Lundman

Bob B, Which model/brand of video camera are you using. I've been thinking about buying a new one. Thanks!

Bob D, That is some great video! Which camera were you using for that? Was it the Marcum 560? What did you use to record the video from your underwater camera (video camera, VCR, Laptop, Digital Video camera, etc.)? I'd be interested in hearing how you record and edit your video. Thanks!

Other than the remote not working real well and the directional arrow not being the most accurate I think the 560 is a nice unit. But don't kid yourself. Everything can be improved or enhanced.

I checked one of the ponds by my house(central Iowa) last night. It was froze all the way accross and had 1 3/4" of ice on it. A couple more nights of cold temps should lock it up for good. Sunday looks to be the day to start locking everything up down here. Be safe if you venture out on the ice this weekend!

Thanks for sharing! It's customer service like that, that keep people buying their products. Wouldn't it be nice if all companies were that way? Thanks again!

There will be icefishing this weekend! If I have to drive to Minnesota to do it that's fine. Seriously, I think the smaller shallower ponds will be locked up by Saturday with the new temps they are forcasting. I'll be doing an ice check tonight at a pond that is iced up by my house. I'll report what I find. I'm in central Iowa.

I would go with some sort of magnet mounting system so you can throw it up on the roof. Makes it easy to adjust to get a good signal and also allows you to remove it when hauling or when your done ice fishing.

I've got an older Vexilar with the same knobs and adjustments on it. It is probably one of the first Vexilar's after they switched from Hondex. I still use it today. Snatch that thing up if it's a good price. I like my unit better than the newer ones because there is no flashing of the colors. I'm not sure if the motors were faster back then or what, but it is a crisp distinct view of the various colors and lines. I've compared it to many of my friends units and it by far is a clearer display. The newer Vexilar and Marcum units have a little bit of flashing or flickering to them. I'm assuming the the battery status indicator isn't built into the actual Vexilar. It's probably one of Vexilar's older battery status gauges etc. About the only disadvantage is you don't have an IR button, but I've been able to fish next to Marcum units as well as other Vexilar's without problems. Good Luck!

I run a Polaris Sportsman 500 and love it. I agree the Yamaha and Hondas are very good units as well. I think the ground clearance is a issue. The higher the clearance the better you are. I can run my Sportsman through 12" of fresh powder pulling my Otter Magnum Ice house with no problem and that's without any chains or studs. I really havn't had a need to put chains on my ATV. If you get any more fresh snow on the ice than 12" then you will have trouble no matter what ATV you are on. In that situation I would go with a snowmobile. It realy depends on if you get a lot of snow where you fish. It really is going to come down to brand preference. All have good and bad points. Do your research on what is important to you and you will answer your own question over time. Good luck with what ever ATV you get! LundMan

I'm not sure why everyone seems to think that more power is always better. I agree being able to zoom at various levels is a nice advantage, but buying it because it has more power really shouldn't be that big of a deal. A Vexilar has all the power you would ever need. Even in deeper water it has no problems. There are a lot of times where you will need to turn the power way down on both a Vex and a Marcum to not pick up all the clutter in the water. With A Marcum you can only go so low with your gain. The Vexilar FL-18 has LP (Low Power) mode to reduce the power in these situations. This works especially well in weedy conditions as well. It helps filter out a lot of unwanted clutter. Personally I'm a Vexilar Man, and like the Three-Color Display differences of the Red, Orange, and Green compared to Marcums Red, Orange, and Yellow. The Orange and Yellow on a Marcum seems to blend together so there tough to distinguish the two colors. The Vexilar is just easier on my eyes, but that's my opinon. It's going to come down to personal preference. I would suggest finding a couple people that have each unit and try fishing next to each of them and then make your decision on which one you like the best. Now with Underwater Cameras I think hands down the Marcum 560 is the best that is out there right now. Using it in the boat proved it to be an awsome unit and I can't wait to see it in action this year through the ice. Good luck! LundMan

Looks pretty awsome! Thanks for the pictures and decription.

Thanks Goody! I figured there probably weren't a lot of people out fishing. Most are waiting for the Ice. I'm ready for it myself!

Where did you hear this? I knew they were talking about making some changes, but I havn't heard what they decided. I don't think it will cut back on the number of fishermen that go up there every winter.

I'm a big fan of the mit style gloves. Make sure they are loose fitting so you can fling them off when you want. It works great for tip-up fishing.

I saw a nice buck chasing some doe the other night by my house. I'm getting pumped for Shotgun season!

Anyone been to Big Creek lately? How about the spillway below saylorville? Any Reports?

A buddy of mine just bought the 560. Very cool unit! We did some scouting on some local lakes so once the hard water comes we will be ready. The light didn't seem to spook the fish too much but I guess we will have to see what happens under the ice. I believe you can always turn off the light if you want. However that won't do you much good a night. Can't wait to see it in action on the ice this year.