Which FLASHER would you choose?!?!

[Brad B]

I have the lx-3 and a vex 18 I prefer the vex anyday to the lx-3 seems way more clearer infact I woul sell the lx-3 if your interested

is you LX3 the non TC version or is it a TC version. my first flasher was a LX3 (non TC) then I went to a LX3TC. If I upgrade from this I would jump up to a LX7 but I would maybe wait a couple year from now because I have reason to believe that in the next 2 to 3 years Marcum will have a unit that will be the same as or better then the LX7 but will include a underwater camera in the same unit. it would have a switch to control the view on the screen between flasher or camera or split screen with both viewable at the same time plus along with the camera it would have GPS lake map capabilities. this is the feeling I got from the Marcum rep I talked to. his words were "it is all a matter of time and money". he also said if you thought of a improvement to them unit that they probably have thought about it. but they still like consumer input as to things that would make the units better.

If your unit is a TC version email me and I would be interested in buying from you even if the transducer is bad(just would need to agree on a fair price I would be willing to pay the shipping).

[BLACKJACK]

Here's another one for you. Wife decides she wants a flasher but wont let me buy another LX-5. I find her a like new FL-18 and off we go to the lake. Fishing thick weeds in about 9-10' of water. After about 20 minutes ( and me catching several fish to her none) she looks over at mine then hers and askes me to fix her screen so it's crisp and clear like mine, I tell her I can't thats the best you get with the 18. A few more minutes pass and as she's looking at her's then mine askes why she can see the fish on mine but not hers and why mines so sharp and clear and her's is blobbed up. I explaine that with the 2 coloros blending to 3 you wont get a crisp clear line and that mine has a super fine line feature her's does not offer. She took 1 more look at each and told me sell the 18 I want what you have.... Next weekend she had my old LX and I had a new one....

Good story, thats enough to convince me to try the Marcums!! I've been a Vex guy, started out with a FL8, currently run a FL18, but want to get a second unit for the wife in the new wheel house. Been thinking that I should at least try the competion. Won't get a LX7, besides the price, as an I.T. guy I will NOT deal with the software glitches that are bound to pop up on anything new. And if I don't like the LX5, I know that there is a good market for used flashers.

[Korynta]

If you dont have one already just pick one and youll love it. I chose the ice 35 beacause it was $275. Ive used the rest and none of em were worth the price difference. If you set them all out in front of me it would be a toss up between the bird 45 and the marcum on which to use. If forced to buy one it would be the bird 35 because of the price. Bottom line is there really not that different. Some just do things a tiny bit better than others. No poblems with the bird after 2 seasons and id buy another one!

[robert aldrich]

marcum showdown troller.

[bkerschner70]

I know I'm a little late on this one but here's my 2 cents: I think they all make a great unit, you get what you pay for. The higher end ones will have more features such as dual beam or zoom. I have the ice 55 and love it. I like being able to zoom in anywhere and not just on the bottom but the biggest thing for me is I'm color blind. I can't tell the difference between yellow, green, and red when they are just tiny slivers of color right next to each other. Having the color options on the humminbird have made this all worth while for me.

[IcerRon2010]

Far as quality is concerned I believe nobody can wrong with picking a named brand flasher. All of them have excellent customer service. With that said, you really have to buy a flasher that is custom tuned to the way you fish. I own a marcum lx-5, vex 22, and hum. 385ci. When I fish shallow water and the fish are stacked, its nice you can tell how many fish are down there with the LX-5, clerity is key and Marcum has it. My Vex is great in shallows to but I like to use it for Walleye/Northern fishing. I can tell better how big the fish are, and it does detect the fish's movement better, which allow me to custom tailer my presentation better. The 385ci, is for my navigation/lakemaster capabilities, and I will be fishing with it too, I hear alot of people using graphs to jig fish, going to find out what people are talking about.

If someone could build a flasher with all those features I would be first in line to get one. I really don't care who makes it, I don't really have brand loyalty in this department, whatever get's the job done, is the right one for me.

PS. A camera, option also would be a nice all in one unit also.