Summer fishing with a VEXILAR (FL-8/18) - Any Tips?

[fuzzyray]

I finally got a Vexilar (FL-8) of my very own this winter...and after using it this winter I couldn't possibly justify leaving this wonderful beauty on the shelf in the garage all summer...so I got a high speed transom mount and installed it last weekend. I was hoping I could get some tips form some of you summer Vex users and maybe knock down the learning curve a little when I finally get out on the water to use it. I fish panfish and walleys. How fast can you being going and still be confident that you will see fish when you pass over them. Also, does anyone have the Vex sunhood or make one themselves? I can't wait to hit the open water. The Vex should be a huge upgrade over my old (very old), low resolution graph. Thanks. Ben

[Riverfishin]

How much does the mount cost

[Little Joe]

I run a Vex off my rig with mixed results. I tend to get interference when my motor is in gear which makes finding schools of fish when in gear difficult to say the least. I will get a truer reading in neutral or when I have the engine off. I always get a true bottom reading though. This all might have something to do with how my ducer was rigged so hopefully you'll have better luck?

Long story short, I trust the readings much more during the hard water season than when I use it on my boat.

[Ole1855]

fuzzy,

I took a one lb. coffee can and painted the inside a flat black and the outside dark green, any dark color will keep the glare down. I then perssed it onto the vex and used electrical tape to keep it in place, works great.

Ole

[LocalGuide]

Little Joe, I have a minn-kota 24v 74lbs thrust with universal transducer and a Fl-18 on it.

I get the same clutter as you do. Its not too bad and I can still find fish, but it gets kind of annoying. Also like you said, you can still see the bottom fine, the dial just becomes green.

When I am anchored, drift fishing or something that the motor isnt ingaged, I love looking at the vex. It gives a true reading and its fun to see fish come through it, its just like they do in the winter!

[cyberamish]

I was thinking about adding mine to the back of my rig when I troll downriggers. That way I don't have to constantly turn around to look at the dash unit to check depth. Any issues with interferce with LCD's ?

[Captain B.R.K]

I have yet to have any problems when running my FL-18 and a kota' trolling motor. No interfrence what so ever!

Though I don't tend to use it to find fish, just as a tool to let me know how deep of water I'm in when I'm casting up on my deck.

[Lost]

Can't you change channels within the unit to cut out interference? I'm looking at getting the high-speed ducer and hooking my FL8 up in my boat.

[Matt Breuer]

Interference rejection can be used to cut back on any interference you're experiencing. Like BRK, I've never had a problem with it.

Many people dismiss using the flasher to find fish, and I hear people say they use them only to see depth. In thick vegetation you can actually see fish in amongst the weeds, just like you do in the Winter. Flashers really stand out when you're fishing the weeds in a boat. An LCD will only show you a few weeds, or pockets in the weeds that you just passed over, and may not be able to find again. The real time display of a flasher will allow you to stop on a pocket. Flashers will also allow you to read depths of less than 2 feet accurately, which LCD's have trouble doing.

With boats getting faster and faster, and the delay of LCD's, a flasher is a great idea and severly under-utilized tool for Summer fishing!

[fuzzyray]

The kit I got was around $70 I think. I got the one that mounts to the transom. It had the transducer, wiring and a bracket to mount the flasher in the boat. I think that I heard you can reduce trolling motor interference by having the Vex on a seperate power source, can anyone verify this? Thanks for the tip Ole. I will definitely end up making my own hood. I might get the boat out this weekend. If I do get out I'll post the results of my first time using a Vex for summer fishing!

[tafadzwa]

fuzzyray,

i got the kit that mounts to the trolling motor and extended the leads on the wires so that I could connect it to my starting battery rather than the 24v trolling motor system. I have no interference problems.

[outdoor ran]

Last year on a fishing trip for splake with downriggers we found ourselfs in a rental boat without any kind of fishfinder. We had a vex along and hung it over the side and it angled itself back towards the cannon balls. We saw every fish on that thing before it hit. It worked really slick.

[Duffer]

i was planing on puting my vex in my boat this summer and was wondering where do u guys prefer to put your vex on the trolling moter or in the back of the boat??

[IceHawk]

I prefer to use my Fl-18 on the bow of my boat. I have the transducer rigged to the trolling motor. I really like the flasher on the front it has become a great tool for me over the years. I do alot of jigging for eyes and the real time response I get is invaluable.

[puckey]

I can't belive that you guys haven't been using your vex's when summer fishing. I have a high speed transducer attached to the sturn of my 18' Lund. It works great, I have a little interferance at only one point on my RPM's. I think it is at about 4200 RPM. Its the only thing I ever use, winter or summer. Better than anything I ever used. And a nother thing is that you sure get good at reading it because thats all you use. Just sent in my Micronar for repair I baught it in 1985, great buy in 85 $150 bucks.

[LOW Lover]

I too use my fl-8 for my bow mount. Early on I had problems with interference, but the fellas from Vexilar told me to ground the starting battery to the trolling batteries (Neg to neg) and I have not had a problem since.

Low