ShowDOWN Flasher Review

[magic_minnow]

hey all! I've read some topics on the flasher, but havent really come across an in depth personal review of the flasher. here goes.

I bought a showcase flasher a few weeks ago and have been using it about 3 times a week. IMHO it's actually not a bad flasher for the price. Of course i'd rather have a FL-20 anyday, only if i could afford one though. Outfished my buddies who had a FL-18 and a VX-1. Got a little interference, but play with the controls a bit and you can change frequencies. It handles well against a FL-18 in the same shack.

I've havent had any major problems w/ it. ALthough I do have to say that the fabric case it comes in is kinda cheesy, but it does the job. Am looking into modding the case somehow.

I like the digital vertical graph, and the zoom on the showcase is prettty sweet. Instead of just zooming to the bottom like a VX-1, you can zoom anywhere on the water column. Let it be you're marking suspended fish at 15 fow and want to zoom to that 15 fow mark.

It has an ICE mode that warms the LCD screen. I have not had any issues with this at all, and it performed well on LOTW this wkend w/ no freeze ups.

MY only complaint is when i fished the Croix, it wouldnt read my jig well when it dropped to around 20 fow. Maybe the current I dont know, but the fl-18 wasnt doing much better as well.

All in all: great unit for the price (i got it for 250.00). I'm a budget minded angler, i'd like an fl-20 just as much as the next guy, but at the price the fl-20 just doesnt cut it for me. Easy to use controls, long lasting battery life (has not gone out once, even on ICE mode), short charge time, easy to read vertical graph and the "delay" isnt all that bad. If at all! Most of the time when a fish looks at your jig, i'm looking at my spring bobber anyway. IMO, these digital sonars will only be getting better. Hats off to the manufac.

>- MAGIC _ MINNOW - >

[broman]

I think you meant "Showdown". Good review.

[Ed Carlson]

What...did they change the name yet again?

[magic_minnow]

SHOWDOWN. for some reason i'm always saying SHOWCASE. [PoorWordUsage] THAT DREW CARY!

[PerchJerker]

Thanks for the review, that's a lot of good info. Most of the people I know using the Showdown have been VERY happy with them, especially when you weigh the price you pay against the performance you get. I like how compact and light the Showdown is too.

Showdown

[KG243]

how do they work for deep water? say for lake trout fishing

[deadeye]

I used my Dads for crappies over 40 fow and it did fine. The zoom worked pretty good at getting better detail.

[magic_minnow]

It does well in Deep water. I have that problem on the croix, but i also have the same problem with the fl-18. The croix is unique that it has a little current, that may be the culprit.

fyi: i put my showdown to the ultimate test last night on WBL. We had 4 guys in a port and there was a vx-1, and 2 fl-18's going on, my showdown was the only one w/o interference. We were only fishing in 10fow.

KG243: i havent tried it for lakers, but I do fish for rainbow trout. Trout are tricky in the fact that they cruise the lakes. THey don't "hang out" so to speak. So with any flasher its hard to fish for em, they will just appear at any depth at any time.

[aanderud]

Thanks for the review.

No matter what flaser you are using, if you are in deep water in current, you'll want to try putting your flasher in a separate hole a few feet downstream from the current, so that your jig will be closer to the middle of the sonar cone.