Vexilar thoughts...

[RosoRiverRat]

Ok, I finally got one of these fancy Vexilars. I fish LOW almost exclusively and just never have gotten one. Well today was my first day using it and I certainly can see why people swear by these things.

I see it's gonna be hard on my heart when I lose my minnow to a big bite and see it on the screen while I scramble to get another minnow on and back down.

I have a few questions though.

How do you guys handle the cord in the hole when you have a fish on? Do you leave it in or pull it out? I'm talking Walleye fishing. I lost a few at the hole today because I was scrambling to get that transducer out and let my line slack a bit. The ice is getting pretty thick plus my permanent is about 6 inches off the ice so it's a good 3 feet of cord or more to get out of the way.

Another thing is the noise they put out. I never noticed it at the stores but it's got a real humm to it spinning around when your all alone on a quiet day. I take it thats normal?

When the fish aren't there it seems useless and just another gadget but whenever one shows up it's worth it's weight in gold. I also noticed I caught more fish on my other line just knowing when a fish is in the area when he left the Vex screen. I limited out today with nice sized Eye's and a couple jumbo Perch.

I can see where using a Vex fishing Crappies or Sunnies would be a huge necessity.

It was also my first time out with my new strikemaster MagExpress 2hp 9" auger. Wow is that thing nice.

Christmas came late at my permanent I guess...

[fiskyknut]

Oh oh you won't be able to fish with out it now!

Pull your ducer out, otherwise alot of fish your pulling up will wrap your line up in your cord. With the weee fish it does'nt matter as much but this will almost come natural after a few dozen more nice fish are lost at the hole.

That annoying racket is normal for Vexilars and drives a person crazy when your more accustomed to other brands that are quiet in comparison. Some Vex loyalists say they can hear when the fish come in though!

You'll never want to fish without a sonar any more and it will for sure help you to ice more fish. Enjoy.

Fisky

[RosoRiverRat]

Thanks Fiskyknut,

When do you pull it out? When they strike or when you are reeling them out?

We should get together some time and fish LOW. I am a fan of your posts and knowledge of the lake. ever go into the Manitoba water?

[fiskyknut]

Depends on the fish and how it and you react but get it out the hole as soon as your able. Kinda reel down so your rod tip is nearer to the hole and then let go your reel hand and pull it out while at the same time lifting your rod steady and slowly to avoid getting that same slack problem you mentioned prior. If you got a buddy with you have him do it if it's a whopper and you need both hands on your rod and reel. You'll get the feel for just when, and you'll get quick and slick with it too after a few dozen fishes.

Well my Dad was US citizen from Roseau and my Mom is a Canadian citizen so I'm just plain lucky. I boycotted all of Canada some years back as far as fishing up there any more. My trips north of the border are only to visit my moms side of the family now and then anymore.

Plenty of fish in the USA for me eh! Thought I read a while back you had your hut sitting out off of Babs road somewhere?

You would'nt happen to be from around the Ross area would you? Saw your last name in an email link and figured you might be. Then seeing that your screen name is 'Rosoriverrat' I figured you maybe belong to the clan of the same name that owns land along the river out that way.....Small world up here.

Good fishing on the Roseau river out that way too.

[basssmasher*]

heres a tip when the fish arent there its not another gadget to bring along, use it to tell you its not where the fish are and MOVE to where they are

[Skyndalive]

I recommend getting rid of that big, clumsy styrofoam flotation device for your transducer. It takes up way too much space in the hole. Just set your transducer so its not quite to the bottom of the ice and then tie it off by wrapping it around the vex handle. In the perm I set it in an eye-bolt that's screwed into the wall. With the cord tight up against the side of the hole, you very seldom with have problems with tangles....Hope this helps....Gregg

[Dan Thiem]

Quote:

---

I recommend getting rid of that big, clumsy styrofoam flotation device for your transducer

---

So true!

[Surface Tension]

If at all possible I'll drill a hole for my MarCum and not worry about pulling it out. Thats not always the case when your hole hoping. Getting rid of the float and let you ducer cable lay on the edge of the hole will help save you from tangles.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Yup. Or, thread an eyebolt into the vex holder. The cord fits through it and the slidy rubber round thing on the cord acts as a bobber stop. Works great.

[LoonASea]

I will also drill an extra hole for the vex in the house ,,, hole hopping I will drill a partial hole maybe 4 inches down next to My fishing hole splash water in it and put my ducer in there ,,works great in clear ice conditions

Randoid

[RosoRiverRat]

Fisky,

No I farm south of Roseau, No relation to the Ross guys, just friends. I had the house out of Babblers but have since moved it out to Buffalo Bay. Besides putting up with the ridiculous restrictions it's been pretty good out there. Kinda funny my mother is a canadian citizen as well, living in the U.S.

Thanks for all the tips guys. I certainly will be trying them. As far as moving when it's not showing fish, that's not an option in my big Permanent. I know everyone these days preaches to be mobile, and I agree, but I like where the house is because the dinner bell seems to ring for them more often then not.

I wonder if a guy could just chisel a little notch along my hole for the transducer a few inches down? My floor plan doens't alllow me to drill a hole right next to it.

How does the Vex keep from picking up what's happening in my other hole just 3 feet away? the beam must be big enough down there to show it?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Quote:

---

How does the Vex keep from picking up what's happening in my other hole just 3 feet away? the beam must be big enough down there to show it?

---

It will depending upon your transducer cone angle and how deep the water is.

The deeper the water, the bigger your sonar cone will be at the bottom.

The bigger your transducer angle (i.e. 20 degree versus 12 degree), the bigger your sonar cone will be, too.

[Dan Thiem]

Another think to keep in mind if you are fishing a ledge or drop off the cone will read the shallowest first. Making it seem like you can sink your bait farther than what the bottom reads. I hope that didn't confuse anybody.

[fiskyknut]

RRR, you should maybe go take a peek at Vexilars HSOforum, Marcums too. There you'll find detailed info as to cone angles, deadzones, and other things pertinent to using flashers of any type.

Hey Dan are you going to try and make it up for some late summer Cattin on the Red this year with me?......Norm dangles a carrot!!!

[Ron Vroom]

I have come up with a method that will work in just about any shelter. Figure out a way to attach a small swivel pulley to a pole, fabric or ceiling of the shelter nearly above the hole but off to the side a bit. Then run a light cord thru the pulley attaching the end to the transducer stop (new replacement vexilar ones have a convenient rubber loop). Give your self enough slack on the other end and tie a loop so you can tie off the other end with a loop around the flasher some place. Then when you get a fish on, pull down on the flasher end and the iceducer will pop out of the hole and swing to the side where you can let it go and deal with your fish.

[Scott M]

Nifty idea.

[OldBear]

Congratulations on the new equipment. Pull the transducer out of the hole when you've got a fish on and also I use the I bolt that comes with it and screw it into the front then when I've got enough cord out pull it over to the vex over to the side and use the float for the stop on top of the bolt. The noise is normal.