zercom LPG on ice vs Vexilar

[Guest]

Ok,.after reading some posts here, I know how popular and well regarded the Vexilar flashers are and since I have never used one I might not fully appreiciate them, but I used a Zercom 2000 LPG on the ice yesterday and was impressed with it. First about real time,..it certainly seemed real time to me,if it wasn't then I don't think MY reflexes could respond fast enough anyway.part of the screen is a fasher mode but the screen seemed as fast on fast speed. .I watched it on bottom lock and could see the sediment kicked up if I let my small jig hit the bottom and the split screen seemed to cover a wide area. I doubt if a fish could be around without me seeing it.The screen seemed bright and clear in the sun and in the dark shelter the back light made it EZ to see. Again, maybe I don't know enough about the Vex in use,..but I can't imagine it any better. (I mounted the screen to a piece of wood and that to a sturdy plastic storage box with a bat. inside and storeage for the tranducer and portable transducer holder that also clips on an arm of this box,..a bullseye bubble on the transducer head makes it EZ to level,..BTW the factory says that this type of screen can be used at very cold temps ,..way below zero,.I know there is a delay in most LCDs but this one seems different. I don't know if these are still available on some clearence sales but I do think it'll be my favorite unit in the summer.

[Guest]

I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD HERE. I HAVE OWNED BOTH THE FL-8 AND THE SAME UNIT YOU WERE USING AND I'D TAKE THAT ZIRCOM EVERYTIME. IT IS JUST SO ACCURATE YOU CAN CALL FISH AS THEY ARE COMMING UP TO BITE. NOTHING WRONG WITH A FL-8 BUT I LIKE THE SENSITIVITY OF MY ZIRCOM.

[smallies24]

I don't think you can beat those zercoms. The only hesitation I have about bringing a graph onto the ice, is doing it without damaging the screen. You can do it, but it takes up more room than a vexilar and isn't quite as nice for running around and checking a new spot out for depths and such. The zercoms have real though and are as sensitive and accurate as just about anything else out there. Just be careful their screens.

Good fishing!
smallies24

[Mille Lacs Guy]

Can you get the ice transducer for the LPG 2000? I have the LPG 2000 and love it in the summer, but I would like to compare it to my FL 8 in the winter.

[Guest]

I don't think they have an ice tranducer for it,..at least the last time I checked,...I did attach it to a portable holder that would attach to your boat gunnel from Bass Pro and made a swing out "arm " to attach it to that,..with a bullseye bubble its easy to level it,...I'm not sure thats as easy as the Vex,..but I didn't think it was a big deal to do.

[loadmaster]

I use the Zercom Color point flasher with a Ice Transducer What can I say LOVE it My two fishing buddies use the VL8 and when not using the house, they have to drag out the can to cover the screen not on Zerc. Also I think the Zerc is way more accurate in both distance and fish seperation

[Guest]

I forgot to mention this in my first post today but I'm using an old Hummingbird 4-ID LCR while fishing for crappies in 35' of water. I bought it the second year they came out so that makes it around 13-14 years old. With the Bottom Lock on, the sensitivity up as well as the screen speed, I can not only see the crappies but my jig/minnows and single split shot on two rods 4' apart. It is absolutely not a big deal to watch a crappie come off bottom and rise to the jig anywhere within the 15' depth shown on the Bottom Lock screen!

[fiskyknut]

4 shades of gray or 3 colors, If you can, use one then make the choice.

Tried and convinced....Fisky

[Guest]

Ed, I'm not sure what you mean. You can see a rising fish on the Zercom. The flasher mode on the rt side of the screen and the scroll is so fast that you see fish rise to your jig,..it looks real time to me (?) BTW did you know that Vexilar is supposed to be comming out (I THINK its already available) a blue insead of green color for those color compromise people.

[Guest]

How do you judge the mood of the fish on a Zercom?

You can not tell if they are coming, or going, just that they might be there.

This is the major benefit of Vexilar technology in comparison to the Zercom units, the ability to monitor the mood of the fish in the beam. This information is critical and will up your catch rate considerably.

Zercom is a very good unit, although somewhat limited in it's overall abilities.

If you are a color perception challenged person the Zercom may be the real deal for you.

Because color blind people seldom can read the Vexilar's changing color properties properly. Although with practice they may be able to detect the with of the bands to determine the moods of the fish.

http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/home.html

------------------
"Ed on the Red"
Backwater Guiding Service
[email protected]
fishingminnesota.com/ed-on-the-red/

[Guest]

Vertical detection is one thing but horizontal acuity is vital to detect the moods of a fish under the ice.

To be able to tell if the fish is turned on or off by your presentation you need to be able to see how it reacts. Vexilar units allow you to see if the fish is closing in or backing off the bait by the signal strength and color bands.

I have not seen a Zercom able to do this yet, unless there is a new model I have missed? Zercom is a very good open water unit in my opinion. I am not bashing Zercom.

I am unaware of a Vexilar units with true blue bands, it is a good idea to have higher contrasting colors. I will ask my factory rep about it, I am interested to know.

I do know we will see more new cool innovations from Vexilar, in the not so distant future, that will amaze people!

Thanks.

Backwater Eddy.......><,,>

Backwater Guiding
Ed Carlson
(701)-281-2300

http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/home.html

[Ely Lake Expert]

I have used the Zercom and Vexilar, and I would have to say I prefer the zercom.

[Mille Lacs Guy]

I think there is some confusion here when people mention "Zercom." The Zercom unit being discussed here is the LPG 2000 or "Liquid Paper Graph." It has a Vertical Flasher on the right hand side. And a "regular" portion of the screen that displays the bottom and fish arcs, etc. The unit is a LCD.

I own the Vexilar FL8 and the Zercom LPG 2000. I use the Vex for ice fishing and the Zercom in the boat.

It does not matter if the flasher is vertical or circular because they utilizie the same concept. The only difference is the Vexilar uses color to determine the strength of the signal return and the Zercom uses lines that have different thicknesses which tell you signal strength. The Zercom also will have different shades of gray for weak or strong signals; a very weak signal will show up as a thin line and light gray, whereas a strong signal will be a thicker line that is black.

So the Zercom does tell you the mood of the fish and how they react to your bait, just in a different manner than the Vexilar. The Zercom flasher is in "real time" just as the vex is. I prefer to use my Vexilar in the Winter because it is set up for ice fishing. I don't think the Zercom has an ice-ducer available so its not as conducive to ice fishing, but I think it would work equally as well if you set it up right. The Zercom does have more power (3200 watts) and has better target seperation than the FL8.

I believe the LPG 2000 is one of the best units available for summer fishing, I had a chance to use the new Lowrance X15 and I'll take the Zercom unit over the Lowrance every day of the week and I'm a huge Lowrance fan.

As for the Zercom Color Point. My fishing partner has one of these flashers. It is just like the Vexilar in that there is 3 colors that indicate strength of signal. This unit has better target seperation than the FL8, but not the FL18. The Color Point is a nice unit, but I went with the FL8 because they have been around for years and are proven.

[Guest]

Thank you Mille Lacs guy,..glad to hear that information! BTW,..for us in the North East,...how do you guys say the name of the lake,..is it said something like millie (like the female name? and locks? I'm guessing its not said exactly like the French would say it (?)