Sunday, December 14, 2008

Fishfinders for ice fishing

The ice fishing season is in full swing again in the northern part of the hemisphere and I get many questions about choosing a fish finder for ice fishing so I thought it was a good time to address the topic.

Which type?
There are two types of ice fishing fish finders. One is the traditional flasher and the other is the more modern fish finder you will find in most boating situations.

The Flasher
A simple depth and fish finding device that displays the bottom echo and depth as well as any other echos (hopefully fish) and the depth they are holding.

Modern fish finder
Depending on the model these type of fish finders show everything, including structure and fish. There have been special ice fishing models released fairly recently which are fantastic and can run all day on a battery.

Choosing the right one
The most important thing about choosing an ice fishing fishfinder is the ability to handle the cold conditions! After this the power of the unit should be the key consideration. If you need your fish finder to penetrate the ice you may need extra power than someone using a transducer in the water.

Other important considerations:

  • Battery Life - will it last all day or more?
  • Zoom Mode - can it zoom in on a section of the water column? How much can it zoom and is it adjustable?
  • Color or mono?
  • Can it give readings before you start drilling?
  • Warranty!
Hopefully this helps you make your decision when purchasing a depth finder for your ice fishing. If you have any questions feel free to email me or leave a comment.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I personally am very fond of the flasher types of ice fishing fish finders. Great history of being able to handle the elements and continue working. The Marcum VX-1 is a great unit to get you started.

dabunny said...

ice fishing is the best!

Cheers!
Victor
http://fishing-n-tips.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Being new to the sport of ice fishing, I find it difficult to choose the perfect fishfinder. There are too many to chhose from! I personally want one that will penetrate through the ice, to save drilling time, and it must have a GPS built in. It'll also be nice if it has the option of switching from a flasher to a more detailed screen. Is there an ice fishing fishfinder even close to what I want?

Anonymous said...

I am very fond of the VX-1. Built in bottom zoom makes catching those fish in deep water easy! Or at least easier!

As for the post above me, I don't know of any fish finder designed specifically for ice fishing that has a built in GPS. I use my E-Trex Legend Cx with my flasher...

Kaos said...

I've never been ice fishing but it sounds like fun.

A Very Random Guy said...

I have never been ice fishing, but I am going to one day. Alabama is not exactly the ice fishing capital of the world lol. I started a new blog and would love for anyone to check it out. Have a great day.

Brian
http://bassinformation.blogspot.com/

Telescopic Fishing Rods said...

Sea fishing, is great, pity there weren'd big sea pike, that would be fun.

Telescopic Fishing Rods said...

Nice stuff, I've personally never used a fishfinder. Probably missing out like lol

Unknown said...

Great Post

Richard Schair

Pacific Northwest Fly Fishing said...

Great blog! Ice fishing is a lot of fun... especially with a hot cup of coffee.

Pacific Northwest Fly Fishing

Utah Fly Fishing Guide said...

Ice fishing is awesome. When you have Ice :)

Fishing Lure Guy said...

I was thinking about trying out ice fishing this winter. Thanks for the article about this. I've never done ice fishing before, so I'll have to pick up all new equipment and tackle for it!

Unknown said...

For ice fishing flashers work best.

Mionkeyface News said...

Ice fishing is all about the whiskey, not the fish finder... hey maybe that's why i never catch any

J.G. Lock said...

This may sound kinda odd but price is always a factor in my decisions. Also, I dont really care how many fish I catch. I just want to get out there for the fun and adventure.

Justin
www.icefishingpro.com

Daniel said...

Are there any fish finders that work through the ice? I don't have any ice fishing experience, but wonder if one has to drill a hole first and then see if there are fish? How is that done on an unknown lake?

Lake Erie charter fishing said...

Use them everytime on Lake Erie. Just as important on the ice as it is on your boat for locating fish.

FishVids said...

Fond with ice fishing! Love this hobby!