vexlar in open water

[Guest]

Has anybody used a Vex. Fl-8 or 18 for panfish in open water? My concern is using small lures of 1/32 oz. or less, how easily they will stay in the cone angle of the transducer. Here (california) I'd like to go after crappies/gills during winter, but the lake amlost always has a breeze if not windy and when I hav fished floats the faster surface water always drags the line. As bad as this sounds i have not crappie fished with out a float for years, I've gotten to attached to my thill mini stealth floats. I've got a problem, I'm addicted to floats. For clarifiacation i will be fishing the jigs without a float.

[Guest]

The vex is a must for open water fishing. I have always had my vexilar mounted to my boat, except last year. I missed it a lot. You will not have touble seeing your jig in the open water if you are anchored. If you are drifting, you may have trouble with keeping your jig in the cone but I really don't worry about this. By watching your vexilar in the summer you will get a feel for where the fish are coming through and how many "cranks" of the real they are off the bottom. So, to make a long answer short, the Vexilar is an excellent summer fishing tool.ScottS

[Guest]

I agree with Scott. The FL-8 in the boat is thee best compared to any LCG.
However, if anchored in the wind, it might be difficult to read your jig if the boat is swinging. It is alot easier to focus on your jig with the puck type transducer then with the highspeed tansducer....therefore, I always carry my "winter" ducer with me in the summer....Just in case...
Also, with the FL-8 you will find thicker schools of fish before an LCG due to better seperation and easier gain adjustments.

[Guest]

I already have a Lowrance x15-mt finder in the boat and an old flasher(hummingbird super60). I was thinking of removing the super60 and getting a FL-18 propak and just using it standalone with the ice ducer.

[Cyberfish]

I have been using a 1995 model FL8 in my boat, and it is great. it tells me all I need to know down there, and always works, well it did break once, but when I took it into Vexilar to get it repaired, they completly rebuilt it for free!
As for seeing your jig while fishing, I have done it, when it was really calm, but I think it is too much hassle. better off either using your floats, or learning to jig at the correct depth without seeing your jig on the screen. the latter takes a bit of practice, but the rewards are definitely worth it!

Good fishin'

Cyb

[Guest]

Yes, I have told myself the same thing, more practice the right way. Yes it is great when a manufacture repairs it probucts as it should, But should we be having these problems in the first place. I just had to send in my 4 month old Lorance X15MT because it went dead, they gave me a new one but I didn't like having trouble with a $1K fish finder.

[Cyberfish]

As they should?

after 6 years of hard use 12 months a year, I can say I got 100 times my moneys worth out of my fl8, even if it was unrepairable.

Besat Fishes