Wow we are making ice fast with these temps.  Normally the Dream Shak sits idle in my driveway waiting patiently for enough ice to get out on the lake, which is usually well after Christmas.  I can see that despite a warm November we are making up for it fast in the ice department.  Last night I spent the night checking all the supplies and testing out all the electronics in the Dream Shak to make sure I am ready to hit the ice before Christmas. After a brief inspection and the addition of some basic food items the unit is ready to see the ice.

For those that are not familiar with www.dreamshak.com it is worth your time to check them out.  If you are one that is still sitting with both a camper and wheelhouse in your yard, it is time to look at the combination of both, essentially the best of both.  Although this will be only my 4th year with a Dream Shak it is hard to imagine ice fishing without one now.

I guess I can imagine fishing without one still but I know my family certainly can not.  My kids have grown up fishing out of a Dream Shak and that is what they know of ice fishing. It is great to see how excited the kids are when they hear we are going to be spending a weekend on the ice.  Just like some families go camping in the summer or to a hotel for a weekend to get away, Our family takes the Dream Shak and hits the ice.  The Dream Shak may not have all the benefits of a weekend at the hotel but with a Microwave, Direct TV, Playstation and multiple underwater cameras, I would argue it is pretty darn close.

Yes, I am excited it is ice season and I am really looking forward to getting the Dream Shak out!  At last check I found 11 inches on the first lake the Dream Shak will be parked on.  While that was enough for my Truck I will wait until next week to pull the Dream Shak out.

I knew if I started a topic like this it would get people to dig out their ice fishing gear and test it and apparently it did based on the questions I have been getting.  Despite being sponsored by Humminbird I have run just about every flasher out there and tested them all so I will do my best to answer any questions and the best part is you are going to get the honest answer here!  So lets get right into the questions.

Erik from Elk River, MN bought his first flasher in March (congrats) and getting it out to use if for the first time.  He bought a MarCum LX-5 and can't get his SFL or Super Fine Line to work.  He says it goes on all the time while in zoom but never any other time.

SFL or Super Fine Line in a MarCum LX-5 is designed to improve target separation without the need to use the Zoom mode. SFL should always be illuminated while using the Zoom but should also be able to be selected at any time while using the unit while not in Zoom.  If the only time you get the SFL button illuminated is when you are in zoom your unit is not working property and will need to go in for service if you want to use the SFL feature.  If the turn around time on your unit is going to be long I would wait until after the season as the feature is not necessary for the unit to function properly

The next question came from Chad in Minneapolis, MN and he is wondering if his Vexilar is working correctly.  He says when he turns his gain to zero he is still getting a bottom reading while testing the unit on the floor. 

Not knowing which Vexilar unit Chad is running this can be tough to answer but I believe all Vexilar units work the same in regards to this.  I do not believe you are able to adjust the Gain low enough on a Vexilar unit to get a zero bottom.  Essentially you can not turn the unit "down" enough to eliminate the bottom.  Both MarCum and Humminbird units are able to zero the bottom by turning the Gain to zero, this is the reason you do not need a low power mode with a Humminbird or MarCum units.  My guess is your Vexilar is working fine, that is just one of the draw backs of that unit.

Great questions, keep them coming.  Anyone else that has a question feel free to send them in to Steil@meltel.net  I can't answer every question on the Blog but I do try to answer every email I get.

If you are like most you pulled out your ice fishing flasher this week and got it ready for the ice.  Again, like most you put your charger on your unit and are ready to hit the ice.  After all ice fishing flashers are fairly simple machines.  There are not a lot of working parts to worry about and for the most part are very reliable.  Here are a few issues you may encounter when preparing your electronics for the upcoming ice season.

Good old dead battery issue.  For the most part the batteries used to power most flashers are cheap and lose their life over time.  Depending on how you care for your battery this time will vary greatly.  I prefer to put a full charge on my batteries and then add a charge to the battery mid year while they are sitting on the shelf.  Just doing this will go a long way to adding life to the battery.

If you go to power your unit up and you get nothing, well odds are your battery is dead.  There is also a good chance that if your battery has been dead all summer, your battery is shot.  Also, if you have a MarCum unit that still has a DCS charger connected to it and your battery is dead, it is shot.  The best thing to do with any flasher is disconnect everything from it when you store the unit for the summer.  So, if you have a dead battery or one that will only take an 80% charge, I would look at investing in a new battery to start the year.

Test your transducer!  There is nothing more important to a flasher than your transducer.  Your flasher is only as good as the information it receives from the transducer.  Test your transducer on a hard floor by hanging the transducer about a foot off the floor and testing the return signal in air.  Your unit should get a nice return signal through the air.  This is also a good way to verify that your transducer is hanging straight.  Both are critical to flasher performance.  Over the years I have found that 90% of the problems with flashers are the result of a poor transducer.

So you finally get out ice fishing and are getting frustrated because you have to use to much Gain to see your jig.  You are getting tons of interference that you don't remember seeing in the past.  You can hardly see your jig once it get deeper than 10 feet.  Guess what, see the paragraph above, your transducer is shot!  I can't stress enough how important it is to protect your transducer.  I personally always carry an extra transducer and use padding to protect my transducers on long ice trips.

A bad transducer and poor battery are the two biggest flasher issues you will run into.  They result in nearly all the flasher questions I get.  Yes, there is the occasional technical issue but for the most part most of your problems will be related to your battery or transducer.  So, lets hear what other flasher problems you have.  Email me at Steil@meltel.net with some of your ice flasher issues, I just may be able to help.

