A buddy took a drive around the Ottertail and Detroit lakes area yesterday and said there were only about 10-20% of the # of houses or fishermen on lakes that normally would be. Shush and later snow has really messed up things on a lot of lakes.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Slabhunter wrote:</div>
I wonder how this season will affect Marcum & Vexilar, the 2 electronics mfgs who primarily focus on ice fishing, and then you have Clam and a few others based here in MN? I know in my area we have maybe 1/10th of the normal number of people out <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing this year. On lakes that normally have 100 permanent houses out there is 10, 200 normally and now only 20 and the portable fishing is way down too with no truck traffic for the most part and no roads plowed to “villages”. Unless <em class=”ido-tag-em”>ice fishing is booming in other ice belt states I’d say there’s not much electronics (and other stuff) being sold in year like this unfortunately.I think it’s been tough for many of the companies. With the northern part of the state blanketed with snow and slush and everywhere else being so mild, it doesn’t sound like it’s been a hot year for many of the companies, especially in the electronic side of things.
I could be wrong, but I’d guess that 80% of ice fishing gear is sold before the season begins.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Slabhunter wrote:</div>
I wonder how this season will affect Marcum & Vexilar, the 2 electronics mfgs who primarily focus on ice fishing, and then you have Clam and a few others based here in MN? I know in my area we have maybe 1/10th of the normal number of people out <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing this year. On lakes that normally have 100 permanent houses out there is 10, 200 normally and now only 20 and the portable fishing is way down too with no truck traffic for the most part and no roads plowed to “villages”. Unless <em class=”ido-tag-em”>ice fishing is booming in other ice belt states I’d say there’s not much electronics (and other stuff) being sold in year like this unfortunately.I think it’s been tough for many of the companies. With the northern part of the state blanketed with snow and slush and everywhere else being so mild, it doesn’t sound like it’s been a hot year for many of the companies, especially in the electronic side of things.
I could be wrong, but I’d guess that 80% of ice fishing gear is sold before the season begins.
I’m just going off of what I have heard from people within some of those companies and people who work at certain retail stores.
I think most of these companies like Marcum, Clam etc. are financially stable enough to absorb several years of off weather season. The most vulnerable would be Marcum as they rely solely on their electronics market. They don’t have a line of lures or portable houses.
The ones that really suffer are the smaller resorts, bait shops and small outfitters like that.
Andy, not sure what you define as easy, but hauling gear by foot and punching holes on a lake that has quite a bit of structure isn’t what I’d call it.
One neat trick with vexliar is simply pour some water on the ice and put your transducer flat on the ice. It will shoot right through no need to drill holes until you have your spot dialed in. I suppose they all will do it, only tried with my old fl8. works great.
Anyone ever tried to put a lake map chip in their phone and see of it works?
I had the pleasure of seeing Panoptix livescope recently on the ice. It was very awesome to see it in action but there’s no way, for me, that it would ever replace a traditional sonar. Now I love side imaging for open water but I’m not sold on this panoptix…can panoptix also run other views such as traditional 2d or flasher mode?
can panoptix also run other views such as traditional 2d or flasher mode?
Yes and yes, you can display the data in a single column of pixels like a graph or flasher. But, since the panoptix covers so much more area, going that route is less than useful; breaks create even bigger dead zones and if fishing in weeds, everything is layered together and hides the stuff you want to see. Nobody would really do that, you lose seeing the fish sitting along breaks at different depths, how they are relating to weeds and the direction they are moving, which is all pretty useful stuff if you want to try and catch them.
Last year you could hardly find a new ice shelter by the end of January. This year they are all over yet with sales going on. This lousy ice year is going to have many products left over and good deals to be had here at the end of the season.
lets remove panoptix/livescope from this conversation just due to the enormous price tag. but you can get lcd sonar units for about the same price as high end mechanical flashers. So if all things being equal price is the same why would you buy a mechanical?
Battery and reliability are the flasher advantages. Also Vex seems to have fewer issues out of the box. See the “can’t see my jig, Helix” thread.
Battery life is a big deal too. Especially how fast the 7″ LCD screens burn juice over a flasher.
FL-8, FL-22, and trying a Helix 7 G3N GPS. Will be interesting what I use next year if I go back to my Vexilars or primary is the hbird. I’m still using a handheld lowrance for gps/lake chip.
You buy a vex because it’s quick, durable, reliable, efficient, and just plain works. No kidding, I’ve watched a buddy drop his down the stairs at Craguns, and it worked just fine.
It’s the fisher price setup your kids and wife can use, while being solid enough that you don’t put it away. It is my go-to when I need to mark holes, and backs up my Garmin well. I’ve had this unit for years, and it has never let me down.
Being married to your Navionics on your phone or hand held GPS doesn’t have to be your only option with the vex… Been running this setup for 8+ years now and I feel its been ahead of its time. I have my topo GPS right next to my sonar screen and have no need to reach into the pocket all the time for the phone or worry about it dying in the cold. Location is everything and knowing exactly where I am at any given ice hole is crucial. Combined with the most real time sonar signal return of the Vexilar. It’s a win win.
VEX2.png
VEX1.png
I bet Vexilar comes out with a gps flasher combo in the next year or two. Everybody wants the gps now
Been running this setup for 8+ years now and I feel its been ahead of its time.
