what degree transducer to get?

[Mike Stark]

im going to get a vex...what degree transducer would i need? i fish for lakers in 50-70fow.

thanks,

mike

[Steve Foss]

Mike, why don't you get the dual 9/19 transducer and have the best of both worlds? If my 19 degree ducer wore out and I couldn't afford a whole new unit, I'd get the dual ducer for my FL8-SLT.

[caseymcq]

If all you will use it for is fishing that depth of water then get a 9 degree.

Like Mr. Catfish said though the 9/19 is the way to go. I had a 19 and 9 degree transducer and recently bought a 9/19 switchable. That is really nice leaving one transducer on the unit and just flipping a switch to change cone angles. It is especially nice up here where you may be fishing lakers one day in 80' and walleyes or crappies in 12 to 25' the next day.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, looks like you're getting pretty much the same advice on the ice fishing board with your inquiry there.

[Mike Stark]

yeah...it sounds like the dual is the way to go...i just hope that the one on sale has a dual...most likely not...might have to get it seperate.

thanks for the advice.

mike

[Mike Stark]

is it possible to fish in 80fow with the 19????

how deep can you get???

im new to electronics.

thanks for the help.

mike

[grousehunter]

I believe its possible there will just be more of a dead zone if you are fishing on sharper breaks. i.e. it will show 60ft but in 65 ft of water it will continue to show 60 ft. deep and any fish below this depth will not show on the tranducer. At least that is what i got from the research i did...never have used one though so dont know from first hand experience. I just got a fl18 with 12 degree tranducer..got the 12 because it was cheaper...340 with genz pack. I think 9 would definatly be better but 19 should work

[Steve Foss]

I've fished Bside in over 100 FOW with a 19 degree. Water that deep on Bside doesn't have much in the way of breaklines, but of course your cone is pretty wide when it's that deep.

I don't think it matters much in those situations, really. When a red band appears under your lure, whether you have a 9 or a 19 degree ducer, the blood pumps just as fast.

In smelt country, you'll get more readings with a wider cone off deepwater smelt than you will with a narrow one.

GH, you're right about the dead zone, I think. But it doesn't matter the way I fish. If I'm on a really steep break, I pull my lure up so it's just above the shallowest part of the bottom, so if my Vex reads bottom from 50 to 70 FOW, I'll start jigging at 45 feet on the Vex. You're basically talking in those situations about almost a sheer wall, or close to it, and I'm a lot more concerned in those situations about where there might or might not be pods of smelt.

If there are pods in 30 FOW, I pull up there and jig, for example. I think walls and very steep breaks are places lakers push smelt into like herders who want to eat, and I don't care much about dead zones on the graph.

I also think we overemphasize electronics when talking lakers. Partly that's because it's such an addicting video game. But God knows plenty of lakers were caught before electronics came in, and I've caught a lot of them when I was daydreaming and jigging in auto mode and not paying any attention to the Vex, or when I was jigging two holes at once and the Vex was too far away to see. That's one reason that, when on a very steep break, I still spend some time jigging "in the red," so to speak.

You just never know.

That's just my take. I'd be interested in hearing what others think.

[caseymcq]

It is possible to fish 80 ft with a 19.

If you are on a steep break it will cause some problems though. The cone will be so wide at the bottom that from one side of the cone to the other there maybe a difference of 20 to 50 feet or more in depth. It gets hard to read the flasher then.

[Surface Tension]

All good info. Thats one reason I have the LX5, NBT is one its features.

Since you haven't purchased a flasher yet and considering you'll be fishing a wide range of conditions you might as well get the Dual ducer option.

[troyslund]

i bought a fl20 vex (dual beam) this season and have only used it in less than 20fow on fish and boulder... however i did go to gull lake for the extravaganza ended up in 54fow... i had trouble seeing my jig past 40fow or so... i was using a smaller jig with a minnow... was i doing something wrong or will you not see a small jig that far down?? seems like i tried everythin.. i will recommend purchasing one with the zoom features most definately.. i love the fl20

[northwoodsdreamr]

troyslund, I bought the fl 20 dual beam this year also and really like it so far. I can pick up 1/16 oz. jig in 70 fow. Not sure what size you were using. I know you have to crank the gain up to get a signal. Good luck. Todd

[FishermanHart]

I bought a Marcum Lx 3 about 6 years ago and Love It. I would recomend them cuz of there customer service. I lost sensitvity on my pickup or gain. They fixed it for 45 bucks. That was sweet and it is just like new or better.