Buyer’s Guide & Information

Best Ice Fishing Fish Finders Reviewed

We have reviewed, rated, and compared the best fish finders for ice fishing. These models are sure to locate all the unseen fish below the surface.

by Andrew

Buyer’s Guide & Information

Best Ice Fishing Fish Finders Reviewed

We have reviewed, rated, and compared the best fish finders for ice fishing. These models are sure to locate all the unseen fish below the surface.

by Andrew

by Andrew

From the augur to the ice scoop, the fish finder is one of a handful of indispensable tools that anglers who go ice fishing simply cannot do without. It'll be cold, and drilling holes will lose its novelty eventually, so a fish finder that lets you find those dormant fish will save tons of wasted time and energy.

Preview

Product

Screen Size

Depth Range

Check Price

Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar...

Marcum LX-7

8 inches

Up to 300 feet

Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar Castable and Portable...

Deeper PRO+

Smart Sonar

Varies with cell phone

2 feet (0.5 meters) - 260 feet (80 meters)

Humminbird ICE-55 Six Color Flasher with LCD

Humminbird ICE-55

526-Seg 6-color fiberoptic LCD center

Up to 200 feet (61 meters)

Venterior VT-FF001 Portable Fish Finder...

Venterior VT-FF001

2-3” (4 inches diagonal)

3-328 feet (0.9-100 meters)

Vexilar FLX-28 Ice ProPack II Locator with...

Vexilar FLX-28

Ice ProPack II

Approx. 4” 525-line flasher display

300’ maximum range

Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit

Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit

3.5-inch, 5-inch, or 7-inch

1,600’ freshwater, 750’ saltwater

Vexilar GP1812 FL18 Genz Pack 12Deg Ice-Ducer...

Vexilar's GP1812

FL18

525-line flasher display

Up to 160’ with 12° ducer

Lowrance HOOK2 5 - 5-inch Fish Finder with...

Lowrance HOOK2

5, 7, 9, or 12 inches

500’ for CHIRP, 300’ for side- and down-scan

HawkEye Fishtrax 1C Fish Finder with HD Color...

HawkEye Fishtrax

1C

2” x 3.5”

1.5’ - 240’ (0.5 - 75 meters)


How Ice Fishing Fish Finders Work & Their Benefits

Fish finders don’t just find fish. They also show structural shape, depth changes, bottom content, and cover, depending on how sophisticated they are. Fish finders show all this through the use of sonar, or sound waves that are transmitted from a sensor called a transducer ricochet off the bottom and return to the sensor to be interpreted. Anything that interrupts the sonar will be translated into either fish, cover, or a unique feature of the bottom of the body of water.

There are many different models available that offer more strength, more detail, or more portability. Price also varies across the market. The specific conditions of a fishing trip or an angler’s habits will ultimately decide which fish finder will be the best choice. Determining which factors matter most will help make sure you can concentrate on - and be more successful at - reeling fish in from under the ice.


Ice Fish Finder Buying Guide

Display, Lighting & Screen Resolution

The display is how the fish finder transmits the information it gathers. The best transducer won’t be worth much if it’s attached to a low-res, 8-bit display. A high screen resolution will illustrate the conditions under the ice, as will a colored display, which can help delineate features from one another. For high definition, the higher the number of pixels, the better.

Fish Finder Type/Material

The construction of a fish finder is important, especially in icy conditions. One of the most common mistakes is trying to use a warm-weather fish finder for ice fishing, but most of those models aren’t waterproof and suffer reduced battery life due to the cold or cease working if water is introduced.

Furthermore, if you're looking for a castable fish finder, you'll want it to be durable enough to handle getting knocked into the side of an ice fishing hole or being dropped on the ice occasionally. Many fish finders are boat-mountable, which means you can use them year-round.

Transducer

As we mentioned, the sonar is sent out and received via the transducer. For that reason, it’s obviously important to have a quality one attached to your fish finder. When you look for the right transducer, consider the way they are sending their signal. The sonar is measured in degrees since the shape of the signal is usually a cone.

