What Good is a Vexilar?

[kdogger]

I keep hearing people talking as if they worship the things (Vexilar Flashers)....Why?

I've never seen one in action, and am interested into finding out what the fuss is all about.

How do they improve your fishing over the old-fashioned way of moving holes and finding fish with your lure?

[deputy865]

Ok what you have is a cirlce. Now within the circle are different colored lines that mean different things. Well what happens is when you pput it down it shows the bottum (depth is on there) and red lines (bigger the better) mean fish. Now it also tracks your lure. And well what you can see is your lure and the fish around it so you know if you want to jig or not. Very useful.

Now i dont have a Vex, how was my aim? Other's willl fill in any blank spots i missed.

Shane

[bigsid]

The bottom line is that a flasher is sonar, which gives you real time readings of what is directly underneath you. It will not guarantee that you catch fish, but it will let you know if there are any fish below you, thus saving you time spent fishing over an "empty" hole. Brand names and expense are constantly argued, but any sonar is better than no sonar.

Hope this helps...Sid

[GVSUKUSH]

I keep hearing people talking as if they worship the things (Vexilar Flashers)....Why?

I've never seen one in action, and am interested into finding out what the fuss is all about.

How do they improve your fishing over the old-fashioned way of moving holes and finding fish with your lure?

I put in alot of time last year fishing crappies/gills in 40 FOW and I was outfished every time out 4 to 1 by the guys with the flashers. Same technique, 1 pound test, I just had to guess a whole lot more than the guys with the flashers.

I'll have an FL-18 under the christmas tree this year :)

[TheApprentice]

Worship is a serious understatement. Like the other posts said, you instantly know if there are fish under you without wasting lots of time on a fishless hole. Imagine how much more success you will have taking the guesswork out of the equation. I have also learned how the fish react to different jigs and live baits by watching my VEX in action. You can see if the fish are even interested in your offering. If they do not show interest you can keep switching baits until you find what they are wanting. You can also determine how the fish want the bait jigged.

Like GVSUKUSH said, he sometimes fishes in 40 FOW. It would be difficult and very time consuming to go from hole to hole testing the entire water column of each hole before you found some fish. By the time you found where the fish were, you could be too late and they could have moved on. Not with the VEX, because you know right where the fish are and when they are there. Of course having a VEX or any other electronics don't make the fish bite, but hey sure do enhance ones abilities to find the fish and this is half of the battle. I can guarentee you that if you invest in some sort of electronics that you will be very pleased with the results just as everyone else has been. I can honestly say that I have become a way better fisherman due to my VEX. I have learned what the fish want and how they want it. Before I invested in it, I could hardly stand to panfish. I would always come home and say the fish just aren't biting when in fact that was not the case at all. I could go on for hours about what a vex can do for you and the things I have learned, but I think you need to find out for yourself and then post in this same thread the reasons you "WORSHIP" your new found love.

Ryan

[scottyhoover]

"How do they improve your fishing?"

Kind of a vague question eh. What does 'improve' mean?

[TheApprentice]

"How do they improve your fishing?"

Kind of a vague question eh. What does 'improve' mean?

What do you expect from a guy that can't even update his profile. Scotty I was thinking the same thing, but I just didn't want to start anything so I gave him lots of good reasoning. It actually amazes me that someone would ask a question with such blatently obvious answers. There are tons of threads that have been posted about electronics and the advantages they offer us, so my question to kdogger is why didn't you just do a search and do a little research partner.

[Connor4501]

About the only thing I can add to this is that you can judge how active the fish are by how fast they move up or down on the Vex towards your bait...Slow movements, few bites = neutral to negative feeders...Fast up/down movement, steady strikes = active feeders...Both of which will tell you how to modify your approach when it comes to get more fish into striking...

[fishonbb]

I STARTED USING MINE LAST YEAR AND IT HAS IMPROVED MY FISHING BY 100%. I HAVE MARKED ALOT OF FISH LOOKING AT MY BAIT BUT NO TAKERS SO I WOULD TRY A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION AND STARTED CATCHING FISH BECAUSE I KNEW THEY WERE THERE. BUT I COULD GO ON AND ON I'M SURE YOU SPARKED UP QUITE THE CONVERSATION.

[kdogger]

How do they improve your fishing?"

Kind of a vague question eh. What does 'improve' mean?

Catch more fish.

