Vexilar FL18

[grousehunter]

Do any of you ice fishing guys use your fl-18 on your open water rig also? If so how do you like it for open water? what would be the advantages of having a nice flasher versus a sonar unit if any? I am most likely buying a boat this weekend and he offered to sell the vexilar with the boat. i guess this is more of an open water question, but figured i would get a lot more response from this part of the forum. Thanks for any opinions of this unit for open water!

Blake

[late night]

I dont use my vexilar on open water but I believe you need a different transducer to convert to open water. It would probably be a nice option to have for vertical jigging over the side of the boat.

[ripstick]

There are 2 different transducers for open water. 1 for transom and 1 for a bow mount. Have used them in summer and they work great on a bow mount for crappies.

[fishcast]

I don't have a nice boat by any means, or money for a nice LCD graph, but I do use my Fl-20 on it and love it. After using it, I don't think I would prefer anything else over it. I haven't seen the real nice LCD graphs up close, and I am sure they show a few things you wouldn't see as easily or as well with a flaher. However, a flasher is real easy to use, and I can find the things I am looking for real easily. It is easy to see bottom transitions, and weeds, along with finding the bottom in thick weeds, or finding pockets in weeds.

[navigator175]

I have a transducer mounted to my trolling motor,and a lowrance graph on the dash.I was going to install another graph up front but needed a flasher for ice fishing anyway.I bought the fl-18 it works great in open water.Super easy install.

[rockman]

Oh yea,you gotta love that bottom lock feature/setting for open water.I use a standard puck transducer mounted to the transom trolling motor, or on a transducer bracket I rigged up with Tite-Lok components.

[Jim Hudson]

Off the bow.. I am all about the flasher.. FL-18 or FL-20 with the transducer puck off the trolling motor.. Real time information while on top of fish or working structure.. Great for vertical jigging over fishes..

Also, they do work great with a transom mount ducer as well.. The FL-18 with it's bottom lock feature seperates this flasher from the rest.. Giving you all around use, for both the summer and winter..

It does take a little time to get use to using a flasher on the boat if you are accustomed to a LCD or TFT display (Lowrance, etc), as the information is real time.. But through use of the flasher on the boat, you will begin to realize its benefits in lieu of a LCD or TFT, or in conjunction with.

[harvey lee]

On my other boat that I sold last season, I ran a FL18 on the bow with a transducer mount and yes, in bottom lock traveling across the lake it worked great. It is as most have stated, great for vertical jigging. I have thought of also putting the FL18 on the bow of my new boat but I already have a unit there now.

Very versatile unit for the boat and ice fishing and the unit works well for both.

[redhot]

i would do it. cause then u can use the fl-18 in the winter time too.

[bigbucks]

Like others have said they will work just fine. I used to use my FL-8 on the bowmount, but when I bought a color depth finder I put my other graph up there. It's personal preference, but I like that better. Granted mine was not an FL-18, but I fished with the old style flashers for years & for the boat I prefer the LCD graph.