Imagine a spotlight on a stage to understand the shape of this signal. Generally, a narrower signal penetrates deeper into the water for a straight-down look at the water column. In contrast, a wider signal will help catch fish moving horizontally toward your line. The best fish finders can toggle through both options.

Dimensions & Weight

The last thing you want is to have a heavy piece of equipment weighing down your sled on the way to a frozen lake or pond. There is a tradeoff since a larger screen enables information to be shown in greater detail. A thin fish finder won’t be as durable as a thicker one is, so anglers will have to find a happy medium between all these different factors to find the electronics that will best suit them on an ice fishing trip.

Fish finders can weigh less than a pound, or they can weigh well over ten pounds. Some anglers want the best and biggest technology they can find while others are happy enough with a super-portable model that runs on a cell phone and fits in their pocket.

Power Source

Some fish finders run on AAA batteries, which generally gives them a longer life on a fishing trip, while others have rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries may not last as long, but the more sophisticated models simply can't draw enough power from the disposable batteries to make all their various functions run.

If you don't need all the best features but prefer a quick look at what's most likely in the water, then a AAA-powered fish finder will likely work just fine, but the tech with the most useful features will run on rechargeable battery power.

Frequency Type/Cone Angle

Frequencies used by fish finders range from 15 kHz (kilohertz) to 200 kHz. Lower frequencies (closer to 15 kHz) are used for a wider, weaker signal. They send signals out at a wider angle that doesn’t go as deep in the water as a higher frequency signal does. It’s not necessarily the case that less advanced fish finders send out lower frequency signals, though.

Most have dual-frequency transducers that allow anglers to send one lower frequency signal and one higher frequency one. That way, anglers can conduct a general scan with a wide cone and then narrow the signal to a stronger, narrower sonar to see everything in the water column all the way to the bottom.

CHIRP Sonar, GPS Integrated

Since sonar has everything to do with sending sound waves out and receiving them when they bounce back, it makes sense that sending more waves will net more information with a sonar system. That’s exactly what CHIRP sonar is, in brief. The technology behind CHIRP sonar relies on sending both low-frequency and high-frequency signals.

The high-frequency signals arrive slightly earlier, and the low-frequency ones come after. The difference this creates in sonar-based fish finders is a constant, varying signal that can give updated information on underwater conditions, rather than standard 2D scans that send short burst signals now and then and lag in terms of updating information. 

GPS integration on a fish finder is useful not only for downloading maps of particular lakes where available but also for tracking old trips and keeping an eye on fishing holes if you have to leave them overnight and want to come back.

This tool is called wayfinding, which lets anglers mark all their fishing holes and also mark the more productive ones. Ice fishers who drill multiple holes in the ice or fish with flags and can’t keep an eye on all of them will understand how helpful it can be to mark only the productive spots and ignore the holes where the fish are simply not biting.

Scanning

Just like the cones we mentioned above, there are two features common in the better fish finders that allow anglers to search directly beneath them or out to the sides of the boat in more shallow water. These features are the exact same as the cone angles already discussed, but we should point out that they don’t have to be used in combination with one another.

A side-scan feature allows anglers to use fish finders in shallow water for bank fishing or fishing off a dock. A down scan is usually more useful for ice fishing where anglers are going to be dropping their jigs straight down in the water.

Price & Warranty

Even with the nicest fish finder on the market, it’s always more comforting to be a purchaser when there’s some kind of a guarantee. Some have manufacturer’s warranties, where the manufacturer is ensuring replacement products or refunds only if there is an evident defect created during the original construction of the product.

Others have full warranties that insure against any damage no matter what. In other markets, there are lifetime warranties, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a piece of electronic equipment that would dare to offer such a thing.


9 Best Ice Fishing Fish Finders Reviewed

1. Marcum LX-7

Our Top Pick!

