Hotspotoutdoors

I am fairly new to ice fishing and know that I need to buy a vexilar. I have fished with a friend who has a FL-8. I only get out about 15-20 times a year, with one trip "North" per winter. Mostly fish prairie pothole lakes with depths of not more than 20 ft.

I did a little research on the Fl-20 and it looks very nice, but do I need that much?

What is the difference between the blue pack and the pro pack/ultra packs, etc...?

What about transducers? What is standard, explain the differences between a 9 degree and a 19 degree (and in between).

Are factory reconditioned a good way to cut cost, or does their tend to be a sale at the end of the year?

Thank you in advance.

I think you are opening a can of worms here...

I have an FL-18 and it works great...(except withing 10 feet of my buddys FL-12 even with the ir on.) thats about All I can offer. So many choices, and personal preferences its tough to say no to a 20 especially if its on sale!

An Fl-8 will do just fine. After that the Fl-18 or the FL-20 are sure nice to have. I had an 8 and upgraded to an 18, because I wanted the zoom feature on the bottom. The 20 has a few more extra features. It is all a preference as to what you want. Watch around you can find a used one for a good deal, or the reconditioned ones are a good option. The blue pack, pro pack, and ultra are all different options with the genz tray(blue pack) or tack box and rod holders. all the machines do the same, the just offer other perks depending on the package. Good luck on your purchase.

I think trying to find an fl-18 or 20 that is reconditioned or on sale is your best route. The fl-8 and 12's are nice, but you don't save a ton of money over the upgrade IMO and the features are worth paying for. You generally don't save a ton on used ones either because they have such a good reputation, so looking for a deal on a new one at this time of year is a good bet.

I got the Fl20 Ultra pack and love it. Whatever you chose I am sure you will get enjoyment out of having it as well.

you don't need a "vexilar" you need a "flasher"

you should get the kind that says "MarCum" on it.

Vexilar, MarCum, and Hummingbird make good flashers.

If you are getting an fl-8 though you should get a vx-1 or vx1-p instead

Don't limit yourself just to Vexilar. Look at all the brands, do a comparison sheet of the ones that fall into your price range, and ask people who have each one you are looking at. I did this when I bought my flasher. I could spend $300, so I looked at the Vexilar FL-8, the MarCum VX-1pro, and the Humminbird ICE-35. I compared each of their features. The MarCum and the Humminbird to me blew the Vexilar out the water. I bought the Humminbird mostly because of the dual-band transducer and have been very pleased with the purchase, but would have been just as happy with the MarCum.

If you are thinking of going the FL18/FL20 route, I'd skip that, save $200 and get the MarCum VX1 Pro. You'll get the bottom zoom, a true 3 color display, great interference rejection, and the soft case. IMO it is the best value out there.

Sounds like the MarCum VX1 Pro is a good product for the money. Any concerns with this "flasher", or will it fit the needs I originally described?

How long does the charge last? Does it come with a charger? Where can these be found for the $200 price? Anyone looking to sell a used one of these? Does MarCum sell these as reconditioned, like vexilar (with the warranty)?

I see your location is SW MN I was just in Sportsmans Warehouse in Sioux Falls they have the MarCum VX1 pro on sale for right around $250 and the LX3 for $375. Pretty good deals on both IMO. They also had a few Vexs but I didn't look too closely on the price of those.

If I were you, I would go for the fl-8 or 18 if you only get out once in a while. Both will catch tons of fish and they aren't as much as the 20's. With that being said, the fl-20 is still an excellent flasher.

I love my FL-8's, and will be using them for years to come. Other people love their Marcums, Humminbirds, etc.

The bottom line is a flasher will help you catch fish, any brand.

As much as you fish, I'd recommend whatever you can get the best deal on. Vexilar, MarCum, Humminbird all make darn good products.

An FL-8 would work just fine for fishing those shallower lakes. An FL-18 is a great flasher though,and if it was me, I would probably try to scrounge up a few extra bucks to go that route or those MarCum's are nice though. Check out the different brands, prices & features and go with what YOU think is the best unit.