# Through the ice sonar?



## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

I have been looking for a way to find water depth without drilling a hole.
dont need a fish finder, just water depth. Seen alot of things out there and read here. But just need depth... Lots of mixed reviews. Any help from you guys would be great!


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## Kelly Johnson (May 22, 2005)

A lot depends on the ice.
If it's sloppy and full of air you won't find anything that'll read through it.

If it's relatively clear most will. A little water on the ice and drop the transducer to any flasher/finder and it'll read the bottom.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Like KJ said , if it's got a lot of air in it , most won't unless you have a machine putting out 3000-4000 watts.

Best bet is to get a pop bottle around 1 liter and boil up some water adding as much salt as you can get to dissolve into it.
Then (if you have a flat faced XDCR works best) you pour a little bit of salt water on the ice , put the XDCR in it and with a little luck , you can sound right thru the ice. I have marked fish with a 3000 watt unit before , but most "ice machines" don't put out that much , still you can usually get the depth and that's definitely a good starting point.


RAS


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

The more i look into this, thats what i hear. maybe i should just get a smaller auger, it gets tireing drilling 8" holes everywhere!


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

http://www.glensoutdoors.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=LXiD&/?Click=6123&site=google_base

Check this out. looks pretty cool. about the price of a small fishfinder but more compact.


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

You can get a small compact fish-finder for that price and it will read through the ice. You also get the added benefit of being able to use it to see your lure and how the fish react to it, you can't do that with a hand held unit. Believe me, once you have something to show depth, the next thing you'll want is to see what's happening below.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

northlyon said:


> http://www.glensoutdoors.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=LXiD&/?Click=6123&site=google_base
> 
> Check this out. looks pretty cool. about the price of a small fishfinder but more compact.


_*AND no where near as flexible.*_
:evilsmile
Ian's 100% spot on.


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

I was looking at the power/watts. this thing has 2500 and a small finder like the cuda only has 800(?). but i am sure you are right, always want something more once you get what you think you want!! :lol:
The main reason i am looking into this, there is a pond/ gravel pit that there is no depth chart. I hear anywhere from 30' -300' max.... But i cant seem to find any major drops. Finding fish is not a problem, just finding the crappie is!


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Units that put out only 400W will easily show the bottom and fish in 200 FOW. Don't get caught up in thinking that the highest wattage it the better unit. Higher power does have its advantages but its just a part of a combination of factors that determine the effectiveness of a sonar unit.

If you're targeting crappies you will wonder how you ever fished for them without fish finder, especially when they are in a neutral mood and suspended.

As far as the gravel pit being 300 deep, I wouldn't be on it. Think about how hard it would be to mine gravel 300' down in a hole that's filling with water. A lot of the time gravel pits end up with a U shaped bottom...steep sides and flat bottom.


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

I really dont think its 300', i know what you mean about the u shape i have been to many pits still open. from the ice fishers i havent herd of it being over 40', but i never see anyone in the middle. some guys that fished it for yrs told me where they hit (crappie) around 5 o clock, but the park closes at 530! seems they are held up then come in to feed. But now that i think of it, for being a small area of water it never got more than 8-9" of ice. could get pretty deep? As far as electronics goes, this is my first venture into it and was thinking of the power to read thru the ice. I am a shore fishermen and never really thought of buying any. You guys are being very helpful! thank you


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Too bad the park closes so early, I bet you could do really well on crappies after sunset.

If its like a lot of gravel pits its probably spring fed and that's why the ice never gets as thick as other bodies of water in the same area.

The link below has a few different videos that I made a couple years ago showing how to set up and use a fish-finder while ice fishing. Don't worry if the model isn't the same as one your looking at, the techniques used apply to nearly all sonar units. It should give you a better idea of what you can do with one in addition to knowing the depth.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=315365


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

Thats pretty cool! nothing like i thought. Might be this years investment....


