鲜花( 238) 鸡蛋( 12)
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A few things to consider if you want a dual purpose ice/open water fish finder.$ @. I1 }. x5 l, k. Q( j, L( G
. g7 T0 F) w9 n+ c6 _5 \+ nFirst: GET A COLOUR UNIT!
8 @0 N. [" w/ s9 n7 v' s: y8 ]$ EAsk yourself this: would you buy a b&w TV today, even if it was really cheap?9 ^- }" ]8 i9 p! t/ }2 O+ K! l
I thought not. But it not just eye candy that comes with colour. You get much much better full sun viewing with a colour unit and the viewing angle blows the b&w units off the water.
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, \! q$ a* a3 RSecond: Get a unit that has a FLASHER MODE! If you've never ice fished (or vertical jigged for that matter) with a flasher, you have missed out on one of life's guiltiest pleasures. The graph mode works well too, but there's nothing like the immediacy of fishing with a flasher. The lines come together: you feel the bite. The fish comes up to the bait, but then turns away: Tease em into coming back and biting your jig. Adjust, adapt, HARVEST! You really have to try it to know what I'm talking about. Once you do, you will never want to fish without electronics again. SERIOUSLY!( K: u s0 b7 b1 y0 [& ~
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Third: built in GPS is a huge advantage. Save your open water hot spots all season and go right back to that drop off in January when the lake is frozen solid. Mapping GPS holds a distinct advantage over just a dot on a blank screen but both will do the job. Mapping GPS requires that you get a unit with a card slot so that you can use Mapping software. Navionics is getting better and better for Alberta lakes, but the opportunity now exists For around a $1000. to make your own high def maps that are unmatched by anything you can buy commercially.
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7 D8 l/ c8 P# f6 u$ L( ?! WSo where does that leave us? Well at around 400 bucks to start, that's where. So who are the contenders? Well the Humminbird 385ci portable http://www.thedigitaloasis.com/HUMMI..._term=407710-1 has to be on everyone's list, as does the new Lowrance elite 4 http://www.thedigitaloasis.com/Lowra...1_p_18882.html Both of these units are great but the screen size is too small for my tired eyes. I personally wouldn't go for anything less than a 5 inch screen and if you're going there, I would have a serious look at the Lowrance HDS-5. at $699. Buy a 12 volt gel battery and a lunch box and make yourself a portable unit second to none. Spend a few bucks and get a unit that will last you a lifetime: Just say'n |
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