In terms of ice fishing electronics, Ice flashers have long been the go-to equipment for many anglers. The best thing about ice flashers is that they eliminate the need to wait for the right weather to start fishing. They help anglers locate fish instantly regardless of the environmental conditions or water depth. All you need to do is drill a hole and open a waterhole before using the ice flasher in the hole. It will give you an accurate measure of sonar waves and make it easy to identify where fish thrive.
Choosing the right fishing flasher requires more than just worrying about your budget. This post reviews the best ice fishing flashers to get you out there, catching fish with more efficiency. We also discuss crucial factors to help you narrow down your choices.
Best Ice Fishing Flashers Out There
Check out our reviews below and make your pick!
Marcum LX-7 Ice Fishing Sonar System/Fishfinder
The Marcum LX-7 is a popular fishing sonar system that boasts an innovative design and technology. It comes with panoramic 8” LCD screen that delivers vibrant images. The screen has a resolution of 800×600 pixels. There are four color palettes, which you can adjust manually or opt for automatic setting. The adjustable backlight comes in handy, especially if you want to conserve battery life. You get a rechargeable 12V battery and charger.
This unit is powered by a powerful sonar engine that generates underwater pictures quickly and displays them on the real-time screen. The transducer picks up echo readings in less than half a second. A peak to peak power of 4800 watts allows the LX-7 to reach down to 300 feet. Marcum uses Sonar Footprint Technology to provide 3D coverage at any depth.
The sonar has a 0.5” target separation, allowing the unit to distinguish between two objects accurately. You can zoom in on the displayed data in 1” increments or opt for any of the four auto zoom windows.
Another notable feature is the dual beam transducer, which offers 8-degree and 20-degree cone angle options. This makes the flasher a perfect fit for boat and ice fishing. The screen boasts a user-friendly dashboard, allowing you to view crucial information like target adjust, digital depth, gain, battery voltage, range and more. You can adjust the window viewing display to flasher-dial, horizontal graph, vertical zoom, and water-column vertical displays.
Pros:
- Displays sharp and crisp images
- View up to 3 out of 5 window displays at once
- The software of the sonar system is updatable
- User-friendly dashboard and plenty of room for customization
Cons:
- Some customers cited loose battery connectors
MarCum Flasher System M3 Flasher System
The Marcum M3 is an advanced flasher-sonar system that offers a brushless and quiet operation. It gives you a bright and colored definition of the underwater creature. The high-resolution display is backlit for good visibility in low-light conditions. It also has split screen and zoom capabilities. The patented Infinitely Adjustable Zoom feature allows you to zoom anywhere throughout the water column. This unit comes with a 20-degree ice transducer and a peak to peak power of 2000 watts. It offers a target separation of 1-inch four selectable depth ranges of 20, 40, 80 & 160 feet. Accessories shipped with the M3 include an 8’ transducer cable, deluxe padded soft pack, 12V 9amp battery and 3-stage automatic battery charger.
Pros:
- Up to four selectable depth ranges
- TrueColor MBC brushless lighting display
- 20-degree ice transducer performs well
- Interference Rejection technology with 12-step adjustment
Cons:
- Soft pack is not completely waterproof
Marcum LX-6S Sonar System
The Marcu LX-6S Sonar System features a 6″ color LCD screen with access to the user-defined on-screen dashboard. You can view the interference rejection (IR), digital depth, range, target adjust, gain battery voltage and more. You get four multifaceted sonar display LCD windows including widescreen graph, water column vertical, flasher-dial and vertical zoom displays. The 12-volt battery has a long battery time while a deluxe padded soft bag allows for compact storage and portability.
Pros:
- Backed by a two-year warranty
- Includes snow shield faceplate
- Large 6” color LCD screen
- Multiple sonar display windows
Cons:
- Battery connectors are a little loose
Humminbird ICE-55 Six Color Flasher with LCD
The Humminbird ICE-55 is a popular flasher among anglers mainly because it comes with a 6-color fiber-optic display. It allows you to adjust the lighting and color palette for more defined depths. The 5” high definition display makes it easy to read the smallest details. It is backlit so you can read data during the day and at night.
The dual frequency sonar starts giving you details of whatever is happening underwater as soon as the transducer is submerged. Not all anglers like the transducer design because it includes a double system cable. The cables can separate from each other easily since they are connected using rubber clips.
The sonar has a depth capability of 200 feet. It has four and seven adjustable depth scales in manual and auto modes respectively. The 9-degree cone operates at 240 kHz and the 19-degree cone at 455 kHz.
