I’m very surprised to hear fishing in heavy cover/weeds/bottom hugging fish as a con for live imaging.
I would list it as a pro and big upgrade when compared to traditional sonar or flasher.
I routinely fish in very heavy cover and weeds. With traditional sonar the screen is a complete mess and pretty much useless. With live imaging (Garmin at least) the screen is still a complete mess. But, the big difference is….anything that moves in that mess or on the bottom is a fish.
Well, I think it is important to state the obvious….
The greatest benefit of live imaging is that it is LIVE 2D IMAGING.
Traditional sonar offers a 1D (vertical) view, and live imaging offers a 2D (vertical & horizontal) view.
I completely agree with the cons of being bulky and expensive. I would maybe add lag as another con. The learning curve is 1-2 trips at worst (only experienced with Garmin units).
Okay, now I’m getting interested. Please keep updating!
It is listed at 4amps, so with a 12Ah battery it would theoretically last 3hrs according to the online calculators. But, once up to temp, it has the “logic” to stop drawing current.
What is the capacity of the battery you are using? What was the ambient temp, and was the heating element at that ambient temp when you started?
We use a privacy shelter of similar construction, and even with 8 stake-out points a slight wind collapses the shelter. And, I can get the quickfish 2 in the bag faster than that privacy shelter. I would never try using on the ice. However, if that shelter works….let me know and I will happily get one tomorrow!
The Quickfish 2 is not perfect, but the best solution that I have found for a quick/light/compact pop-up. Drill attachment for ice anchors makes set-up quicker and faster for me.
But, 90% of the time when fishing solo, I will opt for a one-man flip. I only carry the QF2 when it is a long hike and I know that I will not be moving after set-up, or if I plan to primarily fish outside.
I would look into backpacking stoves. A jetboil would be lighter & more compact.
Or, a small high quality soft cooler + hand warmers?
I have both Panoptix & Livescope. My original plan was to sell the Panoptix unit, but now I’m using it exclusively on the ice, and Livescope stays in the boat.
Yes, Livescope offers better image quality. But, for me, that improvement is not worth the extra weight and battery consumption on the ice.
In all seriousness, if Panoptix doesn’t help you find & catch more fish on the ice…..you would be wasting your money on Livescope anyway.
I picked-up an Olight Perun mini headlamp. My first Olight, but the versatility of this small 90 degree flashlight/headlamp sold me. I’m having a loop patch sewn on my ice fishing beanie, magnet tail cap for use in the shack, and pocket clip to wear on my bibs.
Thanks! I’m stopping at REI on the way home today. I use the Gulp minnows all year long, and I’ve had so much trouble with the Berkley Jars.
Can you provide which (brand/ size) sample jars you use?
I’m a big fan of the 1” gulp minnow, but I’m tired of the jars constantly leaking.
I went USB rechargeable on all of my devices (no more batteries to buy, and can charge from my sonar battery in a pinch). This is the glow light that I’ve been using:
https://www.anker.com/products/variant/anker-bolder-uv-flashlight-rechargeable/T1429011
In my opinion, the TB panfish sweetheart is overkill for most of the lures I use for crappie and gills. I use that rod with the smallest jigging rap. It has slightly more power (and a very different tip) than the TUCR quicktip that I use for the smallest rippin raps and larger panfish spoons.
I prefer the TB quiverstick as a panfish “feel” rod for jigs and spoons. Or, for a “sight” rod, pretty much any of the various noodle rods (I will echo everyone else that the bullwhip is my #1 choice for heavier tungsten jigs).
Looks good, and seems very intuitive!
My wife placed an order on your website last year, and I almost got a Quicktip inscribed: “Love my honey bunny”. Thankfully, someone called to verify. Not that I would not have still used the rod….just would have gotten a TON of grief in the ice shack.
So, LOL, I’m going to say that the expanded explanation for the “Personalize” section is much appreciated.
Do the Dakota chargers have a status light?
I’m trying to decide between the Dakota charger and Battery tender that does both AGM and lithium.
Thanks,
Mark
If you need an exact replacment, you can probably do better. But, the Bobby Garland Slab Ticklers are close.
Thanks! We will be arriving after the tournament, and staying on the extreme east side of the lake. I know the “easiest” way to find the fish is look for a crowd, but I typically avoid crowds, and hope to eke out a few crappie without entering the ice village….. Hopefully a couple BIG girls got lost on the way to the village.
Thanks! That will definitely help me narrow down my search. I’ve been reading some old reports, and now at least have a better idea of what to expect. However, I have not read anything about water clarity…….will I be able to use a camera to find weeds/timber?
No crappie will be harmed…..offering them free wax worms just for a picture!
Yes, I believe that it is the future of sonar units. Several companies offer a similar product, and I’ve been wanting to try one. I’m not sold on the floating ball design, and wish that companies would adopt the Vexilar HS Transducer model. It looks like the Deeper app is really progressing, and already has more capabilities than sonar units that cost at least 5 times more. Just hope someone improves the transducer. The ability to use a relatively inexpensive 10” tablet with 1920 x 1200 resolution connected to a true Vexilar/Marcum/Hummingbird ice transducer would be very appealing.
I’ve been using a 30” TUCR QT with #3 Rippin Raps for crappie. I really like the action of the rod for this presentation, but it has a touch more power than I need with the #3. I bet that it would be just about perfect with a #4.
Love this bait for carappie. I’ve been tipping the rear treble hook with a waxie.
I started using that exact drill late last year. I stuck with Makita since I already had a couple of 3Ah batteries (if your batteries are LXT they should work). I move a lot and drill lot of holes. Using a 6” auger (Nils orange), I found that one 3Ah battery would last 4-6hrs of hard fishing (depending on the temperature). Usually, after I had to swap out the first battery, I would keep the second in my pocket. Even after 12hrs+ of hard fishing, I never ran out of juice on the second battery. I found that as long as I kept the battery warm, I got full power until they were out of juice. Likewise, with cold battery, I did not get full power even when fully charged. So, if you feel like you are not getting full power, warm the battery, and you should get back to full power.
