A good sonar for ice and open water?

[MossbackCD]

I'm getting father a decent fish finder for once. One that can be used on the ice for vertical jigging but also one that can be mounted in his summer boat and has the normal boat type transducer. Maybe one has both boat and ice type transducer? Either way loking for one in the $250 - $400 range. Not one of the spendy ones with all the whistles and bells. I don't think he will need GPS, won't need a huge wide screen. He is a walleye, bass, pike and trout fisherman fishing mainly MN, Canada, South and North Dakota style lakes and resevoirs. Your thoughts and advice and any models/prices? thanks.

[amateurfishing]

HB 385 or 597 models get rave reveiws here....I have 597 and luv it! U may not be interested in gps but both these models have it and it is NOT over rated, Very beneficial.

[MossbackCD]

Looking for one that has the flasher as well as the graph style? Do you know if the 385 or the 597 have the flasher as well as the graph display?

[amateurfishing]

my 597 ci HD does

here is some info from page 2 on 385

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...85c#Post2725297

[PFUNK]

They most certainly do. I have the Humminbird 385ci and I am very impressed with it. I have fished with a lot of flashers... everything from the old Zercom Clearwater Classic to the Vex FL20, and this is my favorite of any by a long shot. My review of the 385 can be found in the link amateur posted

[PFUNK]

The 597 will be over your price point and the 385ci may be a little high too if you want to get both transducers and all the accessories. I bought my 385 as the ICE version so it came with everything for ice fishing (soft pack, battery, charger) for $370. Then I had to get the open water transducer, power cord, and boat mount which added another $100. If you want a Lakemaster card for the GPS figure another $100.

[MossbackCD]

Thx so far. This is why I posted.

How about the Lowrance X67C? I've heard good things and I'm just wondering how it might do in open water in the summer? Any thoughts, anybody using that model?

thx.

[Mike Wallace]

Used the x67c on both hard and soft water and love it. There is a definite benefit to the color screen.

On the ice I like the regular screen and seeing the history of the fish moving up and down - just makes more sense to me than reading the same info on a circle.

On open water I have it mounted up front on the trolling motor. This is where the color screen really helps to see bottom from weeds. I looked at getting the M68 (internal GPS version of the x67c) for the boat as well.

[JIM C]

Thx so far. This is why I posted.

How about the Lowrance X67C? I've heard good things and I'm just wondering how it might do in open water in the summer? Any thoughts, anybody using that model?

thx.

The Lowrance X-67C is a very capable little machine that will do well on the ice or water. I'd say the only disadvantage is that the screen is not very wide, so items of interest scroll off screen quicker.

But the price right now is really attractive. I've seen the X-67C Ice Packs going for $250 shipped. Add a skimmer transducer and an extra power cord and you would be set up for summer time.

Other Lowrance sonar products in your price range would be the Mark or Elite Series 4 or 5X.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

[PerchJerker]

If you don't want the GPS, then your best options are the Lowrance x67c and the Humminbird Ice 345. Both work great for what you're describing, and the HB has a rebate right now for a portable open water transducer.

You can check out both units, including pricing and the rebate, at Ice Sonars At Pro Fishing Supply

[jmg]

Just wondering how these dual purpose units work around other locators, such as vexilars, marcums, etc. in a fish shack situation? I had been told by a sales assoc. in a big store that the "open water" units don't have any meaningful interference capabilities. Any information would be appreciated.

[MossbackCD]

Thanks everyone. Still checking this for feedback but have some good stuff to make some decision. Don't know about interference myself yet on the X67C but interested in that feedback as well..

[PerchJerker]

Ice fishing flashers can handle and tune out interference from other units much better than either the x67c or the Ice-345c can deal with interference ---- the flashers just have a lot more adjustment to them. This is only an issue if you're fishing around other units that use the same frequency .....

