Ice electronics

I am a college kid that’s just starting to get serious about ice fishing. I am looking to spend 350 or less. I am completely open to options. I have been looking at adding the Lowrance ice pack to our Mark 5x from our boat. Also options are Marcum Showdown, ice troller 2.0, vx1,lx3 or a vexilar fl-8 or hummingbird 385ci or 345c. So there are options just not sure what to get. Fish mostly shallower prairie lakes but do also fish some deeper reservoirs. Also fish with other people so I have heard interference can cause problems. Any info helps!!! Thank you

Marcum lx3 tc you won’t be sorry in the least

Vexilar for all your shallow fishing they are bullet proof

Lets get it going, Showdown for me, 4th season, works perfectly, long battery life. Love it Tight lines to all!

Marcum VX-1 pro or LX-3 tc!!

Buy the vx1 pro and have some money left over for tackle. I prefer the thin crisp lines on the marcum over the wider lines on the fl8 but it is a ford vs Chevy debate when comparing flashers. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. As far as interference all of the new flashers seem to get along but have heard a few guys complain when using their summer graphs setup for the ice.

By the way I run a ice 45 and vx1. I use the bird when fishing deeper and the vx1 when fish shallow. I easily hit the ice 60+ days a year and both units have been solid.

I’d try and find a deal on a used lx5.

I have the Humminbird ICE35 and am really happy with it. The battery has lasted all day without issue (at least 8hrs of run time). Most of the places I fish are less than 12ft and as shallow as 3ft. I do use it in 35ft when walleye fishing too and its fine for that as well.

X2 on the Ice 35. No problems. It doesn’t have a digital depth readout but it only takes a second to read it off the dial. Quiet and I like the big screen/dial as compared to the Vexilars. I got mine for $270 at Fleet Farm a few years back.

I have a vx1 pro… they work wonderfully and for the $$ they are a great value. I also have a 385ci… I don’t have the ice-ducer so I haven’t used the flasher for ice fishing but I think it would work OK. . The advantage with the 385 is that you can have your lake map along with your flasher in one unit. I bring both along which can get cumbersome. The disadvantage is the 385 doesn’t have zoom capability on the flasher screen… a feature I use constantly with the vx1 pro. The zoom is hard to beat when fishing deeper water for perch and walleyes. I used to fish prairie lakes of SD a lot. Just some thoughts

Used lx5 !!! You can find them.

Whatever you end up buying, start looking hard at Craigslist. This time of year (Christmas) you are going to start seeing a lot more options pop up with guys/gals getting updated flashers for christmas.

Best bang for $350 or under would certainly be a used LX5 that has already been mentioned but any electronics are better than no electronics. Whatever you buy, be happy and confident with it.

X2 on the lx5. I fish mostly in shallow bodies of water also (10-15 FOW). It works great but gives you the option for deeper bodies. I picked one up used for $300. They are out there, be patient.

I switched my lowerance over for ice for $150 and it does all the same as the rest of the units but I also have all my spots on lakes marked.
http://www.reedssports.com/Product/product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=33270

This is what I have for mine. I really like it and haven’t had any issues with it. Plus no interference, I have yet to fish with anyone who has the same thing. Since using my Lowerance on the ice to I feel that I have become much better at using it to its full potential. You can take the $200 left for other ice gear.

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Lets get it going, Showdown for me, 4th season, works perfectly, long battery life. Love it Tight lines to all!

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I agree Showdown, very easy to use and on the fish. 3years and no problems. The 2.0Troller I her is awesome, and it won’t brake the bank. Everything is going digital!

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I’d try and find a deal on a used lx5.

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X2

So with all this talk I have it narrowed down to the Showdown, vx-1p, lx-3tc, or the lowrance pack for a mark 5x. I wish I could afford the lx-5 but its not in the budget. How does the 20 degree cone work in deeper water? Deepest I fish is around 50 feet.

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How does the 20 degree cone work in deeper water? Deepest I fish is around 50 feet.

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Works great! Just need to understand signal strength of the return. When your marking fish at the outer edges of the cone, the signal returned is weaker. The more centered the return is within the cone, the stronger the intensity of what is displayed. The narrow cones are great for keying in on fish right next to your bait, but if you chase schooled fish, its nice to know they are in the area

I caught part of this video a while back. Thought James did a great job explaining the cone/return signals

I just bought the MarCum Showdown Troller 2.0 today – can’t wait to try it out on Saturday. I’ve used electronics for years in the summer but never in the winter.

Shop the net for the ice pack. It can be found cheaper than $150.

I found the ice pack for 100 dollars. It has now come down to that hooked up to my Mark 5x off the boat or the Marcum VX-1P. I like the way flashers work. I also like the zoom and I don’t know if my Mark has it or not. Also color is something I like. With all this said though it is a bit of a price jump. And I have heard some guys like the graph style. So any thoughts on these two units?

With the ice ducer? Sweet. I only found it with the ducer for the boat for $100. If it was me, the flasher isn’t $100 to $150 better. That’s just me. Sometimes I think I’d rather have a 385ci or similar Lowrance graph with gps. I just use my Nuvi and Ice 35. I bought the flasher one year and the gps and map chip the next.

I use my Lowrance HDS and it does have a the circle flasher as a selection on it. The way I set up my lowrance on the ice that is similar to the “split zoom” option on your Mark 5x. I looked it up to and it looks like there is also a split flasher option on your mark 5x. Read through your owners manual here. It shows pics. of the split screen options there on pg 9 and 14.

http://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowrance-Documents/US/MARK-ELITE_SONAR-ONLY_OM_EN_988-10157-001_w.pdf

Ron- I already have the unit. For 100 dollars it comes with the ice transducer, battery, and bag.
mnm- The problem with that manual is that it is for all the mark series. I know that the pro has the split screen but I don’t have some of those options for my menu on mine.

Sorry to keep bringing this up. I think I know what I want then I read something new. I have it down the a Marcum vx-1p or a lx-3tc. I was wondering if the vx-1p has true color or not? I thought I read somewhere it did. Second is this really worth 100 dollars more? I know the zoom is adjustable but most of my zoom use will be on the bottom anyway.

Well fowlfreak you don’t know anymore now than when you started. Hey those are all good ones just see which one you can locate first or throw a dart and see which one it lands on. Good luck you’ll be happy with any of them and they will make it a lot more fun to fish.

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mnm- The problem with that manual is that it is for all the mark series. I know that the pro has the split screen but I don’t have some of those options for my menu on mine.

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fowlfreak- That manual that I posted was for the Mark and Elite series. As you can see the words Mark and Elite in the web address not HDS.

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Well fowlfreak you don’t know anymore now than when you started. Hey those are all good ones just see which one you can locate first or throw a dart and see which one it lands on. Good luck you’ll be happy with any of them and they will make it a lot more fun to fish.

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Sir, OldBear,
As I have responded to some of your posts in past web sights, you are spot on with your observations!
I agree!

I have a VX-1,LX-5 and my buddy has a LX-3 all awesome units…If you fish crappies or tullies in deep water a lot then I would go with the LX-3 otherwise the VX-1 will do you just fine…It’s got good interference rejection… I loved mine, especially for $269