Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Which Depthfinder Is Best For Ice Fishing In 2018?


Rick

Recommended Posts

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Which fishfinder is the best for ice fishing in 2018?

 

Why overall?

 

What improvements has your favorite made in the past year or two?

image.thumb.jpg.5b6e1564fac9fd8563d979570940f6ac.jpg

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Not sure what is best. Still using my FL18. Very happy still. :) 

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

would be fun to have a newer one but I probably would spend the money on more jigs or better rods. 

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • I Like it 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think if we’re to buy one right now I’d go with either the LX7/LX6 or a helix ice unit. I’ve used an LX7 before and definitely it’s a beast the LX6 is pretty much the same just a bit smaller screen and price tag. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Just now, eyeguy 54 said:

would be fun to have a newer one but I probably would spend the money on more jigs or better rods. 

 

Now that I have a Big buddy heater instead of my old sun heater the only thing I get to listen to out in the middle of a quiet lake all day is the soft warm hum of my trusty FL-18! ?

  • I Like it 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

gotta love the sound of gills biting

 

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
4 hours ago, ANYFISH2 said:

Not sure what ua best, the old FL 8 will do the job for me this winter.

Same here why change what’s been working 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

Same here why change what’s been working 

Change is often good, especially when it comes to technology. Super bright display, Greater sensitivity, Weed mode, Low power mode, Several different display options, Auto depth and instant depth display,,,,,,,= even more FUN..... 1448656994_Capture_2018-10-17-18-47-43.png.04757346942bde2bd7ded4979ea69233.png

  • l Love It 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Tom Sawyer said:

Change is often good, especially when it comes to technology. Super bright display, Greater sensitivity, Weed mode, Low power mode, Several different display options, Auto depth and instant depth display,,,,,,,= even more FUN..... 1448656994_Capture_2018-10-17-18-47-43.png.04757346942bde2bd7ded4979ea69233.png

 

‘Cept when one of those dammm LX 5s gets dropped in within 20 yards of ya on catfish hole! ??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Wanderer said:

 

‘Cept when one of those dammm LX 5s gets dropped in within 20 yards of ya on catfish hole! ??

Not with 22 channels of IR, Tracie. I was just trying to keep you away from the big swarm, buddy....

  • Yayyyy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I use is an fl8. I have had it like 16 years.  I guess I don't really believe in the zoom and all that stuff.  Think the fl8 reads fish pretty good.  And I hardly get any interference like my buddies, with there fancy Marcum's lol.  

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • I Like it 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Parmer said:

All I use is an fl8. I have had it like 16 years.  I guess I don't really believe in the zoom and all that stuff.  Think the fl8 reads fish pretty good.  

Omg. @Parmer I totally forgot about the Zoom, tells ya' how far my mind is from ice season....

 

  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have to say it. I don't believe there is "A BEST" unit out there. Just about all of them will suit someone's needs depending on how you use them and what you expect from them.

If funds are not a limitation I would recommend looking at the Garmin Ice units with Panoptix or now you can adapt Livescope to the ice. Lots of Panoptix videos out there, but Livescope is new to the ice and the open water videos are amazing. Love mine. Sold all my flashers, my LX 6 and Helix units. My opinion for what it's worth. 

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've run an fl12 for six years now, occasionally it gets noisy but has been doing the job. Last year on lotw we had 4 vexilars going in a small area and even with the different interference settings I got feedback. One guy had a hummingbird 55 ice and had zero issues even when his was shut off still had issues. Maybe when I'm done with school I'll upgrade to something with a GPS and lake map

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, hayseed said:

Have to say it. I don't believe there is "A BEST" unit out there. 

Could not agree more...; but with Garmin Pan it's a bit cumbersome...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

for sure not a best unit out there, kinda like jigs, rods and plastics. its what you have confidence in. tom and rick got me off the live bait to plastics a couple years ago and once you see it happen its a happy time. :)  same with electronics, to each his own.  so many fish, so little time... had an amazing day again today on the soft water. no live bait.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

for sure not a best unit out there, kinda like jigs, rods and plastics. its what you have confidence in. tom and rick got me off the live bait to plastics a couple years ago and once you see it happen its a happy time. :)  same with electronics, to each his own.  so many fish, so little time... had an amazing day again today on the soft water. no live bait.

 

Royce, it was a awesome day today (weather wise) winds were nasty at times but 70 degrees was great. You fishing gills? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I was on the windy side of a small lake for the action. hit 3 spots calmer and the 4th paid off. my money spot was a snooze. LOL anchored in 10 to 12 feet and bobbered down 4 feet above the weeds.  1 inch gulp alive minnows in emerald and chartreuse on a 4mm widowmaker ice jig again. the bigger ones were biting crazy light. any small change in bobber action and set the hook for the nicer fish. Smaller ones smacked it. gills and crappies acting the same and in the same area give or take a few feet. Pinched off a weight from a different bobber and put on the comal ( I am really liking these). Just the yellow stayed above the water and easy to see the nibble. Had a boat next to me with round bobbers and they struggled bigtime. 

DSC_2149.JPG

DSC_2150.JPG

  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
40 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

 tom and rick got me off the live bait to plastics a couple years ago and once you see it happen its a happy time. :) 

2

 

Hi my name is Royce. I was a live bait addict for many years and just could not kick the habit. Every day I would have to stop at the bait store to get my fix and every night I would come home with minnow and wax worm juice all over my fingers and a lot of fish to eat and let a lot go that were YUUUUGGGGGGGe

???

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Just now, leech~~ said:

 

Hi my name is Royce. I was a live bait addict for many years and just could not kick the habit. Every day I would have to stop at the bait store to get my fix and every night I would come home with minnow and wax worm juice all over my fingers and a lot of fish to eat and let a lot go that were YUUUUGGGGGGGe ? 

???

2

 

bwaaaa haaaaaa haaaaaaaaa  ! ! ! 

  • Yayyyy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome! Sounds like fun. Staying on a lake I’ve fished a fair amount last few years and struggling. Can’t get nothing to go. Fished from 4-16 ft. Been reading some articles to use electronics to mark fish in deep water (20-30fow) so maybe I’ll give that a try tomorrow. Tried trolling for pike to and again nothing. Also tried bass fishing and yep your right nothing. Man I’m really struggling but I’ve never fished this late in the season so that doesn’t help. But I don’t think I’m the only one struggling quite a few anglers out and didn’t see any fish caught. 

Edited by AlwaysFishing23
  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I have good luck on a couple spots with steep drop offs and weeds close to the drop. I anchor shallow and cast out to the drop. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thinking of trying a few spots like this tomorrow. I’ve covered the whole lake so hopefully that works. I know once I find em I’ll hammer them 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.