Another reason why the ICE-55 is so popular is its zooming capacity. You can adjust the zoom to view more detailed images. The Interference Rejection Technology helps you knock out interference from roaming creatures or objects underwater. It allows for customization with 10 steps adjustment. This device operates with 1600 watts of peak to peak power.
Pros:
- Long-lasting battery with a 9-hours runtime
- Backlit display for reading under any light conditions
- Works efficiently in low-temperature environments
- 4 manual mode and 7 auto mode depth scales
Cons:
- Doesn’t work well with small jigs
MarCum Flasher System M5 Flasher System
This is another advanced flasher system from Marcum’s M Series. It offers incredibly bright and crisp images of underwater animals or objects and displays them with a high resolution. It has Super Fine Line technology, 2500 watts of peak to peak power as well as patented infinitely adjustable zoom. The Super Fine Line technology enhances target separation to 0.75” and improves the screen resolution. Its precision-tuned dual beam transducer allows you to switch between 8-degree and 20-degree cones. The unit has a 12-step interference rejection system that knocks out noise from nearby flashers.
Pros:
- 2500 watts peak to peak output power
- Four selectable depth ranges
- Dual beam ice transducer
- Enhanced screen resolution and target separation
Cons:
- Difficult to read in extremely snowy conditions
Humminbird ICE-35 Three Color Flasher
The Humminbird ICE-35 is a fairly expensive but effective flasher that features LCD technology. It is designed to work efficiently in sub-zero temperatures and the LCD tech allows you to configure the base of the water quickly. The zoom feature is flexible, making it easy to get a closer look in any area of the water column.
Incorporating a double sonar puts this unit leaps ahead of other flashers. The frequency sonar is selectable while the beam sonar serves as an incentive feature in case you decide to increase the apparatus. You can use the ICE-35 to scan depths of 200 feet and the three color fiber optic display will give you a perspective of the readings.
Pros:
- Three color optic fiber flasher works incredibly fast
- Includes a large display for clear and crisp viewing
- Improved and exemplary performance
- High depth capability of 200 feet
Cons:
- The transducer has too many cords
MarCum M3 Flasher Lithium Combo Black
The Marcum M3 is designed to provide high output power while intelligently managing the wattage work seamlessly with its operating system and precision-tuned transducer. It features a 20-degree ice transducer and a patented 12-step interference rejection system. The 1” target separation excels at identifying schools of crappies and walleye. Other notable features include a 12v battery, patented infinitely adjustable zoom and 2000 watts peak to peak output.
Pros:
- Incredible features at an affordable price
- High peak to peak output power of 2000 watts
- Excellent at identifying bottom hugging fish
- Precision-tuned 20-degree ice transducer
Cons:
- Soft bag not included
How to Choose an Ice Fishing Flasher
Power
The first thing to look for in an ice fishing flasher is power and wattage. Higher power offers better and more efficient performance. It also improves the chances of your fish finder finding fishes that lie deep below the ice surface.
Transducer
This is something you should know about if you’re serious about ice fishing. It is designed to emit sonar waves that bounce off the body of fish and give you feedback in form of a picture on the screen. Consider choosing a flasher with a good quality transducer. Some manufacturers incorporate a transducer holder. In such a case, it’s important to ensure that the holder system can accommodate different transducer sizes.
Portability
You won’t be able to bring the car all the way to your favorite fishing spot. As such, any gear and equipment should be compact and lightweight for better portability. The last thing you need is getting exhausted before you start the actual fishing part of the ice fishing excursion.
Cold weather tolerance
Because you are going ice fishing, choosing a flasher designed for cold weather is certainly crucial. Usual flashers that mount on boasts can get damaged internally if subjected to sub-zero temperatures. Many companies use patented technology to make their products more durable in cold weather. Look for models with low-temperature ice transducers.
Cone size
Be on the lookout for ice flashers that detect what is beneath the surface and around you. Generally, the larger the cone size, the more coverage you will get. This gives you a much-needed advantage while fishing.
Battery
No one wants to go on a fishing excursion if they will spend most of the time charging gadgets just to use them. Go for an ice fishing flasher with a long-lasting battery that will keep you going for extended hours.
Backlit display
Low light is a common issue when it comes to ice fishing and as such, going for a flasher with a backlit display is always a good idea. Speaking of screens, the resolution directly impacts the quality of images displayed.
