Vexilar Scaring Fish Away??

[luckibuck14]

I've been out 4 times on the bay this year with my new vexilar fl-8. Mostly using in 10 feet or less and have noticed that I have been getting fish to come in breifly and swim away quickly after. The real kicker is I seem to get bites on whatever hole the vexilar isn't in (tried switching the holes several times, didn't matter). I also notice the "sonar clicking" seems to be very loud, a person 15 feet away in a room can hear it. Anyone ever have problems like this? Should I leave it home in shallow waters less than 10 feet?

[ih772]

Change your presentation when you see the fish coming in to check out your bait but quickly swimming away. What you are seeing is a fish interested enough to take a look at what you have down but not to take a bite. The rod that's not in the vex hole is usually just sitting there not being moved very often, sometimes called "dead stick". There are many times the fish will come in to look at the rod that's being jigged but then take the dead stick rod. If the Vex was scaring away fish, you wouldn't mark any fish with it or any other sonar for that matter.

What you are describing sounds like what a dink perch looks like on the Vex.

[luckibuck14]

I jig with two poles. Both are spoons. I have caught fish on whatever pole the vexilar isn't in. Deductive reasoning tells me something is up. Maybe the clicking is too strong in shallow water.

[woodie slayer]

i don't hear any clicking on mine. do you have a full charge.

[fishonbb]

I was also wondering the same thing but i thought it was just me coming up with excuses why the fish aren't biting. I do here the same clicking and i see fish come in and look at my bait and take right off. I have an FL8 and maybe it clicks because i need a new battery or something anyone with info would be great.

[Big Daddy Benelli]

I just used my FL-18 yesterday, and I jigging for perch in a canal (no-nore than 6 ft deep) and it didn't scare them away. I think this is alittle bit of a mental thing. Just try not to pay attention to the noise. Just my .02. Just fish like it wasn't even there.

[ih772]

I've marked thousands of fish with my vex in water less than 10'. Many of them will stick around several minutes while the vexilar is humming away. The clicking you hear is the sonar pulse.

You're doing something different with the rod (no matter how subtle) that isn't in the hole with the transducer or you are thinking that you catch more fish in the hole without the transducer. As I said before the sonar isn't keeping the fish away otherwise none of us would use it.

[William H Bonney]

I've marked thousands of fish with my vex in water less than 10'. Many of them will stick around several minutes while the vexilar is humming away. The clicking you hear is the sonar pulse.

You're doing something different with the rod (no matter how subtle) that isn't in the hole with the transducer or you are thinking that you catch more fish in the hole without the transducer. As I said before the sonar isn't keeping the fish away otherwise none of us would use it.
Right on.
This sounds like one for Myth Busters, LOL, just kiddin'. There's a real easy test for this. Drill 3 holes, put the Vex in the middle hole and fish the outside holes.

[fishonbb]

Don't get me wrong, i have caught many fish using the vex and like i said maybe i was just looking for an excuse and the only reason i'm thinking that is if i can hear the clicking maybe the fish can to, just thinking out loud:D

[adam bomb]

i have marked and caught tons of fish in less than 10 fow with my vexilar, so i dont think thats spooking them. the noise your unit is making is from dust the brushes produce as they wear in my understanding. mine has a "hum" to it as well...as for the clicking, vexilar and all sonar transducers produce what is called a ping, which is the signal sent from and then back to the transducer. this is what provides the information to your display. if you've ever picked the transducer up and accidentally pointed it at you face, while its turned on, you'll hear a clicking noise, thats the signal.;)

the fish coming in and leaving quickly could have possibly been whitefish. i've watched them on the camera come into a jig/spoon...whatever, and if you move it, they often dart off, but usually come back to investigate. try laying the bait on the bottom motionless if this happens again with regularity. if their whitefish, they'll likely suck it up....good fight, great eatin':D

[Kid-in-the-Ranger]

I've been out 4 times on the bay this year with my new vexilar fl-8. Mostly using in 10 feet or less and have noticed that I have been getting fish to come in breifly and swim away quickly after. The real kicker is I seem to get bites on whatever hole the vexilar isn't in (tried switching the holes several times, didn't matter). I also notice the "sonar clicking" seems to be very loud, a person 15 feet away in a room can hear it. Anyone ever have problems like this? Should I leave it home in shallow waters less than 10 feet?

You better give that Vex to me. It's definitely bad!

[slayer]

Hey Kid good one :corkysm55 Hows the ice on east lk. anyone fishin it ?

[SmokinJoeD]

The amount of fish I have caught since buying a vex has almost doubled. I use it in water from 3 feet to 60 feet and it never scares the fish away...

One thing to remember with a vex... When fish come in view on the vex you HAVE to keep doing what you were doing that brought them in. Alot of people jig a certain way, see the fish come in and stop jigging...the fish were attracted to that jigging why stop it?

If that wasn't clean enough let me know and I will explain it better...

[adam bomb]

boy did you hit the nail on the head there.:coolgleam i know for years i fished without a vex,and caught fish. i didnt change my jigging technique then. although this will work most of the time, sometimes it takes a little more finesse. if they dont bite, after continueing the same presentation that got them there, then adjust your jigging style to trigger the strike.;) ...happy jiggin'...good fishin':D

[Kid-in-the-Ranger]

Hey Kid good one :corkysm55 Hows the ice on east lk. anyone fishin it ?


There are guys fishing...haven't been out there myself. I'd imagine they're doing well on pike.

[superfishingfreak]

hey i have the FL-18 and i haven't had many problems i've been catching plenty of fish with my vexilar....the noisse is loud but it doesn't seem to scare the fish away....maybe you switch your jigging technique when you see the fish to attract them but you really are scaring them away.... hope this helps and you get more fish!!!

[jb10]

If the fish were actually get scared away from the Vex in one hole by the noise, it would be scaring them away in both holes. It would be my guess too that the presentation is changing or it's just random luck you are getting them in the other hole. Same color spoons?

[luckibuck14]

I pretty much answered all my own questions on sunday and landed quite a few eyes.......guess this vexilar thing aint so bad after all.........

[9mmruger1]

My results indicate that the vex is a good thing! I have never had the vex scare the fish away. It's usually me that does that. Make sure that you don't have some type of contaminant on your hands.

I know that when I bought a batch of mousies that were kept in an "Unclean" skol container (wintergreen) that my bite dropped off enough that I threw them away. I now smell the bait before I buy it.

Just a thought.

[superfishingfreak]

yeah the vexilar is probably the best fish finder you can get...its very accurate but loud but that doesn't bother the fish one bit :D :D