# Need some insight



## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

I have used both and it is not even remotly close. Flasher for panfishing is 100% the way to go. Good luck with whatever you purchase but get a vex amd you will not be sorry amd will outfish the graphs most of the time if you are good. There is a reason 95% of all the tourny panish guys use a flasher and alllllll of the top ones use a flasher. If ya care to challenge that come out to the naifc or midwest open amd find out


----------



## Noodles77 (Apr 1, 2013)

Sparky23 said:


> I have used both and it is not even remotly close. Flasher for panfishing is 100% the way to go. Good luck with whatever you purchase but get a vex amd you will not be sorry amd will outfish the graphs most of the time if you are good. There is a reason 95% of all the tourny panish guys use a flasher and alllllll of the top ones use a flasher. If ya care to challenge that come out to the naifc or midwest open amd find out



I don’t at all dispute that flashers are as useful as graphs if not more in some scenarios. What I have with the MarCum is three in one. I have the graph, a vertical and graph in one unit. Add in the ability to put that same unit on a boat at the cost of a different transducer and I think I did pretty well. There’s days where if alone, and panfishing a local lake, I will take the fl8. The lines of resolution on my MarCum are very accurate and I believe are more accurate than the fl8. Just my .02 again. This can be a friendly debate but I’m not at all trying to cause an argument. If the old school guys fish the same lake/s year after year and know them like the back of their hand, sure, they will more than likely find and catch fish. I like to fish new water, scout it on maps and do some leg work. Having electronics is as valuable for that as the fishing pole itself. I have asked others on this forum for pointers to cut down on some of the learning curve with a new body of water. You will never hear me ask for exact locations because I respect the legwork that others have done to get their honey holes. It humors me every year, and I don’t at all get mad about it, is when you get on fish and slowly but surely guys start creeping in on you. There’s a mix of guys with and without electronics but it is funny when the guys without want to stand there and shoot the breeze just to watch the graph/flasher. I like to talk, as can be seen on here, so I never turn down conversation on the ice and usually give a tutorial on what they are watching. Hell, if fishing is good, I have handed my rod over so that someone I just met can experience the benefits of electronics themselves. It usually blows their mind but as I’ve stated before, to each their own. There’s room for all of us!


----------



## Lovin it (Dec 2, 2017)

Noodles77 said:


> I don’t at all dispute that flashers are as useful as graphs if not more in some scenarios. What I have with the MarCum is three in one. I have the graph, a vertical and graph in one unit. Add in the ability to put that same unit on a boat at the cost of a different transducer and I think I did pretty well. There’s days where if alone, and panfishing a local lake, I will take the fl8. The lines of resolution on my MarCum are very accurate and I believe are more accurate than the fl8. Just my .02 again. This can be a friendly debate but I’m not at all trying to cause an argument. If the old school guys fish the same lake/s year after year and know them like the back of their hand, sure, they will more than likely find and catch fish. I like to fish new water, scout it on maps and do some leg work. Having electronics is as valuable for that as the fishing pole itself. I have asked others on this forum for pointers to cut down on some of the learning curve with a new body of water. You will never hear me ask for exact locations because I respect the legwork that others have done to get their honey holes. It humors me every year, and I don’t at all get mad about it, is when you get on fish and slowly but surely guys start creeping in on you. There’s a mix of guys with and without electronics but it is funny when the guys without want to stand there and shoot the breeze just to watch the graph/flasher. I like to talk, as can be seen on here, so I never turn down conversation on the ice and usually give a tutorial on what they are watching. Hell, if fishing is good, I have handed my rod over so that someone I just met can experience the benefits of electronics themselves. It usually blows their mind but as I’ve stated before, to each their own. There’s room for all of us!


