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01-14-2019, 03:09 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 317
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Ice Camera or a "Flasher"
Hey guys, I'm considering buying a camera for ice fishing as I have wanted one for a long time. I have been doing some research on some brands of cameras as well as the Marcum flasher. Just wondering if anyone prefers one over the other. I realize its most likely a "chevy or ford" type argument but any HELPFUL information or comments would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks in advance,
Buck
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01-14-2019, 03:16 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 7,509
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While I've never used a camera for ice fishing, I suspect that a flasher is a more versatile tool for fishing. I have an older MarCum flasher, and even as the base model, it sure helps catching fishing.
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01-14-2019, 03:34 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,072
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Both are extremely helpful. I'd say a sonar unit (Flasher or Graph with ice ducer) is most important, and then get a camera down the road. We have a couple really cheap sonar units (One Larry and one Bird) and then got an AquaVu cam this year because we had some Bass Pro gift cards. They each useful in their own way, but if I could only have one, I'd get a sonar unit...
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01-14-2019, 03:49 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Rocky View County AB.
Posts: 3,557
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If you only get one then it should be a flasher. A lot of lakes are somewhat dirty in the winter and your camera can be useless. A sonar does not care about clarity.
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01-14-2019, 03:57 PM
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Alberta
Posts: 2,445
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The debate over which brand to go with is a "Chevy vs Ford" discussion, but the decision over a flasher or a camera is much different.
Briefly, flashers are great for murky and/or deep water, while cameras work best in clear, relatively shallow waters. Most cameras have fifty feet of cable, and if the water isn't crystal clear at deeper depths, you aren't going to see a lot. I have a high quality camera (Marcum Recon 5+), and there are lakes where the camera quality is low at 8 feet.
I have a Marcum LX7 and a Marcum Recon 5+. No complaints with either; they do what they're supposed to do.
In terms of brands, like I said, it's a "Chevy vs Ford" debate. I've used Vexilar and Marcum flashers, and they both do the job. I've seen videos that show that Vexilars have a slightly better display in high sunlight scenarios vs Marcum and Humminbird, but unless you're fishing for a living, all three brands will give you a unit that will be a powerful and exciting new tool for the ice. I'd personally go with whatever brand was on sale at the time.
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01-14-2019, 04:02 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,072
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I would suggest getting a unit that has GPS, and both Flasher and Graph mode. A lot of guys are moving away from Flasher mode and using Graph more and more...
Just as an example, my cousin has an Ice Helix 7 unit from Bird, and it's got all the things I mentioned...he really digs it.
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01-14-2019, 04:06 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Falun
Posts: 465
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Flasher ! Hands down. Have had a camera since they first came out but haven’t used it since I finally bought a flasher. Great for targeting suspended fish.
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01-14-2019, 04:19 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 781
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Also depends on how you prefer to ice fish!
A camera is a set up and leave it proposition best used in a tent/hut and great for keeping kids entertained,
If however you are a prospector hole hopper type who has problems sitting in one spot. A flasher is your go to tool
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01-14-2019, 04:45 PM
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 1,879
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i would only get a camera to entertain kids.
If you're a hardcore fisherman that wants to catch some fish the flasher is the way to go.
I've got an lx7 and lx9 and i never ever use the camera on the lx9 unit. As for brand of sonars. I've heard vexilars are bullet proof. I like the Helix5 and helix6 with GPS and mapping.
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01-14-2019, 04:47 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poppa
I would suggest getting a unit that has GPS, and both Flasher and Graph mode. A lot of guys are moving away from Flasher mode and using Graph more and more...
Just as an example, my cousin has an Ice Helix 7 unit from Bird, and it's got all the things I mentioned...he really digs it.
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I think this is going to be my unit!!! I have watched a few reviews and I love how it is dual purpose between summer and winter! Thanks for the suggestion
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01-14-2019, 04:48 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 317
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Thanks for the help guys!! I am definitely going to be looking into a Hummingbird Ice Helix 7
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01-14-2019, 04:58 PM
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 1,879
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they onsale at both cabelas and fishin hole today!
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01-14-2019, 05:23 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,072
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sushi_man
they onsale at both cabelas and fishin hole today!
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*edit* I had read that HB discontinued the Ice Helix but sure enough, it's in the flyer! $900 bones is STEEP, but it is a good unit if you want something you can use in both winter and summer...
