Any suggestion on the handheld depth sounder/finder?

[IamI]

looking for a handheld depth sounder/finder on the ice, can shoot through ice and give out the thickness of ice and water depth.

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by IamI

looking for a handheld depth sounder/finder on the ice, can shoot through ice and give out the thickness of ice and water depth.

I've got the Blackhawk (I think that's what it's called). It works if there's no snow on the ice, nor any significant bubbles in the ice. I use an auger and drill down 2" into the clear ice and then transmit the signal. It's handy compared to drilling and dropping a strong down. Sometime you need to fill the hole with a little water for proper transmission. And for flood ice you will have to drill down the the clear ice before you take your reading. Large learning curve but it's generally worth it! Got mine at the fishin hole for $120. It won't tell you the thickness of ice though

[IamI]

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

I've got the Blackhawk (I think that's what it's called). It works if there's no snow on the ice, nor any significant bubbles in the ice. I use an auger and drill down 2" into the clear ice and then transmit the signal. It's handy compared to drilling and dropping a strong down. Sometime you need to fill the hole with a little water for proper transmission. And for flood ice you will have to drill down the the clear ice before you take your reading. Large learning curve but it's generally worth it! Got mine at the fishin hole for $120. It won't tell you the thickness of ice though

thank you very much for your experience.

I guess yours is hawkeye as:

http://www.thefishinhole.com/index.c...ONAR/&se=25885

[FlyTheory]

That's the one! Feel free to message me with any questions or troubleshooting it's a useful tool to have, and on early ice it's magic. I'd reccomend you purchase one!

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

That's the one! Feel free to message me with any questions or troubleshooting it's a useful tool to have, and on early ice it's magic. I'd reccomend you purchase one!

That is interesting. I take it you have to have it pressed against the ice or just under water? Also do you find the accuracy depends on how you hold it(if at an angle etc)?

Almost any flasher/fish finder can shoot through ice and give you a reading but I have found it to be unreliable especially once the ice gets thicker or if there is any layer of bad ice. We used to try and shoot through the ice but realized we were wasting more time trying to do so then just drilling a hole and checking. I guess if you only have a hand auger it would be worth doing though.

[stubblejumper01]

I also have the Hawkeye. I use it to shoot through old frozen over holes to check depth. It even sometimes shows fish on screen too. I primarily use it for depth though. Makes it quick to find the depth I want at Canyon Creek and the Narrows on Slave. Just pour a little water and you're good to go