This is definitely a topic that gets covered constantly by many different content creators. There are tons of resources on the topic. Yet every time I visit forums, Facebook groups and Reddit, there are clearly many people looking for answers. Ice fishing is rapidly gaining popularity and many people are eager to buy their first sonar device. After all electronics are what makes ice fishing really enjoyable.

It can be an overwhelming topic though. I struggled really hard when looking for my first unit. I definitely went through quite a few units myself before settling on what I have currently. Since I am a big electronics nerd, I decided to give this topic a shot.

In this post, we will discuss the different types of ice fishing electronics with their benefits and drawbacks. I have experience with all the commonly used types myself. Hopefully after reading this, you will become a slightly more informed buyer if you are looking to get into ice fishing.

Mechanical Flashers

Overview

This was my very first unit and I still own one of these today. I rarely use it but I can’t get rid of it for sentimental reasons. These mechanical devices essentially have a large dial that displays the bottom and any objects above the bottom. Aside from adjusting the sensitivity, cone angle and range, you’re basically set. You can drop your lure down and watch fish chase it. The information gained from a flasher really makes an angler go from zero to hero. It’s pretty intuitive and is excellent for beginner or hardcore anglers.

There are quite a few companies that make them. Some units have advanced features such as dual beams and zoom which are useful in some niche situations. Though there will not be huge variances between most units.

Pros

The intuitiveness is great for those who are just getting into ice fishing. They’re generally fully assembled so no complex wiring is required. Once on the ice, the optimal settings can be determined in a matter of minutes. I would definitely recommend a flasher for the technologically challenged.

They are also really portable which is excellent for hole hopping. They can be carried with one hand and often are fairly light. Many of them are also small enough that they can fit inside a 5 gallon bucket.

Flashers have very low energy requirements due their simplistic nature. This is beneficial on long trips where power sources may not be readily available. I still recommend topping off the batteries after every trip anyways.

Most importantly, the price is fairly low. You can get a basic unit like a Vexilar FL-8 for $300 USD which has enough features to handle most ice fishing situations.

Cons

Flashers while they are very simple, do not have a lot of other features. They are almost strictly for ice fishing. You can use them for open water but their effectiveness goes down a lot. All they do is read the water in real time and that’s pretty much it. Safe to say that they will most likely sit on a shelf during the summer days.

While flashers do give an angler a lot of information, it does pale in comparison compared to the other types of units that will be discussed later. You generally can only see fish within a 20° angle which does not translate to a huge window. Due to the cone shape of the transducer beam, you will end up with a tiny cone in shallow water. Sometimes lures like flutter spoons fly out of the cone when jigging. In deeper water, the size of the cone will be larger.

(Note: Sonar beams are not actually cones. They are more like a series of lobes that grow in size the deeper you go. However a cone is the simplified way to view how a sonar beam works.)

Even if you see fish, there is a lot of information that is not present. How far is the fish away from the lure? Is the fish even looking at the lure? Are those marks even fish? Weeds and algae can sometimes be problematic as the clutter can make it hard to keep track of the lure.

Recommendations

Overall, if you don’t fish off a boat much and want to start ice fishing, a flasher is an easy way to start and will get you far in fishing. After all even many seasoned ice veterans still use flashers and they pull in tons of fish.

If you have a bigger budget and are looking for more features, the next type of units may potentially suit your needs better.

Graph Units with 2D Sonar

Note: Certain graph units can be outfitted with live sonar transducers in addition to 2D transducers. That will be discussed separately in another section due to how different they are in function and pricing.

Overview

These days many graph units can be outfitted for ice fishing purposes. By taking a 2D ice transducer and an ice shuttle, you can turn an open water unit into an ice unit. Plus you gain the features that graphs have, especially navigation.

Note that there are wide range of units that fit this category with a variety of features. You can get a Lowrance Hook2-4x for instance which is a cheap but small and low feature unit. Then there’s the Lowrance Elite FS which is a fairly high end unit for ice fishing. The 2D graph feature though will function mostly the same.

Typically the interface used is the 2D scrolling screen that is used in open water. Essentially looking at the right side of the screen will tell you what is happening is real time while the rest is historic. I highly recommend turning on the amplitude scope if you can for a good real time signal. You can also use flasher mode to emulate a flasher interface but I see that as not using the unit to its full potential.

Pros

If you have a boat, the unit may have year round use depending on the model. As a result you gain far more value out of the unit than a flasher. All you need to do is simply change transducers and the power source and you’re all set.

Most graphs have GPS capabilities which is a pretty useful tool. Perhaps you have waypoints from the summer that you can take advantage of. Digital maps are deadly as you can walk or drive directly onto structure. It can be a navigation device as well as it can record tracks which might save you on large bodies of water or when there is a blizzard. Having another GPS device aside from your phone can be really helpful at times.

When jigging on your graph, history is pretty useful to have. You can see how the fish interacted with your bait and make changes accordingly. Some units allow you to scroll backwards so that you can properly examine an attempt at coaxing a fish. Sometimes we get distracted and the history might capture a fish moving through the cone for a brief moment. That blip in the history may allow you to make decisions that a flasher cannot provide.

Cons

The price of units will vary but typically a graph unit will be more expensive than a flasher. If you are taking a unit from the boat, you may have to invest in an ice transducer, power cable and mounting system. Though the fact that you do get more features and potential year round use may justify the cost.

Battery consumption is much higher with graphs than flashers. A large screen with high brightness (necessary when fishing outside) plus the cold will have high power requirements. Often this necessitates a lithium ion phosphate battery. These batteries last longer and are much lighter but are costly.

