Unorthadox vexilar

[Guest]

I have read a lot about the vex advantage on this sight and am considering getting one. I fish for pike here in Alaska. The problem is I usually dont fish in water over about 20 feet deep and catch most pike about 5 or 6 feet under the ice, (4 feet plus ice in to the latter part of winter).

The cone angle seems such that I am not going to see much for fish . I was woundering if any one has used the vex transducer in the water looking horizonally. I don,t know if this would work looking horizontal through the water with the ice above and the structure below? Any one ever tried this. I was thinking I could have a second hole aways from the one I am fishing. Not sure how long the transducer cable can be though?

Also will the vex read through 4 feet of ice? Well enough to see fish or just to check water depth before drilling. Ruined two sets of lazer blades last year drilling into gravel.

Thanks for any info. Love this sight.
Iceworm

[Valv]

Iceworm, check this link

http://www.vexilar.com/help/tips/tip006.html

It's from Vexilar, it explains how much coverage you have with a sonar. Wether it's Vexilar or other brands, you cannot see much in very shallow waters, due to the coverage area which is very restricted. I know I can see bottom on sonar if I put it on clear ice, it works better if I wet surface, I usually dip trandsucer into minnow bucket. I tried up to 2ft of ice with no problem, I cannot guarantee if you can see fish through it, but the bottom will show up. Regarding looking horizontally it should be no problem theoretically, but I never tried, I sometimes angle tranducer (a lot) to see if there is fish beyond below my spot, and it works great. I tried this not only with a Vex but with a Garmin 160 rigged up, Eagle 128, and Zercom Clearwater. All 4 did show bottom from above ice if water was used.

[This message has been edited by Valv (edited 12-08-2002).]

[Guest]

You can lower the ducer and cord past the hole and swing it like a pendilum to scan horizontally.

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[Guest]

Iceworm,
I understand that commercial carp fishers aim their transducers horizontaly. This "sidefinder" technique has a rub though. The sonar will only mark until the sonar cone contacts the waters surface and then it will only mark to that point. If the ice is milky or has air bubbles and reflects the sonar back to the transducer it will only mark to that point. In other words the bottom of the ice may act as the surface of the water. I could be wrong on this but I think I'm basically accurate.

[Fishbitten]

I saw as a tip from one of this sites links that you can use it as a side finder, like prevously mention there are still constraints.Eat what you keep let the rest go!