Humminbird Ice 45

[Buckshot]

Hi

New to the Forum and i have fished the Ottawa Valley a fair bit.
I have followed the fish-hawk website for quite a while and finaly joined.

I am looking at buying a flasher for ice fishing and i fish for everything under the sun from panfish, walleye, white fish and lake trout.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the ice 45.

I have done a bit of research and this is the unit i am looking at.

Does anyone have any advice.

Thanks

Buckshot

[Fry Flier]

Well I have a Vex and I quite enjoy it, the difference in fishing with and without electronics is quite substantial.
Hummingbirds Vex and Marcums all alike but all different. I know 3 people with the Hummingbirds 2 with 45's and 1 with a 55 all 3 had vex's before and state that they find the Birds simular but different enough to prefer the Bird over the Vex. If you Venture to the Quintefishing BB and get a chance to talk with hardwaterwalleye, walleyebythepound or skevy
they should be able to fill you in on the Birds.

[toobinator]

Any response from guys that have bought them at my store has been positive. The one feature that most seem to apprecaita is the depth readout at the centre of the screen.

Ed

[RJ]

I own a Vexilar FL20.....Had a buddy out with a Bird 55 the other night....pretty slick unit for sure....the screen is probably 15% bigger than my Vex....I did find it funny that it has a few colour schemes you can use....one is Vex...one is Marcum...and one is prodominently Blue...that is "their" colour....

The only drawback I saw with it was the fact there was 2 cables that go into your ice hole....plus the float.....I'm no fan of that at all.....everyone knows how many fish you lose in your cable....and adding one is making it worse IMO.....on my Vex I've cut the Float off and rarely lose a fish now due to cable issues....not sure you could do that with the Bird....

I don't think you could go wrong with either any of the high end flashers....it is all the same technology....but I'll stick with the company that has been doing it for decades...

RJ

[troutnmuskiehunter]

I'm also looking at the humminbird.....

As far as the cable thing and losing fish go, can you not just drill a hole directly beside your jigging hole and use it solely for the flasher??

[RJ]

Yes you could...but when you are hole hopping within your spread of 20 holes....that means you'd need to drill 40....

[jazman]

I own a Vexilar FL20.....Had a buddy out with a Bird 55 the other night....pretty slick unit for sure....the screen is probably 15% bigger than my Vex....I did find it funny that it has a few colour schemes you can use....one is Vex...one is Marcum...and one is prodominently Blue...that is "their" colour....

The only drawback I saw with it was the fact there was 2 cables that go into your ice hole....plus the float.....I'm no fan of that at all.....everyone knows how many fish you lose in your cable....and adding one is making it worse IMO.....on my Vex I've cut the Float off and rarely lose a fish now due to cable issues....not sure you could do that with the Bird....

I don't think you could go wrong with either any of the high end flashers....it is all the same technology....but I'll stick with the company that has been doing it for decades...

RJ

the second cable is not required. I just run the tranducer cable and kept the "float" cable out of the picture entirely. the only reason is it there is to beat a vexilar patent. if you still really want the float, add it to the main line.

i am very happy with my 55 so far, though i agree it was hard to stray from the tried and true manufacturers

[RJ]

Truth be told Jaz....the Birds werent out when I bought my 20....I may have gone that route....

[MLR]

I don't own one yet, but is there a problem with just pulling it out of the hole while reeling a fish up through the hole to prevent a lost fish?

[jazman]

I don't own one yet, but is there a problem with just pulling it out of the hole while reeling a fish up through the hole to prevent a lost fish?

no problem just easier said than done sometimes. deep water is usually ok but when you are fishing shallow i find the fish have a way of tangling you up easier

making sure your transducer just clears the ice helps a lot.

and RJ - only time will tell and i hope the Bird units prove durable. functionally i love it so now the test of time....

[RJ]

If you have a 3rd arm no problem....

But yes it can be done if your timing is right...

[Tip-up]

I did find it funny that it has a few colour schemes you can use....one is Vex...one is Marcum...and one is prodominently Blue...that is "their" colour....

Vexilar has the blue light conversion too at a fee of $60

http://vexilar.com/pages/support/support_bluelight.html

[1lastcast]

Target Separation: 2-1/2 inch ??? Am I reading this right?

[Buckshot]

Thanks for the input.

I had a chance to check out a Vex, Marcum, the Lowrance Ice Machine and the Humminbird 55.

I liked the Lowrance with the screen i havent used a flasher much so it will take a bit of getting used to but the ice 55 seemed to be the simplest of the units to use, i liked the digital read out in the centre and how the scale automaticly adjusted.

I think the ice 45 will acomplish all that i need so i will post some results when i get it.

I am looking at Radio World as they seem to be the cheapest for this type of product.

Next I will be scoping out a sonar unit for my boat and i am looking at the Lowrance HD 5.

I will move my X65 to the front and go with the HD 5 on the back.

I cant believe how clear the HD screen is on those units and the total output power that they have is unreal.

with my X65 I can follow a 4" tube in 65 feet of water for lake trout. i can only imaging my lake trout hunting on Opeongo will get even better with the power and clarity.

Thanks again for the input.

Has anyone else looked at the Lowrance HD units.

Buckshot