The Spoonpluggers Forum

I had been using an old Lowrance Green Box with a narrow (9 deg?) transducer while Spoonplugging and the transducer seems to have gone bad. I really liked this unit but I thought it may be time to get a depthfinder built in this century. So I would like to hear any advice/opinions on a new flasher depthfinder (brand name, model, etc...) that would be a good aid in trolling and mapping. I would be open to other technology too, but I am guessing a flasher would be the best aid for these uses. Any comments would be appreciated.

Doug K.
Wisconsin

Doug
You can't go wrong with the Vexilar units. They are the best on the market right now, IMHO.
Lots of different models to choose from.
It you go on ebay, you can pick then up at reasonable prices. I , at the urging of Bill Beck, got a dash mount Vexilar 8, and it has been working great.
I also have a backup unit that is an ice fishing model. Just need to have the right transducer is all.
Bought them both for under $100.00 each.
Hope this helps
Steve

Doug,

I agree with Steve's recommendation on this subject (no doubt a GREAT relief to Steve).

I also went through the process of replacing an old green box flasher recently after mine failed at the bearing that supported the spinning disk. After much searching and reading I bought a Vexilar FL-12 with the dual cone transducer (9 and 19 degrees) and have been very happy with it since. It keeps the simplicity of the old flasher I had been using, but is much more reliable and quiet and the display is bright enough to see in all but direct sunlight. A vast improvement.

The only recommendation I can offer is to spend some time looking at the display dials on whatever units you are considering and then imagine that you are on the water trying to do 3 different things at once while glancing at the flasher to get see what the depth is under the boat. One of the things I really liked about the old green box was the simple display (only two depth scales), and I have found that I only use two of the scales on the FL-12. The 0-20' scale while trolling the shallows and the 0-200' scale for everything else. For me, the simpler the better since I still have a lot to learn and find my hands (and mind) full on each trip. These two scales are simple, clearly visible on the outer edge of the display ring, and it is easy to interpolate between depth marks without any mental gymnastics. The FL-8 unit Steve mentioned is also like this with a simple to read & interpolate display.

One final comment. I bought the dual cone transducer because I was concerned that the narrow cone might be to tight when running in the shallows, but so far I have used only the 9 degree cone angle. I may yet find the 19 degree cone angle useful (once I gain more experience), but so far I have not found a need for it.

Hope some of this helps, and good luck with your decision,

Larry