Vexilar or Marcum

Get the Vexilar they have Honda motors and are bullet prof. I have used Vexilar back to 1985 when they were imported by Sitex. Never had a issue I just sold my Fl-18 after 4 years on ebay and got 5 dollars under what I paid for it 4 years ago when was the last time you had a electronic item hold its vaule like that.

[I Fish GS]

Get a Lowrance. I don't know how I icefished with my old vexilar. With the lowrance you don't have to stare at the screen if you miss something it is ther scrolling on the screen. No guessing what the depth is, or figuring wat setting you have depth at and What numbers to use on screen.
Converted my LMS 330 to icefishing used it once and my vexilar was 4-sale the next week.

[blueroof]

I've ran a Lowrance on ice for over two years now, the thing is OK. It is good if you are in one spot most of the day. Hole hopping with a graph is far slower than a flasher. A graph doesn't give the feedback like a flasher - with a flasher you can see the fishes mood better (they appear to vibrate when active when charging your bait) and if you are using familiar lures, you can see when you jig is fowled with your line, not something easily seen with a graph. My graph also shifts intensities every so often (with auto sensitivity off) and looses the depth around other flasher units. It is OK. A flasher is a far superior winter fishing tool. I will still use the graph at times, usually on a deadstick. I would run out tomorrow and buy another flasher if mine broke, the graph is no substitute IMO.

As mentioned, a graph is good for when you go take a leak, you can see you missed that big one.. LB

I love my Marcum LX-5. I've used it 2 winters and 2 summers in the boat. In a nutshell, it's simply the most crisp display that identifies a lot more than my Vexilar did. I now refer the Vexilar as the blob machine, because that's what my lure and any fish would look like... you won't be disappointed.

[eyewitness]

Both units are very good units. I have used both, fished with both along side the other, and going with an FL-18 or LX5 is a hard choice.

Both have their advantages for sure. The advantage of the multicolor spectrum offered by Vexilar is something you will appreciate and learn to use to "see fish" before they ever pop up completely within your cone angle. Like wise, having the movable zoom range offered by Marcum can be a nice tool for fishing suspended panfish like crappies. However, for walleye fishing and the majority of the time you will be chasing other species, the bottom 6' of the water column is all you need anyway.........

Personnally I keep going back to the one thing that seems to be the common thread between everyone I know who has used a flasher for ice fishing.

At the end of the day, you NEVER here anyone say they wish they would have NOT bought a Vexilar. I CAN say that I have heard the opposite though........

[PierBridge]

If you go Marcum make sure you get an extra transducer because as we all know it fail, nice thing is Marcum will send you one out real quick.
Tough to beat Marcums customer service for sure.

I'll stick to my Clearwater Classic!

[blueroof]

Peirbridge, nobody told my transducer it's supposed to go bad, going on three years with my LX5 without a problem. I have seen a few Vex's that won't light up, certainly more of them out there to see though...

LB

[walleyekid_22]

All I know is that I have Had a Vex for 5 years and mine takes a pounding going across LOW. I Bought a new snowmoblile 4 years ago and it now is just shy of 4000 miles which are 95% fishing miles. So if durability is one thing to consider. I would say Most of the locals use a Vex. I have use my buddies LX-5 and would say that it is comparable to my FL-18. So in my opinion it is personal preference. I went with the Vex because it was my only option at the time. The new units from Vex are great but expensive. Thats all I know is that Reeds in Walker MN are selling Genz FL-18 for 339.95 and free shiping in the US. Great deal. $$$ wise and everything you need in a flasher.

I use the lowrance x-70A it has a flasher mode and graph in one screen and is great in the boat.I don't know what the comparible Lowrance is now but I would get one. The bar graph is on the right and instantaneous, the screen to the left has the record of what's been happening. Been using mine for 10 years and it's still the best unit I've seen on the ice. Has many screens to choose from and zoom's in where you want it. Will tell you how much power you have left also.

I have a Vexilar FL-18 and have been using the FL-20 once in a while. The FL-20 is a dynamite unit, there is NO othere unit that can come even close to the FL-20!!!


Meat Hunter.