Screen Size

8 inches

Mounting Options

Gimbal bracket available

Scanning

Dual-beam 8°/20° cone

Depth Range

Up to 300 feet

Transmit Power/Wattage

4800 W PTP

Warranty

None

MarCum has designed the best overall ice fish finder on the market with its LX-7. While the 8-inch LCD is not the largest available and it offers four color palettes where other models offer five, the LCD is the most detailed, and the color palettes on offer are plenty to get the job done.

It has all the information you’d expect from a fish finder and most of them at a level more advanced than you find in competing models. A variety of displays allow anglers to concentrate on different parts of the water column and completely customize how the display looks so they can focus only on the information they want. Interference rejection on this model is great at preventing signal confusion from other anglers’ non-MarCum devices.

One additional feature of our top pick fish finder that’s missing from most competing models is the USB port, which allows anglers to upgrade features and export or store data gathered with the device. It comes with a padded soft pack, and it's ready to use pretty much right out of the box, although we recommend charging it to 100% first.

Everything on this model works so well that there’s very little negative to say except it doesn’t have a GPS capability included. That’s easily remedied with a phone app on a cell phone, however. For everything else, this MarCum is top of the line.

Pros
  • Customizable
  • Zoom variety
  • USB port
  • Interference rejection
  • Carry case included
Cons
  • No GPS
  • Fewer color palettes

2. Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar

Best Portable Sonar Ice Fish Finder

Screen Size

Varies with cell phone

Mounting Options

Any cell phone mount

Scanning

 Cone, Dual-beam: Sidescan 15° Down Scan 55°

Depth Range

2 feet (0.5 meters) - 260 feet (80 meters)

Transmit Power/Wattage

290 kHz, 15° or 90 kHz, 55°

Warranty

None

The Deeper PRO+ gets high marks for its superior portability, and many fair-weather anglers love that its castable from the shoreline. Being able to cast it out doesn't matter quite as much for ice fishing, but it could appeal to have the best portable sonar ice fish finder that can also be used when the weather warms up. Since the Deeper runs via a WiFi connection to your cell phone, there’s no need for additional gear like a transducer or a bulky monitor. The Deeper can be carried around in your pocket quite easily.

While the portability is a significant plus of this Deeper model, there are some performance shortfalls due to the smaller size. The readout on the resulting graphics when the Deeper is in the water are not as hi-res and don't give target separation that is as detailed as the ones from larger models, but they are more than fine for catching fish. The battery won't last as long as some of the larger batteries do.

Something prospective buyers should note is that the Deeper sits on top of the water in your ice fishing hole. Slush in the water can cause interference, so take care to clear all the slush with your ice scoop properly. If you're fishing in ice thicker than two feet, it's imperative to make sure you use your augur to drill a hole that is vertical and not angled so that the Deeper can get a clear reading.

Some advantages to the Deeper beyond its portability are its cloud-based storage system that allows anglers to store and view maps from anywhere, its superior signal strength to Bluetooth models, and the readability of its bathymetric maps. In addition, the Deeper offers several different readout options such as a flasher, 2D sonar view, a zoom mode, and a hallmark feature to mark your fishing spots. There is also a split-screen mode so you can mix and match.

Pros
  • Pocket-size
  • No bulky transducer or monitor
  • Multiple viewing modes
  • Cloud-based map storage
  • Castable
Cons
  • Shorter battery life
  •  Possible interference in thick ice

3. Humminbird ICE-55

Best Ice Fishing Flasher for the Money

Screen Size

526-Seg 6-color fiberoptic LCD center

Mounting Options

 N/A

Scanning

Selectable Dual Frequency, 9° or 19°

Depth Range

Up to 200 feet (61 meters)

Transmit Power/Wattage

9° 240 kHz, 19° 455 kHz

Warranty

2-year limited (manufacturer’s) warranty

We have rated the Humminbird ICE-55 the best ice fishing flasher for the money. With more features than the Humminbird 45 or 35, the ICE-55 is an ideal model for anglers who prefer the real-time information a flasher gives compared to the readout on other fish finders that can be lagging a minute or two behind current conditions.