What do you expect from a guy that can't even update his profile. Scotty I was thinking the same thing, but I just didn't want to start anything so I gave him lots of good reasoning. It actually amazes me that someone would ask a question with such blatently obvious answers. There are tons of threads that have been posted about electronics and the advantages they offer us, so my question to kdogger is why didn't you just do a search and do a little research partner.

Is this such a faux pas to ask?

If it burns you so bad, why did you bother to answer?

And I don't claim to be the most computer literate guy around, so sorry I "can't update my profile" or that I didn't know to search.

[ih772]

If you have to ask the question, you most likely won't understand the answer. ;)

[William H Bonney]

Well imagine this kdogger. Instead of wandering aimlessly around the ice for hours, drilling holes looking for fish. Just use the Vex to find fish before you drill holes, the Vex will give you "real time" feed back, right through the ice, without having to drill holes. With a Vex, you don't have to spend 2 hours fishing a "dead spot", you eliminate that right off the bat.

[Ed Michrina]

Kdogger, for your profile hit the "quick links button" and go down to "edit profile" fill in general information. It will help us and you in the long run.

I think the question was valid. If we can't talk about things we have talked about in the past it would be a mighty slow site.

I don't think it's nice to jam the guy for asking a question. It might have been more helpful to tell him how to do a "search" . We are all sportsman who enjoy the same interest.

It's a heck of a lot more pleasant site if others don't' slam people with less knowledge or whatever. Any further knocks to any site member(s) will force me to close this Thread. I think most like myself enjoy the thread.

[scottyhoover]

Kdogger,
I wasn't implying that your question was stupid, just wanted you to clarify.

If the question is will you catch more fish, the simple answer is YES. We could go on all day about it but all we can say is YES. And seeing is believing, so you need to see one. I would suggest setting up a meeting on ice with someone from this site, shouldn't be hard to find a guy in your area who will let you see one in action.

[Fishfoote]

:bowdown: VEXILAR!

An earlier thread asked if a flasher can shoot through ice, the answer was/is "yes" So, now you've save time/energy in finding the pocket/depth/hole/hump that you were looking for. Cut your holes - notice, I said holes, and not hole. You then move the vexilar from hole to hole giving each 5 - 10 minutes of fishing efforts and watch the vexilar for fish. If fish appear, but don't bite you know it's the presentation/bait ect. and not just lack of fish. If fish don't appear, it's location/structure/depth and you can work on correcting that. The vexilar eliminates the more basic questions - how deep, are there fish, is there structure, how deep are the fish, are they rising to the bait, are they dinks or big fish...it's worth having.

[GVSUKUSH]

:bowdown: VEXILAR!

An earlier thread asked if a flasher can shoot through ice, the answer was/is "yes" So, now you've save time/energy in finding the pocket/depth/hole/hump that you were looking for. Cut your holes - notice, I said holes, and not hole. You then move the vexilar from hole to hole giving each 5 - 10 minutes of fishing efforts and watch the vexilar for fish. If fish appear, but don't bite you know it's the presentation/bait ect. and not just lack of fish. If fish don't appear, it's location/structure/depth and you can work on correcting that. The vexilar eliminates the more basic questions - how deep, are there fish, is there structure, how deep are the fish, are they rising to the bait, are they dinks or big fish...it's worth having.

To read right through the ice do you have to pour water on the surface?

[RichP]

Yes, you do have to pour water on the surface. Someone in another thread stated they pee on the ice then set the transducer on it. :SHOCKED:

The biggest difference the Vex has made for me is that I tend to be on the move more. When I'm staring at a device that's outright telling me there's nothing down there, I tend to not want to hang around that spot for too long, time to do some hole hopping....

[Fishfoote]

Most of the time, I do nothing but clear the snow and press the ducer tight to get a reading...

[Burksee]

While I'm not a Vexlar owner I do have a "Flasher" unit, it's an older, some may call it an "antique", its a Lowrance "Little Green Box". It works off of sonar, just like a Vex but not nearly as sensitive and doesnt have all the neat colors. Bottom line it tells me were the bottom is and if there's anything (fish) between me and bottom. I've used mine in up to 40' of water and its helped me get into the fish when they're there! Its a great way to ID fish as they come thru at a particular depth so you can adjust your bait to intecept them! ;)

Bottom line - Yes, there are definite advantages to using a Vex or any other kind of fish finder or flasher. :)

[woodsman rick]

Most of the time, I do nothing but clear the snow and press the ducer tight to get a reading...

and here I thought you drank all those Bud's for a reason:lol:

