Frustrations with Marcum LX-5 in deep water

[DewDropper89]

I was fishing in 80 FOW for lake trout this weekend and had some frustration with my LX-5. Wondering if anyone could provide any insight or has had similar issues? The two biggest issues seemed to be my lure mark "flickering" a little, and also it seemed like the display was somewhat slow to follow the motions of my lure and fish - almost as if there was a delay between reality and the display. Lure and fish marks moved jerkily instead of smoothly. My friend's Vex FL-20 seemed to provide smoother action and more consistent display of the lures. We both had to have our gains up pretty high to get good signals in the deep water, but overall it seemed easier to fish effectively with the Vex. My battery was fully charged and the transducer was well under the ice; we were not on a sharp break and I tried both my transducer cone angles. It seemed the jerkiness/delay was almost worse on the zoomed half of the screen than the full depth side.

PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT trying to start a Vexilar vs. Marcum debate - trust me, I've read that post(haven't we all??)? I am very happy with my Marcum overall, just wondering if there is something that might be wrong or need fixing, if I was maybe doing something wrong, or if this is just something common with these units.

Thanks for any insight you can offer!

[slurpie]

I was going to say battery but you covered that already. With my Fl 20 while fishing Tullibe did the same thing last season.

[Bassinbob84]

My lx3 started doing that a couple years ago and it was the transducer. It slowing started reading less and less then nothing. Sent it in, and had it back in 4 days. When I called they said it could be something in the flasher or ducer.

[DTro]

How high was your gain? Was it turned up all the way?

Here's another think to thing about. The FL20 and LX5 have different cone angles.

When fishing in deep water your lure will tend to drift outside your cone. A good way to see if it's doing that is to swing your transducer a bit. If it's on the edge, you will get a better return as the transducer swings towards it.

The problem could be as simple at the 20 degree being too weak on the LX5 and the 9 degree being to small of a cone. The 12 degree on the FL20 might have been better in this instance.

The 9 degree on the LX5 should have given you a good return. My suspicion is that you lure was on the edge of the cone.

[Gissert]

Were you near a steep break or around huge boulders? If so, the flasher will read the highest piece of structure and you will have blind spots below that point.

[manitobawalleye2]

Slight current pushing it towards the outer cone area?

Did you try a heavier lure?

[DewDropper89]

Guys -

Thanks for all of your suggestions of things to pay attention to. I have never fished this deep, especially when such active and "lateral" presentations are required - i.e. airplane jigs and spoons, etc. I am going to get out again and pay extra close attention to some of the items you have raised here. I might start with a very vertical presentation (say, a 3/8 or 1/2 oz. jig head) to get a baseline of what happens when I know the lure is right below the middle of the cone. Then, I'll throw on the spoons and see what happens.

The point about the power level of a 20 deg vs. a 9 degree cone may be worth a bit more careful investigation as well. That 12 of the Vex may have been the sweet spot given our conditions, which may explain why it seemed a bit easier to use and interpret.

Thanks for all your ideas! It might be a couple week before I get back out there, but I will be putting your theories to the test.

[DewDropper89]

dtro -

To answer your specific question, the highest I turned up my gain was about half way, maybe a hair passed half - I definitely still had gain to give. Since most of my fishing is in 35' or less, I felt like I was already way higher than "normal" and so didn't try any higher. Is it typical to have to crank it up pretty high in the depths? I'll have to play around more next time and see what works the best.

Thanks.

[muchowja]

at eighty feet even your 9 degree transducer angle should be pretty big

[foulpole18]

When I was fishing in 70 fow with my lx-5 I had the same thing happen with airplane jigs. I've had it happen before and it seems normal. I just got a new ducer 3 weeks ago and i've haven't had any problems.

[DewDropper89]

foulpole 18 -

Did the new transducer improve the problem you mentioned you were having in 70'? What prompted you to order a new 'ducer, anything in particular?

Thanks.

[Ed Carlson]

Was the bottom reading hard or very soft?

I ask because....What possibly could account for it is if there was a soft loamy bottom deep, and with the hard strong contact of the very flasher friendly Airplane jig, it can produce some difficulties in the interpretation and recalibration of the readings.

Each time the jig swings back into the center of the cone the processor now tried to rethink the calibration differences between the jig and the bottom, causing added display delays.

It is as if the bottom readings changed in density mysteriously, at least to the processor anyway, and then the processor tried to compensate the gain when it caught up with the hard return signal of the jig again.

The bottom may come and go, or the jig may come and go, depending on what the processor is trying to recalculate. It may actually recalculate the bottom and interpret your jig as the "New Bottom"....and gets a bit confused. Catch my drift?

In deep water mode the sonar pulse rate is much slower than in shallow water modes, and there is more time between return soundings, so interpretation of the return signal can be somewhat jittery in that situation.

If that was the situation tinkering with the cone angle, gain, and depth range may solve it. A high gain setting with a wide cone may make the situation worse, so a narrow cone and a moderate gain may find find a happy medium, so the readings are more consistent. Too high a gain may expand the transducer cone "Balloon Effect" and dilute the continuity of the bottom readings in deep water and also exasperate the problem.

[Jim Almquist]

You will find that that bottom can cause a lot of strange issues when you are fishing that deep and they all seem to affect the reading of your lure. When you have a steep drop off and the rocks are all over besides losing your lure in the rocks and the fact that not all of your signal is returning back to the transducer leads to a very frustrating time on the ice. You have 2 choices and that is live with the spot and put your Marcum LX5 on NBT (Narrow Beam Transducer) kick up the gain and use a larger bait or move to a different spot that is flatter and gives back a better return. Sometimes the move is only a couple of feet in any direction and the difference can be significant and a couple of feet to a Laker is nothing.

I think that the next time you go out you will find that everything will work just fine.

[DTro]

In deep water mode the sonar pulse rate is much slower than in shallow water modes, and there is more time between return soundings, so interpretation of the return signal can be somewhat jittery in that situation.

I thought it was just the opposite.

For each depth level I turn my LX5 up to, the cycles get faster, and then if I hit narrow beam it’s gets even faster.

Obviously it’s going to take longer to hit its target in deeper water, but doesn’t the flasher cycle faster to account for that?

I guess I have no idea, but I could swear that my LX5 “ticks” faster in deeper water, maybe it’s the other way around.

[JbuZZo]

i believe it's the other way around, the deeper the setting the slower the spin...

[harvey lee]

You will find that that bottom can cause a lot of strange issues when you are fishing that deep and they all seem to affect the reading of your lure. When you have a steep drop off and the rocks are all over besides losing your lure in the rocks and the fact that not all of your signal is returning back to the transducer leads to a very frustrating time on the ice. You have 2 choices and that is live with the spot and put your Marcum LX5 on NBT (Narrow Beam Transducer) kick up the gain and use a larger bait or move to a different spot that is flatter and gives back a better return. Sometimes the move is only a couple of feet in any direction and the difference can be significant and a couple of feet to a Laker is nothing.

I think that the next time you go out you will find that everything will work just fine.

I agree Jim. This past week on the Gunflint I had many issues in a few holes and then had to upsize my lure or move off that step rocky breakline.