Regular Sonar and transducer for Ice Fishing?

[PlayDoh]

So I'm going to give Ice fishing a shot this winter, and hoping to head out soon. I have 3 Sonar units, 2 on my boat and an older Lowrance just hanging around. I was planning on bringing it out with a small 12v AGM battery as is.
I was looking at a catalog the other day and seen a "Ice fishing Transducer", which I didn't really know existed. Water is Water, is what I though.

My question is will a 'summer' transducer work fine in cold water? I planned on rigging the transducer so it stays pointed down. I've never been able to 'find fish' with a sonar unit, despite having a $700 Huminbird on my boat and using various ones for almost a decade. Not that I spend a lot of time trying to see fish. I mainly use it for depth, structure, location (gps) and temp.

With that said I may only find the sonar useful to use once after drilling the hole and learning whats below. Which I'm fairly certain this unit will work for.

I am considering using my GoPro as a camera underwater also but that will take some work to get the wifi signal up to the surface. I seen some guy post on how he made his work with basically coaxial cable. Anyone else have advice or experience on cameras and usage? Since I'm new to the hard water I figured it might be pretty handy, since if I don't see any fish swim by after so long, I can figure its time to move. Or if I get bait/lure rejects also.

TIA

[cube]

Your regular ducer will work fine. You do want it hanging horizontal and just below the bottom of the hole for best results.

[simmered]

I use a "summer" fish finder and transducer as my ice fishing sonar. I find it works great. What I did was take an old arrow and cut the vanes off. I put the one end of the arrow at the transducer and ran the cable up the arrow shaft using zip ties to secure. as long as the transducer is sitting horizontal it works great. Turn the fish ID off on your fish finder so that you don't get the fish pictures or "arches" then turn your scroll speed up. you will have to experiment with wide or narrow beam to see where you get the best signal. I used this as my flasher of sorts all last year on Cold Lake and it worked great. if you have clear ice and no rotten ice, the transducer will shoot right through the ice as well enough to see the depth with out drilling holes first. found this out right at the end of the year and was surprised it worked through 3 feet of ice!!!

[Kokanee9]

Your regular ducer will work fine. You do want it hanging horizontal and just below the bottom of the hole for best results.

He is 100% correct.



No such thing as summer/winter transducers. Some may be labelled as such, but I would think it comes from the mounting setup that may be sold with them. Some have hardware included to make it easier to hang the transducer down an ice hole. There is no difference in the way these transducers operate compared to the one that you have.

Remember that water is water and the density doesn't change until it actually freezes.

[PlayDoh]

Thanks guys. Great to know it will give me some info through the ice, Simmered. That'll save me a bunch of drilling.

[badger]

To shoot through clear ice it helps to wet the surface where the transducer is in contact.

[huntsfurfish]

Your regular ducer will work fine. You do want it hanging horizontal and just below the bottom of the hole for best results.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[calgarygringo]

I have an ice one for my Eagle and they are the same for Lowrance as well. If you have a fishfinder that is capable of changing the screen to the flasher option you can use it real time much the same as a flasher. The transducer is different shaped and angles for ice fishing. Was only about 75 bucks so low investment and I can utilize my finder winter and summer. have a camera as well for the close up so most of the bases are covered.

[huntsfurfish]

I have an ice one for my Eagle and they are the same for Lowrance as well. If you have a fishfinder that is capable of changing the screen to the flasher option you can use it real time much the same as a flasher. The transducer is different shaped and angles for ice fishing. Was only about 75 bucks so low investment and I can utilize my finder winter and summer. have a camera as well for the close up so most of the bases are covered.

Hi calgarygringo!

Real time in graphs is no longer an issue and has'nt been for close to 10 years.:)

And even then you cant feel the strike on the sonar.:);)

But it does help sell flashers.:bad_boys_20:

[mayuan]

Hi calgarygringo!

Real time in graphs is no longer an issue and has'nt been for close to 10 years.:)

And even then you cant feel the strike on the sonar.:);)

But it does help sell flashers.:bad_boys_20:

Agreed, been using various fish finders over the years and flashers. The sonar chart from the regular fish finder is the best IMO, plus you can see the history. Currently using the HDS-5 on the ice.

The different transducers available for ice are just easier to use. I used the standard open water transducer and rigged it up to work, but not worth the BS for me. With the Ice transducer you just drop it in the hole.

