uth_secret = 'dcc6358901e39f832a27b0555fd72b92f97c10bad60eeb25408aec47af242b46';
$auth_secret = 'e76f1677d11e9e80f775fb51e9d529da850475991cca74225abb29f911ee72c6';
?>
Print Page - vexilars versus regular fish finders
Ice Fish Ohio Forum
Ice Fishing => General Discussion => Topic started by: KPI on December 10, 2013, 07:10:34 PM
Title: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: KPI on December 10, 2013, 07:10:34 PM
why is everyone using a vexilar when is seems to me that my grandpa had one of these on his boat years ago. wouldn't a elite five with ice tranducer be a better option??? you get a history of the fish on the page just seems better technology to me then the flasher I mean you wouldn't use your vex moving on the boat seems like the elite five is a faster unit to see what is happening??? and plus it is cheaper and color !!!!
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: Mullygyn on December 10, 2013, 07:33:26 PM
Its instant infirmation . no delay. Accurate...
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: davidhoheisel on December 10, 2013, 07:42:18 PM
I am assuming that your talking about the lowrance unit that has a ice transducer.
This unit will work better for year round fishing as you can use the sonar feature during soft water. It does offer a flasher setting with the ice transducer that is real time but just isnt as clear as other flashers made for ice fishing.
The vex is going to be more detailed as a flashers go compared to the lowrance and will work better for ice fishing.
It really comes down to budget. The lowrance will give you both options for soft and hard water.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: mbarrett1379 on December 10, 2013, 07:46:23 PM
I own the lowrance and personally love it on the ice! Clear, lots of options and im a tech guru. I feel that the vexilars are way expensive for not a lot of technology BUT they are 100 percent guarrenteed to work and simply are proved by many to be a great electronic.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: snowcone on December 10, 2013, 07:49:40 PM
call me old school but I like 2 watch the fish symbols on my hummer bird..now don't get me wrong I have seen how effective flashers are and you guys will most likely catch more fish...but....and I can scrape the ice pour some water on it and set my transducer there and see whats up....
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: OhioFisher19 on December 10, 2013, 08:41:49 PM
We have a couple of the old school flashers in the basement. Funny you brought up how that was the first fish finders and now they have gone to a whole new environment. Haven't heard of the elite 5 being used on the ice. Although I have fished vertical for lake trout up north on an open water humminbird and it was successful. Although it is no doubt that the instant information makes for success. I do see GPS being the next innovation being tied into all ice fish finders.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: mbarrett1379 on December 10, 2013, 08:51:23 PM
GPS is fantastic to find those break lines and to get back to exact spots
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: KPI on December 10, 2013, 08:53:14 PM
check out the lowrance elite 5 ice machine on you tube pretty sweet let me know what ya think
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: slabslayer on December 10, 2013, 09:57:00 PM
I have a handheld gps that will use my navionics. I can find and go back to my spots. As for the fish finder vs vex debate, I have both. I 2 have Lowrance HDS units and an elite 7 on my bass boat and they work well for vertical drop shotting. For ice fishing, I'll never use anything but a flasher. They show an ice fly better and the live screen is more responsive in my opinion. As far as the vex vs marcum vs hummingbird ice flasher, that's a ford, Chevy, dodge thing. All a matter of personal preference as all 3 will get the job done. I've seen all 3 on the ice in action, but own and prefer the vex. Just my opinion, as all are great products.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: Hillbilly on December 11, 2013, 07:12:44 AM
"instant information"
just turn your chart speed up, thats step 3 in a basic process to make your open water sonar into icefishing friendly unit.
Chart speed of ten, i assure you on a "bird" the unit knows what the fish is gonna do before the fish does, is tough to watch at first, kinda like a video game thing going on :o
I prefer the LCD unit myself, flashers work great, nothing wrong with them, but i prefer the normal sonar unit.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: chaunc on December 11, 2013, 10:27:58 AM
I too enjoy the sonar over the flasher. I've owned and used every flasher unit except marcum. I used a lowrance M68C unit last season and fell in love with it. So much so that i upgraded to the new elite 5 icemachine this year. Took it out in the boat with me a couple times and marked some spots that i can walk too on the ice. I'll see how accurate the gps is on it when i can get out. Really like that bigger screen too. Sold my vex 22, bird 45, showdown 5.6, and vex 18 in the last 5 years.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: Hillbilly on December 11, 2013, 02:55:20 PM
the biggest hurdle to over-come with an open water sonar is getting the transducer to hang level. If you got the scratch, buy an ice-ducer,(common in the 'birds and lowrance units now that they market them for ice fishing). If not, spend an hour working it out. A transducer is a transducer, they both do the same thing, its just one is designed to mount solidly to a boat, one is ment to hang in an ice hole.
Once you get past the transducer issue, its a simple. You will need to tweak your sensitivity settings, your chart/scroll speed and your interference settings.(on the newer units, there are other settings that can be adjusted for maximum benefit) On the older units, especially black and white units, you need to run your sensitivity really high, on the newer color units, much less.
If you have any questions specifically, let me know, been doing this for quite some time.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: wetline1 on December 12, 2013, 11:50:41 AM
I purchased my first flasher last year. It was a Marcum vx1 pro, and I have enjoyed its usefulness. I think whichever one you choose, it is a matter of personal preference. However, after seeing Dave's upgraded vexilar, I have a good idea what my next flasher will :o be. I was amazed by the color distinction and the zoom.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: davidhoheisel on December 12, 2013, 05:01:48 PM
Doug Stewart will be doing an electronics seminar at the Fin in Ashland and demonstrating the different vexilars.
