looking for a good fish finder????

[fishinforlife]

anyone have any good info on fish finders. i havent had much experiance with them other than my buddys and it is not that easy to use. i want to buy one that does not take up all my time. any info would be appreciated
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[Cowboy_43]

If you are looking for an ice fishing finder I strongly recommend the Showdown. My friend and I both bought units couple years back. They have been awesome. They are similar to a flasher but with a vertical display instead of a circular display. No colors either, just black and white. They are sweet.
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[kj]

Vexilar. Hand down the best. Pricy, but worth it. Just bought my third, the FL8 SE. Me, my son, and now my wife have one. All my fishing buddies have them. All have switched over from every other kind of fish finder and cameras. But, you gotta find something to fit your budget and style of fishing. I only ice fish.
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[perchski]

If you're looking for an ice fishing finder I definitely recommend a ice flasher. I use the Humminbird ICE55 which is awesome and I would highly reccommend it. I've heard good things about the Showdown too. If you go with the flasher style go with either Humminbird, Vexilar, or Marcum. I'm sure you will get different opinions on brands but that is like talking Chevy or Fords, just get the features you want.
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[keystonecop]

I love my Showdown. It is idiot proof and I can see my ice fly on it at 30 feet down.
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[Fishin_Mama]

Love the showdown. Just got a new one this year and it's great. Easy to read and easy to run. I love that you can watch your rig and see when fish are coming to it, ya almost feel like you're cheating, almost []
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[Fishrmn]

As far as I know, every Lowrance fish finder has a feature called "FasTrack" that works exactly like a Showdown flasher. But it adds it to the graph, so you have to look at the extreme right side of the display to see the real time data. The rest of the screen is historical information. Stuff that happened a few seconds ago. In the end you'll have to decide, but I wouldn't buy until you've looked at every option. With a graph that also has a flasher mode, you get all three options in one unit. Flasher, Showdown, and graph.
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[perchski]

I agree the flashers kind of make you feel a little guilty cause you can basically put the hook into the fish's mouth for him. It is awesome knowing exactly when they are going to bite and it isn't even a comparison in number of fish you catch with them. Anyway don't be too hard on yourself, the guilt usually goes away while you're reeling in.
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[Trackerg]

Ive mounted my Humminbird 323 on the piranhamax portable base. Took it out a few times now...getting it figured out.... it has several different sonar views and settings, real time sonar split screen and a flasher view. The flasher view isnt color but u can tell the different shades and sizes of fish. I like being able to switch screens with a single button. check out my pics in the utah fishing equipment section. The flasher view obviously isnt as nice as the flashers but it is a versatile and effective fishfinder for less money. I'm happy with it!
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[fishinforlife]

thank you all for your input. looks like i need to go look at them now, then make my decision.
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[brendo123]

i have a cheaper hummingbird 160 i think it cost me like 110 or 120 i used it on my boat in the summer and figured out a sweet setup for the ice it works great if i have an attractor i use a kastmaster i can see my lure very deep the deepest ive been with it was seventy feet and it showed it perfect for the money it is freakin awesome i just could justify spending 300 bucks or so on something just for ice fishing this one is portable and it works great once you learn how to use it!
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[zman2]

I install graphs and downriggers for a side job,Preference to one kind of unit or another is just a matter of choice all the major brands are very good, I still use a x 70 for my ice fishing its old--bout the mid80s i think, it will still show my line dropping to the bottom and fish on the screen, Most anglers have a problem with graphs( they are not just fish finders) because they have never been told how to use them the correct way, There are some really good videos out there that give the angler a better idea of how to use their graph, trust me you don't need 3500 dollars worth of networking sidescaning sonar to catch fish. I have installed those for some of the local pros and still wonder why they spent the money,unless you use it to its full limit its a waste of cash. I would be glad to help anybody that needs help as to what to do with your fish finder--aka graph I have been to the lowrance install school and at the present taking a online course on the new hummingbird installs
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[northernfisher]

I have a Humminbird Ice-55 as well received it for Christmas and its been amazing. I can see my flasher and jig I can also tell when the baits gone off of them due to the multi color displays. I was in a tent in thirty feet of water on sunday that had a total of six lines in the water and not only could I see my two lines but i could also pick up my buddies lines on occasion as well. Their a little pricie but if you look around online you can find them as low as 425 with shipping so best of luck and I'm sure any one you get will do the job.
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[Trackerg]

Brendo, or anyone else.......If u break your 160 unit or have a problem with it...let me know...I'll be happy to part with mine....Its brand new. I'd sell the electronic head and the little base it mounts to.
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[Marathonman]

Great setup. I think I'll do mine like yours.
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[MisterCompletely]

I love my Marcum LX-5, and wouldn't trade it for anything else. Having said that, they will all work, of course. The LX-5 is around 500 bucks, and most guys don't want to fork out that much. The old Humminbird finder I took off my boat worked too, but it doesn't come close to using an actual flasher. Anything is better than nothing, that's for sure, if only to know the water depth.
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