It's also a great model for those who haven't yet learned how to read a flasher because of the included Auto Mode, which can sense the depth of the water without the angler having to know. Auto is also handy for anglers who are comfortable reading a flasher but don't know the exact depth.

For added portability, the Humminbird 55 comes with a carrying case that has a handle and doesn't need to be removed entirely to use the device. The display offers six colors for a clear delineation between fish, your lure, and other features in the water. One nice thing about this model, as with all others from this brand, is that Humminbirds operate on their own frequency. In case you’re worried about interference from other devices, this feature will prevent everything except other Humminbirds from giving you any trouble. 

It has dual-beam sonar, but the range at the wide end is a bit less than competing models. The round bottom is designed to fit the bottom of a five-gallon paint bucket, which is great for transporting it safely on a sled and just as handy for keeping it up off the snow. It's also a good height to watch when you have your line in the water.

Best of all, for those getting used to reading a flasher, the LCD display in the center makes reading depth levels a cinch, so you only have to learn how to understand the various contents of the water column according to the colored ribbons on the outer edge.

Pros
  • Auto mode
  • Carrying case included
  • Dual-beam sonar
  • LCD display
  • Unique Humminbird frequency
Cons
  • Narrower wide-end scanning
  • Less effective detecting small jigs

4. Venterior VT-FF001

Best Cheap Ice Fishing Fish Finder

Screen Size

2-3” (4 inches diagonal)

Mounting Options

Transom/side mount & boat mounts

Scanning

45° cone

Depth Range

3-328 feet (0.9-100 meters)

Transmit Power/Wattage

Approx. 45 kHz

Warranty

2-year warranty

Venterior has crafted a portable fish finder that is renowned in the fish finder market for being one of the least expensive models available. If that's your primary concern, then this is the fish finder for you. It works on sonar, like many other models, but it’s powered by four AAA batteries. What you see is what you get with the VT-FF001, which has four buttons and a rudimentary screen that nevertheless tells anglers what they need to know about water depth and the presence of fish and vegetation.

It communicates what it thinks is down on the bottom or swimming in the water column with flashing symbols, which is likely to be good enough for basic fishing but probably won’t cut it if you need detailed information.

The transducer has a 25-foot cable, which is really handy and should give you plenty of room to suspend it in the water. It comes with a buoy that you can cast out in warm weather or drop in your fishing hole when you’re out on the ice; the reading will come back to you really fast.

One drawback is that, while it will show you if there are fish in the water column, every fish is represented by the same symbol, so it isn't going to tell you any information about the fish in terms of its size or type. A small grid represents the depth in the water column on the righthand side of the screen, but it isn't as exact as other models and can be confusing.

Maybe the nicest feature of this fish finder is that you can use it before you cut a hole with your augur. By clearing the ice of snow and pouring a little water on the surface and letting the device freeze to the small amount of new ice, you can get a reading of what’s underneath the ice.

It’s worth mentioning that this cheap ice fishing fish finder is more than enough for tons of anglers. As an introduction to fish finders, it may help get your feet wet. For exact accuracy, this model doesn't quite cut it. But if you're stretched thin with your budget, and you need something that can tell you if there's fish and at what general level they are in the water, this is a reasonably good option.

Pros
  • Inexpensive
  • 25-foot transducer cable
  • Mountable
  • Reads through ice
  • Buoy included
Cons
  • Unit is not waterproof
  • Non-specific fish information

5. Vexilar FLX-28 Ice ProPack II

Best Ice Fishing Locator

Screen Size

Approx. 4” 525-line flasher display

Mounting Options

Not mountable

Scanning

19°, 12°, 9° cone

Depth Range

300’ maximum range

Transmit Power/Wattage

200 kHz, 400-watt output

Warranty

None

Designed specifically for ice fishing, you can take this portable fish finder ice fishing and have all the most useful features you need. There are some additional features built into this unit that you normally wouldn’t expect to see in a flasher. One of the most useful features is the automatic depth detection, which can be paired with the automatic zoom functions to make sure you can get right to fishing once your fish house is set up.

