Fishing is not about sitting by the water, dropping the line, and waiting for fish to come.
It'd take you ages and send you home with no outcomes.
With the best flasher for ice fishing, you'll be able to see what's under the water.
That gives you better odds at catching fish, even enables your chance of winning huge fish.
Yet, having the sonar device on your fishing excursion ensures more joy.
I know you are here because you want an ice flasher badly.
And that is why you should not skip my reviews. Read, browse, and buy. None of them will fail you.
Here are the best flashers for ice fishing (May 2024 Update):
- Best For Deep Water: Humminbird ICE-35 Three Color Flasher
- Best For Beginners: Vexilar FL-8se Genz Pack with 19 Degree Ice Flasher - GP0819
- Best For Perch And Walleye, Great For Shallow Water: Vexilar's GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer Combo
- Best For Avid Ice Anglers: Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar System/Fishfinder - LX-7
| 4 Best Flashers For Ice Fishing | ||
|---|---|---|
Best For Deep Water | Humminbird ICE-35 Three Color Flasher | |
Best For Beginners | Vexilar FL-8se Genz Pack with 19 Degree Ice Flasher - GP0819 | |
Best For Perch And Walleye, Great For Shallow Water | Vexilar's GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer Combo | |
Best For Avid Ice Anglers | Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar System/Fishfinder - LX-7 | |
Best For Deep Water: Humminbird ICE-35 Three Color Flasher
- Magnify objects in deep water
- Big screen
- Work independently
- Excellent sensitivity
- The transducer cable requires a second support cable
- Don't pick up small jig well
The first thing I want to talk about is the multiple features of this unit you can use in deep water. Notably, it is the dual-beam transducer that scans a larger area. This allows you to identify fish in a generous coverage space.
With the 2X Dynamic Zoom, this device magnifies what it detects, even in deep water. It's got a nice big screen. So, when you stand up, just tip the device up and look without having to sit down.
What I use the most is the 19-degree, which shows more of what's around. You can use the button to zoom in the bottom to see where your lure goes and approach the fish. The unit functions quite well at -20 degrees.
If you're fishing next to somebody and that kind of interferes with your flasher, that doesn't happen with this device. When I was fishing next to a veksler with a different base, I didn't encounter any issue reading what was in the bottom, where the fish and my lures were.
| Humminbird ICE-35 Three Color Flasher Specifications | |
|---|---|
Frequency | Selectable Dual Frequency |
Target Separation | N/A |
Display | 526 Segment 3-Color Fiber Optic LCD Center |
Depth Range | 200 feet |
Highlight Features | Three-color, fiber optic display. Dual Frequency Sonar gives options to fine-tune your sonar coverage. 2X Dynamic Zoom |
This flasher did help me catch a lot of deep-water fish and delivered no problem during the use.
Best For Beginners: Vexilar FL-8se Genz Pack with 19 Degree Ice Flasher - GP0819
- Easy to use
- Sensitive
- Long-lasting battery
- Accurate
- Produce noise when operates
- Hard to read in snowy conditions
Most ice fishermen talk about this underwater electronic for ice fishing because it's an easy-to-break-in unit popular among beginners.
That said, this flasher works perfectly as an introductory unit, which helps you find the bottom of the lake following your jig down. It features a popular 3-color sonar flasher which targets in green, red, and orange.
When you see a solid red bar moving up and down about your jig, that's a fish. Now, it's your turn to entice the fish into a bite.
Better yet, the device offers up to six depth ranges: 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, and 120 feet. What I reckoned is at the maximum depth, the device is pretty sensitive. I could see it detected the smallest jig I dropped and showed fish rising and falling to my bait.
This Vexilar also shows you if there are sticks or debris so that you don't get tangled up.
More than that, this machine lasts more than 24 hours per full charge that allows a full trip with no interruption. There is a battery life indicator that lets you know when to charge.
| Vexilar FL-8se Genz Pack with 19 Degree Ice Flasher - GP0819 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Frequency | N/A |
Target Separation | 1 inch |
Display | 525 segments of resolution, super bright LEDs |
Depth Range | 120 feet |
Highlight Features | Built-in Ice-Ducer transducer. Six depth ranges. 12-volt 7-amp hour battery. Interference Rejection technology |
This Vexilar is no disappointment for starters. It provides an easy and super accurate read, bringing lots of joy to ice fishing.