Rick

[double trouble]

lets take this 2 steps further.our sporting society has become very specialized. if you don't have the golf clubs tiger woods has ,that you are not the best golfer you can be ,right.... its kind of a rhetorical question. as you get better at any sport ,you "need" more specialized equiptment. we really do not need any of it but that subject is for another day. we could still catch fish with a wood rod and some thread and a hook. many ice fisherman still do. what i think your question really was is " do i need a sonar to get my ice fishing to what new level." is it worth the expense and will it justify the purchase ?" i have probably spent 20 grand on fish gear,between the boat, and other useless gear. a sonar is one of the best investments you can make for fishing. as buck perry said when inventing the spoonplug," it eliminates over 90 percent of the unproductive water". that is the whole purpose of sonar.i have probably owned 10-20 sonar.the vexilar is the best one so far for ice fishing. so if you want to improve your skills on the ice ,its probably the best investment you could make. it beats the 8000 dollar 4 wheeler, the 500 dollar shanty and the ,500 dollar power auger. if you strictly want your FISHING to improve than this the equiptment to get. or you can do like all of us used to do and follow the pack. you know , the guys with the sonars. get one now!

[unclecbass]

I dont have a vex either but this thread is interesting. The only question I have is, does the vex tell you the depth of your bait as well as the depth of the fish so that you can adjust to the appropriate heighth? Or does it just tell you if there are fish under you. I assume it tells you the exact depth of the fish in relation to you lure. I have an underwater camera but I get tired of moving that thing from hole to hole in search of fish. Vex seems easier for scouting purposes, more mobile.

[TheApprentice]

lets take this 2 steps further.our sporting society has become very specialized. if you don't have the golf clubs tiger woods has ,that you are not the best golfer you can be ,right.... its kind of a rhetorical question. as you get better at any sport ,you "need" more specialized equiptment. we really do not need any of it but that subject is for another day. we could still catch fish with a wood rod and some thread and a hook. many ice fisherman still do. what i think your question really was is " do i need a sonar to get my ice fishing to what new level." is it worth the expense and will it justify the purchase ?" i have probably spent 20 grand on fish gear,between the boat, and other useless gear. a sonar is one of the best investments you can make for fishing. as buck perry said when inventing the spoonplug," it eliminates over 90 percent of the unproductive water". that is the whole purpose of sonar.i have probably owned 10-20 sonar.the vexilar is the best one so far for ice fishing. so if you want to improve your skills on the ice ,its probably the best investment you could make. it beats the 8000 dollar 4 wheeler, the 500 dollar shanty and the ,500 dollar power auger. if you strictly want your FISHING to improve than this the equiptment to get. or you can do like all of us used to do and follow the pack. you know , the guys with the sonars. get one now!

Very well put! Great analogies!

Sorry for my earlier post Kdogger. I actually thought you were trying to mock us for using electronics, because the question does seem pretty obvious. I did not mean to offend you as I did come off a little harsh and feel like a real jack*****. I'm not a computer genius either, so don't feel bad. To show you I am in fact a decent individual, if you are near Cass County I would be more than willing to take you out anytime the ice gets here and show you how wonderful the VEX is. One time out with me and I am pretty sure you would be investing in one as well. Anyhow, I hope you are getting your questions answered and can now completely understand why we all worship our electronics. Once again I apologize for coming off so harshly.

Ryan

[double trouble]

a vex can mark a teardrop lure from 2"off bottom to 120 feet down . it can also mark a fish lying on bottom barely moving.so ,yes it can mark both fish and how a fish approaches your lures. the newer tft screens (lowrance ice machine) and marcum) both claim even better target seperation . they can mark targets 3/4 inch apart if they work as claimed but at the moment they are a bit more expensive than a vex.

[LXHunter]

Kdogger, purchasing a Vexilar (i.e., sonar) was the best ice fishing investment I ever made. I kid you not, but I would have to say my success has improved 200-300% on the ice. And nothing gets you more excited than to see a big ol' crappie mark reacting to your jigging as you hook him. When your on the ice, don't be shy and meet some of the other fisherman. Most would be more than happy to demonstrate a model for you. Bring on the Ice!!!:)

[Dr. Steelhead]

I personally use a protable fish finder. For the last two years have outfished the guys with vexillars. SORRY, it's just my luck I guess. Buddy of mine has one they are nice but I'll stick to my fish finder anyday.

[Dutchman]

And nothing gets you more excited than to see a big ol' crappie mark reacting to your jigging

I don't think I want to see your "crappie" marks!! :yikes:

To show you I am in fact a decent individual, if you are near Cass County I would be more than willing to take you out anytime the ice gets here and show you how wonderful the VEX is.

