Some of you might be asking what in the world a hoochie is, while others know all about them! Well, a hoochie is a common fishing lure used when fishing for salmon, that is designed to mimic a squid. Traditionally a hoochie is fished while trolling behind an attractant called a flasher.
Table of Contents
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.
What does an ice fishing flasher do?
If you have ever been interested in ice fishing, you have probably heard about ice fishing with a flasher. By using sonar, a flasher displays objects detected in the water column on a circular screen. The display allows the angler monitor depth and view fish activity in relation to their lure.
Why is a flasher better for ice fishing?
Flashers have the edge over fish finders in terms of being able to display real-time information of what’s going on underneath your ice hole, and at an extremely high resolution.
Is a flasher or a camera better for ice fishing?
In general, ice fishing flashers are better at detecting fish in a wider range of water depths and clarity than a camera. Flashers also allow you to quickly assess bottom hardness and depth making it indispensable for scouting.
How do you attract fish when ice fishing?
- Chumming and scents. Chumming is the most obvious way of attracting fish to a centralized location.
- Glow lures.
- Bottom bouncing.
- Turn on the transducer.
- Change up your presentation.
- Match the hatch.
- Cover the hole.
- Bring in some flash.
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.
Do you need an ice transducer?
Do you need a special transducer. A special transducer is not necessary. Assuming you can safely remove your boat’s transducer and wiring without damage, it should work fine for ice fishing. Keep in mind that the function of a transducer depends on being level to the surface of the water.
How do you fish with flashers?

Do I need a fish finder to ice fish?
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 flashers?

What is a sonar camera?

What time of day is best for ice fishing?
The best time of day to ice fish is during the first couple of hours after sunrise, and for about 2 hours both before and after sunset. These are the times when most fish are heading to their feeding grounds, and when most species are active. What is this?
What’s the best bait for ice fishing?
For ice fishing live bait, try wax worms (bee moth larva), maggots, spikes (fly larvae), wigglers (mayfly larvae) or minnows. You can drop your bait and leave it alone, or you can slowly jig to attract the fish. Ice fishing jigging also works with artificial ice fishing bait.
Does light attract fish when ice fishing?
All good fisherman know submersible lights attract fish during the summertime, but most ice fisherman do not realize submersible lights also attract fish under the ice as well.
How thick should ice be before you walk on it?
As a general rule of thumb, ice is safe to walk on when there is 4 inches or more of clear ice. It is important to understand that different types of ice varying in their strength. Clear blue or black ice is the strongest.
How can you tell if ice is thick enough?
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.
Does a fish finder work through ice?
Here’s the quick answer: Yes โ 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.
How do you attach a transducer to ice fishing?

What is an ice Ducer?
The Ice-Ducer was a patented concept from Vexilar in 1997. The concept is simple, by weighting down the transducer crystal on a flexible cable, the crystal is always pointing straight down the hole.
What is the difference between a dodger and a flasher?
DODGERS vs. FLASHERS The big difference between dodgers and flashers is the way they run through the water when being trolled. A dodger has a side-to-side swaying action while a flasher develops full 360ยบ rotations.
How fast can you troll a flasher?
Conventional 8 and 11 inch flashers are normally trolled between 2.0 and 2.5 miles per hour. This speed is needed to give the flasher good tail kicking action.
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 do you ice fish without electronics?

What is needed for ice fishing?
Jigging ice fishing rod and reel. Live bait container stocked with live bait. Terminal tackle such as line clippers, fish grabbers, pliers, hooks, sinkers, etc. Ice fishing tip ups.