The auto-zoom has two different options, a 6-foot zoom, and a 12-foot zoom, so you can take a closer look at conditions near the bottom and a bit higher up in the water column.  Best of all, toggling between these two modes is easily done with a convenient switch.

This Vexilar comes with five color modes, each of which offers unique color assignments for various purposes, including a low-power mode to avoid smaller fish and a color select mode for anglers with colorblindness. A convenient weed mode helps anglers see-through weeds with clarity and go after fish that are hiding there. Just like the Venterior VT-FF001, this unit can see through the ice if you put a little bit of water down first. However, this Vexilar does a much better job at it than the cheaper Venterior.

Like other models, this one is designed to fit in the bottom of a five-gallon paint bucket for transport and to support it off the ice during use. You can check the battery level at the push of a button, and the whole device is pretty light, weighing in at just over a pound. The features on this Vexilar are tailored to tick all the boxes on an angler’s ice fish finder wishlist.

Pros
  • Industry-leading 525-line display
  • Five color modes
  • Auto-zoom and depth detection
  • Searches through ice
  • Weed mode
Cons
  • For ice fishing only
  • No warranty

6. Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit

Best Ice Fishing Sonar

Screen Size

3.5-inch, 5-inch, or 7-inch

Mounting Options

Transom & side mount possible

Scanning

Cone, 16-24°

Depth Range

1,600’ freshwater, 750’ saltwater

Transmit Power/Wattage

77 kHz & 200 kHz/200 W RMS/1600 W PTP

Warranty

One-year warranty against manufacturing defects

The Garmin Striker 4 uses CHIRP sonar to give anglers constantly-updated information on fish and water conditions with great target separation and relatively high detail, which is why we’ve named it the best ice fishing sonar.

You can use it in a fish-finder display mode or a classic flasher mode. Unfortunately, this model doesn't come with a transducer specifically made for ice fishing, but there is one available that’s sold separately. On the upside, the Garmin Striker 4 can be used as a boat fish finder in warmer seasons once the ice has melted.

While this Garmin is more entry-level than some competing models, it does a good job finding fish and describing conditions under the ice. The sonar is fast and provides information with enough detail for you to confidently drop a jig in on top of your target fish. There are 3 display sizes to choose from, and you can mark waypoints to help you remember where the more productive lines are.

Pros
  • CHIRP sonar
  • Multiple display sizes
  • Multi-season use
  • GPS & waypoint markers
  • Carry bag & holder included
Cons
  • Ice fishing transducer sold separately
  • No SD card slot

7. Vexilar’s GP1812 FL18

Best Ice Fishing Finder Ice Ducer Combo

Screen Size

525-line flasher display

Mounting Options

Boat-mountable, transom or other

Scanning

12° cone

Depth Range

Up to 160’ with 12° ducer

Transmit Power/Wattage

400 W PTP

Warranty

2-year manufacturer’s warranty, 1-year on battery

Don’t let the simplicity of this Vexilar’s face fool you. It’s very sophisticated in terms of its scanning ability and the detail of the information it gives anglers. The split-screen flasher display is one of the first on the market and comes in handy when you want to zoom in on the bottom six feet and still keep an eye on the entire water column.

There’s also a built-in shallow water mode to get a look at what’s underneath the ice at depths below 15 feet. The 10-step interference rejection technology on this model prevents other anglers’ equipment from corrupting the data you need to hook fish.

