How to Read a Flasher? Basic and Advanced Modes Explained - Ice Fishing Sonar

Ever wonder how to use a flasher for ice fishing? This video is a quick way to show you how to use one and some extra tips to get you more fish on the ice
Using an ice fishing sonar (flasher) can be confusing at first. In this video, How to Read a Flasher? Basic and Advanced Modes Explained - Ice Fishing Sonar, you will learn the basics as well as some advanced features to assist you being more efficient on the ice.
This video is using a Marcum sonar but, can be applied to all ice fishing sonars.
After placing the transducer into the water, set the RANGE dial to 20. If there is no return, move to shallower water or, turn RANGE dial to 40 or 80 until you see color on the flasher. (You should have the GAIN know set to about 4-5 to start).
Once a thick bands of color are seen, the part of the thick band of colors near the lowest number on the graph is the lake bottom.
Dropping a lure in the hole will result in the angler in seeing a small color moving clockwise as the lure drops. Setting the GAIN knob to a setting where the lure is a yellow color and is as thin as possible while still being seen. This is the optimal setting in most inland lake fishing.
Colors (for Marcum, check your manual for color meaning):
RED - Hard return. This can be sand or rocky bottom. This can also be fish that are near the center of the transducer.
GREEN - Medium return. This is often fish that are a few feet from the center of the transducer. Green can also mean that there are weeds off the bottom (especially if there is a thick red mark at the bottom of the green.
YELLOW - Weakest return. This is often fish near the edge of the transducer cone or thin weeds. A sudden appearance of yellow is most often a fish.
FISH: If the transducer is still and there is a mark moving from yellow-green-yellow, this is a fish moving in and out of the transducer range. If this mark changes to red, the fish is under your hole and hopefully looking to bite your lure.
For upgrades, lithium battery is my recommendation. They are lighter, charge faster and last longer on the water. Cold weather affects lithium far less than you standard SLA (sealed lead acid) batteries. I been using Amped Outdoors 12ah in the Marcum and it has lasted during many long days fishing.
ampedoutdoors.com/products/12...
Link to Eurotackle Plankton: www.eurotackle.net/products/p...
If you have any question, feel free to comment below and I will answer them!!! Thank you for watching.

[@HobieWanKenobi]

Comment below what ice fishing electronics you are using!!!

[@user-ji7lj2fb9m]

very helpful video. Thank you!

[@HobieWanKenobi]

I am glad it was useful for you

[@kadenheiner1136]

Appreciated the breakdown! No electronics yet, but looking at getting into something like MarCum.

[@HobieWanKenobi]

Once you get it down, it is game changing. I can open water fish without electronics, ice fishing is a different story. Doesn't take long to get it down.

[@rockymntdan1]

My advice, (and I used to own an LX5 and liked it): sell the flasher and get a garmin striker 4 plus. Run it in traditional mode with A-scope. MUCH better than any flasher.

[@E6ABHnavy]

would it be beneficial to drill a second hole right next to the fishing hole for the transducer?

[@HobieWanKenobi]

It can be, especially with deeper ice. I like to save battery on my auger by only drilling one hole for flashers. Livescope requires 2 holes most times.

[@rockymntdan1]

My advice, (and I used to own an LX5 and liked it): sell the flasher and get a garmin striker 4 plus. Run it in traditional mode with A-scope. MUCH better than any flasher.

[@HobieWanKenobi]

I run this Marcum with a Garmin LiveScope. I don't mind using the Marcum when using the Garmin to find fish. I got this unit for dirt cheap so, I figured worth keeping as a second unit.

[@pfriderfan]

You never really explained it. Or showed where your lure was on the screen. Or if the bottom was at 10 feet. Why all the color and lines beyond the bottom depth?

[@MrLarrypad]

He got some info in the description on it.

[@HobieWanKenobi]

I go into a little more detail in the description. I wanted the video to be short. I originally had every piece of info in the video and it was edited to about 22min. I addressed the most common questions people had. Very little questioned where there lures were. The lure will usually be a yellow mark as you drop it down. If you see a line that is moving toward the bottom as your lure is descending, that's your lure. I talked about the bottom and how I find the bottom of the flasher the shallowest part of a huge color band is usually the bottom. Exception would be weeds.

[@DruFishing]

What rod/reel is that ?

[@HobieWanKenobi]

Mags Power Noodle

[@arnemueller2112]

Well….in my waters ice fishing is forbidden. Nevertheless….thanks for the gear explanation Hobie!

[@HobieWanKenobi]

Ice fishing can be dangerous if precautions are not taken.

[@Monocle13]

Nope ice fishing is not for me I'm a warm weather fisherman

[@HobieWanKenobi]

Gotta make due when winter is about 5 months long by me 😂

[@Monocle13]

@@HobieWanKenobi I hear that I'm in Illinois our winters are rough. I just can't take the cold anymore.

[@HobieWanKenobi]

Those "southern winters" are worse I think. Wetter conditions and frequent ice makes it dangerous

[@briankeery1]

Useless