I’ve made a few trips out there now the past couple years. Its an 11 hour drive for me, and usually my one big trip of the winter. I go for the lake trout mostly. That being said, I think our biggest key to success isn’t so much a certain month, or timeframe (lake trout are active all winter), but the ability to remain flexible with dates. Start off with a few weekends that might work to go, then be flexible to cancel or pull the trigger a few days beforehand, based on weather forecasts. It really sucks feel like you have to go, because its the only weekend that you scheduled, and the weather is going to be horrendous limiting your ability to move and find fish. It’ll be much easier to be successful and find fish when you’re able to be flexible and go when the weather looks manageable. The weather doesn’t need to be perfect, but manageable.

I own both a Helix 7 and a Marcum LX9. 9 times out of 10 I grab the Helix before the Marcum. Most of the time the only reason I grab the Marcum is for the underwater camera, which the LX7 doesn’t have. The marcum is an expensive backup unit 90% of the time. The maps and GPS on the Humminbird are a big reason, but I also like the menu layout and sonar better on the Humminbird.

I’ve also had fords with the keypad entries. I’ve been locking my keys in the vehicles for years now at boat ramps and trail accesses. I take them out of the ignition, place them out of site, lock the doors and off I go. Before that, I had worse luck taking them with me. One time, I put them in a zippered pocket and unknowingly the pocket had a small hole in it. After checking my traps I got back to the truck, and my keys were somewhere lost on the marsh. I also have fears of losing them down an ice hole like I’ve had happen to buddies, or over the edge of the boat. Just much easier and less concerning for me to leave them locked in the truck, and I’m less stressed about losing them while I’m out doing whatever.

Enjoyed the show! We missed you by just a couple weeks, as we were there February 21st weekend.

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I don’t think you can view your AutoChart Live maps on the Fish Smart App, not that I’ve seen anyway and I haven’t seen it advertised ever. I think your only option to view your autochart live maps, would be to upload them to AutoChart Liveshare, and then view the Liveshare website on your phone. And going that route, I don’t think it shows you your location on the map, so you’re guessing somewhat where you are in relation to the map. Other downside to the LiveShare route, is that your map would be viewable to the public, if that matters to you.

Last week I had the same/similar issues you guys all mentioned. (Couldn’t pick up jig in 20ft, even with gain turned all the way up). I changed transducer frequency, reset defaults, made sure correct transducer was selected, switched to ice fishing mode. Nothing worked. So I switched to my backup depthfinder for the night and went home scratching my head. I suspected that maybe my transducer went bad.
Once at home I noticed a firmware update available, so I reset the unit to factory defaults and performed the update. After that I swapped batteries and made sure they were fully charged. Next time out on the ice I had the same issues, UNTIL I changed to ice fishing mode and reset to factory defaults again. That fixed it. Now it works perfectly again.
So my experience pretty much matches everyone else. (something with the four items below fixed my issues)
1. Make sure you have a good battery
2. Make sure you have latest firmware installed
3. Make sure you’re set in ice fishing mode
4. Reset to defaults.

If you’ve completed those items above and the unit still doesn’t act right, I would suspect a bad transducer and would find someone’s to borrow or get a new one, to eliminate that possibility.

All in all, that’s the first issue that I’ve had with my Helix over the two years using it now, and using a 788ci HD for 5 years prior to obtaining the Helix.

Yep, I’ll echo what reddog said. I have mine set up this way also. There’s a Y cable that splits the Left/Right Side Imaging signal, and the cable should be labeled left side/right side. Then there’s a Y cable that splits the SI signals from the High Speed transducer signal. Good luck! Much better side imaging signals this way if your motor got in the way at all before.

They’re going to take way more pounding from waves while moving from spot to spot on a boat, than on any ATV or snowmobile during ice fishing use.

I have the Helix 7, and would almost prefer the 5 for the smaller package, being able to fit in bucket and softcase easier, and less battery draw. But since I had the 7 already on the boat that I could use, I wasn’t going to go and buy the 5 for ice fishing.
If a guy has any future desire at all to put it on a boat, and network to any other units or depthfinder on the boat, then the Helix 7 G2N is the obvious choice, since you cannot network a Helix 5 unit.
If no desire to network, and your eyesight is fine, I would go with the smaller Helix 5 package.

deertracker wrote:

I think you just don’t see it as much because of the quality mapping. It gets you so close to your spot.
DT

^^
I agree with deertracker. With lakemaster and other map chips, I drive right to the spot I want to fish now, and then I typically want to drill a line or grid of holes to fish in that specific area. I already know pretty well where the transition should be, and I want to fish the different zones up around it, so I’m drilling holes.

