Slop Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 I've been happy with my Lowrance X67c that I puchased three years ago. It's been worth it's weight in gold yet at a fraction of the price of other manufacture's units. One thing that I found with the X67c was the connector sleeves to the battery pack were not beefy enough to stand up to lots of use. I had some electronics wizzards beef up the wiring and modify it with a patch chord similar to the one you'd use to plug into a guitar or other A/V gear. I get to slum around with alot of guys on the ice, including an R&D guinea pig from Vexilar(sorry Rob)and I think there is great value for your dollar with the product that Vex offers. The Marcum line-up is nice too, however the showdown series(old VPG) has issues with the power on/off button. A buddy of mine sent me home with 2 units experiencing the same problem to be fixed by the wizzards. You can't go wrong with the Humminbird stuff either. Light, simple functions and reliability all rolled into one unit. Specifications play an important role in choosing the right gear for the job. Versatility, function/application and warranty need to be considered. You can't put a price on value. I do love my ice machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esoxcrazy Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Ice-55 hands down my favorite fishing purchase to date! Its will go on year 4 now and I also use my humminbird 596 lcd, but the flasher is the bomb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhickey Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 I concider myself to be a long time ice fisherman that has never felt the need to rely on electronics to catch fish. Shure they will let you know whats going on under yor icehole at that particular momment but for me to trust a cold wet piece of electronics over the expieance of not only myself but the people Im fishing with is abolutely obsurde to say the least.. I can honestly say that the fish I remember had nothing to do with electronics. It was gut feeling(expierance) Unfortunately I have watched to many people relying on their electronics catching nothing worth talking about. Long and short is that you have to target and put in the time to figure out what is going on in relation to all conditions/ice/weather patterns but most of all taking the time to fish a body of water 2-3 times a week... That will put you on to fish. Hard or soft water!!! Saltydawg. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Get a CAMERA instead.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meegs Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Had 2 flashers, had a vex, sold it went with a new ice 55 hummingbird, used it 2 seasons got rid of it. Went back to a lowrance elite 5. Now that's a machine. Way way more versatile for the same price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdmls Posted December 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 I can see a 1/8 oz jig down 120ft with 800 w What's the make and model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 I imagine you ran Terry off already.. but so can I, doing so every year on Temagami in depths to 140 feet. I use my Lowrance 102C off the bow of my boat and mark not only the jig but my swivel above it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Agreed Wayne..... Those that have tried to help this fellow received flak for doing so from the OP.... hard to say if any of them will return offering advice. G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Well I won't be to grumpy tonight, found an extra bag of potato chips I used an ancient Lowrance X40 for many many years, it would easily pick anything up at that depth. I use an X67C in either the graph mode or flasher mode, doesn't matter, you twitch the rod, it show right now. I only paid $265 for mine and I've seen them cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GbayGiant Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Buy a Flasher or graph/flasher combo and you will not be dissapointed. Either one is worth every penny you chose to spend. Tell your friend to enjoy what ever he buys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 You cannot catch fish without a flasher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Or you could just follow the crowd!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 You cannot catch fish without a flasher. Well, you can catch fish without electronics, but you will catch more with any type of electronic device. I'm all for keeping things simple, and I do keep things simple, but when it comes to icefishing, I just can't do without my graph. I'd rather forget my boots than fish blind. It really does help. With that said, I can't justify paying $500 for a flasher that I will use for a couple months every year, when my graph marks the exact same fish, and I can use it ALL year round. A flasher just doesn't make sense to me. If I had an extra 5 bills hanging around, then sure, but I don't! S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxie Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 When the water hardens I hook up my Lms520c to the soft pack and take it out on the ice. As others have said its like fishing blind without one. I will say this though, that after staring at that circle of lights all day thats all i see when i close my eyes for a few hours afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 My underwater camera was the best.. no silly lines going for other lines.. just fish, eating bait. Its nice to know theres fish.. nicer to know the species.