I had a similar setup with a Lowrance X67c Ice Machine and Lowrance H2Oc 10+ years ago. 95% of people then laughed at the idea that an “LCD” sonar could perform as well as a “flasher”. 
It was an awesome setup, though! I wish I still had it.
Vexilar is in the works right now of making a similar underwater camera to the Aqua vu revolution line winder is all I’ve heard at the moment.
Being married to your Navionics on your phone or hand held GPS doesn’t have to be your only option with the vex… Been running this setup for 8+ years now and I feel its been ahead of its time. I have my topo GPS right next to my sonar screen and have no need to reach into the pocket all the time for the phone or worry about it dying in the cold. Location is everything and knowing exactly where I am at any given ice hole is crucial. Combined with the most real time sonar signal return of the Vexilar. It’s a win win.
I have that exact same unit laying around in my Garage. I think I’ll go get a ram mount ( I may also have one of them laying around ) and hook it to my flasher. I might as well get some use out of it.
How much power does it draw. My only worry would be that it would drain my battery to fast. I’d also need to figure out a way to power it. I’m sure I could just use the charging mounts in front or the pigtail attached to hook power to
Just find some “piggy back” terminal connectors at your local hardware store and splice to an extra power chord connector for the Lowrance. I’m running an even smaller 6ah Amped outdoors Lithium battery on this setup now and still have had no issues with it getting drained in atleast two days of fishing without a charge.
I bet Vexilar comes out with a gps flasher combo in the next year or two. Everybody wants the gps now
. With respect, I think it’s only important to new fisherman. Summer is different altogether. My phone gets me close enough, my vex, or any flasher or depth unit, zeros me in. If I’m putting out a wheelhouse and staying a while maybe I’ll use a camera. A GPS unit alone will never get you that close, at least not with today’s mapping technology’s.
Just find some “piggy back” terminal connectors at your local hardware store and splice to an extra power chord connector for the Lowrance. I’m running an even smaller 6ah Amped outdoors Lithium battery on this setup now and still have had no issues with it getting drained in atleast two days of fishing without a charge.
Matt – Please check your Private messages – Thanks
Just find some “piggy back” terminal connectors at your local hardware store and splice to an extra power chord connector for the Lowrance. I’m running an even smaller 6ah Amped outdoors Lithium battery on this setup now and still have had no issues with it getting drained in atleast two days of fishing without a charge.
I could run power to the small leeds/ports in the bottom front of the unit without any problem. I was hoping to utilize the charging pigtail ( Female end )that came on the unit. I called vexilar to ask them if this source could be used to power another unit and they said NO – It can only be used to charge. That seems a bit strang – but I am not good with electronics at all. I do have a meter at home – I will see how to test it to see if its a valid power source to power the Elite 4. Then I will need to find a Male connecter to wire to the elite 4 power cord
Yeah for the first couple years of this setup I used the DC “cigarette lighter” plug in adapter with the round fuse connection. But broke a fuse once on an ice trip leaving it useless.
Now I’ve had it connected direct to the battery with the piggy back terminals for 5 years and haven’t had any issues at all.
I’d be more than okay with a simple touch screen gps map built into the face.
vex-w-gps.jpg
Being married to your Navionics on your phone or hand held GPS doesn’t have to be your only option with the vex… Been running this setup for 8+ years now and I feel its been ahead of its time. I have my topo GPS right next to my sonar screen and have no need to reach into the pocket all the time for the phone or worry about it dying in the cold. Location is everything and knowing exactly where I am at any given ice hole is crucial. Combined with the most real time sonar signal return of the Vexilar. It’s a win win.
Matt that is the set up I want. I am currently using my old H2O but it’s on her last legs and I wouldn’t mind a bigger screen anyway.
What map software do you use with that Lowrance GPS? And can it still be purchased or is it obsolete now?
Matt that is the set up I want. I am currently using my old H2O but it’s on her last legs and I wouldn’t mind a bigger screen anyway.
What map software do you use with that Lowrance GPS? And can it still be purchased or is it obsolete now?
Cmap Genesis is a pretty accurate, free option and it’s easy to drop on a chip.
I have no problem using my Lakemaster Chip still…. actually probably prefer it. I just don’t know if I can purchase a new Lowrance similar to that and if my old chip will still work in it??
I have no problem using my Lakemaster Chip still…. actually probably prefer it. I just don’t know if I can purchase a new Lowrance similar to that and if my old chip will still work in it??
If those were my choices, I’d take the lakemaster for mapping too! If I remember right, Lowrances will work with chips up to v4, but many models from 2007 and newer will need a micro to standard sd adapter cable.
I use the Lowrance lake insight pro chip in that elite 4 HDI.
It’s very detailed.
I use the Lowrance lake insight pro chip in that elite 4 HDI.
It’s very detailed.
Not sure what is inside my Elite 4 – I will need to open it up when I get home to find out – I hope it is the insight pro chip. Does the elite 4 have any built in lake mapping? I know mine has some type of mapping
It does not have any mapping built in
I cant believe some people still hadn’t heard of the fishsmart app until IDO used it. I’ve been using it for over 2 years now. Navionics is garbage! I’ve had my helix 7 for 2 years now too and i love it! It’ll be interesting to see how many Marcum fanboys switch to humminbird now that IDO is using them as well. The LX7’s and Vex’s are old as mold and outdated. If you take care of your stuff you don’t need anything to be “bulletproof”. I’m ready to move onto livescope. I hope the price point gets more manageable sooner than later!
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