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I'm in the market for a fish finder unit. I've been looking around and like the vexilar w/dual angle transduecers. I have also been looking at the lowrance ice machine. I like the fact that it works as a flasher unit or standard plotter type.
These are both nice units with there pluses and minuses. I'm just not really thrilled with the idea of laying out four hundred dollars for a fish finder.
The other unit that has intrigued me (a little easier on the wallet at around two hundred dollars) is the bottom line fishin buddy 2255. I like the idea of the 90 deg side view. I'm thinking that the side view will help in locating fish i.e. drill hole, scan bottom, no fish, side scan, see fish, move to where fish are, catch fish. Thats kind of the point of a fish finder (no point sitting there looking at an empty hole).
Sooo what I was wondering is does anyone have any experience with the fishin buddys and side view sonar. What was your experience with them. Upsides? Downsides?
What other units should I consider? What features should I be looking for?
Thanks for your help.
Bigpapafish
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A friend of mine has the fishin buddy and I have the lowrance. I think the fishing buddy works ok but you get what you pay for when it come to fish finders.
I would spend the extra money. I think the flasher mode on the lowrance is worth way more than the side view feature.
There is a reason the flasher style fish finders are the most popular on the ice. The only reason I don't have a velexar is I can't afford 2 fish finders and the lowrance works for my boat and for ice fishing. However the flasher mode on the lowrance works great. I can see any size jig in as deep of water as I have ever fished and it moves on the screen in real time. Or so close to real time you don't know the difference.
Don't get me wrong the fishin buddy is better than nothing if thats what your price range is. But I will tell you I catch more fish since I learned to use the flasher mode on my lowrance.
Cableguy
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[size 3][black]I own both the Vexilar FL-18 and the Lowrance X135. I have used the Vexilar for year’s ice fishing and love it. However it does not work well on a boat. I bought the Lawrence because of the flasher with the graph for the boat. I found the small black & white display on the X135 hard to read after being use to the FL-18 larger and color display.[/black][/size]
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[size 3][black]I have fished next to others with the side view. It can come in handy looking for fish around you but it does not help catch more fish like the flasher units do. With the Vexilar you can set the transducer on the ice if it’s clear and look for fish or just drill a few more holes. [/black][/size]
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[black][size 3]I don’t think you will regret spending the money on a Vexilar with the dual transducer or the Lowrance. After you increase your hook to lip ratio you will soon forget how much you spent[/size][/black].
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Check out the Garmins. For the money, they can't be beat.
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[size 1]"There is a reason the flasher style fish finders are the most popular on the ice"[/size]
"I have fished next to others with the side view. It can come in handy looking for fish around you but it does not help catch more fish like the flasher units do."
"After you increase your hook to lip ratio you will soon forget how much you spent[size 1]. "[/size]
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[size 1]OK I think you guys are trying to tell me something... ...Flashers are the way to go .[/size]
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[size 1]Why? You can see your jig and set it at the same depth as the fish. OK that would be a great thing but I was thinking that the biggest advantage of a sonar is to locate fish which the side looking sonar is for. [/size]
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[size 1]Maybe I'm missing something about the flashers, I've seen people use them and it was definitly cool watching the return signal getting stronger as the fish moved in. I guess I'm not sure how the flasher units help you catch more fish.[/size]
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[size 1]Bigpapapfish[/size]
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[size 2][black]Being able to find the fish to the side of you is a nice feature but not as nice as a flasher in my opinion. With a flash you can watch the fish dive down to check out you bait, and then if he swims away you can tell, then you can watch them come back. If you need to jig the bait to attract the fish you can tell when the fish is at the right spot to get his attention. With non flasher type fish finders the fish shows up once at one depth and you can’t tell how far in to the cone he swam and if he moved to the bait or even hung around in the cone area. If you have a flasher you can learn how to read exactly what the fish are doing, moving in to the center, coming up or down, leaving the area, or just hanging out and watching the bait for it to move. With the advantage of these features it helps catch more fish.[/black][/size]
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[black][size 2]As soon as the ice comes on you’ll have to come fishing with me and I’ll show you what it’s all about.[/size][/black]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Here's another thread that you can refer to on the same subject that was recently posted.[/size][/black][/font]
[center][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=166371;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"][black][size 3]Best fishfinder for ice fishing?[/size][/black][/url][/center] [center] [/center] [left][font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Use the search function to find other posts & threads on this subject. Its been dicussed frequently here before and I'm guessing thats why you're not getting a lot of feedback.[/size][/black][/font][/left]
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Bigpapafish,
I have the fishing buddie 2250 (older model to the 2255). Don't let the sidefinder feature be a strong selling point for you. I have used the finder from my boat, float tube, and through the ice. The portibility is excellent but the 9 degree cone is pretty narrow for water less than 25 feet. I have used the sidefinder feature on occasion but have not really found it all that helpful. Ya it will spot fish but getting over them without spooking them is a different story. The unit is sufficiently powerful enough to see my jig at any depth but the LED display is delayed especially in cold weather. Sometimes I would feel the bite and be setting the hook before the screen would show any fish. Other times though I would see a fish up 10 feet from my jig and reel up and get the hit where it showed the fish. So I definetly catch more fish (especially ice fishing) than if I wasn't using it. But I don't know if I would buy it again if I had to make the choice. I have never seen any of the flashers work so I can't compare them. Good luck. PM me if you have any specific questions.
Bigcat
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just keep in mind that you don't need to spend a weeks wages on a fish finder for ice fishing. And you don't need a flasher unit to catch fish. I have used $140 fishfinders and they work fine but I think with the flashers you get more of a real time look at what is happening. Not all LCD fish finders will work in those extreme cold temperatures, Iv'e had two units that wouldn't work on the ice. but that was ten years ago maybe most are better now it seems like the cheaper Eagles all work in the colder conditions. Good luck!
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