Recommendations

Overall if you have a boat but not a huge budget, I would go with the 2D sonar option. Or perhaps you are a hardcore ice angler and like the features a graph provides.

If you have an advanced unit but are waiting to get a live sonar transducer, you may consider just using a 2D transducer temporarily. Then sell the transducer once you acquire the live sonar setup.

Live Sonar Setups

Overview

Live sonar has been the latest growing trend in the ice fishing community. I used Active Target a year ago and I would not go back to 2D for ice fishing ever again. Though I do keep a flasher as a backup just in case. Essentially image on your graph is showing a very large range of water with objects moving around in real time, almost like a camera.

Generally for ice fishing purposes the transducer can be adjusted so that you can either scan forward or downwards, both are very useful. Forward scanning is great for looking for structure or fish from great distances. Downward scanning is generally preferred once you have settled down so you can see a wide range on both sides of your lure.

Pros

The range advantage absolutely destroys 2D by a huge margin. Simply put, a 135° beam is a lot bigger than 20°. This is pretty crucial as mobility is very limited in the winter compared to a boat. Drilling many holes is very taxing on your body and takes a lot of time. While a live sonar transducer requires fewer holes as it can scan a much larger area. On uncharted lakes, this is your best bet at determining what structure looks like. Some fish like crappies roam open water and do not relate to structure at all. You can play whack-a-mole with 2D with tons of holes or you can scan around with fewer holes.

Coaxing fish becomes a totally different ball game. Due to the range advantage, you can prepare for suspended fish coming in a lot sooner than you would with a flasher or standard 2D graph. You gain so much more information seeing how the fish interacts with your bait. I learned that fish that may be level with your bait may not even be looking at your bait at all. I’ve also been able to identify the species of fish at times, especially northern pike with their distinct fin pattern.

One thing I really like about live sonar is that you can share it with another person. I often fish side by side with someone else and if they’re a non-angler, you don’t have to provide another unit. In fact you could fish with three people if you wanted to.

Live sonar also has year round use and for the price, you should take advantage of it in open water. It is pretty useful during the soft water season as well if you own a boat. You can use the graph’s other features like mapping and navigation as well.

Cons

The price of purchasing and setting up a unit with a live sonar transducer is insane. The compatible units are relatively high end as they must be ethernet compatible. Then there’s the transducer. For ice fishing, you’ll need batteries, shuttle, pole and a bag. All these are pretty significant costs. My total setup was well over $3000 USD.

Power requirements are a lot more demanding. The transducer and module has an output equal or greater than the unit itself. I have two 18aH lithium batteries and that only gives me close to ten hours of constant runtime. Be sure that if you’re going on a long trip, have more batteries or a way to recharge them. The large batteries will necessitate a large shuttle as well.

The setup will be difficult to carry around. Even with the setup being as compact as possible, it is bulky. Make sure that your winter transport has a place where it’s safe from the bouncing. Mine can just barely ride in the tunnel bag of my snowmobile. Absolutely never put it (or any electronics) in the toboggan. Plus when carrying around from hole to hole, it’s pretty heavy as well which is why I hate hole hopping.

Recommendations

If you’re an ultra hardcore angler with a large budget and fishes year round in a boat, go with live sonar. It does outclass 2D graphs by quite a bit but at a much higher price. This is what I use and I will never go back.

It’s important to understand that the law of diminishing returns applies when purchasing electronics. Live sonar is definitely in the range where each incremental dollar invested is only a small benefit. A live sonar setup may be five times more expensive than a flasher but I wouldn’t say it’s five times better at catching fish. Just something to keep in mind.

Other Electronics

These are other electronic units used in ice fishing that are less common. I don’t have a lot of personal experience with these but I’ll just go over my thoughts and why they are not as widely used as the other electronics previously discussed.

Mobile-Based Finders

Some units are simply a transducer that send signals to a mobile device, like the ones made by Deeper. These setups involve a floating transducer that displays an interface similar to a flasher or 2D graph on your mobile device. They are relatively cheap and are extremely portable so there are anglers who may find these attractive. They also have year round use as they can be casted to provide shore anglers depth of the water off the bank.

They are not common among most ice anglers however. In very cold climates, the ice is extremely thick and the transducer cannot get deep enough. Using your mobile device outside in the cold is also battery consuming and it’s honestly sketchy to have your phone near an ice hole.

I can see these being attractive in climates where the ice season is limited. Up in Canada or northern states though, I would advise against them.

Underwater Cameras

These actually have a lot of use and I’ve used them before (I don’t own one). Surprisingly they are not extremely expensive and do have situations where they really shine. There is nothing that can provide as much detail as a camera. Seeing fish interact with baits is pretty neat and can teach you a lot about their behavior.

I would still prioritize funds towards sonar before a camera. A camera only works well where the visibility is good, which is not very often depending on where you fish. They are not useful when fishing low light periods. Plus they can only see a small section of the water column whereas sonar units can see the whole column.

I’d say if you have a sonar unit already, you can complement it with a camera at times. Just be mindful that a camera is overall less versatile, even though it’s a neat tool.

Final Words

The fishing electronics scene is pretty complex. We only scratched the surface here, the next level of research involves comparing different units across different brands. Every brand has different tiers of units as well that mostly function the same but have some distinct features and performance. Even I learn new things about my own electronics every once in a while. I certainly do not use my electronics to their full potential.

That being said, really take your time to research any unit you purchase and consider all factors. Social media is not necessarily the best as many people have different needs and honestly some people can only offer input on what they own. Even retail staff are not completely knowledgeable on all units. Promotional staff will be biased towards the brands they represent. To be fair, it’s hard to have first hand experience with everything. Read product specifications and watch YouTube videos. If you’re going to drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars, be wise with your investment.