Now that is what I like about this site!!

[magnumhntr]

I can back the other guys up by saying that a flasher is the single greatest investment you can buy for ice fishing. I personally use the Marcum, as I like them better than a VEX, as I've owned both. The Marcum is a very nice machine, and (to me) has way better target seperation, and runs at a higher wattage. For the guys that fish up to 30' of water, there really isn't much of a difference in the two. After the 40' mark, the VEX seemed to be under powered and even with the gain all the way up, I constantly lost my jig. The Marcum will see the jig well over 60', and more depending upon the type of bottom.

Bottom line - they are both VERY nice units. Very dependable. Very easy to use. And Very addicting. It's so bad for me, that I can't even fish without my Marcum. I feel naked without it. So sad isn't it :bash: :dizzy: :lol:

[double trouble]

you are the first person who has said that marcum has better power at depths and compared the 2.good to know. luckily 99 percent of my ice fishing is at 30 feet or less. just remember that its not power that makes the difference in sonar, its reciever sensitivity.i was just studying a finder that only uses 15 watts , but claims to be the best. as they all do. he claims that more power spooks fish, and could be right.his reciever is the best in the industry and they sell for $1500-2500 for a monochrome screen crt.its good to know that vex has some stiff competition from marcum and lowrance and i am sure humminbird won't be far behind. it makes all the products better .

[MiketheElder]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I much prefer my Lowrance x67c to a Vex. I prefer the square screen and the straight lines rather than the round flasher. And besides, if I want to do the round thing I can do that too with the same unit. It's silent so that constant hum won't drive me and my tinnitus ears crazy.
Last year, for explanation's sake, I had two jigs down about 3 inches off the bottom for one and 5 inches on the other. I also had an attractor down (five o' diamonds Daredevle with no hooks). I watched a fish swim up to the 5 inch jig, move up to look at the attractor, and then go down and nibble at the 3 inch jig. It was like watching television. In color and if I remember correctly you can pick your colors. You can do a split screen zoom of the bottom 6 feet. And use it in the boat during soft-water season.

Page 5 in the In-Fisherman 2006 Ice Fishing Guide

Big Mike

[9mmruger1]

Kdogger, for your profile hit the "quick links button" and go down to "edit profile" fill in general information. It will help us and you in the long run.

I think the question was valid. If we can't talk about things we have talked about in the past it would be a mighty slow site.

I don't think it's nice to jam the guy for asking a question. It might have been more helpful to tell him how to do a "search" . We are all sportsman who enjoy the same interest.

It's a heck of a lot more pleasant site if others don't' slam people with less knowledge or whatever. Any further knocks to any site member(s) will force me to close this Thread. I think most like myself enjoy the thread.

Well spoken. What's the sense of or purpose of trying to make someone else feel bad. Serves no purpose. IMHO

[thumbgoodfisherman]

Kdogger,

Just to let you know if my battery goes dead or the vexilar quits, I might as well pack my gear and head back to shore. That is how I feel about my vexilar. Once you use one you will be hooked no pun intended. They are worth their weight in gold.:)

[kdogger]

Sorry for my earlier post Kdogger. I actually thought you were trying to mock us for using electronics, because the question does seem pretty obvious. I did not mean to offend you as I did come off a little harsh and feel like a real jack*****. I'm not a computer genius either, so don't feel bad. To show you I am in fact a decent individual, if you are near Cass County I would be more than willing to take you out anytime the ice gets here and show you how wonderful the VEX is. One time out with me and I am pretty sure you would be investing in one as well. Anyhow, I hope you are getting your questions answered and can now completely understand why we all worship our electronics. Once again I apologize for coming off so harshly.




I accept the apology, no harm done.

I wasn't trying to mock, I really am interested in the device and why people like it so much. Thanks for all the answers.

[ChapstickCharlie]

I am feeling a group hug comin on. Hug it out people. This is why this is such a great site. Good show. And yes, if my vex gets left behind then I am headed back for it, that simple.

[Still Wait'n]

You know what they say ,Never leave home without it!

[eddiejohn4]

This is the way to treat each other ,with respect. We all have been novices at one time.Kudos to you guys for being sportman.

[jimbobway]

I just bought a vex fl8 and tried it out last week , I thought I would mark more suspended fish in a red mark .How can you tell if a fish is on the bottom ? By the way I am also color blind , I hope I bought the right unit for me.

