07-15-2014, 04:21 PM
[#0000FF]Ask any group of seasoned ice anglers what is the best sonar and you will get as many opinions as there are anglers.
I have been ice fishing for at least 4 decades and have either used or observed just about every make and model available in operation. My personal choice...going back about 4 years now...has been for the Showdown...with the vertical column instead of the flashing light dials of some other popular flashers. To me it suits my style of fishing better.
And yes, I get the dual beam. The "troller" model works fine for most applications but as I recall, the target separation is a bit more, as well as a couple of other minor details. In short, the dual beam model gives a better overall picture of what is below.
One of the major things I like about my Showdown is using it as a "troller" by shooting through the ice as I walk around looking for the right depth, the right bottom conditions or to find fish under the ice before drilling a hole. I bring along a couple of insulated containters (Thermos) with warm water to dribble on the ice. As long as the ice is fairly clear and free of cracks and bubbles you will get a good reading. Even if there is a bit of snow on the ice you can scoop or kick it away enough to dribble on some warm water and get your reading. Sure does save a lot of time by not fishing in water without fish. No guarantee you can catch them if you find them but you can't catch them where they ain't.
Another great advantage of having real time display of both your lure and the fish coming through is to be able to drop down or reel up to fish that come into the cone above or below where you are fishing. There have been a lot of days when that feature has helped put more fish on the ice.
Anything else?
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
I have been ice fishing for at least 4 decades and have either used or observed just about every make and model available in operation. My personal choice...going back about 4 years now...has been for the Showdown...with the vertical column instead of the flashing light dials of some other popular flashers. To me it suits my style of fishing better.
And yes, I get the dual beam. The "troller" model works fine for most applications but as I recall, the target separation is a bit more, as well as a couple of other minor details. In short, the dual beam model gives a better overall picture of what is below.
One of the major things I like about my Showdown is using it as a "troller" by shooting through the ice as I walk around looking for the right depth, the right bottom conditions or to find fish under the ice before drilling a hole. I bring along a couple of insulated containters (Thermos) with warm water to dribble on the ice. As long as the ice is fairly clear and free of cracks and bubbles you will get a good reading. Even if there is a bit of snow on the ice you can scoop or kick it away enough to dribble on some warm water and get your reading. Sure does save a lot of time by not fishing in water without fish. No guarantee you can catch them if you find them but you can't catch them where they ain't.
Another great advantage of having real time display of both your lure and the fish coming through is to be able to drop down or reel up to fish that come into the cone above or below where you are fishing. There have been a lot of days when that feature has helped put more fish on the ice.
Anything else?
[/#0000FF]
[signature]