Flasher or Traditional

[Majja]

Ok this is for all you icefishermen and woman that have used both kinds of sonar. Which do you prefer and why? Also it you were buying a new one in the next month what would it be.
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[t_volt237]

I have a Cabela's underwater camera that I absolutely LOVE!
I know that it doesn't work for quick spot checking holes like the Sonar does but it is a blast to fish with, especially for Perch and smaller trout on Fish Lake.
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[Majja]

I always wonder about the cameras. how deep can you go and still see stuff?
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[El_Matador]

I prefer sonar. Flashers bother my eyes and the sonar gives me more display options. I really like the real-time water column along with traditional sonar screen, which a lot of anglers use. I will say that there's nothing wrong with a flasher though since many people still love using them. It's a personal preference but my preference is sonar.

If I were buying today I'd first consider my budget and intended use. Sonar units can easily be set up for both ice and boat use. For ice use only and if money isn't a big deal I'd buy the MarCum LX-7. It can be used on a boat but it's geared toward ice for sure. Another good option in that price range is the Humminbird Helix 7. Not quite as many adjustments/features that are ice specific, however you can buy models that are better equipped for boating (gps, down imaging, side imaging, navionics). For the lower price point (down around $300-400) I like the Helix 5 or Lowrance Elite series. Both of these have good ice fishing features and can be used effectively on boats. You can also get the Helix or Elite sonars already configured for ice fishing with the right transducer and a case/battery pack. If you buy a sonar without the ice setup you'll need to either A) Buy the ice fishing transducer, shuttle, battery and case, or B) Make your own case and something to hold the boating transducer in the ice hole. There are plenty of write-ups on how to do this.
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[t_volt237]

It has like 90' of cable it think, but the most I've had out is 75', it has the night IR like on game cameras so it is still useful at those depths. Using it at night, or in deeper water limits the distance the camera sees, but (and I'm guessing here) during the morning at fish lake, it appears to have about 15+ feet of viewing area. You can angle it up, and drop it down the hole in 15-25' water and still see the underside of the ice. tried it on Powell but it is difficult to keep the camera steady enough from a boat to make it useful.
They are hard to get pointed exactly where you want, and a slight bump will turn it, so it is a bit of a pain to use, but there is nothing cooler than sitting there watching a fish approach and eat your offering.
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[El_Matador]

A camera is next on my list of purchases! Most guys that have both cameras and sonar will tell you to get the sonar first, which is what I did. Sonar shows you all the fish that are below you and what depth they're at. Cameras show you only the fish that are in front of the lens.
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[6x6]

I have the Lx-7 and love it. I prefer a flasher set up for up to about 70FOW. Deeper than that I prefer the graph sonar. The Lx-7 has both options and does both extremely well. Great unit!
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[one8sevenn]

I have used both and prefer the flasher for ice fishing.

It is easier to mark my bait and the fish in the water column directly under the ice.
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[Mightymose]

I would buy it a system that has a duel beam with target zoom through the intire water column and the best you can afford there are so many options out there traditional flashers are loud compared to the digital but all work well. Don't go cheap you get what you pay for I've gone cheap once won't again I picked up a Marcum lx6s. Probably over kill for Utah.

Tip up
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[Mightymose]

Lx7 is an awesome set up. The lx6s is its little brother. Same options also can be used on a boat but it's 150$ less but both aren't cheap
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[Majja]

Thanks all so far for your info. I have an older Humminbird 525 that i use on my float tube and my boat (when it was running) I want to get one for Ice specific and have been saving up. I see a lot of +'s for the Marcum LX7, and in fact the one I had my eye on actually was the LX-6. So please keep the info coming.

Up until I actually make the purchase my eyes and mind are always open to thoughts suggestions and information.

Thank you
Majja
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[Sirfilletalot]

I bought a Showdown 5.6 last year after a lot of research and talking to fellow ice fishermen. It is simple to operate and easy to interpret, the display is bright and easy to see even in bright sunny conditions. Haven't seen anything I like better.
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[RockyRaab]

The only one I've owned recently is the Marcum Showdown Troller 2.0. I really like it. It doesn't have a color display, but you can still tell fish from other things, and the resolution is fabulous. You can track a snap swivel 50 feet down.
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[Freakyfisherman]