It’d be a different story if I’m on an unmapped lake. In that case, yes I’m going to be trying to get depth through the ice in a bunch of spots to start with, then do the drilling once I have a general idea of bottom layout.

$400-500 is what it’s worth.

But I apologize, I don’t need to do this publicly. PM Sent

Hate to do this, but since it’s been listed for 3 months now with no bites… For a little bit older Pro Cabin like this, these typically sell around the $400-500 mark. Just trying to help you out. Good luck!

PM sent

dandorn, Thanks for the reply! Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I’ll send you a private message now.

Yes. And HDS 5 would be perfect for this kit. The power cable and transducer cable are blue connectors.

The Lowrance PTI-WBL Ice Transducer is compatible with all Lowrance systems with a blue connector X, LCX, LMS, HDS and Elite Broadband units.

The Lowrance PC-30 Power Cable is compatible for use with All HDS Series Units, including the HDS-5, HDS-5m, HDS-5x, HDS-7, HDS-7m, HDS-8, HDS-8m, HDS-10, HDS-10m, as well as the Elite-7 HDI Series.

fishwater is partially correct, it will work for ALL models prior to Helix G2’s. An additional note, this will work for Helix G2 models also, just won’t have the ability to utilize CHIRP, just the traditional 83/200kHz frequencies.
This IS the transducer for Humminbird display depthfinders.
This is NOT the transducer for Humminbird 35 or 55 flasher units. Those flasher units take the XI 9 19 ice transducer.

Joe Scegura has it figured out. I do the exact same thing. Two eyebolts off the back of the sled, a piece of 6ft rope with snap links on each end, and one carabiner in the middle attached to an ice anchor. I use the ice angel anchor.
Only thing I do different than Joe, is I don’t have a loop tied in the middle of my rope. Instead, I just have a carabiner that slides in the middle of the rope, and clip that to my ice anchor. No need for the rope loop that way.

rippinfish, I’m using a Helix 5 now, and sometimes a Helix 7. Have the 7 mounted to the ATV, but I can hook up an ice transducer to it and fish sitting or standing next to the ATV. I use the Helix 5 for my portable hole-hopping.

I’ve been ice fishing a Humminbird graph for 6 years now. Started out using the 788ci HD model. I ended up selling my vexilars, and even considering selling my Marcum LX9 this year now since 90% of the time I grab my Humminbird for ice fishing now. The only reason I still use my LX9 is for the camera and internal sd card video recording. The fact that I use the humminbird for most of my graph ice fishing now should tell you how much I like the benefits of it over flashers. I haven’t experience any lag, I can split screen custom zoom into bottom or anywhere in the water column, save and use waypoints all year, and the GPS and lake map right on the unit is the biggest benefit. And now with Autochart you get the added benefit of being able to map contours for unmapped lakes during open water season to use all year also.

Ok, good luck

$150 shipped? I might be interested

Pm sent

I’ve got one I’ve been meaning to sell. Located in SD but get to Maple Grove, MN occasionally. 24v 80lb thrust, I believe a 60″ shaft. Not sure how soon I’ll be in the cities.

SOLD!

Hey Steve. I got your messages now. Ones says it was sent at 1:03pm May 9th, and the other says it was sent at 5:28pm May 9th.

I sent you a reply.

Thanks

I checked, I do not have any PM’s. Last one I have was April 22nd related to something else. Are you interested?

I can’t remember if the 959 units had the screw in ethernet cord, or the push in type. If they had the screw in type, you’ll just need a short 1ft ethernet adapter cable (AS EC QDE), which converts the screw in ethernet cable to the plug type on the new Helix 10.

Hey Kris, sorry I missed your reply last week. If you happen to be heading back that direction anytime, let me know. I’ll take them if it works out. Thanks

Kris, I’d take them if we can figure out logistics? Do you ever get to Otsego or Maple Grove? I live in South Dakota, but have family there. No hurry obviously.

Did the same thing. Tried braid on a couple rods for a couple seasons. Switching all back to mono & flouro now. I fish outside too much. Braid made the eyelets freeze up more often, and froze in the spool also. Didn’t like it.