First, hang your transducer roughly 1 ft beneath the ice in your hole. Next, turn the unit on by twisting the range to its first depth. This depth is typically 20 ft.
Table of Contents
Does the transducer need to be below the ice?
How far down should I drop my transducer? – Conventional wisdom has it that for the best reading, you should put the bottom of your transducer just below the ice in the center of the hole.
How do I level my transducer for ice fishing?
Ice fishing transducers have a smaller profile for portability and they are self-leveling. You just drop it in the hole. As long as it is suspended freely there is no need to level it. The cord usually comes with a foam float that lets you adjust the depth based on the thickness of the ice.
Where do you put the transducer for ice fishing?
How deep do you put in the ice transducer?
Set the unit down on the table and hang the Ice-Ducer about 30″ over the floor. Turn on the FL-8, then turn up the gain until you can see your floor as a red signal. THE DEPTH WILL NOT BE ACCURATE WHEN OPERATING IN THE AIR. We are interested in sensitivity only.
What depth should I ice fish?
In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep. I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths. Areas with rock piles, weed beds, or dramatic contours are all good spots.
Will a transducer work through ice?
Don’t worry about ruining the transducer. Shooting through the ice will not damage the transducer so go ahead and try it a few times. Just wet the ice and try a reading, if you can’t find the bottom, squirt more water and try again.
How do you set up a fishfinder for ice fishing?
Can sonar see through ice?
This echo is what shows depth, bottom consistency and suspended fish. I have learned that sonar units will easily read through the ice to show and display the underwater secrets without ever drilling a hole.
What is the best transducer for ice fishing?
The high frequency transducer (like a 400 kHz), is better suited to inland fishing or shallow water applications, because the power loss can be noticeable in water deeper than 40 feet. High frequencies are best for giving you great bottom detail and are common with narrow cone angled transducers.
What is the best ice fishing fish locator?
- Best Overall: Garmin LiveScope Ice Bundle LI.
- Best Budget Ice Fishing Sonar: Vexilar FL-8SE “Genz Pack
- Best Ice Fishing Underwater Camera: Aqua-Vu QUAD HD.
- Best Digital Ice Sonar: MarCum LX-7L.
- Best Portable: Aqua-Vu Micro Revolution Pro 5.0.
- Best Combo Sonar/GPS: Humminbird Ice Helix 7 CHIRP G4.
How does a ice fishing transducer work?
Ice fishing is a stationary form of angling where the transducer – the part of the fish finder that beams the signal down and catches it coming up – is hanging down in the hole. Because of this stationary controlled setting, flasher-style depth finders with an analog signal are extremely popular with ice anglers.
Does a fish finder work through ice?
Here’s the quick answer: Yes – a fish finder can be used to shoot sonar directly through ice to locate fish in the water. You just have to make sure that the ice is clear and has a smooth surface, and that there is no air between the transducer and the ice.
Do I need a fish finder for ice fishing?
Ice Fishing Even more importantly, you will see fish react to your bait and be able to dial in your presentation based on what you are gathering. But fish finders and ice flashers are not needed for ice fishing.
How do you read ice fishing sonar?
How far should a transducer be in the water?
The transducer should be even with the bottom of the boat or slightly below the bottom. Leading edge (the edge closest to the transom of the boat). One click too high: the transducer is tilted out of the water and cannot maintain a sonar signal.
What do fish look like on vexilar?
How do you use an open water transducer for ice fishing?
How many pounds can 4 inches of ice hold?
Ice is not considered safe to walk on until it is at least 4 inches thick. At 4″ the ice is suitable for ice fishing, cross-country skiing and walking and can support about 200 pounds. At 5 inches of new clear ice should be enough to hold a single snowmobile or ATV or about 800 pounds.
How can you tell if ice is thick enough?
Does side imaging work for ice fishing?
We do the side imaging as well – saves us quite a bit of hole drilling when searching out fish. We use it just to locate fish, then use our flashers to fish.
Do you need a flasher for ice fishing?
A flasher also allows you to see any underwater structure there might be. From the depth of the water to the presence of structures like rocks, outcroppings, or debris, using a flasher is essential if you don’t want to have to rely on your good intuition alone while ice fishing.
Can sonar detect icebergs?
In principle an iceberg can also be detected by sonar. In the open sea, an iceberg produces squealing, popping, and creaking sounds caused by mechanical stresses and cracking, and these sounds can be detected underwater up to 2 km (more than a mile) away.
How do you drill holes in ice?
Can you use a vexilar in summer?
Your flasher will work as beautifully in the summer as it does in the winter. The only problem is if you wish to see your deep-water panfish jig on your Vexilar, your line will be close to your trolling motor.