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01-14-2019, 05:28 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 2,787
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poppa
The Ice Helix is? I thought I read that they'd been discontinued by Humminbird? You have to just buy the regular Helix and then buy a ice ducer separate......unless I'm crazy. I'll have to take a look on the weekend...
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They have an “all season” kit as well that has both the open water suction cup style and ice transducers in the box.
I bought the Helix 5 G2 CHIRP GPS PT (long enough name??) and added the XI 9 1521 ice transducer to it. Ended up cheaper than the “all season” pack.
__________________
Princecraft, Humminbird, MinnKota, Cannon, Mack's Lure, & Railblaza Pro Staff
YouTube: Harder Outdoors
Instagram: @harderoutdoors
FB: HarderOutdoors
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01-14-2019, 05:30 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 2,787
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poppa
*edit* I had read that HB discontinued the Ice Helix but sure enough, it's in the flyer! $900 bones is STEEP, but it is a good unit if you want something you can use in both winter and summer...
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That’s the “All Season” kit I mentioned. It has both transducers.
__________________
Princecraft, Humminbird, MinnKota, Cannon, Mack's Lure, & Railblaza Pro Staff
YouTube: Harder Outdoors
Instagram: @harderoutdoors
FB: HarderOutdoors
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01-14-2019, 05:30 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Fort Saskatchewan
Posts: 733
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Quote:
Originally Posted by buck-8835
Thanks for the help guys!! I am definitely going to be looking into a Hummingbird Ice Helix 7
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Looks like you will make the right choice. My buddies use the camera in the shack and I use my Helix and out fish them everytime. By about 4:30 the camera becomes useless, the flasher works until I go to sleep. Good Luck, let us know what you get.
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01-14-2019, 05:39 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 562
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If you hole hop, scout around or fish deep water over say 25’ or so depending on water clarity use a flasher hands down every time. If you are on the meat, staying put, and fishing shallower, a camera is the way beter option and here’s why. The Camera doesn’t lie! You can tell exactly what is down there. If you see some whites come thru and you are fishing something big for Walleye like a rattle bait or something you can get up and back down lickety split like your saving lives with something else that a white will take. If fishing for Perch you can for example yank your bait away from the little dinks as well as see how the intended targets react to your presentation in order to make changes if needed to entice more bites. You don’t want to be sitting there oblivious to what is the mark on your flasher, jigging your Perch tungsten jig with a mealworm on it when the mark on your graph may actuallly be your 1 chance at a keeper Burbot of the day who wants a big glow jig with a big gob of hacked up minnows on it instead....and for these reasons, a camera is indispensable and absolutely necessary in my book. A flasher only tells you something else is in the cone angle, it can’t really tell you exactly what, but they too are indispensable if using any of the other methods described above. Good luck, ideally you need both in my personal and professional opinion to cover all your bases effectively. The fish I have mounted on my wall would never have been caught had I not seen what was down there on the camera. If I had been using a flasher that day I would have never caught it. I was actually panning the camera around in a circle when I spotted it swimming off in the distance horizontally away from me when I then started jigging my bait high in the water column and very aggressively. It stopped on a dime, turned and swam straight in towards me. I followed it right in on all the way on my camera as I lowered back down and watched the hit real-time, gave it an eye crossing hook set, and the rest is history! I don’t catch that fish without a camera or panning around to spot something.
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01-14-2019, 06:10 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Medicine Hat
Posts: 550
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I use both actually,flasher is great for when the water clarity is poor or it’s still dark out. And the camera is great when fishing is slow you can see what presentation is working best. I have the marcum 485 and the vexilar FLX20,no complains with either unit.
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01-14-2019, 08:23 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 51
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I have both. Flashed hands down the best if you can only
Have one!
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01-15-2019, 05:49 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Yellowhead County
Posts: 65
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Camera is fun to play around with but if you only have one choice I would take a flasher it’s much more useful.
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01-15-2019, 10:57 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Stony Plain
Posts: 6,433
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Flasher!
You can hole hop way easier, you can learn unhindered fish behavior and plain overall catch more fish.
In my experience fish behavior is different with a camera down which usually means the fish are biting less or at a slower pace. I think cameras are a distraction from actual fishing and waste valuable fishing time drilling holes and setting up.
That said they keep kids entertained and will help identify fish species (fishing for walleye and have perch move in) and bottom structure & transition areas.
Flasher hands down if you can only pick one.
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