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So I own the Marcum LX-3 and love it. I also own a Garmin 240 fishfinder for the boat. Does anyone use a fishfinder with the real time flasher on it? If so would you say it is as effective as a standard Vexilar or Marcum?
Also, Checking into a fish finder for the float tube. Been looking at the Humminbird PriranaMax series. Does anyone own them? What do you think? The harnesses that fish tube fanatics have look pretty slick and easy to work, I may head that route.
As you can tell I'm making a "WISH" list.
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on my hummingbird 596 if I want real time sonar data, I skip the flasher and use the RTS window on the right side of the sonar historical screen. I much prefer that to the flasher simulation as it provides a linear view rather than a circular view.
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I have a Lowrance and use the same feature Charina mentioned and it works great for trout and perch, but last spring/late winter was fishing with ShawDog and his Marcum? Flasher was really doing a job on channel cats that were taking the lures so lightly you never seen any indication on your pole, but he would jerk as soon as his flasher showed the fish at his jig and he hooked them each time. I don't think my graph is that accurate. I was impressed. Later J
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Thanks for the input. I like to hear from people that have owned both or fished with people who have had both otherwise it is hard to compare apples to apples. I LOVE my Marcum it is everything and more I need and incredibly accurate. I have zero concerns with it but would use a fishfinder if it was just as accurate on the sonar mode. Would be nice to have 1 fishfinder that did it all.
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I have both. For years, I used my Fish Eagle 320 for ice fishing. I used an ammo box to house the finder and PVC tubing to hold the transducer.
It worked very well, until I tried a flasher.
For ice fishing, nothing works better than a flasher.[imho]
Both a finder and a flasher will help you catch fish but I give the edge to flashers for ice fishing.
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I think once you know how to use a flasher, it would be more time sensitive, but for me... I don't understand how to read it as well as a graph, so for me, I'll do better with a graph, but for someone that knows well how to read the flasher I think it could be better for ice fishing... I've just used a graph forever and I'm used to using it and watching the fish move up to the jig, but I think there is a fraction of a second delay on the graph that isn't there with the flasher... That's where I think the advantage goes to the flasher... Even though it says it's supposed to be real time, I think there is a slight processing delay... Just my 2 cents worth on that subject... My graph is an older model and perhaps the newer graphs are faster, but I sort of doubt that from the reviews I've been reading while looking at new finders... Later J
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I can't address the ice fishing question but I have a H'bird PiranaMax on my Kayak. I think it's the 170 model (it's put away for the winter). It works just fine for me, showing fish of all sizes at all depths. If it misses any, of course, I wouldn't be aware of it.
The thing about a graph is that the moving display is a TIME picture. Objects at the left aren't where you just were physically, but what the sensor saw a few seconds ago. If it shows a line of fish at a certain depth, that can be just one stationary fish that the unit keeps seeing. Understand? A flasher is a momentary image in comparison.
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I have both as well. I have been using my Marcum LX-5 for ice for years. I was absolutely sold on that until last year when we were fishing the really deep water at the gorge for the big macks. I fished side by side with a good Humminbird graph. At deeper depths, there was definitely more detail on the graph. And with the RTS window on the right, it was just as real time as my flasher. I think the increased power of the graph made for a better display. When i increased the gain on the flasher to get more detail in deeper water, it just resulted in more interference when I was about at 70ft or deeper. I now have a Hb as well. I exclusively use the flasher for all waters except the deeper water at the Gorge. They both have their advantages in my opinion. I wouldn't give up either. Just my opinion.
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[quote americanforkdude]Does anyone use a fishfinder with the real time flasher on it? If so would you say it is as effective as a standard Vexilar or Marcum?
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I have used the real time sonar on my fishmark for years and yes, I can absolutely say it works as well. All of my ice fishing buddies use flashers and lets just say that I infrequently get outfished. The key though is using the real time sonar. This discussion comes up every year and I still maintain that the decision comes down to personal preference. Try, or at least look at, different kinds on the ice if possible and use what works best for you. Most of the flashers, especially the vexilars, give me a raging headache looking at them, so it would do me little good to buy one.
Now, that said, my fishmark has put in hard yeoman duty for 10 years on both the hard deck and my float tube and is getting long in the tooth. I may actually break down and get either a marcum or hummingbird flasher soon if the price is right. (easier on the eyes.) Can you believe it Kent? 
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Cool maybe I should check into that. The reason I also asked about the Piranha Is for a float tube. So if you are using the fishmark on the tube as well that wounds like an all around thing for me. I just have had zero experience with fishfinders with the real time flasher mode on them. I know most people don't know how to read the sonar's so they autimatcally say they like the fishfinders better but if they have had experience with the flashers I will take their word for it. I will check into the fishfinders Thanks.
P.S. What model of fishmark do you own?
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[quote americanforkdude]
P.S. What model of fishmark do you own?[/quote]
I have a fishmark 320. I've gotten my moneys worth on it.
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+1 6 x 6 I totally agree , Flashers are great to about that 70-80 ft mark after that a graph is much better, I would say real time is only a second or two behind on my lowrance x510 c in 80 to 100ft water!! Change your setting to arch mode for fish lines across the whole graph! Just in case you miss a fish while your taking a swallow of that beer!!! [ ]
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Marcum LX-9. Last season, it showed me all of the display styles - flasher, graph, vertical water collumn with zoom and more selectively displayed as a heads up display over high resolution video from the camera.
The blobs of color would have meant as little to me as abstract art, but with the camera, I can lower it to see the structure that would be otherwise left to the imagination from seeing blobs of color. I had no idea of the bottom from that until I lowered the camera to see a submerged tree with fish swimming in and out of it. After seeing a few camera views of different structure, right away I have a good idea of what the other displays are indicating.
Other than the displays, the signal processing is advanced and showing me the fish interaction with the lure as I see the video of the same with the camera. It seems to be quite an advantage.
I still have to learn to use it better because it seems from viewing the fish that they can feel the sonar and I should turn down the power. I haven't been ice fishing enough to figure out that part yet.
One thing new to me that I just bought to try this season is a meter with a digital display of dissolved oxygen and temperature. I haven't even opened the package with a booklet on how to use it, so I'm not able to report on possible advantages yet.
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For fishing deep water I use the narrow beam 8 degree cone available on the Marcum LX5 and LX7. Solves the problem. At 100ft the usual 20degree cone will show you about a 30ft diameter circle on the bottom. The narrow cone cuts that down a lot and it is also easier to find your jig. The Marcums are more powerful than the fishfinders but it does take some practice to understand what the flasher is showing. Seeing your jig that deep requires fine tuning of your sensitivty and zoom functions no matter what you are using. That said I have a Lowrance fishfinder with the ice transducer that bring along. the real time flasher on the side and the graph mode help newbies figure it out pretty fast.
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I am using the HB 345 color (with real time flasher view) and the newer 346 color DI (also with flasher view) on my boat in the summer time. I really like the down imaging and color screen on the boat. I have portable setups for both units to use for ice fishing. For the money (about $250 for the 346) they do everything I need summer and winter. one thing...the 345 doesn't work with the ice ducer like the manual says...but Humminbird fixed that with the 346 model. It has a two dimension feature for ice fishing with the ice-ducer. We just use the original transducer on the 345...works fine. Its all about personal preference and how much you are willing to spend. One thing we ran into last winter on the ice....my buddy's HB Ice 35 was having trouble next to a cliff with a sidehill...kept bouncing around getting different readings. My 345 color unit worked okay. there might be some settings to fix that issue. Id be interested to hear back from some flasher folks!
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