An ice fishing flasher can take your ice fishing to an all new level. No longer are you sat at a whole that is not producing. Getting the best ice fishing flasher can take some time with research that needs to be done as there are some duds on the market. I have found 3 excellent choices that will give you all the signals you need.
An ice fishing flasher can take your game to the next level and have you honing right into the fish. There is no longer any need to stay in a spot that is not producing as you will know that there is no fish in the area. We have also below included a complete buying guide in case you just need a little more information to make that choice.
Vexilar’s GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer Combo
Vexilar’s GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer Combo is a quality piece of ice fishing equipment that is years in the making. Berkley scientists have spent over 25 years perfecting this iceducer to make it the ultimate piece of gear for finding fish below the ice. With a plethora of controls and options, you can pinpoint the exact location of those schools of fish below the ice that you are craving.
The transducer technology found within Vexilar’s GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer Combo gives you a tight cone of vision that extends directly below your feet. This offers you an unrivaled view of what is going on beneath the ice. Have you ever drilled multiple holes in the ice to scout out the waters below? Now you never have to do that again. This handy machine acts as your eyes and ears under the ice so you only have to make one effective cut to get the fish you want. Made from hardy materials meant to stand up to the harshest and coldest temperatures including their “Blue Box” technology, this machine is tougher than your toughest days. The Blue Box casing is nearly indestructible and is ready to face the day, no matter how cold.
- Years of experience behind this design
- Tight area of vision
- Can withstand the elements
MarCum LX-9 Digital Sonar/Camera System LCD Dual Beam with OSD Camera (8-Inch)
The MarCum LX-9 Digital Sonar/Camera System LCD Dual Beam doesn’t just give you a fuzzy sonar readout of what lies beneath the ice. It also has a camera equipped which allows you to see exactly what is down there. Sick of picking up ghosts on your sonar? No problem, check it out with the included digital camera to ensure that you are tracking exactly what you want.
This unit is versatile offering you multiple ways to tune and view the world below the ice. You can easily see the temperature, depth, and relative direction at a glance. Customizable screen options include; all camera, all sonar, split screen, and heads up meaning you get to view the water the way you are most comfortable with. Everything can be swapped and tuned with ease.
The large 8” screen gives you plenty of room and resolution to view the sonar and camera separately or together. The transducer is hooked up to a multifaceted sonar display including LCD windows that easily displays the water column vertical. It also includes vertical zoom, flasher-dial, and traditional widescreen graph displays. The transducer offers tight visualizations of what lurks below without the hassle of complicated dials and settings.
The MarCum LX-9 Digital Sonar/Camera System LCD Dual Beam really can do it all and will make an invaluable addition to your ice fishing loadout. Never wonder what is below your feet under the ice ever again.
- Customizable view options
- Powerful camera and sonar
- Quality design
Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar System/Fishfinder – LX-7
Being able to see below thick ice to find the fish that you want is a tough job. That is why there are tough machines designed to do just that. With over a decade of sonar technology advancements under their belt, a passion for the coldest days of the year, and the know-how on how to land the best game fish from under the ice, Marcum is your go to for quality ice fishing equipment. With the Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar System/Fishfinder – LX-7 you are not simply getting a run of the mill transducer that was jerry-rigged from similar tropical designs, you are getting a completely unique design built from the ground up.
This device comes with a plethora of different viewing options and dashboard options which allows you to customize it to your heart’s content. Not every ice pack is the same and not every angler is the same. That is why you can adjust and customize the display to show displays digital depth, battery voltage, range, gain, interference rejection (IR), target adjust, or any combination thereof. This level of customization is a welcome addition to any iceducer. Don’t be let down by fakers, get a quality product from Marcum today.
- Specifically designed for the ice
- A powerful transducer
- Tons of display options
Ice Fishing Flasher Buying Guide
Ice fishing can be grueling work. It is an ancient art that was created out of necessity by those living in the coldest regions of our planet. With modern technology, the cold and tough work of ice fishing can be less so. New devices from reputable makers have made it so it is easier than ever to identify where the fish are hiding under the ice and the best places to drill your holes.
If you have ever drilled multiple small scout holes trying to figure out where the fish are or have sat next to a large hole all day, freezing, without any luck, you know how frustrating it can be to find fish lurking under the ice. Now with ice flashers, all of that can change. However, they are complicated and expensive pieces of equipment.
You do not want to go in blind and wildly buy something on a whim, not for something like this. That is why we have combed through the best available ice flashers and transducers available online and crafted this guide to show you what are the most important things to focus on when purchasing a new iceducer.
What To Look For
There are a few things you want to keep an eye out for when looking into buying a quality ice flasher. If you take these things into consideration when purchasing, you will not be surprised or disappointed when making your purchase.
Transducer Quality
First, and most importantly, you want to find an ice flasher with a powerful and focused transducer. If you are familiar with the traditional boating transducers you might be confused by the options presented here. When on the ice, you do not need a super wide field of view from your transducer. Unlike a boat, in which more coverage is often better, on the ice, less is more.
You are going to want to find a machine that has a super high level of detail in a narrow band that looks straight down. You do not need to be looking for something with very wide angles of sonar coverage. In fact, wider can be more distracting for ice fishing purposes. You also want to consider transducers that come with gain-reducing features. Coldwater can cause sonar to behave differently than warm water and if you are not careful you can get a transducer not suited specifically for ice fishing and miss out on the clearest images available.
Customization
The best ice flashers will have a wide array of different display options and information vectors. When you are out on the ice, the more information you have the better. Even if you can’t see the fish, being able to determine key details about the conditions under the ice can go along way in helping you to find them. Some of these information vectors and options include digital depth, battery voltage, range, gain, interference rejection, target adjust, water temperature, speed, and direction.
If you find a particularly cold patch of water you might want to look elsewhere for warmer pastures. Perhaps the place you are scanning is too shallow for the fish you are trying to find. All of this information matters. The good pieces of equipment will have these things as an option while others will not.
Display / Camera
You are going to want to look for an ice flasher that includes a camera and sonar. The ability to look around under the ice is unmatched, especially when you are in areas of super cold water or high gain. This will allow you to spot the fish you want quickly without relying on sonar 100% of the time. The best models will give you an option to run the rig in split screen mode allowing you to have the camera display, sonar display, or informational display all up simultaneously. This will give you the best set of tools available to pin down the best place to set up camp on the ice.
Switching back and forth between the camera, sonar and information can be arduous and annoying and can lead to you missing out on important cues that you would have otherwise seen if you had the ability to go dual screen. Make sure you find a rig that has a transducer and a camera and the ability to run both at the same time.
If you keep these important factors in mind while shopping for your next ice flasher, you are sure to find a piece of equipment that will work for you.
Conclusion
Choosing the best ice fishing flasher can be a big decision and take a lot of research to get the correct one you are looking for your needs. I hope that my guide helps you make the whole process of getting the correct on for your needs much easier.
A flasher can make your ice fishing so much easier there is no longer any need to sit at a hole that is not producing. I know I don’t like moving holes just in case there is fish below but there is no longer guessing if there is or not. The flasher will tell you definitely if there is fish in the area and you can make a more informed decision.
There is only one last thing to say and that’s enjoy your new flasher and enjoy the more fish that it helps you produce.