I know this has been asked before but what flasher type fishfinder do you like the best and why?

[Jedburton]

I am starting to seriously look at getting a flasher type fishfinder and am trying to get a couple of model#s that are good and features I should be looking for. Then I need to look and see where I can find a good deal. I know the main ones are vexlar and markum, but I am not sure the difference and what I can live without and what I really need to have. Please any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
jed
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[redbeard]

It's probably sixes between the marcum and vexilar. I have a marcum and love it and a friend of mine has a vex and he loves his. I got an advertisement from Cabelas the other day and it looks like they have a flasher made for them now. It was a little cheaper than the other two but don't know how good they are.
Once you fish with one you won't want to go ice fishing without it.
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[HFT]

night crawler $1.50 a dozen no better fish finder made![]


I used both marcum and vexilar they both do the same thing any more thinking on the subject is over doing it.
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I'm still not convinced a flasher has any advantage over a good lcd sonar. I own both and if I had to make one choice would take the lcd sonar hands down.[/size][/black][/font]
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[Jedburton]

The only problem I seem to have really with the lcd units is that I now have two with somewhat messed up screens because of the cold and they seem to be sluggish in cold weather. Although I will be the first to admit that mine aren't the nicest ones out there, but the flashers just seem to stay more consistant on the really cold days.
jed
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[Jedburton]

by the way thanks again for that link Rich
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[lunkerhunter2]

I have not tried anything but Vexilar, but i will not be without it again.[cool]
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[petty4life]

i just bought a higher end lcd and im not that impressed i might just to go back to my cheaper garmin
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]You do hear horror stories about lcd screens freezing and acting sluggish but I've never experienced it and I've been using lcd's on the ice for sometime. As has been said before, there are ways to to keep your lcd warm. Keeping the light on helps and so do those little hand warmers packets.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I know that there are guys that swear by their flashers but here is my question. If flashers are that great, why aren't there more of them used on boats? Like I said, I've got a Marcum LX-5 and it works dang good but I still don't think it's got anything over good quailty sonar.[/size][/black][/font]
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]That's a pretty strong statement considering you've used it once. It should work just like the sonar on my boat. Give you $10 for it...[/size][/black][/font]
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[tomegun]

Garmin's suck. BLM's Marcum is the bomb. I don't know if it was the fishfinder or sitting on BLM's lap feeding him cookies, but that Marcum works great[blush].

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[petty4life]

i think i might just need to fine tune it alittle.
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[Kent]

I was going to purchase a Marcum LX5, because I had read so many positive reports about it. When I had to replace my boat I decided it was time to upgrade my fish finder on the boat also. I got a high-resolution and high pixel count color Lowrance and I also got it rigged up so I could easily use it on the ice. I am very pleased with using an LCD on the ice. This fish finder has a strong light in it and it actually keeps the screen warm to the touch. One thing I like about an LCD is that the screen shows the history for a few seconds. With a flasher if one looks away and a fish comes through it is not possible to even know that it happened by looking at the flasher. A skilled angler can catch lots of fish using either one.
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[icerman]

I have both a LCD and a Marcum Lx3. I like the way the LCD tracks the fish so if you look away, you can see that something was there. I prefer the Marcum flasher because the screen doesn't freeze up when it's really cold! If you're not paying close attention, a fish will come and go and you will have no knowledge of it. I have not used the Vexlar. I do not like the noise they put out; kind of irritating after a while. I do like my Marcum. It is quiet and works great. I like the zoom feature and the ability to adjust the section you are zooming in on. It has not been trouble free though. Both my brother and I have had to send our units back for warrantee work; they gave geat customer service and were poilite, though it took about a month to get it back! My unit has the red, yellow and orange colors; I rarely see the orange, just red and yellow. That is sufficient but I think the new ones with the "true color" red, yellow and green, would be preferred (colors like the vexlar). I can't say I'd like the flasher on a boat; I'd prefer the LCD in the warmer weather, but a flasher on the ice is great. As far as the Lx5, I can't say that having a 8 degree cone angle is all that hot; maybe if you're fishing on a steep ledge and have a lot of dead spots it would be better, but I find that the 20 degree cone doesn't cover nearly the area that my LCD finder does. Good luck!
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[Jedburton]

kent which model did you get for your finder? I have been toying with both ideas and I could definitely use a nicer finder on my boat as well. I was looking at the X102C (lowrance) but not sure what my best value would be or how important color was. I need to find a happy medium between price, features that are the most usefull and what I will actually use and have the longest. If you have any advice or input it would be greatly appreciated,
jed
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Without a doubt, color rocks![/size][/black][/font]
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[Kent]

Bingo -- that is the exact fish finder that I got. In addition to color the screen is extremely sharp, easy to see in conditions all the way from bright sunlight to no sunlight at all and combined with high pixel count, I find it to be a great fish finder. When you pass over seaweed it is so obvious that you are seeing seaweed instead of fish that it feels like you are down there swimming underwater.


[url "http://www.reedssports.com/Product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=7230"]Here is where I purchased mine:[/url]
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[kastmaster]

I was in your shoes a few weeks ago, trying to choose between between a Marcum and a Vexilar. I had a chance to try a friend's Vexilar FL-8SLT last year and was impressed with the way it showed the mood and proximity of the fish. I finally settled on a Marcum LX-3 because of the features it offers and it was a killer price at Cabelas bargain cave ( about 45% off retail and it had the color upgrade ). I also have a Garmin 160 which I used on the ice last year. It was OK, but the resolution on it leaves much to be desired. Better than no finder at all on the ice. I know that you are looking for all-in-one solution but why not go for both? For the price of a x102C, check out the Marcum VX-1 (or the Cabelas VXR - same unit), it is going for $199 with a $50 dollar rebate. Not bad for a starter flasher unit. There's a lot of decent LCD units out there to be had from your leftover money. You can't go wrong with either brand of true flasher. The colors are more vivid on the Vexilars but the Marcums have sharper definition and better target separation. Don't confuse that with target ID, which both units can accomplish down to 1". The target separation on the LX-3 is spec'ed at 1" but the Vexilars are at 2.65". Kinda nitpicking here but could be important when looking at perch hugging the bottom. Good luck on your search! If you need a demo of the LX-3 on the ice, let me know.
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[IceFishingGod]

You still have my phone number, come borrow my Vexlar for a day. Then take out my X-135. I'll let you decide. Take em both and fish them side by side. I screwed up buying the Vexlar, at least I think so.

IFG

[Theekillerbee]

Easy there Tomegun! You've seen my Garmin in action....does pretty dang good if I do say so myself! Of course I know you like to sit on BLM's lap, so I'd hate to take that from ya.[]
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