Well after months of waiting, I got to really put my new Vexilar Edge to use this past weekend. Like I figured, it was everything as I had expected but I was even more happy with the display and what this unit was showing me. And it was so simple to use.
The neatest thing about this unit is the two transducers that it uses. I was mainly fishing in water around 20-22 feet on Mille Lacs this past weekend. The Edge uses a 38 and 10 degree transducer. The 38 degree will have about a 12 foot cone, while the 10 degree will have around a 3 foot cone in 20 feet of water. Well, I began to mark fish with the 38 degree cone. Most of the fish I marked were long horizontal lines parallel with the bottom, very easy to read. Some fish were even laying on bottom and the Edge separated the fish from the bottom very well. What really made me happy about the Edge was it was showing me three things that were extremely easy to read on the screen, the bottom, baitfish and fish. Nothing else was on the screen. The screen was very “clean” and easy to read.
We kept passing over nice fish targets and catching Walleyes on every pass. My gal was my fishing partner on this day and we both had decent action going. But the basin we were fishing was very long and narrow and it seemed that the fish were holding tight to one area. The area where we were making most of the baitfish. So I told my gal I was going to keep us on top of these fish and see what happens. What I did next really got my gal ticked off. Whenever I noticed a nice fish target on the 38 degree transducer cone which I have on the right side of my screen and I didn’t get bit, I would kick my Minn-kota Vantage trolling motor on into a backroll instantly. I would then run back over the spot in figure 8’s until I had a nice fish target on the 10 degree cone. The fish targets on the 10 degree will show up as a block. The screen is completely clean and then boom, a large block appears on the bottom. I would then get my slip sinker weight directly under the transom of the boat where my Edge transducers are. As soon as that fish showed on my 10 degree cone, I knew it was within three feet of me. I would then stop the trolling motor and let the boat drift. Every time I did this, “whack” I got bit. I did this 4 more times in the next 30 minutes and started to “call” my bites to my gal as I was gliding over the fish. She said, “you suck” “ it’s not fair you have that fish finder and I don’t”.
With the fish not being schooled up yet, using this tactic proved to be very productive. Of course I let her sit in the captains chair and let her have a try a calling her own hits. But she hated trying to steer and fish at the same time. So I took control over the motor and let her watch the screen. She has never seen a fish on a finder before other than a Vexilar flasher when fishing panfish. So when she saw those blocks and then her rod tip bounced, I said ‘he’s on”. Boy did she get a kick out of that. Of course now I bit off more than I can chew because on the way in she says “ I want to fish like that all the time from now on”
To get more info on the Edge2 by Vexilar please visit www.vexilar.com
I just figured that it is easy enough to just get a 3 bank so when the boat is not in use I can keep all 3 batteries charged. I have not bough a charger yet, maybe I will give it some more thought.
Edit: After thinking this over, with the size, weight, and heat output of the charger (as well as the cost) I think it makes sense to just
buy a 2 bank charger, I have a smaller charger i can use on the starting battery when the boat is sitting at home. Forgive me, for i am a retired engineer and I have to obsess over everything...
Congrats on the motor! I think you’ll like it.
I can’t say much on the charger location but I’ve seen them under the lid in back compartments and under center rod lockers. 160 degrees is more than I expected to hear.
Curious why you’re opting for a 3 bank charger with a 24V trolling motor. Unless you don’t feel you be running you big motor enough to keep that battery up as well?
I did buy an Minnkota Ulterra, thanks for the recommendations. I had a bunch of Cabela"s bucks saved up, which helped. Now i need to
get an onboard battery charger. Where do you guys mount these things in your boat? The manufacturer I am looking at {Noco genius)
says tht their 3-bank charger will run at 160 degrees, seems like a lot of heat in an enclosed compartment? Thanks for any input on this.
Wasn't terrible at a state park beach. Antelope island maybe. I wouldn't recommend it as a beach destination tho. Figured I was there, I'm getting in it.
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Well after months of waiting, I got to really put my new Vexilar Edge to use this past weekend. Like I figured, it was everything as I had expected but I was even more happy with the display and what this unit was showing me. And it was so simple to use.
The neatest thing about this unit is the two transducers that it uses. I was mainly fishing in water around 20-22 feet on Mille Lacs this past weekend. The Edge uses a 38 and 10 degree transducer. The 38 degree will have about a 12 foot cone, while the 10 degree will have around a 3 foot cone in 20 feet of water. Well, I began to mark fish with the 38 degree cone. Most of the fish I marked were long horizontal lines parallel with the bottom, very easy to read. Some fish were even laying on bottom and the Edge separated the fish from the bottom very well. What really made me happy about the Edge was it was showing me three things that were extremely easy to read on the screen, the bottom, baitfish and fish. Nothing else was on the screen. The screen was very “clean” and easy to read.
We kept passing over nice fish targets and catching Walleyes on every pass. My gal was my fishing partner on this day and we both had decent action going. But the basin we were fishing was very long and narrow and it seemed that the fish were holding tight to one area. The area where we were making most of the baitfish. So I told my gal I was going to keep us on top of these fish and see what happens. What I did next really got my gal ticked off. Whenever I noticed a nice fish target on the 38 degree transducer cone which I have on the right side of my screen and I didn’t get bit, I would kick my Minn-kota Vantage trolling motor on into a backroll instantly. I would then run back over the spot in figure 8’s until I had a nice fish target on the 10 degree cone. The fish targets on the 10 degree will show up as a block. The screen is completely clean and then boom, a large block appears on the bottom. I would then get my slip sinker weight directly under the transom of the boat where my Edge transducers are. As soon as that fish showed on my 10 degree cone, I knew it was within three feet of me. I would then stop the trolling motor and let the boat drift. Every time I did this, “whack” I got bit. I did this 4 more times in the next 30 minutes and started to “call” my bites to my gal as I was gliding over the fish. She said, “you suck” “ it’s not fair you have that fish finder and I don’t”.
With the fish not being schooled up yet, using this tactic proved to be very productive. Of course I let her sit in the captains chair and let her have a try a calling her own hits. But she hated trying to steer and fish at the same time. So I took control over the motor and let her watch the screen. She has never seen a fish on a finder before other than a Vexilar flasher when fishing panfish. So when she saw those blocks and then her rod tip bounced, I said ‘he’s on”. Boy did she get a kick out of that. Of course now I bit off more than I can chew because on the way in she says “ I want to fish like that all the time from now on”
To get more info on the Edge2 by Vexilar please visit www.vexilar.com
Good luck and tight lines..
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Mille Lacs Guide Service
651-271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com
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