on a singly hole or a permanent house. Take it out and explore up and down and along the breaks looking for activity before you wet a line.
There are definitely some good videos that show most of the "how" on the internet. A good place to start are both the Marcum and Vexilar sites. Both have videos that show how to use these units.
I really like my Vex. It is a lot of fun to watch the fish come up to your bait. Many different kinds out there to use. I never had one till a couple years back and I bought the FL 18. I don't ever go ice fishing without it. I also use it in the summer, just hang the transducer over the side of the boat..