[Brandonkop]

Yeah the summer fish finder will work well, but having used both I feel the flasher gives more information. Maybe you guys know how to program the summer one to do what you need. With the flasher I can tell if a fish is coming towards the hook or leaving, have a better idea of fish size, can differentiate between minnows and perch for example better. Can also see the fish hugging the bottom better as well on a flasher. But if you don't have one, the other will work for you. Also in -20 degrees celcius or below my LCD screen on the summer one used to freeze, which doesn't happen with my flasher.

[PlayDoh]

So I took my humminbird 778 off the boat and used it rather than my cheapo one. My 778 has a flasher view so I essentially have a flasher. I had actually forgotten about the flasher view, but it's nice for ice. I also got the "shooting through the ice" truck down. I bring a bucket with a bit of water in it and put the ducer on the ice, horizontal and level, and just pour a bit over it. Works like a charm.

[PlayDoh]

I guess drilling a hole with a manual auger is "cheaper" than a sonar, but I find not having to drill holes to find depth very useful. And I have a powered auger that punches holes in seconds.
I think even when I do get a camera, or I rig up my GoPro I'll still use the sonar. Most of the experts I've been reading and watching videos from suggest a flasher over a camera.
It's a hell of a lot quicker to just see if there are fish below, or not and move on, and I would think dropping a camera would spook the fish and you'd have to wait for some to return.
I hear what your saying though and I can see how a camera is helpful but I don't see myself not using the flasher anytime soon.

[jegermiester]

Windshield washer fluid in a Zip Lock freezer bag works well too!
No freezing issues, portable and re-usable :-)

[PlayDoh]

If you use a flasher you can always see your bait/lure and also helps you know exactly how deep it is, and see fish and roughly their size. I learn what type of fish it is when I pull it up with my reel. [emoji6]
But again I won't argue cameras are another helpful tool, just one I can live without for now. I've already spent a fortune on hard water gear. Definitely on the wish list though. What I'd like about the GoPro is I can use my phone to view, and don't need more gear to haul around, like screen and battery. Plus I already have one so it's essentially free for me. I seen some guy rig one up, online, for fishing. Just need to use wire for wifi antenna.

Nice tip with the washer fluid, I'll give that a shot, pun intended. I was thinking about making an "ice bucket" and throw water in it, lol. Your trick is much better though.

[Walleyedude]

In my opinion, a camera is a FAR distant second to a good flasher or sonar setup. If you can only afford one, go with the flasher/sonar. Cameras are nice and they can be entertaining, but a flasher or sonar is a much more effective fishing tool. I wouldn't want to go ice fishing without one.

[huntsfurfish]

OP has 3 fish finders already. You can use them, they work great! If you have money to spend then get a camera to go with them. Personally, I would not want to go without either.

I use the camera more during the day and sonar more towards low light. But I usually know or have(GPS coordinates of) the water I am fishing.

[PlayDoh]

So just to add a follow up, I put my regular transducer on a 3 foot or so length of broomstick and just hang it in the hole. My Humminbird 778c has a flasher mode and it works great, as hurtsfurfish said.
I was on the fence about just buying a ice flasher unit, but I'm glad I didn't. I also rigged my GoPro to use with Wifi underwater, but I'm after Walleye and I find by the time and places they start to bite is too dark for a camera to actually see hook ups, or even fish so far.
I've got about 5-6 hours of my lures in various light and a hundred or so shrimp with the occasional minnow swimming by, but that's it for now. Well I actually did get a hookup on film but its so dark you can't really see the fish.
Its still cool and educational to see the lures action below and the bottom, and its not difficult to use so I'll have lots of chances to catch the 'money shot' hook up, or even a fish lure inspection.
The water I'm in is surprisingly somewhat murky on bottom, despite the top 7 feet or so being quite clear. Mostly green fog (algae?) that drifts by. While not ideal for underwater cameras, its almost certainly ideal for Walleye.
I do worry about crossing the line, where I'm too busy starting at screens, to remember that I'm out fishing for the love of it, in its bare essentials, not the technical advantage. Yet I feel once I can learn the things both units can offer, and I'm confident about my locations I can start to leave them in the truck. Yet again, its not hard to set them up.
Thanks again for all the tips. A dollar saved is a dollar earned.

[-JR-]

For those that use their boat sonar ,I would recommend shutting off the Factory settings of fish ID. Not just for Ice Fishing but also for open water.

When Fish ID is OFF..... you will see the fish moving on the screen like a comet with a tail .


Your hook should show up as the same also.