I know next to nothing about ice fishing. Seems as though everyone has electronics to find the fish. What is a good unit for under $550?

Also, I know nothing about electronic fish finders.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Marcum or vexilar flashers.

Vexilar fl-8 is simple and effective. You truly don't need more than that. I got one used for 80 bucks 20 years ago and it's still putting biscuits in the basket.

There are a ton of youtube videos that can show you how to run it.

Any unit that has bottom zoom. The Vexilar FL18 is great and the battery life is superior.

Vexilar, Marcum, or Hummingbird Helix.

All are good units and all have their pros and cons. I opted for the Helix 5. I have both the ice ducer and standard transducer for open water making the unit a good year round tool. I've used it a lot from a canoe and its awesome to have.

If you don't need an open water unit then Marcum or Vexilar are both great options. If you fish with other people check what units they have. They don't all play well together and can cause interference issues. If I remember correctly if you try to use a vex near a marcum the marcum causes alot of interference that can make the vex hard to use. 2 vexilars near each other have no issues from my experience.

RunningFox: "I know next to nothing about ice fishing. Seems as though everyone has electronics to find the fish. What is a good unit for under $550?

Also, I know nothing about electronic fish finders.

Thanks in advance for your help."

FL8 put a lot of fish on ice for me. FL18 with bottom zoom was an upgrade, helpful but not crucial. However to go off on a tangent, another important consideration is your choice of ice auger. Ability to explore by punching a lot of holes will increase your catch. Upgrading to new Lithium battery driven (versus my current hand auger) would be my next upgrade, rather than the latest/greatest fish finder.

barehook: "

RunningFox: "I know next to nothing about ice fishing. Seems as though everyone has electronics to find the fish. What is a good unit for under $550?


Also, I know nothing about electronic fish finders.


Thanks in advance for your help."

FL8 put a lot of fish on ice for me. FL18 with bottom zoom was an upgrade, helpful but not crucial. However to go off on a tangent, another important consideration is your choice of ice auger. Ability to explore by punching a lot of holes will increase your catch. Upgrading to new Lithium battery driven (versus my current hand auger) would be my next upgrade, rather than the latest/greatest fish finder."

I think the 2 go hand in hand in a way. Mobility is important in ice fishing, you need to be able to pick an area apart to find the fish. Being able to drill holes efficiently is really helpful. However, once those holes are drilled you need an effective way of determining if there are fish down there and if so at what depth. If you just have the auger but not fish finder you'll need to set up and fish each hole for awhile to determine if there are fish there. If you do that you won't have the need to drill a ton of holes as you won't have the time to fish each hole to check for fish.

If I could only have one I'd pick the fish finder. I might be drilling holes slower but at least I'm able to check each hole quickly and move on right away if I don't find what I'm looking for. Its far better than having to fish unproductive holes for awhile to determine its unproductive.

If you already have a good quality brushless drill with a good battery or 2 you could opt for something like the Kdrill. I have one hooked up to my Milwaukee M18 Fuel drill. Over the weekend I think I drilled 30-40 holes on one battery. I bring 2 so through 10-12 inches of ice I could drill 60-80 holes in a day which is more than Id normally do. Once the ice is up to 18 inches my hole count for a day drops to 50 for 2 batteries.

I have a 30 year old Vexilar. Still works great.

Vexilar user here for many years. And don't be afraid of a used one if someone is upgrading. I have an FL-22 I got for $400 or so and it's great. Love it compared to my 18 since it has 10' as the full circle instead of 20' so I get way more detail.

But yes...an FL8 on up will work. Marcum VX1 or Humminbird Ice 35, 45, etc.

I am also a Vex user. I have the FL 18 that I got tossed into a bundle with a 2 man Frabill flip over at an estate sale for $100 in the Fall 2019. They didn't have a charger, but that was $20-30. Best package deal I ever got. I love the Vex. As others have said it is incredibly reliable and long lasting. With that said, I am looking at a Humminbird Helix for my next set up because it can be used year round if you get the different transducers. I want the mapping and gps features.

I also upgraded my auger this year to an Eskimo propane auger. I've only used it once, but I absolutely love it. Easier to start than gas, and I already have propane for my stove and heater. I like the electric, but they are still a couple hundred dollars more than the propane, and that's before you buy the backup battery. In the SW Chicago suburbs, ice isn't a guaranty each year, so I am having a hard time justifying dropping $$$ on expensive ice gear.

A lot of this really depends on what you are fishing for and the type of waters you fish. My general recommendation would be similar to barehook's. For my first flasher I would start out with the FL-8. It may not be fancy and have all the bells and whistles but you learn quickly how much it helps. I would also suggest using the money you save on a flasher to buy a quality auger. I went from a Strikemaster Lazer Mag to a Nils with a Milwaukee M18 fuel drill and my only regret was not doing it sooner.