Marcum or Vexilar

[Dan Wood]

Those diagrams that Paul posted illustrate this very well. The deeper the water, the larger your cone diameter. The smaller the transducer angle, the smaller your cone diameter. The Vex. will narrow down to a smaller cone on the bottom than the MarCum. Some say this can be advantageous, others prefer the larger cone view. In deep water I still prefer to see the larger cone and use the signal strength to differentiate how close they are to the center of the cone (your bait).

The one place where the narrow cone does help is with dead space. Dead space is created on steep drop offs (see illustration above from Paul). If your fishing a combination of both deep water and steep drops, the smaller transducer angle could prove advantageous to you. If your fishing deep water with a relatively flat bottom, the larger cone is nice to have IMO (this will vary by user - some will like to narrow down and some will like to see everything).

To answer your question about suspended fish, the MarCum is the clear choice for suspended fish in deeper water due to the variable zoom window..

[Chad Wold]

Thanks for the info. You guys have been a great help. No one out here seems to use alot of flashers,just sonars, So I dont have much input from the locals around here. sure would hate to freeze up my boat sonar.The flashers seem like they would take the cold a little better anyway.

I am so envious of you guys with all the walleye fishing you can do.Our lakes on the western slope never warm up enough to support the walleye very well(I guess thats why we dont have any around).The lake I mainly fish never got above 69 degrees this past summer.

[hanson]

Chad Wold-

I apologize if this has been previously mentioned,

BUT, has anybody mentioned the basic fact that a flasher is real time!!

When you move your jig (or rod) up and down, the signal of your Marcum or Vex will move up and down also within a fraction of a second of your rod movement.

An LCD graph will have a significant delay in signal response.

[Dennis Steele]

One feature on the Marcum that I think is awsome and have come to rely on is the fact that the zoom not only can be adjusted up and down in the water column, but you can also adjust the size of the zoom. You can selct from a 5 foot zoom window to a 10 foot zoom level in the 20 and 40 foot range. In the 80 foot range you select from a 10 foot or a 20 foot zoom range.

This is especially valuable when fishing suspended fish like crappies, lakers and for me...catfish. Sometimes in deeper water over 40 feet fish are showimg up a a varietly of levels and a single zoom range does not cover that area.

The higher power of the Marcum also alows me to shoot through less than clear ice that other units with less power cannot. I can scan the ice for fish without drilling a ton of holes just so I can get a signal. Its rare that I will drill a hole to find out if there are fish present, and often you don't even need a little water on the ducer to get a signal.

[CNY Tim]

The LX-3 is the better bang for the dollar in my honest opinion. There is no 3 color flasher that can give you definition like the LX-3. The thin line display and precision adjustability to see fish in heavy weed cover is unprecedented. I owned both the FL-18 and the LX-3 and for what I do in 40' or less for perch, bluegills, and crappies you will not get a better mechanical 3 color flasher with the target separation and signal clarity as it relates to display then the MarCum LX-3. Quality of construction, soft pack and a battery charger that is absolutely incredible. If you compare this to the FL-18 Pro pack there is no doubt which is the better value. The LX-3's multiple zoom window options give you the ability to blow up a larger area than the FL-18 this will help you to provide instant feedback as it relates to jig movement v.s. fish behavior. My findings and others have determined that the LX-3's zoom mode is head and tails over the competition. The MarCum LX-3 provides crystal clear definition of the target area plain and simple. If you want detail the MarCum has it! The LX-3's smaller diameter 20 deg. transducer does not take up much room in the hole either which equates to less transducer wraps. The FL-18's zoom operation hinders it when hole hopping in shallow water gill fishing scenarios. Every time you switch holes with the FL-18 you have to recalibrate the the unit to stay in zoom. What this means is you have to switch the FL-18 off and then on again and then you have to adjust the mode switch. With the MarCum you can set up at the first hole and move effortlessly with out touching another button which means more time fishing and less time adjusting to stay in zoom. The interference rejection circuitry on this unit drowns out the competition plain and simple. American Engineering and American built the MarCum delivers big time for me...

[Dingo]

The chart showing deadzone is a good example but is an exageration of how a flasher really works. The deadzone on any flasher is not that bad, whether you are using a MarCum or a Vex. I agree the ice machine is junk.

[Duffman]

Holy Informercial Tim! Don't ya find it tough to type with that transducer in your mouth????

/just kiddin' Dude

[Bearfish]

Love my LX-3. Only complaint: I would prefer the zoom would start at the bottom of water column (like my 'old' FL18) and you could adjust going up the column rather than down the column. So when hole hopping, it would always lock on the bottom of the lake, then go up from there. Could do without the beep, beep, beep when moving up/down the column as well.

[Dingo]

If the zoom on the LX-3 started at the bottom all the time it would have to find bottom every time, basically zero on the bottom. The FL-18's still have problems in zoom mode if you move hole to hole because they are trying to find bottom again. Not a major problem, but good enough reason for my to switch to a LX-3.

[Ole #1]

If it aint broke, don't fix it. Vex FL-8

[Rick]

and if you can make it better gotta love it!!

[CNY Tim]

Duffman - LOL! Just the truth and nothing but the truth so help me Bushwhack