Don’t have the K-Drill, but I can’t imagine anything being less physically demanding to use that my Nils with a hammer drill. Most hammer drills come with a secondary handle…the longer the more it will help to distribute the force. However, the ice auger doesn’t create much more force than drilling into wood with a large (say ½”) bit.
Don’t have any experience with the Bogs boot, but I LOVE my Baffin Titans (about the same price as the Bogs listed).
I think that Baffin sells just the inserts, that would be one method of insulating a pair of rubber boots (if they were large enough to accommodate the insert).
I have a TB power noodle, and I’m looking to add a rod with an even lighter tip. From what I have read the TUCR noodle has the lightest tip of all the noodles. Just not sure if I want to stick with another noodle, or try the hybrid. I’m not hung-up on any one rod builder…I have DH, TB, and TUCR….love them all!
I use the Elite 5 chirp (same unit as the Hook 5), and have not had any issue with interference on the ice. But, I think that has a lot to do with very few of these units being on the ice. In the boat, I get interference quite often. Zero screen issues in the cold after 2.5 years on the ice.
I use the graph mode exclusively, and mainly concentrate on the amplitude meter. I will say that it does take some work to get familiar with the unit, and some time to get it initially dialed-in to your preferences.
I keep looking at the Marcum LX6, but I’ve been happy enough with the Elite 5 to keep putting off making the switch.
LOL, I was just going to ask about rod suggestions for the ripping rap (just ordered a dozen 03’s in various colors). I was planning on using a TUCR QT……I find that 1/16oz seems to be the sweetspot for that rod, but not sure if this type of lure would require a heavier rod.
Thanks! I’m familiar with noodle rods, but I have never used a spring bobber. Looking for something to use with tiny ice flies, and I was trying to determine which offered the best possible visual bite detection….it sounds like nitinol beats glass in this particular attribute.
LOL, more picture of my flip-over?….might as well as a new grandmother if she has any baby pictures!
These are a couple of years old, and I now have glow tape on the rod holders (easier to find them in low light conditions). The only challenge was to get the angle right….far enough in to avoid the fabric during set-up. The cutting board helps to get the correct angle, and also keeps the fabric off the rods when completely open.
RH3.jpg
RH2.jpg
In my Clam Scout, I have the Clam rod holder mounted to a cutting board on my left hand side. I’m thinking about adding one to the other side (might never need to retie, if I can carry 8 rods). It works pretty good, but I do sometime bump the most forward rod while fishing. I needed to mount them at an angle (pointing inside of the shack) to be able to open/close without the fabric contacting the rod tips. I considered using the PVC as mentioned above (tip inside the PVC), but I use 30” rods and would not be able to remove them from the holder with the top up.
rodholder.jpg
I’m not familiar with the Precision, and have only used the QT twice (so I’m far from an authority on the subject).
Having said that, I would suggest the QT. I think that 1/16 – 1/8oz is the sweet spot for this rod. I liked the rod with a 5mm tungsten, love the rod with a 1/10oz Swedish Pimple (currently tied on), and think that it might be an even better rod for 1/8oz Raps. I consider it a heavy panfish/ light walleye rod.
Fished with the Free fall for a little over 8hrs yesterday. Used the reel with a 5’ UL spinning rod, 10lb Power Pro, and a 1/8oz jig while vertical jigging in 20-40 FOW with sonar for crappie.
The reel is very light, and well balanced. A little too light for a 5’ rod, but it will balance nicely with an ice rod. Very comfortable fishing with a “pistol” grip, no issues with my hand rubbing against the spool (even with gloves), and the trigger became second nature after less than an hour. The trigger worked flawlessly, and it offers a HUGE advantage over a spinning reel. The ability to drop a jig, and stop it instantly when something interesting appears on the sonar is awesome. This is the reason that I purchased the reel, and it alone exceeded my expectations. I’m going to give it another work-out this weekend, but will probably be getting a 2nd before I get on the ice.
Now for the many negatives:
The spool drop speed adjustment was non-functional (turning the knob had zero impact on drop speed) out of the box. I took the spool off, and tightened the magnetic plate down with a screwdriver. This seemed to reseat the plate, and the knob is now functional (full range of motion with the magnetic plate). However, there is still very little impact when using a 1/8oz jigs. But, the range of adjustment is adequate for the lighter lures typically used for panfish on ice. Wish the adjustment was more refined like on a baitcasting reel.
Drag adjustment is not very refined, and the drag is not very smooth. There is no consistency with the drag adjustment, and my drag was either set too light or too tight all day. If I rate a Shimano 500 as a 10 out 10 on drag smoothness, I would rate the Free fall as a 4 out of 10. Again, the drag either slips or sticks…comes off the spool in “jerks”
A lot of play in the reel handle. There is a lot of “wiggle” in the reel handle, much more than in a spinning reel for 1/3 the cost.
The reel is WAY overpriced. It is a composite reel, the adjustment knobs are not refined, and there is a lot of “slop” in the reel handle. The components and quality hardly justify even half of the MSRP. In comparison, this $110 reel makes a $30 Shimano Sienna feel like a Stella. It is a plastic, cheap feeling, sloppy reel that should be priced accordingly.
The ONLY reason I’m keeping this reel (and probably even purchasing a 2nd) is the trigger. It is AWESOME! Ultimate drop control of your jig with one hand! If another company comes out with a trigger as good, there would be no reason for me to over pay for this generally low quality, and overall cheap feeling reel.
