newbie ice fishermen

Do I need to have fancy electronic to be able to fish with success? Last winter was my first time out on the ice i caught some but little ones and not in numbers… Waterloo Cedar Falls area

Most of us that take it seriously would pack up our gear and head home if we forgot our electronics. You don’t need the latest and greatest flasher but you need something! Check the classifieds and Craigslist and you should find something. If you ask which brand the debate will begin but the bottom line is they are almost all pretty good. Good luck

Maybe not if you haven’t ever used a flasher BUT once you do like stated above you will go home if you don’t have it

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Most of us that take it seriously would pack up our gear and head home if we forgot our electronics. You don’t need the latest and greatest flasher but you need something! Check the classifieds and Craigslist and you should find something. If you ask which brand the debate will begin but the bottom line is they are almost all pretty good. Good luck

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X2

They caught plenty of fish through hard water b4 flashers. And they still do.

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They caught plenty of fish through hard water b4 flashers. And they still do.

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Totaly agree. I have never owned a flasher and still have just as much luck than someone that does have one. Its a plus if you know the body of water that you are fishing but a flasher is not a must have.
Take care!
Kevin

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They caught plenty of fish through hard water b4 flashers. And they still do.

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Totaly agree. I have never owned a flasher and still have just as much luck than someone that does have one. Its a plus if you know the body of water that you are fishing but a flasher is not a must have.
Take care!
Kevin

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What is really nice about a flasher is you will know if you are fishing a hole with fish under it. And you can watch the reaction of the fish to your presentation, if they are turned off by too much movement or too little action you will know right away you need to change things up or down. Either a flasher or a camera are a must have items. A good flasher can easily make the difference between a good day or bad day without.

never used a flasher…. but last year the FW got me a fish cam best investment it has caught me more fish during a super ligt bite on the hard water

I can get to work without a car. But the 8 miles is a lot easier with one.If you fish farm ponds or lakes with struture visable above the water you can get by.Nice thing about flasher,you can find your own fish on bigger water.You will find at the popular ice spots lots of folks find fish by crowding the crowd till they get a butt chewing or punch in the nose.I take quite a few people who don’t ice fish much.Before I bought a second unit to loan I would feel bad fishing with one.Then I would let them use mine,and they would out fish me.As said before if you shop used you should find a used unit for $75-$200.Even basic unit like a FL_8 will get you hooked.Bet you can’t find anyone here to say “I just don’t use a flasher anymore”I have two cameras, they are nice for scouting but a flasher is were to start.Hope this helps.Steve

I remember walking to school up hill both ways through 5 feet of snow and cutting our ice out of the lake with a handsaw. It can be done but isn’t as much fun. I challenge anyone to a fishing contest through the ice me with my vex and you without a flasher. I’d bet a cnote everytime and win 9.9 times out of ten.

This last season my girlfriend’s son (9 yrs old) and I were on a mile drag through fresh snow when half-way I realized I had forgotten the flasher . Since he had ice fished with it before he told me we should turn around and go home but, even though I felt the same way he did, I persisted and continued to drag the heavy sled to our destination. The fishing was very tough and he got bored very fast ( I guess I did a little bit too)… Before I could get fully rested for the drag back he was whining too much to make fishing possible.

Not only do they keep kids more interested (better get two flashers) and help you pinpoint the location of your offering; but if you want to drill a bunch of holes and ice-troll they are priceless in finding the, potentially, most productive holes.

$.02

Chris

The information a flasher will relay to you is invaluable.

My question for those who do not have a flasher……do you fish the same water all the time? If hitting a new lake or piece of river is your first move to where the crowds are or a person on the ice? Flashers will get a person out of the crowds and learning new water.

A flasher makes short work at putting a person on fish, especially if it is new water for you. Starting with a good map and a flasher in hand along with a container of water you will know what depth you are fishing before the work out of drilling holes. Today’s transducer will shoot through the ice as long as you get a good seal using some water.

The flasher will also let you know if you have actually landed on fish and what depth they may be at in the water column saving you time trying to fish the whole water column looking for the bite. The flasher will also keep you on the move looking for fish while learning a new body of water or even dialing in on the fish on the waters you are familiar with.

Can a person Ice Fish without a flasher…yep. But why would you with all the different units on the market today? There is something out there for everyone’s budget.

Soon the Fishing Tackle Classifieds will be offering some flashers at good prices as guys sell there units to upgrade.

Good luck with your decision

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My question for those who do not have a flasher……do you fish the same water all the time? If hitting a new lake or piece of river is your first move to where the crowds are or a person on the ice? Flashers will get a person out of the crowds and learning new water.

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I don’t own a flasher and I don’t fish the same body of water all the time, I fish all over the metro from the woodbury area to minnetonka down to the faribault area around whitebear lake to blaine to scandia. Last year I found a lake that I never fished before and no one I know has fish it, looked it up on the dnr site and found out there was walleyes stocked in it several years ago but there hasn’t been a survey done since do to hardly any fishing pressure. Figured I would give it a try and I’m sure glad I did the first time ever fishing the lake had the place to myself, left with 4 eater eyes in a little over 2 hours between 14&17 and 3 cpr’s a 20, 22 and a 24 3/4. No joke never went to that lake once ice fishing and didn’t catch walleyes and never saw more then one other person ice fishing. Oh and caught them all in 5 to 7 feet of water until season close.

Take care!
Kevin

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never saw more then one other person ice fishing. Oh and caught them all in 5 to 7 feet of water until season close.

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That in this area would be known as a honey hole

Thanks for the help guys. i’ll be looking around for deals for the next few months

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Thanks for the help guys. i’ll be looking around for deals for the next few months

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Atta’ boy. Fishing without a flasher is just luck fishing. Without a flasher, you may as well be sitting in a permanent shack playing cards and pounding Premium with the rattle reels down (not that there’s anything wrong with that every now and then).

I look at it this way. I can start a fire with two sticks if the conditions are right, but it’s a lot more fun to use that can of gas and stack of bottle rockets to get it done.

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Thanks for the help guys. i’ll be looking around for deals for the next few months

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Atta’ boy. Fishing without a flasher is just luck fishing. Without a flasher, you may as well be sitting in a permanent shack playing cards and pounding Premium with the rattle reels down (not that there’s anything wrong with that every now and then).

I look at it this way. I can start a fire with two sticks if the conditions are right, but it’s a lot more fun to use that can of gas and stack of bottle rockets to get it done.

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very well put Sir!

Drill as many holes as possible, and move around if you aren’t getting bites. Flasher or no flasher I think that’s the biggest thing. I mean if you wait long enough around any hole you’ll eventually catch something.