The ice ducer on this Vexliar is a 12°, and while its cable is only a few feet long, it does send sonar to a depth of 160', which is deeper than the wider 19° ducer will do. The accuracy of the information is also much greater with the narrower-angle ducer. Compared to some other models, this Vexilar offers less in the way of color displays. It relies on the basic three-color display, which should work fine for the majority of anglers but doesn’t afford as much detail and differentiation as models with multiple color modes.

That being said, they have stuck with the most reliable color presentation on this flasher. There are five depth levels to adjust to most bodies of water, but there is no automatic depth register mode. The signal clarity and brightness on this model make it very useful when the sun is out. While it may fall short on some more advanced features, this is a great fish finder for both ice fishing and fishing on the open water in warmer months.

Pros
  • Simple to use
  • Split-screen display
  • Shallow water mode
  • High signal clarity & brightness
  • Good interference rejection
Cons
  • 3-color mode only
  •  No auto depth detection

8. Lowrance HOOK2

Easiest Ice Fish Finder to Use

Screen Size

 5, 7, 9, or 12 inches

Mounting Options

Transom, hull, trolling motor

Scanning

455/800 kHz side-scan, 83/200 kHz sonar

Depth Range

500’ for CHIRP, 300’ for side- and down-scan

Transmit Power/Wattage

200 Watt (500 Watt downscan)

Warranty

None

With its simplified home screen and menus and the speed with which you can turn it on and get fishing, this Lowrance is definitely one of the easiest to use, and it still manages to give anglers enough information about their target fish and fishing location.

It comes in five different display sizes, and all you need to do to use the device is plug in the power cable and the ducer, turn it on, and then get to work fishing. The CHIRP sonar on this model scans at a wider angle than most of the competing models, and the ducer can grant anglers a top-down, side-scan, or fish arch view.

There are tons of U.S. lake maps preloaded on this Lowrance, and the built-in GPS allows anglers to follow trails and set waypoints so they can remember where the best fishing spots are after a visit. In case you go to a lake that isn’t already included among the preloaded selection, there is also an SD slot that will allow new maps to be loaded into the device.

The transducer included with this model is ten feet long, which should be plenty for most ice fishing applications. You can adjust the machine to its ice fishing mode and turn up the sensitivity to make sure you're able to see your jig on display. Anglers can get their lures in the water much, much faster with the auto-sonar modes on this Lowrance model, and still maintain a reasonable amount of information and scanning quality. 

Pros
  • Quick and easy to use
  • Multiple display sizes available
  • Wide-angle CHIRP sonar
  • Preloaded maps & SD slot
  • Special ice fishing mode
Cons
  • Fragile transducer bracket
  • Fixed palette colors

9. HawkEye Fishtrax 1C

Best Ice Fishing Depth Finder

Screen Size

2” x 3.5”

Mounting Options

Any ¼ x 20 mounting bracket

Scanning

200/83 kHz (14°/26° cone)

Depth Range

1.5’ - 240’ (0.5 - 75 meters)

Transmit Power/Wattage

Unknown

Warranty

2-year full warranty

It may not look like much compared so some of the more robust models, but the depth finder on this little HawkEye is super precise. It comes with some handy features like a fish alarm and an algorithm specifically designed to prevent the device from displaying false alarms. The display is honestly lacking compared to more detailed readouts, and many anglers may find that they prefer a flasher or a more traditional fish finder readout.

Still, it's undeniable that this is an accurate little machine and should work great for any angler who just needs some kind of hint as to what's going on under the ice. It's also really portable, fitting into most large pockets, and it runs on 4 AAA batteries that give it long battery life.

The housing is waterproof, which means it can handle all the ice and snow around your fishing hole. There's an ice-mode made just for ice angling that looks more or less like a flasher, but the screen isn't quite large enough to do the flasher display justice.

It will probably work for beginners, but if you're used to a full-size flasher readout, then you might not find the HawkEye version on this model very enjoyable to use. Auto-zoom bottom targeting makes it easy to hunt the more lethargic fish that sit still near the bottom when water temperatures plummet in the winter.

