Vexilar FL-18 vs FL > 18 ???

snow

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settle down tommy no offense intended,like I said to each your own,heck my buddy uses 20/4 super braid for spring crappies on open water just incase a gator comes along,no problem here
Who the heck uses mono for ice fishing?!?!?!

Arent you supposed to have the gain turned all the way up?!?!?!?!

Maybe some day you will be able to take me fishing with your 1960's technology and teach me a thing or two.
 


Tommyboy

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settle down tommy no offense intended,like I said to each your own,heck my buddy uses 20/4 super braid for spring crappies on open water just incase a gator comes along,no problem here

I should have put some hahas or ::: in there. I figured the ?!?!?!? would note my sarcasm.

:;:cheers
 

snow

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Well after the fireworks last night with trump folks are a little on edge I think,me included,need a little R&R in my shack.
 

MuskyManiac

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I should have put some hahas or ::: in there. I figured the ?!?!?!? would note my sarcasm.

:;:cheers


You pussy, Tom, look at you back-peddle, haha!!!

I do have to say the 28 is far superior as far as being able to see if you do a lot of fishing outside, especially if it's real sunny. My old 20 is junk for outside. In that respect I wish I would have kept the 18. But the shield on the 18 cuts off your view if you're not looking at it perfectly straight, and if it's snowing outside it gets filled with snow. The lens cover would probably take care of that though.

As far as ice fishing line, unless your fishing a lot of panfish I just don't like the stretch of the mono. Superline with a swivel and a fluorocarbon leader is the shit IMO. No stretch, much more abrasion resistant, and with the swivel you have a real good idea when the fish is close to the bottom of the hole and you don't get your lure spinning in front of the fish because of line twist, which can be real helpful when the fish are in a negative mood. Plus fluoro is basically invisible underwater.
 

shorthairman

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settle down tommy no offense intended,like I said to each your own,heck my buddy uses 20/4 super braid for spring crappies on open water just incase a gator comes along,no problem here


Tommy, just give Snow some negative rep and don't sign it...he loves it when people do that...:D
 


Tommyboy

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You pussy, Tom, look at you back-peddle, haha!!!

I do have to say the 28 is far superior as far as being able to see if you do a lot of fishing outside, especially if it's real sunny. My old 20 is junk for outside. In that respect I wish I would have kept the 18. But the shield on the 18 cuts off your view if you're not looking at it perfectly straight, and if it's snowing outside it gets filled with snow. The lens cover would probably take care of that though.

As far as ice fishing line, unless your fishing a lot of panfish I just don't like the stretch of the mono. Superline with a swivel and a fluorocarbon leader is the shit IMO. No stretch, much more abrasion resistant, and with the swivel you have a real good idea when the fish is close to the bottom of the hole and you don't get your lure spinning in front of the fish because of line twist, which can be real helpful when the fish are in a negative mood. Plus fluoro is basically invisible underwater.

Not back peddling. Just clearing up a few things so there is understanding. Im not active on this site to piss people off or try to start fights over the world wide web. There are already enough people on here that do that already.

- - - Updated - - -

Tommy, just give Snow some negative rep and don't sign it...he loves it when people do that...:D

I did the exact opposite! Dont tell MM though. He will call me a pussy again. I need a safe space.
 

Cooz'sCatches

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You cant go wrong with getting any vex. I have been running my for years started with the 8 now run the 20... I do think I will save up to get a helix ducer for my 7 as I have been surround by the hummingbird clan out of my fishing group, might have to join the party.
 

snow

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rough crowd tommy,thanx for the note,I remember the old days using my fl8 outof the shack ,sunny days almost impossible to read the flasher unless we had a small coffee can or vex cone to shield from sunlight,then the 18 came along brighter screen,almost to bright in the shack,eye strain would set in after a few hours staring at it,but enjoyable none the less.
 

njsimonson

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The FL8 and 18 are like the old pre-1995 Jiffy Model 30s, they run forever, get the job done, hardly need any upkeep, and can take a beating, plus you can get them for cheap now with the market flooding in the last decade. I haven't been impressed with the target separation on my FL20, especially along the bottom, but my FLX 28 has good separation and features. Haven't had the issues shooting through the ice with the 28 that others describe. Just a squirt of water on the ice from a bottle and my transducer picks up the bottom just fine.

As always: "Any sonar is better than no sonar. "
 

snow

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Ageed nj,I remember running around the ice searching for structure/fish with a minnow bucket water for the ice ducer,had to have clear ice tho to get a good read,today I found using a small propane torch with igniter works just as good and doesn't freeze on cold days as we move around and easier for the one man horse n pony show out there.
The FL8 and 18 are like the old pre-1995 Jiffy Model 30s, they run forever, get the job done, hardly need any upkeep, and can take a beating, plus you can get them for cheap now with the market flooding in the last decade. I haven't been impressed with the target separation on my FL20, especially along the bottom, but my FLX 28 has good separation and features. Haven't had the issues shooting through the ice with the 28 that others describe. Just a squirt of water on the ice from a bottle and my transducer picks up the bottom just fine.

As always: "Any sonar is better than no sonar. "
 
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Rowdie

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I like to have a 1 L bottle of water, it doesn't take much for the handheld Vex I have.
 

Weekender

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My FL-8SE does everything that I need it to. If I were to upgrade it would be all the way to the Panoptix/LiveScope. Also, braided line with mono leader is the way to do it.
 

Rowdie

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BTW... Scheels has the 18 on sale now for $339.99.

I finally got to see some fish on the sonar, its been pretty dead on OAHE. They were catfish, or at least the three I landed were. It was cool seeming a fish on the sonar and then having it bite and catch it, even if it was a cat.
 

shorthairsrus

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Who the heck uses mono for ice fishing?!?!?!

Arent you supposed to have the gain turned all the way up?!?!?!?!

Maybe some day you will be able to take me fishing with your 1960's technology and teach me a thing or two.

Flasher is 1960s technology. My neck hurts discussing one
 

Rowdie

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I thought the world was in black and white in the 1960's???????
 


snow

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after this thread I used a 28, with pro view ice ducer,didn't care for the 9 degree cone,iffin I would purchase the 28 i'd opt for the tri beam but did like the 1/4" target seperation on the 28 even tho 3/4" on the 18 is really all ya need compared to the older 8's and 12's with 2.5" target seperation which makes it tough reading for bottom huggin walleyes n yellow bellies,also guyz considering a 18 money well spent on a dual ice ducer gives you either a 9 degree cone or an 18 degree cone for shallow water,9 degree is used for deeper water fishing close to another flasher as to not cross cones causing interference,which is a good thing,not sure how the 28 is on interference with your buddy close by but with 1000 watts of power on the 28 i'm sure its a none issue for the 28.

either way as long as you have a flasher of sorts it makes for great fun once you locate fish....
 

all4eyes

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I'm running as 28 now and still have my 18. I'll use the 28 as I like the separation better and I can dim the light. Basically same unit just a few more features. Did buy an iceducer for my helix, so time to see how that works! I'm sure I'll stick with the vex, but mapping will be nice.
 

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