The new Vex 28 has a demo mode which will allow you to see how the flasher works.
It is the best unit that Vexilar has produced so far.
The best way is to educate yourself on all different units and then it comes to personal preference. They will all make your day of ice fishing successful.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: erierider on December 16, 2013, 08:20:38 AM
The more I look into these Lowrances and 'birds using the sonar, I am starting to think I may be selling my Vex FL-18 and going with one of these. Like the integrated GPS and after researching on multiple sites, think this is the wave of the future. Hit you tube and watch some of the videos on these units, quite impressive. I know on some other sites, several higher profile guys have begged the "flasher" companies to step their game up but it has fallen on deaf ears. As good as these new units might be from the flasher companies, I am starting to think, if you use a lowrance or bird in summer and are really familiar with how it works and wht it does, why just keep using through the year??? It appears as any issues with lag time etc, have been corrected. Gonna make it a point to use one of these in depth this year and then make a decison from there.
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: wballard77 on December 16, 2013, 03:46:40 PM
The response time isn't the issue @ 3 milliseconds vs 7milliseconds you cant tell the difference, because the human eye response time is 8-16 ms. However to get the same target separation as a bottom of the barrel VX-1 you will need a $1000+ graph machine. Also keep in mind that old school flasher last forever.
There is no wrong choice, you will catch more with a finder of any sort than none @ all!
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: erierider on December 17, 2013, 07:24:57 AM
With all due respect, I think your comments are along the same line of the flasher companies. I own a flasher now (FL-18), to be exact and love it. However, seeing the demonstrations and a lot of the new features of these sonars, I think they are being overlooked because it is hard to break the old school flasher mentality. Mix in GPS mapping all in one unit and you get a pretty nice package which can not only see fish on the screen but help you fish breaks, contours or a hot spot to increase your productivity on the ice. I for one, find myself throwing my handheld GPS in my pocket not to be seen for many hours on the ice. These new set ups make it all in one and easy to use
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: slabslayer on December 17, 2013, 07:56:08 AM
The only reason I'm considering getting one is the GPS factor. Less things to carry and can use my Navionics with a sonar unit. I'm considering trying sideways imagining with my lowrance unit. I have an extra transducer for it. Anything to lighten the load on the ice is a good thing!!
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: erierider on December 17, 2013, 11:30:26 AM
Thats along the same line I was thinking as well, do more with less. From what I am seeing from the online and youtube demos, they are pretty darn nice. From reviews on other sites and doing extensive research, it appears as if people who own them love them. I have an eye on a 'bird Hopefully, I can pull it off and get mine. Will let you guys know how it goes. We have a few trips planned coming up over the holidays here so hopefully I get it and can get some real life feedback on it. The integrated gps and a navionics card with all the maps and contours would be awesome!
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: Hillbilly on December 17, 2013, 04:48:17 PM
Slabslayer, i havent tried it myself, but my tech guru( he's forgot more about fishfinders than i'll ever know) told me that it wont work...well. Says the side-scanning works best while moving. It will read, but will become "muddy" was the word he used, if stationary.
again, i have no first hand experience on the ice with one.
erierider, welcome to the darkside!
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: slabslayer on December 17, 2013, 05:39:29 PM
Thanks for the heads up before I try to build an ice bracket for my sidescan. Must be a reason they don't make one! ;D
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: erierider on December 17, 2013, 09:49:08 PM
Well pulled the trigger and got a humminbird 597 ci HD ice machine. Loved my vexilar and am still hoping I made the right decision. I can only speak great things of my fl18 and has performed flawlessly. However, I really wanted to integrate gps/fish finder into one on the ice. Love the concept of being able to go back to exact spots per se, or fishing breaks contours etc. If only vexilar could somehow come up with the idea of integrating GPS with their flashers, to me that would be the perfect unit. Hope my research does not let me down but as small of a world this is I know my vexilar will be continued to be enjoyed by its new owner. Turns out I know him and he loves the ice!!
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: Northeast Panfish League on December 18, 2013, 06:21:37 PM
I used an Eagle Cuda LCD fishfinder for years as my ice rig. I paid $30 for it used and rigged it up so the transducer set level in the hole. I could dial it in to see my jig in 30 ft. of water and see the fish coming in. It can be done and the delay is minimal on some units. Sometimes the extreme cold affected it but it got the job done most times. I know own a Vex FL-22 and a Vex double vision...
Title: Re: vexilars versus regular fish finders
Post by: steelneyes on December 20, 2013, 11:53:14 PM
Some interesting thoughts here. And I must say, I felt I was missing out 7 or 8 years ago not having a vex, but no longer do. I have always used my boat sonar with an ice ducer. In addition to the GPS onboard, my consideration was financial. If I had an extra $500 to spend would I put it into a flasher that I can only use 2-3 months a year vs. my boat that I am on 9 months out of the year? I don't doubt the ability of either a flasher or traditional sonar. And actually, the slowest of all would be a camera. But as mentioned above, it is milliseconds. So for me, I took the flasher money and invested it into the structure scan for my boat. I have used that to now mark spots and find individual stumps and trees that then I can ice fish. $1000 can buy a lot of sonar these days. If I lived in MN or upstate MI where they have a 4-5 month ice season, then I may have considered a flasher. But for the money, if you own a boat as well, you can get 1 really nice unit rather than 2 midline units.