Pros
  • Battery-powered
  • Ice fishing flasher mode
  • Portable
  • Waterproof
  • Auto-zoom feature
Cons
  • Small screen
  • Less detail

Ice Fishing - Finder vs. Flasher

A fish finder displays images designed to present the conditions under the surface the way they look, i.e., with symbols for vegetation, cover, and fish.

A flasher presents the water column in a 360° presentation that fills in with color lines that represent the cover, the fish, vegetation, and your own jig if it's a sensitive enough flasher. Flashers present real-time information while fish finders are usually showing information that’s old by as much as a half-minute.


How to Install Ice Fish Finders

Fish finders are usually easy to install for ice fishing purposes. The transducer and power source have to be plugged in and then set up near your fishing hole (see below for instructions), but after that, you're ready to go.

Some fish finders can be used in warm weather, and for that reason, they are designed to be mounted or installed on a boat. This can be done with a transom mount, which holds the ducer on the transom of a boat, or with a thru-hull mount, which mounts in the hull of the boat and comes up through the boat material.


Using Ice Fishing Fish Finders

To use an ice fishing fish finder, it's essential that you use an augur to drill a really clear hole and then use an ice scoop to clear all the ice shards from the water. This will help your fish finder get a clear reading. Next, drop your transducer into the water.

It may have a buoy to attach, or it may float on its own. Make sure you can get your line back out of the water quickly without hitting your ducer since you could easily lose a fish that way. Use the auto-depth mode on your fish finder or else adjust the depth setting to see where the bottom is, and you'll soon have a useful reading of everything below the surface.


Care & Maintenance

One of the most important ways to care for your fish finder is to make sure you store it right. The transducer can easily be damaged if the cable leading to it is stored bent up. The insulation can also strip away if the cord is used as a handle.

To clean a fish finder, you can use a product designed for that purpose and a microfiber towel. Spray the towel, and then you can wipe down the entire fish finder unit. Make sure to dry it and remove leftover streaks before you finish. 


People Also Ask (FAQs)

Will the ice damage my fish finder?

Most high-quality fish finders are built to last in icy conditions. Still, the cold can eat away at the battery life nonetheless, so it's best to elevate your finder off the ice with a five-gallon paint bucket or similar implement.

Can I use a regular fish finder for ice fishing?

Most of the time, yes, but it won't be as effective as a specific ice fishing fish finder because the transducer won't work as well in icy water. Plus, the freezing conditions could damage a regular fish finder.

Which is better, down imaging or side imaging?

It’s best to know how to use both in combination to get a full view of underwater conditions.

What does CHIRP mean on a fish finder & what is the difference between CHIRP and sonar?

CHIRP is a method of sending a combination of high- and low-frequency sonar to get continuously updated and more detailed information about fish and other things under the surface. For just about every purpose, CHIRP sonar is more accurate and more useful than 2D sonar.

What other ice fishing gear should I have aside from fish finders?

You need an augur, a sled, an ice scoop, fishing rods, bait, and possibly a fishing hut if you want one — more than likely, you'll want some really warm clothes as well.

What are the top fish finder brands?

The most popular brands for fish finders are Vexilar, MarCum, Humminbird, Lowrance, and Garmin. Lawrance and Humminbird are well known for their GPS integration, but Garmin also has GPS in most of its models. Humminbird is a classic brand, but Garmin is a stout challenger in the fish finder market.


Conclusion

Taking a look underneath the ice can save you unnecessary time with the augur and wasted time dangling your line in an unproductive fishing hole. Fish aren't going to be energetic and on the attack in freezing winter conditions, so if you like ice fishing or just want to give it a try, you'll need to have the right electronics along.

You'll be amazed at how many fish you can reel in even in the winter when everything seems to be asleep under the surface. To do so, you'll need the right fish finder and the MarCum LX-7 is most certainly it.

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