should i keep old fish finder or use flasher?

[mrpike1973]

hi right now i have a cheapie eagle finder. it shows depth but gives me cartoon fish. i have turned that off before and get just a mess i have been in clear water and it shows fish galore however nothing below me. the 12 volt battery is also a pain. i have a marcum fish finder vx1 flasher i have in the past used these in the boat. i just silicone a small piece of pvc pipe in the bottom and add a little water. will this work ok or should i just keep the eagle in there i dont have money for a new one but i think my fishing is being effected by not being able to trust it any thoughts.

[Jim Almquist]

Unless your transducer is bad I would think that your Eagle so do a little better than that. I would adjust the sensitivity to 70-75 percent and adjust your scroll speed 30 percent just for starters. If you can take it to a spot were you know the depth and even better if there are fish present. Shut off everything that is set to Auto and get rid of the little fish symbols. Just remember if you are shallower than 15' your cone is very small so you might not see fish all of the time. If your see too much junk on the screen you should use less sensitivity.

[Gus]

A graph is useful for more than just seeing fish. Watching bottom changes, etc.

Unless you keep your eye glued to the flasher, you may not see a hump or dip or even that the trend is getting deeper or shallower. All you are getting is this moment's read.

The graph at least gives you some history of what you just crossed over.

Would it be possible to run both? Choose whichever suits your needs at the moment?

[OnAFly]

My opinion is that if you have an accurate lake map or better yet a GPS and a flasher, your need for a graph is down to 0.

I know a few guys that fish like this and do very well. It's all about what you trust and are comfortable with.

[mrpike1973]

thanks for all comments i looked at my transducer it is busted. so i'm done with the eagle i will use the marcum when i need it thanks for your help all

[fishnowworknever]

I have an old Eagle sitting in my garage that you can have. What model is yours? Problem is, I'm in Bloomington.

[Tom7227]

I could be mistaken but there is a benefit to a flasher that the newer rigs lack. It gives you instant info so what you see is what is directly below you. I have read - can't veryfiy - that the newer sonar has a bit of a delay in the display and so what you see is what is behind you if you're moving. I don't know how far behind you and obviously that depends on how fast you're going. I could well be wrong about this and I suspect that others will pipe up and get the accurate info.

I wouldn't necessarily give up on the Eagle. But - isn't the Marcum a flasher as well? I think you may be able to buy a transducer for it that you can put onto the boat. I got one for my Vexilar for open water use,

[mrpike1973]

hi thanks for the offer on the eagle i called them today they said they hadnt made that model in 15 years not worth it to me. yes the marcum i can get a high speed but its more than i can afford right now. thanks for your help guys i really appreciate it

[PerchJerker]

I could be mistaken but there is a benefit to a flasher that the newer rigs lack. It gives you instant info so what you see is what is directly below you. I have read - can't veryfiy - that the newer sonar has a bit of a delay in the display and so what you see is what is behind you if you're moving.

That is a common misconception.

A graph gives you instant feedback, just like a flasher does. A graph also gives you history, which a flasher does not give you. The misconception comes about because so many guys read the middle of the graph screen, and that is history. To get the instant readings, you need to focus on the very far right (leading) edge of the display. I can mark and see a jig moving up and down on a graph just the same as I can on a flasher.