Best For Perch And Walleye, Great For Shallow Water: Vexilar's GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer Combo
- Versatile
- Power-saving mode
- Compact design
- Tough and durable
- I have found nothing
This unit is designed first and foremost to be tough and durable. It fits on top of a 5-gallon bucket so that you don't have to bend over to adjust. Most importantly, I love to bring this Velixar FL18 to shallow water fishing.
Now, FIY, the FL18 is a real classic in the Vexilar lineup because it was the very first sonar system. It features the auto-zoom that allows you to see information in high resolution on the bottom 40 or 60 feet of the water column.
Isn't it great enough for perch and walleye catching?
Under ½ inch target ID, it is amazing how clear and sharp the image will be in the auto-zoom feature.
Besides, the 10-step of interference rejection has a low-power mode for shallow water use. In many cases, a Vexilar system is so powerful that it supports fishing is 10 feet of water, less, or in heavy vegetation.
There's too much power emitted by the transducer. But the FL18 with the LP setting cuts the output power by 50%. That allows you to fish in super shallow water and still get a crisp and strong signal.
| Vexilar's GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer Combo Specifications | |
|---|---|
Frequency | 200 kHz |
Target Separation | ½ inch |
Display | 525 bits |
Depth Range | 20', 40', 60', 80', and 200’ |
Highlight Features | 12 degree Ice-Ducer transducer. Auto Zoom. Built-in 10 step interference rejection technology. Low-power mode |
Perch and walleye guys really go crazy for this model, and it continues to be the workhorse of the Vexilar product line.
Best For Avid Ice Anglers: Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar System/Fishfinder - LX-7
- Strong signal
- Large LCD display
- The easy-to-use push-button system
- Bright color palettes
- Tricky to use in shallow water
- Crummy battery
I've been with this unit for 3 years, and I have to really love it. Any avid anglers will love this unit as I do.
For years, mechanical flashers have dotted the landscape. But now it comes in a digital format. It allows you to contort the screen to any way you want.
What I use mostly on this unit is the zoom feature. At 10 feet of the water column, you can zoom in with a push of a button. It can bring your depth into an auto-scale. Or, when you go into a dynamic, you can manually lock the depth down.
With the range, you have a full view of the water column. And with the four-color palettes, going to your sensitivity, you can tell if there is one or more fish around the lure. That is target separation at its finest. In other words, it defines three or four small fish tight together in a group.
Since no fishing situation is the same, all of the units in this digital series come with dual-beam. When I'm on a pounding hole at 30 feet of water looking for perch, I want a 20-degree beam to see those fish from as far away as possible.
| Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar System/Fishfinder - LX-7 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Frequency | N/A |
Target Separation | ½ Inch |
Display | 8″ Flat Panel Color LCD 4 Color Palette Options |
Depth Range | 300′ Dynamic Depth Capability |
Highlight Features | Automatic Bottom Lock Selectable Zoom Windows Infinite Scale from 10′ and Deeper in 1′ Increments Target Adjust Image Magnifier |
This Marcum LX-7 is a dream of many anglers who have been on the ice for long.
How To Choose The Best Flasher For Ice Fishing?
An ice fish flasher is no wonder an indispensable device if you want to make sure you're going home with a win. But the big question is how to know which flasher is right for you?
Obviously, there are several factors to consider, I'll show you the most important ones.
Lightweight
Count the gear you're carrying to the lake. It's likely to be a burden, so you don't want your flasher to be too bulky.
Don't worry if a lightweight unit doesn't have the features you want. There are lots of ice fishing flashers that bring all the advantages while not weighing you down.
It's also better for the unit to come with a bag to protect the unit better in harsh and wet conditions.
Display
It is a big concern when it comes to the screen solution in such cold weather. You need the display to be clear and crispy. That means the screen should be rich in pixel so that you can look at it with no bother from the sun glare.
More than that, there are chances you'll be using the flasher in a dark environment. Meaning, you need a flasher with a backlit screen.
Transducer and Frequency
A high-quality transducer is always a reasonable investment as it works more efficiently in the coldest weather.
