12-15-2018, 07:32 AM
I have been using a flasher since they were first introduced in Utah... don't remember how many years that has been. At the time, Vex was the only game in town. Marcum came around a few years later. Not sure why, but since Marcum came to Utah, they have become more popular. Price??? but, I do know there are several flashers around anymore and I have to be honest, I have never strayed from Vex to see the differences. I have a FL-8 that has been flawless for at least 20 years, probably more. I purchased a FLX-28 about 3 years ago which is Vexilar's premium unit. Way more than your budget but it will do it all. It doesn't catch any more fish than the FL-8. I can always tell when a Marcum is in the area, they send and use way more wattage which causes interference on my fl-8. I have to be at least 20 to 30 yards away to be able to use my FL-8. My FLX-28 has no problem tuning out the interference of the Marcum Units, so I think they play well together now. I bought my wife a FL-8 a few years ago and we can put them in the ice tent together and can tune out the interference they cause with each other. My Son also has the FL-8. He bought a 2nd one for his daughter to use 2 years ago. So, we are a vex family, with 5 units between us. We went to Scofield last Saturday and had 3 vex's in the tent going with only 6 feet between the 3 of us. They played well together and all screens were clutter free.
Flashers are real time, which I like over graph. My vex's will pickup anything 1/2 inch or larger. Often I can see the hook and the sinker on the line. I like the multi color function. I can instantly tell what is my hook and what is a fish. Each is a different color if you fine tune the gain control. The round face is not confusing to read at all for me. I take newbies to sonar use fishing quite often and they are reading the round multi color face in less than a minute. As has been mentioned by others, all brands, makes and models, do the same thing, mark fish, the bells and whistles vary and become a fielders choice. Do some research on U-Tube. Lots of information on all the systems.
Like others have said, I will not leave home without my sonar. The difference between catching fish and not catching fish can be as much as 10 to 1. I seldom move once I setup. There are always fish around. With the sonar, you know where they are and what attracts them.
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Flashers are real time, which I like over graph. My vex's will pickup anything 1/2 inch or larger. Often I can see the hook and the sinker on the line. I like the multi color function. I can instantly tell what is my hook and what is a fish. Each is a different color if you fine tune the gain control. The round face is not confusing to read at all for me. I take newbies to sonar use fishing quite often and they are reading the round multi color face in less than a minute. As has been mentioned by others, all brands, makes and models, do the same thing, mark fish, the bells and whistles vary and become a fielders choice. Do some research on U-Tube. Lots of information on all the systems.
Like others have said, I will not leave home without my sonar. The difference between catching fish and not catching fish can be as much as 10 to 1. I seldom move once I setup. There are always fish around. With the sonar, you know where they are and what attracts them.
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