newbie question

[msm1018]

I know that this has been covered many a times but I need the info "custom taylored" to me. I "NEED" a vexilar and I need to pick one. I am consider 2 units, an ultra pack in both, the fl 8 is cheaper than the fl 18 but what I need to know is it better to have the fl 8 since I'll never fish over 40' (maybe once or twice) but mostly crappies and walters. I'm depending on all of the knowledge here.

[msm1018]

also will the extra bells and wistle on the fl 18 be necessary for me?

[efgh]

The extra bells and whistles, as you call them are sure nice to have on the vex, they will let you see a lot more of whats down under the ice, check out the other brands before you buy, you might like another better, go to G.M. or Cabelas and get the grand tour of different units.

[walleye_guy18]

msm1018,

I would definetely look at an LX-3 before you buy any other electronics. I had the privilege of fishing with one acouple of weeks ago and I gave serious thought to throughing the vex down the hole just so I could go out and buy a lx-3. they are twice as clear as the vex's are, plus they have the zoom feature which is absolutely incredible. I could see the separation between my jiggin spoon and minnow when I had it on zoom..... amazing

walleye guy

[hanson]

msm1018-

Please check out this other thread which is very current and touches on your topic.

LX-3 vs FL-18

My personal opinion is you owe it to yourself to check out an LX-3 or LX-1 before making your vex purchase. Even if you go with the vex, check a Marcum flasher out so you know what else is out there for comparison.

The crispness, target separation, quiteness, and packaging of the Marcum units have me sold.

-The flasher screen is very 'smooth' for lack of a better word. The vex tends to jump around a lot.

-As previously mentioned, you CAN tell the difference betweeen your jigging spoon and the minnow head with a Marcum. I can also pick up my lure, the most recent experiment was a tiny ratfinkee, about 1" off the bottom with an LX-3. Verified this with my underwater camera.

-A Marcum is quiet. This fact alone might not make a world of difference but it is interesting when your partner has his vex on and its humming up a storm and you can't even hear your flasher.

-The LX-3 case is flat out top-notch.

There are so many other features that I could go into- the DCS digital battery charge meter, the adjustable zoom on the LX-3.

There has definitely been a lot of discussion on these 2 units over the last many years. If you can get a side-by-side comparison and decide from that, I'm pretty sure I know which choice you'll make.

If you're going Vex, I'll say FL-18 and leave it at that. The zoom alone is my favorite feature. Even on Red Lake where the water column is 14' I have the zoom on. Its just easier to read.

[freighttrain50]

i would go with a the vex 18. i have one and absolutely love it. the zoom is key when you fish for walter holding tight to the bottom. the low power setting is also a must but both the 8 and the 18 have it. i have also heard that the Marcum batteries drain quicker than the vex's because they spit out more power and this is bad when fishing shallow because it picks up the top of the weeds and not the bottom. as for the the adjustable zoom you can do that with the vex 18 if you know what you are doing. also if you do fish shallow with the marcum and you set the hook and miss by chance, your whole screen will light up red with clutter. i want to start an argument here but this is just my opinion, i feel this site is bias. i feel a lot of the people that want to know info about both dont really get a clear view of both. nobody talks about the dependability and reliability of vexilar, why do you think they have been around for so long and have such a big name.

[freighttrain50]

one more thing now that i'm all heated up. if you are going to use it summer fishing i would get the 18 because of the fact you can use the bottom lock feature. you can also buy a wide variety of transducers that best fit your needs. i

[rangr]

Freight, without getting you heated up, it seems your some how anti LX-3. Yes Marcum is a sponsor of this site, and yes alot of us have them, but for a very good reason they are really good locators. I sold my vex this year just so I could get an LX-3 not because I didnt like the vex but because I liked the LX that much more. As far as summer fishing Marcum has a transducer that can be mounted on your boat its Minnkota that dosent have an adapter to use with their universal sonar trolling motors.

[Jarrod32]

Not gonna get in the middle of a Vexilar/Marcum debate...but I'll address the FL-8 vs FL-18 (or LX-1 vs LX-3). A few weeks ago, I would've told you to save the extra hundred bucks and go with the FL-8 or LX-1...that the extra hundred only gets you the zoom feature, and I would've told you that's not worth it. I have an FL-8 SLT, and have never seen the need to upgrade.

But...a few weeks ago, I had the chance to use my buddy's FL-18 perch fishing up on Winnie. And I think I changed my mind. The bottom zoom feature that you get with the FL-18 and LX-3 allows you to see a lot more detail in that zoom zone...I saw a lot more than I could with my FL-8.

If you can afford the extra $$$, the FL-18/LX-3 may be worth the money. If money is an issue, though, you can get by just fine with an FL-8/LX-1.

[computerboy]

To answer your specific question about needing the extra bells and whistles of an FL-18, the answer is a resounding YES . I'm new to hard water myself and I was fortunate enough to be able to actually use both the FL-8 and FL-18 on the water before buying my unit. If you get a chance to do this, you’ll know immediately why I went with the FL-18. The Auto Zoom feature alone is more than worth the additional $$$. If you do any fishing for perch or eyes, this is an absolute must have feature in my book.

If you have budget constraints, I would personally wait until you are in a position to buy the FL-18. After all, you cannot add the Auto-Zoom and Bottom Lock features to an FL-8 after the fact. And even if you end up finding that you don’t like the FL-18 or you don't use the auto-zoom feature (which I highly doubt), you'll have no trouble finding an eager buyer. Go for the added features of the FL-18, you’ll be very glad you did.

And just in case you needed that extra push……if I’m reading your signature correctly, you shoot a Mathews Legacy. If you had to make the decision all over again to go with the Mathews Legacy vs. a lower priced make/model that you could “get by” with, which one would you choose?

Go for the FL-18, you deserve it!

[Ed Carlson]

Between the FL-8 SE and the FL-18 in the Ultra Pack configuration I would set my sights on the FL-18 with the duel beam ducer.

Both will serve you well. Yet with the FL-18 with the built in LP mode, BL, and the zoom features they have their place and do come in very handy. They both have 10 points of IR so that feature is a push.

My argument for going for the 9/19 duel beam straight off is it would be $35 on the Ultra Pack package now or $79 latter to add it on. In my experience, the duel 9/19 beam is very handy for complicated structural fishing situations and for fishing in close quarters with other units or near sharp breaking structure. The ability to narrow up the beam also can help reduce cross interference clutter generated from other units in close proximity. Pay a little more now, or pay more latter to add desired or available features.

For a cost-effective package with the maximum available features and given your preference of the Vexilar Ultra Pack configuration, I would vote go for the FL-18 with the duel beam.

[anyfishwilldo]

I definatly agree with Ed on all points, except the ultra pac. Me personally, I dont like it. I actually prefer the cheaper blue box, but I have it in the blue bag. Also, freight, you are mistaken. The FL8 doesn't come with LP mode. It is an add on. I have personally never used the cable when I had an 8, but now that I have an 18, I don't know how I lived without it. You can't go wrong with a Vex. If you can afford it, I'd go with the FL18 in the blue box with the dual ducer. That is the one thing I like that the Vex has, that the Marcum doesn't.