Aqua-Vu or Vexilar?

[ajacsmn]

I just built an 8x8 fish house..my Christmas present to myself. I am looking to add some equipment but frankly don't know which to invest in, the camera or the Vexilar. Any suggestions?

[CatManLee]

I would get the Vexilar for sure. Once you use one, you'll know why. You can do so much more with a flasher. Plus water clarity doesn't matter when using a flasher.

GET THE VEXILAR!!!

[ironman]

I have both and if I had to get rid of one it would be the camera. The camera is fun and lets you see light bites, how fish react to your lure, what type of bottom your fishing over, etc. That is if the water clarity is good enough!! Once you use the Vex and the more you use it you'll be able to tell all of that from looking at your Vex. No better money spent than on a flasher unit!!

[Northlander]

No doubt get a flasher. I would look at a Marcum 1st though. The Marcums are a better unit for the money. No matter what ya do get a flasher before a camera. Cameras only work well in a few lakes around here. Over half the time the camera stays home.

[luv2fish]

This is my first year I am seriously getting into ice-fishing. I was lucky to get a deal on a vex, and have my wife get me a camera for my birthday. Hands down the vex is the one I would not give up. The camera is fun, and lets you see some cool things. But I catch more fish with a good rod (Thorne bros.) and a vex. I love the camera, but I would not fish without a vex.

My .02 cents

[Dan Thiem]

Welcome F.M. ajacsmn, glad you found us. And a very good question!

I have personally fished with both. Although the camera has it's advantages, like watching finiky fish, the flasher is definatley the way to go.

For one, the flasher can tell you if there is fish under you and tell you the the depth you're in. After you learn your flasher, you can sometimes tell what kind of bottom you have.

Also with the flasher you can bring fish up and out of their safety zone. Then watch them follow your bait up.

If I had to make the choice I would say flasher for sure!

[SomethingFishy*]

Go with the Flasher, I just purchased mine a few weeks ago, I went with The Marcum LX3-TC and it is awesome.

[homerj]

Hands down. The flasher. Once you use it on the ice, you'll never fish without it again.

[nluchau]

Vexilar FL-18 is the way to go. I can't speak of the Marcums since I have never used one.

[marine_man]

A flasher for sure... I wondered the same thing when I started fishing - why not get a camera.. that way you can see what you're fishing for, right? Plus, some have the depth information so I've got that covered with the camera too...

But... you can't find out how deep the water is through the ice with a camera, you can't see that big walleye chase your jig from the bottom of the lake to 4' off the bottom, you can't see very much if anything on cloudy / murky lakes (lake of the woods comes to mind)

Plus, you've got the cable down the hole, so when that eelpout grabs your jig and circles the hole 80 times you've got some serious work ahead of you... where as with the flasher you've got a foot or two of cable down and that's it...

I've got a vexilar fl-8 which works great... but I do plan on upgrading at some time in the next couple of years... I'll probably be upgrading to a marcum...

marine_man

[CNY Tim]

Definitely go with a flasher. If your thinking Vexilar FL-18 take a close look at the Cabela's VXR or Ganders GSX awesome units with zoom for a lot less money. Keep an eye out for sales in the STORE SALES section at the bottom of the page.

[Mr. Pike1]

Get the flasher to fish. The underwater camera for a little fun.

[Red]

I recently was in a similiar situation. I bought the camera because a few of my friends have flasher units. I agree eith everyone. The camera is for fun. The flasher is a better purchase. I'm not saying the camera was a bad purchase but when I'm fishing without people who have flashers I'm wishing I had one.

[eyepatrol]

Definitely the flasher first...no question about it. I for one did it all backwards. I first got the camera, then a handheld depth finder, and now I finally got the flasher. It's the first flasher I've ever purchased and have ever fished with for ice fishing. I've said it before and I'll say it again...what was I thinking fishing all those years without a flasher???? Cameras are fun, you can see what the bottom content is, what the fish are and how they react to your presentation, etc. But a flasher tells you those same things...not only that, but it will show you what the depth is and where the fish are at in the water column. With a camera, you'd have to constantly lift and lower it to find out what depth the fish are at...and even then, you may spook them by doing so or you might not even see them. No question about it...get the flasher first. You'll be happy you did. I bought the Cabela's Marcum VXR which is a real nice unit. I wish the wife would have let me get the LX-3tc which has more peak power, zoom levels and better line definition. But the VXR is a nice unit and will serve me well for the next couple of years until I upgrade. Without the flasher unit, I would NOT have caught nearly as many fish as I have been getting this year.

[Zaraspooks]

Go with the flasher. I own both and the camera is fun but once it starts to get dark, I put the camera away and rely on the FL-18. If you have to go with only one, get the flasher.