[thumbgoodfisherman]

Jimbobway, first of all are you serious about being color blind? I use mine for strictly walleyes and the way I tell is there is a small mark at the front of the big bottom mark which is a little green mark usually it will start flicker a little bit then green goes to a bigger red mark, then I will usually lift one of my poles to find out which one he is after. After I know I will try to entice the big old hog into his last meal!!!!!:D :D I turn my gain way down just so I barely mark my lures that way when a fish does come in the mark will be alot bigger than my lure mark. The more Ya use it you will figure it out. The first time I used mine I was fishing in about 16 fow and mess'n around with all the adjustments watching how my lures were marking and all of a sudden there was this mark on the vex I didn't know what it was and wham I caught a 6# walleye best money I ever spent. Hope this helps you and good luck.:)

[bucknduck]

There was a link that someone placed on another thread that allows you to download a demo program of the x67 so that you can run it on your computer. I downloaded it and have been playing around with it here at work. Might be another way for you to get an idea of how the sonar works first hand if your not able to venture out on the ice right away. Just wish they had one for the vex too. If I find that link again I'll post it here.

[bucknduck]

Found a link to download the emulators

http://www.lowrance.com/Software/PCSoftware/demos.asp

I used the emulator to help make my decision when I purchased my fish finder for my boat.

[wally-eye]

I have the FL18 with the dual 9/19 transducer. To give you an example of how they help. The first time I used the vex I was on a local lake in 40 fow fishing perch. As this was the first time I used the vex I was still in the learning curve. Well I was fishing close to the bottom in 40fow searching for perch using the zoom. I kept seeing flashes around 15 down. This happened about every 15 min. or so. The next time I seen the flashes at 15 foot I quickly pulled my perch minnow up to that depth and caught an 17 inch trout. This happened 4 times in the next hour. Fishing without the vex over 40 foot of water I would have never known the trout were cruising suspended 15 foot down..............

I paid a lot for the FL 18 but it has more than paid for itself in fish that I would have never caught not having one..........

[TheApprentice]

The FL-18 has once again proved itself. Yesterday I was fishing in 28-32 fow and no one was catching fish. There are about 80 holes out there and all of them are open from this warm weather we have been having. I started going from hole to hole until I found a school. As soon as I got my bait down to them they would charge it. I would catch 1-3 fish out of each hole that I found a school in and then they were gone like that. Sometimes I may hit 20 holes without marking a fish and then the very next hole had a whole school. I ended up catching around 45 keeper gills, but of course only kept my limit. I threw back lots of 71/2-8" gills throughout the day. 85% of the fish I kept were between 8 1/2-91/2" with 2 being right at 10".

Without the vex I would have done just as poorly as everyone else did. One guy caught 7, one caught 5, and one only got 1 small one. I'm not bragging, just stating why I think the FL-18 is the best tool to ever hit the ice fishing industry. I am not saying just because you have one you will automatically catch fish, but you sure improve your chances 10 fold. For you to fish 20 holes without a vex and truly fish the entire column before you decide there are no fish in the area, it would take a guy all day where it only takes me 2 minutes to determine the same thing. I hope you can see why everyone here cherishes their sonar.

Ryan

[Captain Happy]

I've never been around a vex either, but am curious about the noise level from them that have been mentioned, is it irrating like Lawernce Welk music?

[HuRon]

a-one-a and a-two-a, you-a get a-used to-it.

[martin1950]

I've fished with friends that have Vex's. They're not nearly as loud as my ole Green Box.

Martin

[wally-eye]

Its the sound of SUCCESS.......................

[ih772]

My lantern makes a lot more noise than my Vexilar. The hum of a Vexilar on a cold crystal clear night is music to my ears.

[frznFinn]

gosh darn it now i want a vex

[Sturge]

Just want to add a couple of ideas. I am color blind and vex has a upgrade for that problem. Last year I sent my Fl18 in and they changed the colors from red yellow and green to blue red and light beige all three stand out enough that I can see them clearly in all three colors.

Iam very happy with the upgrade.

Good fishing!
Sturge

[sfw1960]

:cool:
KOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's FINE customer service Sturge!
;)

Its the sound of SUCCESS.......................

I still like the LMS332c Dan , it's silent AND deadly....

Ya didn't have any trouble watchin' them eYes sKinCH up to my BuckShot Sp00N last week, did YA??

http://pages.pathwaynet.com/%7Esfw1960/Muttley-128842.gif
R