Along with that, you need the flasher to have a high frequency. The higher the frequency, the better result you're going to receive. If you have the money, spend for a dual-frequency flasher to get more precise readings.
Cone size
The cone size refers to the distance that the sonar beam can reach. It determines the area and water depth the transducer can scan.
A narrow cone size allows you to see deeper in the water. Whereas, the more full beam, means larger cone size, lets you know things on the broader area. However, it won't offer many details.
Durability
You know how harsh the cold is. So, you don't want your flasher to suffer the weather. Choose the design that withstands minus temperature. And if you fish in extreme conditions, think about getting an ice-ducer flasher.
Battery Life
It's such a disaster having your flasher running out of juice when you're in the highest mood. You should have a device that provides uncompromised performance along with your fishing time.
Which Brands Make The Best Flasher For Ice Fishing?
Vexilar
First started producing range-finders for golfers, Vexilar set their base in making tracking devices in the coming days. In the late 1960s, Vexilar introduced many electronics to the fishing market, including the first fishing flasher that provided an audible alarm. Today, Vexilar is a popular name for flashers preferred by a large population of fishermen worldwide.
Humminbird
Featuring 45 years in producing products for fish finding, Humminbird is a brand any fisherman knows and admires. They started with sonar and depth finders, which later grew into top-in-line products that make the most of your time on the water.
FAQs
What is an ice fishing flasher?
An ice fishing flasher uses sonar to detect and display objects in the water onto the screen. By looking at the display, anglers are able to tell how fish act around their lures.
Basically, using a fishing flasher is quite simple. It's all about adjusting the modes and reading what the device receives.
What are the pros and cons of using an ice fishing flasher?
Using an ice flasher does give you lots of advantages. It helps you catch more fish. But are the secrets that allow a flash to aid you so? And what makes a flasher worth your money (or not). Let's find down.
Pros
- Help anglers locate fish instantly
- Display the depth where the lures are at
- Let you view fish activity in relation to their lure
- Save you time
Cons
- Relatively tricky to read for beginners
- Can be pricey
- Readings may not be accurate
How to use a flasher?
The first thing you need to do is drill a hole on the ice surface where you want to set off. Then, follow these steps:
S1: Drop the transducer
Do this when you power on the unit. You may not get a clear signal if the transducer doesn't sit below the ice's bottom edge.
S2: Set the depth range
You should know how deep you want to fish first then set the range of the bottom, bottom depth at the next deepest range.
I.e: set the bottom at 30 feet if the actual depth is 27.
S4: Adjust the sensitivity
The sensitivity is indicated as Gain on the unit. The higher the Gain, the bigger the mark of your lure and the fish's mark are.
S5: Zoom in for the better resolution
You can use this feature to zoom in the water column to get the best resolution and sensitivity.
However, this feature works differently on each model, so I recommend reading the user guide before using it.
S6: Time to jig
Now, when you drop the lure, you'll be able to see signals on the screen. If you receive a flickering line, turn up the Gain.
How to read a flasher?
Basically, when you look at the round screen, it shows the water column in a circular form. On the inside, there are a bunch of numbers that indicate the depth.
The lights flashing at the bottom are movements stressed in colors: green, red, and yellow. Red means a hard signal; yellow is in between, and green means weak.
When you drop your lure down, you can see a line moving according to depth. If you see another line approaching the lure, that means a fish is coming. When the two lines meet, usually you'll feel like a strike, set the hook and bring that fish in.
Ice fishing fish finder vs. flasher?
The table below will show the differences between a fish finder and a flasher.
Fish finder | Fish flasher | |
Display | LCD with RTS window and history | Simplified dial with multicolored LED lights |
GPS and mapping | Built-in | External |
Depth capability | CHIRP (+200 feet) | Zoom range |
Multi-season | Yes | No |
Battery life | 4-12 hours | 16+ hours |
Conclusion
It's long gone the days waiting for jerks to know whether there are fish beneath the ice. The best flasher for ice fishing lets you know if you need to set your base and spend the time.
More importantly, you even save more time sorting the market with my picks and guide. I really hope you enjoy this review article.
Thanks for reading.
And happy fishing.