I just purchased a Marcum lx7 and looking forward to using it this winter. I think if you are a trout guy, the higher end units are probably a bit overkill. I love to chase walleye, perch, and crappie through the ice and I think this new purchase will come in handy. I did have a humminbird ice 35 for three years and probably were missing the walleyes that I was wanting to catch. I have found some areas at Deer Creek from the float tube this fall that I think will be fantastic if the ice forms there. I have been playing with the new unit on the simulator mode and I am very anxious to try it out.
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[Mightymose]

Here is a product video for the lx6s don't know if you have seen this on you tube.

https://youtu.be/hy1sQra-ELI
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[kj]

Chevy, Ford... Fielders choice. I am a Vex fan. I have been using mine for over 15 years, close to 20 with no problems. I have the basic FL-8 model. All the bells and whistles are ok I guess, but I have never and still have no need for them. I almost bought a camera years ago, but have learned that the cable that holds the camera gets caught up in the fishing line when retrieving a fish. Not worth the hassle to me. Sometimes those fish run all over, especially when they get near the surface. The real time of a flasher is invaluable. I can pickup anything 1/2 inch or larger. I can also see everything above or below me in the water column. A camera only sees what is in front of it. A flasher is made for ice fishing. Not so sure they would work too well for a boat, but maybe. A Vex's wattage output is much less than a Marcum and so you can put as many as 3 or 4 units in the same ice tent without interference. If there is a Marcum within 50 yards of me, it causes interference with my Vex. Don't know if you can have multiple Marcum's in close proximity of each other without interference. I have often wondered if that much wattage output has a negative effect on fish. Marcum's are less expensive than a Vex and that is a plus. Don't know if you will get 20 years out of a Marcum like I will get with my Vex. I have 3 Vex's, so I will never change brands just because they play nice with each other.
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[RonPaulFan]

I didn't know if I would prefer graph or flasher or water column, so I got all three. I prefer the graph. I hear some have the divantage of being slow, but mine is fast.

I'm about to start my fourth season with my MarCum LX-9. I can't compare it to anything else because it's my first, but the specifications indicate quite a difference and advancements compared to others such as target separation. There are a lot of controls and adjustments to be able to see best what you want to see and zoom into the portion of the water column you're fishing while simultaneously seeing another display of the whole water column with a graph and all that overlaying the video display of the high resolution camera looking at your lure and the fish interaction with it.

Interface rejection is excellent, so fishing around any other sonar has never been a problem.

Before, I would put so much care and thinking into the action I only imagine I'm imparting onto the lure only to wonder if there was even a fish there to see it. Now, I can watch the fish interaction with the lure. What sold me on it before even seeing it is the store experts trying their best to explain what is like abstract art to me that represents fish. With clear video sharing the same screen, the blobs of color make sense from the start because I don't have to imagine what the fish is doing -- I can see what it's doing. The combination works well together.

Now, after using it enough, I have a sense of what the sonar shows me from running around making holes and checking for fish and hunting structure. Every now and then I'm not sure what the sonar is showing me, so I lower the camera down and then I know.

The camera has 75 feet of cable and light is less with depth, but it has built in lights and even good for night ice fishing.

I also enjoy the digital video video recordings and get critique of lure and action from my friends.
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[familyteacher]

I prefer the flasher, my dad is constantly messing with his sonar trying to get it all set up right, same situation with a friend of mine. Maybe they don't have the best units, but I have a showdown 5.6, it wasn't very eXpensive and it has been awesome and super simple to use and I have never had any problems with being able to mark fish.
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[Jmorfish]

Majja -- you're smart to ask about this before buying, because it is one of your major ice fishing purchases, and you don't want to be saying to yourself 'Man, I wish I'd waited and got......' It's a little like buying a new car...get as much info on the ones you're interested in, then try to see someone using it (them) out on the ice, and actually see how they're working for them...YouTube can help alot...I used a Humminbird 130 Fishin Buddy very successfully for about 10 years, then finally bought the Marcum digital Showdown...This will be my third season using it, and I have enjoyed it very much...like others have said, it's easy to set up, easy to understand, and is very sensitive to your lure and anything in the 20 degree column....Guluk on your search...
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[wagdog]

I've used both. I tend to like the sonar more. I have an older Humminbird 565 that I use on both my float tube and through the ice. I don't know what it is but my eyes seem to do better looking at an LCD screen than a flasher. I've been thinking of trying a Showdown for just that reason instead of something like a Marcum LX-5. I think the flashers that are out there are good products. I just can't get over spending that much when my sonar works fine. The Showdowns are tempting though...
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