[laportian]

Just noticed this thread. I have the x67c and it is pretty decent. My only knock is that the screen is narrow. The reason behind my purchase was that the old lowrance fish finder on the my console of my boat crapped out last year and I also needed something for ice fishing. i'd seen the x67c around for a few years and thought it was a good idea. I couldn't be happier with it. I'm using it year round. It shines as a ice unit though. It is very bright and easy to read. With all of the nice weather we have been having i have only needed to pull my folding chair out to fish out on the ice and even in bright conditions I read it well. Once I have it dialed in I only have to glance at it to know what is going on. It is up on my console in the summer and I only use it for a depth finder. I have a bow mount wider screen unit up front that I fish with.

[PurpleFloyd]

I have a 67c and fish in the same portable with a Showdown and have no interference problems. I have also fished right next to a vex and have never not been able to cancel out interference.

If you like using the graph mode and not the circular flashing light mode then the 67 will be a great unit at a great price. Being able to watch a few seconds of history on the graph is a nice feature.

[crappiewalleyebi]

to purple floyd,

just curious what settings you're using? i have the same unit x67c...and have issues w/interference. humminbird seems to be ok...but a vexilar totally screws me.

it works great alone...but most my fishing buddies have vex's and it's almost useless when they're in the shack w/me.

thanks for your help.

[leech~~]

I have a 67c and fish in the same portable with a Showdown and have no interference problems. I have also fished right next to a vex and have never not been able to cancel out interference.

If you like using the graph mode and not the circular flashing light mode then the 67 will be a great unit at a great price. Being able to watch a few seconds of history on the graph is a nice feature.

Last Friday in a little pretesting for the Flasher Shoot out gtg next Sat. I went up to Mill lacs and walked out on Cove Bay and tried out my FL-18, Huum 55 and X67c. At one point I turned them all on at once to see what would happen and the only unit that showed a few little extra blips was the FL-18. I had them all lined up just inches apart and I really didn't see any big issues with the use of any of them. I didn't get to do a lot of testing as I was only in 9 feet of water and the Perch were driving me nuts! For a while I just didn't put any bait on so that I could try the units out but the little son's of b's kept biting anyway. I just hate it when fish get in the way of testing!

[crappiewalleyebi]

were you in graph mode or ice mode on your 67c? i've had interference issues since i bought it. is it possible there's an issue w/the transducer? would have to be factory defect tho, as i used it the day i bought it, and had interference w/vex's. i normally use the flasher mode, and w/in range of a vex...i get all sorts of blips and lines, and even depth reading issues at times.

[Knoc]

Humminbird 345ci. Nuff said.

[PurpleFloyd]

were you in graph mode or ice mode on your 67c? i've had interference issues since i bought it. is it possible there's an issue w/the transducer? would have to be factory defect tho, as i used it the day i bought it, and had interference w/vex's. i normally use the flasher mode, and w/in range of a vex...i get all sorts of blips and lines, and even depth reading issues at times.

What do you have your interference setting at? I generally run mine on medium. In general they all (except the bird)run on the same frequency and every brand has had threads where someone had problems with interference. If it is an issue and nobody you fish with has a HB then your best bet is to buy one of them. Otherwise whether you have Vex, Marcum or Lowrance you can have issues although it seems that Vexilar is involved in the equation more times than others.

[ibleedice]

My buddy has the 385ci Humminbird uint and it seems to be perfect for both ice and open water. Has the flasher mode (just like any vexilar or marcum) the graph mode (open water and ice) the real time sonar (similar to the showdown) and of course the gps with lake map chip. All around a great unit. The only thing he regrets about this unit is he purchased the open water kit instead of the ice unit. He is thinking it would have been cheaper going the other way. There are other models in the Humminbird lineup but this is the lower end that would fit perfiectly in your price range. Also, I have recently purchased the marcum vx1-pro and feel that this unit out shines most of the flasher units. For the price (299.99) you can't beat the features. Built in interferance rejection, 6 foot bottom zoom with full water coulum and a full body case. You can also buy a puck style or high speed ducer for your boat. I have yet to try this unit on my boat, but the ease of use and the simplicity of this unit has made it number one on my list for hard water. Good luck in your search for a fish finder, in all honesty you just need to start somewhere and find out what you like about that unit and carry it into your next. I guarantee that the this will not be your last purchase, because there is always something better.