I’ll concur with Fuzzy. I’ve got a Marcum LX-5 and a Lowrance LCX-27c and I prefer the LCD over the flasher for the type of fishing I like to do. The flasher is good but high end sonar is much better. And don’t waste your time with LCD flasher mode. Why? It’s the same software and processor that processes the signal from the transducer.
Maniac is correct in what he posted. The flasher pings a lot faster but the LCD is plenty fast enough for any type of fishing, open water or ice.
This discussion has been debate a 1000 times and it hasn’t changed much. Both will do the job. Here is my suggestion. Fish with guys that know both units inside and out. Don’t fish with some guy who just bought one and has never owned anything else. Of course he’ll say it great. He doesn’t know any better but if you fish with people than have run both proficiently and can show you the differences, you’ll get an educated evaluation and can make a discussion based on your preferences.
That is why the Show Down Digital LCD is so nice,
It is like a flasher but dose not have the nose,
It also has a heater in it , not like other LCD.
and it is faster than a fish finder !!!
With Christmas just around the corner I really need some input from all you guys on the use of a Vexilar unit.
Is it really worth the extra money to buy a Vexilar, or should I save my money and just stay with a fish finder?
If it is worth the money should I get an 8, 12, or 20 model? Is there really a difference?
PLEASE HELPYes – it is worth the extra money. Buy the very best one you can afford.
The higher the model number, the more features you will get. I have the FL20 and can see fish on the bottom way better than I ever did with a normal sonar. The split screen (left side shows bottom 6/12 feet while right side shows the complete column), day/night screen intensities, shallow water low power mode, and built in battery tester are all nice features.
Now these next few comments are VERY tongue in cheek, so PLEASE – no flaming. I would guess that those that do NOT like them or recommend them are those that just never figured out how to actually use them correctly. There is a DVD that comes with the Vexilar that is very helpful. But then, there are always a few of the guys that will just not read the directions or listen to them on a DVD.
Uh, Uh, UH, - no flaming! [;)]
Buy it from Cabelas, use it a couple of times, and if you don’t like it, take it back for a full refund. It will end up in the Bargain Cave (did I mention you should look there first?) and give the next buyer a better price.
I would agree that a person can learn to use various types effectively. Others may be more flexible - (especially some of the high end, $600+, and I just can’t afford that). But thru the ice specifically, I’ve never fished with a person that didn’t prefer a flasher. (And I asked a LOT of people before I spent any, and tried other types.) I’ve got the Vex FL-18. I wouldn’t go without it.
And, I got it refurbished from the Vexilar. Saved something like $150. When they have refurbs is available spotty.
BTW: I would not recommend something just cuz I have one. [;)]
Hey guys, I will be up at Scofield Sunday with the Show Down if you want to swing over and check it out,
we will be over in Staley Bay, will be driving a Gold 03 Ford F 350 ,
Has AP&M signs on it
Swing by and say hi. [fishin][;)]
For ice fishing,I would not trade my Vex for any other fish finder on the market. When it’s -15 an LCD screen doesn’t work well. The vexilar is unaffected. In direct sunlight, an LCD screen can be impossible to see. The flasher is harder to see, but still visible. LCD screens eventually lose rows of pixels. I’ve thrown a couple finders away because of this.Vexilar has no pixels to lose.
During a super tough,light bite. The vexilar shows a fish coming to your lure in real time.I’ve caught limits of Perch that never even made the end of my pole move. Sometimes Perch will actually bite a jig and come up a tiny bit with it. Rod doesn’t move, but with the vexilar, you can see the two marks come together and set the hook before your line moves.
Last year at the Yuba ice fishing/Perch fry, I think me and my friend Brad were the first in with a limit of fish. Many of my fish were caught because I could see them at my jig before my rod moved.
My ice sled has rolled twice at high speed. Came unhooked from the snowmobile.
Vexilar survived both times.
I have owned about six fish finders and love my color lowrance on the boat, but for ice fishing, I would never trade my Vexilar for any other sonar unit. JMHO
take your flasher up to FG or fish lake and try and find bottom over 100 feet or try and see your jig that deep… lol it’s not going to happen!! good luck mac fishing with it!!!
What I don’t like with a flasher in deep water is the zoom and depth functions. With an LCD you have infinite zoom capabilities and infinite depth settings. You can precisely set the zoom and depth to exactly what you want.
With the flashers, you are stuck with the 20, 40,60, 80, and 200 ft settings. If you’re in 100 ft of water you have terrible line separation because you are set at 200 ft and the zoom only looks at the bottom 6 ft. Both the Marcum and Vexilar function fairly close to the same way.
Hey, my Marcum will see jigs at 100 feet but it’s not anything near what the LCD is capable of doing. Throw in the color screen and get the contrast and “colorline” set correctly and you can tell see a lot more of what’s going on than a three color flasher for the type of fishing I do.
In shallow water, they’re a wash. Both flashers and LCDs preform well but for deep water fishing, I’ll take the color LCD any day.
I agree with fuzzy,
that is why I got the New Show Down Digital it has a internal LCD heater that is good for - 40* so that is all I need, If it’s that cold it will be inside the tent with me anyway,
I also have my old lowrance X70 set up for ice fishing also, my son uses it and we have had no problems with it,
Like I said if it get that cold we are inside the tent anyway[:p]
Your right Ron, over 90’ or so, the flasher doesn’t perform good but it still works. I would rather have a lcd for that kind of fishing, but the VEX is much better up to 50’ or so IMHO.
I used my Vex at BL up to 100’ and it worked just fine IF you know how to use one and comprehend what it is telling you.[;)]