12-02-2011, 12:45 AM
[cool][#0000ff]The truth is that most sonars will shoot through the ice and give some kind of reading. The key is to have the beam shooting through very clear ice if possible, without a lot of frozen slush or bubbles to create interference. The water on the ice helps provide a smooth interface so that that beam is not interrupted by air or bubbles. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some guys like to carry an insulated jug of warmer water to pour on the ice as they "run and gun". It works for me, with my showdown. Last season on Starvation it was clear slick ice for a long time. You needed ice cleats to stay vertical but the through the ice function of the sonar was great. You could cover a lot of area, looking for breaklines and humps, and even seeing the fish both on the bottom and the trout cruising through at mid depth. Never failed. If the Showdown showed fish below we caught fish as soon as we drilled and dropped.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As a thin crust of snow covered the ice...and then thicker snow...all I had to do was use my small shovel to scoop down to the slick ice, dribble on some water and shoot the beam. Only when I tried to shoot through crusty stuff was there a wacky reading.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Check the propaganda on your machine. Most of them will tell you if you can use it like that. If not, it is no big deal to take some water out on the ice and at least give it a try.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The type of transducer you have might make a difference. Mine is an ice ducer with a flat bottom. A skimmer type transducer will work, but only if you chip out a little hole so allow more water to cover the bottom of the ducer. Used to work on my cheapy eagle units that I converted from my float tube during ice season.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Some guys like to carry an insulated jug of warmer water to pour on the ice as they "run and gun". It works for me, with my showdown. Last season on Starvation it was clear slick ice for a long time. You needed ice cleats to stay vertical but the through the ice function of the sonar was great. You could cover a lot of area, looking for breaklines and humps, and even seeing the fish both on the bottom and the trout cruising through at mid depth. Never failed. If the Showdown showed fish below we caught fish as soon as we drilled and dropped.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As a thin crust of snow covered the ice...and then thicker snow...all I had to do was use my small shovel to scoop down to the slick ice, dribble on some water and shoot the beam. Only when I tried to shoot through crusty stuff was there a wacky reading.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Check the propaganda on your machine. Most of them will tell you if you can use it like that. If not, it is no big deal to take some water out on the ice and at least give it a try.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The type of transducer you have might make a difference. Mine is an ice ducer with a flat bottom. A skimmer type transducer will work, but only if you chip out a little hole so allow more water to cover the bottom of the ducer. Used to work on my cheapy eagle units that I converted from my float tube during ice season.[/#0000ff]
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