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## Ausable Junkie (Oct 2, 2002)

Ditto on using the fishfinder through the ice. When the time comes, I remove my Humminbird 565 and transducer from the boat and it gets packed along with my other ice fishing gear. I power it with a small 12v battery, like the ones motorcycles and lanwnmowers use. It keeps the weight I have to carry to a minimum.

It defenitely gives you an advantage targeting fish that are suspendened. Watching the screen helps pass the time in between bites. We call it "Fish t.v.".


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

I just walk around with my FL-18 and a hot cup of coffee,, pour a little coffee on the ice and shoot!!!

I've NEVER had my FL-18, "not" give up the bottom,,, on any kind of ice.


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## Dasher (Jan 12, 2004)

You can also try putting environmental safe RV antifreez in a zip lock bag and put the transducer in the middle (like putting your head on a pillow). This works yet only on clear ice. Reading through the ice works good in the early season when it is clear. Later on when it gets honey comb'd and filled with air pockets it gets tough to read through the ice. Good luck and get a portable unit that reads depth as well as fish.


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

The smaller finders (cheaper! lol) show fish with "fish" pics, not graph lines/marks like in your videos. will this show jig on screen? trying to keep this in budget, but if its not going work good I will wait.


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## Kelly Johnson (May 22, 2005)

I have nearly the same unit.

You can set them to show fish pics if you want


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

northlyon said:


> The smaller finders (cheaper! lol) show fish with "fish" pics, not graph lines/marks like in your videos. will this show jig on screen? trying to keep this in budget, but if its not going work good I will wait.


You turn off the 'fish id' or what ever the particular sonar unit calls it. You will see fish and your jig without a problem.

I can't ever recall a time when I couldn't find the bottom through the ice no matter what the conditions were and long as the transducer was making good contact. You may have to crank up the sensitivity more than what you had it set at when it was shooting down through the hole. I never did anything special to the water I was using, it comes right out of the lake or minnow bucket.


What ever you do don't use the garden tractor style or motor cycle style of batteries that have acid in liquid form inside them. They WILL leak sooner or later and destroy your gear. Buy a sealed gell cell battery.


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## Bagman (Apr 1, 2006)

Not sure what your looking to spend, but I just put a Marcum VX1 in the classifieds. There is also a Vexilar fl8 someone else posted.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

If you can afford COLOR , get it... hands down a better way to see fish.

Here's a few pre-fab units that might be in your price range.

Color -2400watts
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...lashers/_/N-1100508/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104510880


Color 2400W & GPS
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...lashers/_/N-1100508/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104510880

Color 800 watts
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...lashers/_/N-1100508/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104510880


B&W 800 watts
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...lashers/_/N-1100508/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104510880

B&W 800 watts & GPS
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...lashers/_/N-1100508/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104510880

These range from $129 tp $449.
:evilsmile

Oh. if you want a spare batetry ot want to set up your own "portable pack"

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...t=12+volt+battery&x=0&y=0&Ntt=12+volt+battery




I like Humminbird the best........it's assembled in the USA 
B'that's jus' me.....
:fish2:


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

sfw1960 said:


> I like Humminbird the best........it's assembled in the USA
> B'that's jus' me.....
> :fish2:


 I couldnt tell! Thanks for the ideas. Now can anyone tell me where to sign up to work the 9th day of the week? The 8th day is paying for the new born


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

northlyon said:


> .............. The 8th day is paying for the new born


So now you know what your Dad was talkin' about when he told you :"Think before ya pull the gun outta the holster"....
:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

sfw1960 said:


> So now you know what your Dad was talkin' about when he told you :"Think before ya pull the gun outta the holster"....
> :lol: :lol: :lol:


 
Thats a good one!:lol: Maybe thats what i need to buy, a holster!


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

Ok, I picked up a eagle fisheasy 245ds portable new for $60! now just need some ice  .... or test it out in my neighbors fish tank:lol:


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## zeeke33 (Feb 7, 2009)

How thick's the ice on your neighbor's tank?


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

nice!  i should have worded that differently...i ment to just try it out, turn it on see some fish.


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