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Posts: 667
Location: Roscoe IL | I have a dash mounted flasher that went bad and need to replace it with something. I wanted to see what some of the boards opinoins were if faced with the same situation I have. I was considering replacing my broken Lowrance flasher with a Vexilar in dash unit. I could also go with a depthfinder but would have to stay in the $250.00 range. Your the Pro's.... What would you go with???
I already have a Lowrance depthfinder up front for use while using the trolling motor...
Thanks!
Mike
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | For the money, I'd go with an Eagle Fishmark. About $160.00. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I can't argue with Steve on that one. I used to run a Eagle 320 in my old boat, a fine unit. |
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| Boat dealer kicked in a Lowrance X96 with my last purchase....has an option to run spilt screen and use both at the same time. I really like it. Runs about $200-250 |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | I alos loved my Eagles. I just put a 332 lowrance in and already sent it back due to sonar issues. The 320 is now on sale for like 139.99 which is about half of what I paid for mine 3 years ago. Nice unit, and will be back on my rig till I find a suitable gps sonar replacement. Looking at the lcx 25, but don't want the same issues as the 332 with a unit at twice the cost... |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | I would say like most things in musky fishing, don't go cheap, especially on electronics.
You get what you pay for, and with the stuff they have out now, it is amazing what you are able to do.
I would suggest NOT going cheap and getting a good quality Lowrance unit.
Anything in the 100's with Lowrance are good, 125's, 102C, 107's, etc....They are cheap, but work wonderfully!!!!! |
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| You might want to check the walleye boards like Walleye Central. Many guys are upgrading and selling off good quality units that are 2-3 years old for a fraction of their price. |
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Posts: 667
Location: Roscoe IL | I'm surprised that not one person would go with a flasher? I'm going to order the Eagle as suggested. Thanks for the help!
Mike |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | In wouldn't use anything but a flasher up front on the deck. I use my Vexilar up there. Otherwise, it has alot to do with the water you fish as well. Because a unit is inexpensive, does not mean it isn't a good unit, or not the perfect unit for you. I tried a Lowrance 332 and it had too much power for the dark flowage/rivers I fish, picking up every bubble and piece of stirred up sediment, even at low sensitivity settings. My lower powered eagle has never had this issue, and it still marks bait jut fine when up north on the gin. I am looking at the lcx 25 as I was told there were more adjustments to be had, but still wonder if it would be a waste for me to do so. |
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Posts: 3514
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I'll go against the grain and say FLASHER ON THE DASH. I personally like the instantaneous feedback you get from the flasher and the color option. Much easier for me to see and pay attention to...especially at night. I use the flasher to watch depth as I am travelling, which I feel is much more important than seeing if fish/bait are suspended or not. The flasher will do that just fine, but a flasher takes confidence to trust more (IMHO) since it does not have the same visual stimulus as a big black arc or a big black blob of bait.
Either way you go, be sure you are considering the main purpose of the unit. I took this into consideration because I was tired of always having to take electronics off to travel with a cover, then put it back on....doing that with 3 units (1 in rear, 1 in front, and two on the console...gps and screen unit) just got old and I want to be able to drop the boat in and fish, and when getting ready to go, take the boat out, cover it and leave. (oh how lazy we can get...). This is why I chose to go with the Vexilar FL-10 on the dash, wired it so it would come on when I turn the key for the big motor and be on my way. the unit in back and the unit in front are on RAM mounts and are down and out of the way for the travel cover. Now, I take the cover off, put the windshield and GPS on and I am on my way.
Steve
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Posts: 1270
| I can not speak for all units but the Lowrance 102, 330, 333, 334, 104, 110, and 111's that I have used in the past couple years all have instantanious displays just like a Vexlar. The old wifes-tale about a delay may have been true years ago but is no longer the case. I use my 332 for ice fishing and I can tell you that when I lift my jig it shows up RIGHT NOW on the screen!
Reef Hawg, I know you have mentioned that you had problems with clutter on you 332 in certain water but I have only found this to be the case in very fast flowing rivers, it seemed to always show a line of "crap" about 4 to 6 feet down. But in these same waters every graph I ever used also showed the same line.
The reason I like the graph as opposed to a flasher on the dash is because on the flasher you have to be constantly looking at the screen if you want to see fish, or subtle bottom changes. The graph has a "memory" that allows you to glance down at the graph every once in a while. Maybe this isn't important if you are working a shoreline but if you are working a contour line or deep water jigging for walleyes it can be very important. I also like the option of using the split screen on my 332 to shop a GPS map for following contour lines.
I believe that the days of flashers are numbered. Even for ice fishing you are starting to see more and more graphs, ussually set up on flasher mode, every year. |
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| I love my in-dash flasher--bottom is always black. But if you want to use it as a fish-finder then go w/ a fish finder if it will fit in the bow. I would almost always go w/ a flasher but it is nice to be able to see history or look up from the screen to drive. |
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