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckster Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Personally I'm a flasher guy when it comes to ice fishing. I had a vexilar before I owned a car lol. It's all personal preference. Only thing I can tell you is a quality flasher or graph will pay itself off the first season you use it. It will put more fish on the ice for you too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Only thing I can tell you is a quality flasher or graph will pay itself off the first season you use it. It will put more fish on the ice for you too. Have you ever really sat down and figured out how much it costs per pound of fish after you buy all the trinkets. I think it goes the other way, the more toys and trinkets you buy, the payoff becomes the little light at the end of the ever lengthening tunnel.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bare foot wader Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 the OP should let his friend fish with his flasher for a day or two...and then see how fast buddy makes up his mind about buying one Have you ever really sat down and figured out how much it costs per pound of fish after you buy all the trinkets. I think it goes the other way, the more toys and trinkets you buy, the payoff becomes the little light at the end of the ever lengthening tunnel.. LOL fisherman....there's been a few trips where we've sat in the truck on the way home adding up numbers and calculating cost per fish...or when it's really bad cost per bite....sometimes it's better not to think about it and of course the pie chart of fish caught per angler...the joys of accountants fishing together ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crappieperchhunter Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Have you ever really sat down and figured out how much it costs per pound of fish after you buy all the trinkets. I think it goes the other way, the more toys and trinkets you buy, the payoff becomes the little light at the end of the ever lengthening tunnel.. I hear what you are saying and I agree to a point. I also compare it to my veggie garden. In 87 I bought the top of the line rototiller to till my garden. I probably still have not recovered that expense. But I also highly doubt I would still be enjoying my garden if I was still just turning it over with a shovel. Fishing Hunting and Vegetable gardening are 3 of the few activities/past times we can do and get something substantial back in return. In these cases it is food. So I have always looked at spending $$$ on these endeavors as something free cause you get something substantial back. Not many pastimes can boast that. Electronics will make the experience more productive and also more fun. That is what I have found anyway. In the big picture it would probably be cheaper for most if not all of us to buy all are veggies/fish/meat from the grocery store. If I went that route I would be one grumpy miserable person to be around....but I'd probably be rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photoz Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 I purchased a Vexilar SE in 2006, used it about 2 years, it was the difference between getting fish & NOT getting fish. The the FL 20 'Pro Pack' made its debut in 2008, it had several more purty l'il lights & lines . . . . it must REALLY be good, I sold my barely used FL8SE to a good friend, and went for the fancier (looking) one. After using it a few times, I felt like trading Big Cliff for my old one back. There's not a thing WRONG with it, except the lines showing different depths confiuse th' 'ell outta me. If you DID decide to go for a Vexilar, an F8SE is all you need. I got about a dozen lakers, crusing anywhere between 40' & 80' down, that I'd never have known were there! As for the battery, I could 'squeek' about 2 - 7 hour shifts out in -15 weather before I had to charge it. When I saw your post, I pulled the Vex outta my clothes closet, and checked the batteries. The one I had hooked up since last March was still over half charged & the spare was just under about a third. Get yourself a decent flasher, Vexilar or Marcum, you'll very quickly wonder how you ever managed without one! The fish don't have a chance when ya go huntin' 'em with a flasher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ketchenany Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 I'm just looking for input from flasher owners. . Thanks We never used flashers! Good to see you back buddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishdawg Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 all my Spin Doctor and Pro Troll flashers have definetly been worth the purchase! ;-) Traded in my old vexilar Fl8 last year for an Eagle 502c combo unit ... more versatile and it will get used 12 months a year Flashers are great if you ice fish often enough to justify the purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirCranksalot Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 The only flasher I know is the guy who was going to retire but decided he would stick it out one more year.....but that's probably not the kind of input the OP was looking for either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdmls Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 We never used flashers! Good to see you back buddy. You guys never used rods !!! I still remember the paper graph dumb ass rigged up ... That feels like a century ago LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ketchenany Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 You guys never used rods !!! I still remember the paper graph dumb ass rigged up ... That feels like a century ago LOL And we caugh fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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