----------



## Big Shooter (Jun 24, 2001)

I'll add my 2 cents worth. We have had a place on sand point/Saginaw bay since the 50's. I grew up fishing with my grandfather for perch in front of our house on wildfowl bay. Been ice fishing for 50 plus years. I still dont use my vex for any shallow water fishing. How ever, i will not fish water over 10 feet without my vex. I had old school buds that took the challenge bluegill fishing deep water in several different lakes against the vex. Always out fished them 100% of the time. They all own a vex now too. Long and short of it... my time is valuable and i enjoy catching fish and not just fishing. Elec tronics will increase your catch rate for sure. I have not used graphs for ice fishing, so I can't comment on them. Flashers work great. I would always recommend buying one.


----------



## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

Is it possible to use vexilars effectively in water that ranges in depth from 6-12'


----------



## Big Shooter (Jun 24, 2001)

You eill always see your bait. Even the smallest of tear drop jigs show up. So you will know where the fish are in the water column. My opinion is in shallow water most fish relate to the bottom or weeds. Either or i can see and feel both and dont need the vex. Last year on first ice on an inland lake i fish every year the fish were suspended between 10 and 18 feet down over 32 foot of water. The crappies were on top of the scool and the gills were on the bottom of the school. I like gills better than crappie so I dropped the tungsten jig quickly through the school to get to the fish I wanted. Hard to do without electronics. Not impossible but it would take longer to figure out where in the water column the fish were and what species were there.


----------



## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

Mr Burgundy said:


> Is it possible to use vexilars effectively in water that ranges in depth from 6-12'


Yes it is. The Vex has a low depth filter accessory that helps quite a bit with this. It plugs in line with the transducer cable going into the back of of the unit. I've used my FL8 in under 6' depths with great success. The big advantage is an old guy with a bad back doesn't have to lean over the holes staring in them for hours at a time. You can sit the vex on a spare bucket and comfortably watch the flasher at near eye level until something comes into the cone, then lean forward and wack em.


----------



## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

6Speed said:


> Yes it is. The Vex has a low depth filter accessory that helps quite a bit with this. It plugs in line with the transducer cable going into the back of of the unit. I've used my FL8 in under 6' depths with great success. The big advantage is an old guy with a bad back doesn't have to lean over the holes staring in them for hours at a time. You can sit the vex on a spare bucket and comfortably watch the flasher at near eye level until something comes into the cone, then lean forward and wack em.


Cool tnks for the info


----------



## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

6Speed said:


> Yes it is. The Vex has a low depth filter accessory that helps quite a bit with this. It plugs in line with the transducer cable going into the back of of the unit. I've used my FL8 in under 6' depths with great success. The big advantage is an old guy with a bad back doesn't have to lean over the holes staring in them for hours at a time. You can sit the vex on a spare bucket and comfortably watch the flasher at near eye level until something comes into the cone, then lean forward and wack em.


The FL-18 and newer units have the low-depth mode built in, no need for the S-cable.


----------



## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

William H Bonney said:


> The FL-18 and newer units have the low-depth mode built in, no need for the S-cable.


Yep, couldn't remember the name of it but know this works. I really like my old Vex but I still insist the birds are better because of the GPS and mapping. As long as I have one of them with me, life is usually good if the fish wanna bite!


----------



## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

So I think I've made up my mind. Went with the fl18 genz and a soft pack for it.


----------



## Noodles77 (Apr 1, 2013)

And with that, you will not be disappointed!


----------



## nick 74 (Dec 4, 2008)

( picture isn't mine) It is fun to fish with both sometimes. Especially if a friend is borrowing it and they're use to one or the other.


----------



## Lovin it (Dec 2, 2017)

nick 74 said:


> View attachment 287876
> ( picture isn't mine) It is fun to fish with both sometimes. Especially if a friend is borrowing it and they're use to one or the other.


Best of both worlds there. I like that. Buuut my old fl8's gonna have to do.


----------



## nick 74 (Dec 4, 2008)

Lovin it said:


> Best of both worlds there. I like that. Buuut my old fl8's gonna have to do.


Absolutely! Ultimately both styles are extremely helpful.


----------



## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

Tnks to all that helped. Will have new unit tomorrow.


----------



## Grizzly Adams (Oct 6, 2003)

Would seem that a camera would be a better option than both?


----------