It must be that time of year.  Ok, I know it is that time of year.  It seems I usually roll right from deer hunting to ice fishing which means the flasher questions start rolling in.  Out of all the fishing questions I get in a year the topic of ice electronics is always number one.  That may be for several reasons but mainly because before someone spends their hard earned money on electronics they want to make sure what they are buying is the best unit for them.

I have been doing this ice fishing thing for a long time now.  The reason I say it like that is because there are a lot of readers are scared to take the first step into ice fishing and have no idea what a flasher is.  On the ice, a flasher is your best friend.  A flasher or sonar is that little unit that sits next to you that shows you if there are fish down there and how deep it is.  In addition, it shows you weeds, type of bottom and many other more advanced things.

I am not afraid to admit that if I forget my flasher at home, I will turn around and go get it.  For me personally it is not worth fishing without one.  I know there are many that will read that and say "what?".   But, when I am on the ice whether guiding, relaxing or entertaining the family, I want the chance to be successful and that is hard to do without a flasher.  For me it would be like going deer hunting without a gun or bow.  Just not a good plan.

So, if you are looking at taking that first step this year and purchasing your first flasher, well I suggest you read back on my site as well as gather all the info you can on the internet before you go purchase.  I am not saying the good folks at the stores that sell the products don't know what they are talking about, but I am saying their training and experience is limited.  Do your research on the internet and become an informed purchaser before you go spend that hard earned money.  Or, better yet, email me your questions just like many others do and I will give you the honest truth.

We covered what was new from Minn Kota, so what is new from Humminbird?  Well, how about upgrades to the popular 300 Series fishfinders.  The Humminbird 300 Series fishfinders now offer features unique to any compact unit currently being offered on the market.

Many of the 300 Series units will now come with an SD card slot which allows you to upgrade cartography as well as record fishing spots.  In addition, the 300 series Combo units will be able to run GPS mapping software in addition to the UniMap cartography that comes standard with the unit.  The addition of the SD card slot really enhances the navigational features of the unit in addition to allowing you to save waypoints and screen shots of fishing spots.

In addition to the SD card slot, the all new 300 Series models feature Humminbird's exclusive new SwitchFire Sonar that provides two unique viewing options.  In Clear Mode, SwitchFire allows the software to filter through returns and display only fish and structure, providing the angler with a clean crisp, uncluttered screen.  This mode works especially well in shallow or rough water to reduce undesired sonar noise.  In Max Mode, SwitchFire allows you to see amazing detail that includes even the smallest subsurface objects as well as the thermocline and water current.

Included in the lineup of new 300 Series models are three with built-in GPS antennas and SD card slots: the 385ci Combo, 385ci Combo Portable and the 365i Combo which is a monochrome unit.  In addition, there are three models without GPS capabilities or SD card slots: the 345c and 345c Portable with color displays and the 325 monochrome display unit.

If you want more info on any of these new units you can check out www.humminbird.com or email me and I can direct you to the info on these units.

Quite often I get asked "so what is coming out that is new?"  Whether people are in the market to buy or not, they like to know about the new technology coming out.  I try very hard to keep up on the new items coming out, specifically from the companies that I work with.  You just never know when that next invention will come down the pipeline giving you that edge you have been looking for.  Here are a few new things that you will see on the market in the coming days.

Recently Minn Kota introduced the i-Pilot, a trolling motor control system which utilizes GPS technology to automatically navigate and position the boat for anglers.

The i-Pilot integrates GPS technology into Minn Kota Terrova, PowerDrive V2, Riptide ST or Riptide SP bow-mount trolling motors.  This creates a new level of versatility for the anglers and offers several features that have never before been available on a trolling motor.

The Record a Track feature allows an entire fishing track, up to two miles in length to be stored.  The Spot-Lock feature works as a electronic anchor by keeping you the boat on a specific spot by engaging the trolling motor as needed.  The Cruise Control feature keeps real-time on-the-water boat speed in one-tenth mile-per-hour increments.

These are just of few of the features included with the i-Pilot which is available as an add-on feature.  For more info visit www.minnkotamotors.com

Also new from Minn Kota is a new line of Precision Charge (PC) On-Board Battery Chargers which feature digital technology and utilize high frequency charging.

With high frequency charging technology, the overall size of the PC On-Board Chargers is reduced, and the weight is cut in half compared to traditional on-board models.

This charging technology provides low-line voltage compensation to give full-rated output at low AC input voltages.  That means no compromise in overall battery recovery time.  Like all Minn Kota on-board chargers, the PC Chargers feature fully automatic three-state charging...bulk, absorption and maintenance.

While I was out prefishing for the FLW Lake Winnebago Tournament I got an important email.  This is an email I have been waiting for many years.  As most that visit the blog regularly know I run Humminbird electronics in the summer as well as on the ice in the winter.  In addition, I use LakeMaster's computer software year around as well as on the ice.  The email I was waiting for was that my Hummibird GPS units will now be compatible with LakeMasters ProMap High Definition Map which Includes ProMap High-Definition Lakes in seven (7) states and Ontario, Canada.

LakeMaster is proud to announce the release of the all new LakeMaster-Humminbird Digital Chart Series. This new product will be available for all new (2010) 700, 900 and 1100 series Humminbird GPS units. Software upgrades that will allow some older Humminbird units to be compatible with LakeMaster products will be available late this year.

The famed accuracy of LakeMaster lake maps will soon be available on the next generation of Humminbird GPS Plotters. LakeMaster will be releasing products for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa/Illinois, Dakotas and Ontario (Lake of the Woods/Rainy Lake).

LakeMaster-Humminbird Digital SD™ Cards will be conveniently preloaded with the latest ProMap high-definition lake detail for each of the six regional products. Each Humminbird specific product will be enhanced with hundreds of public lake maps, rivers and a complete state wide road map showing cities, counties, all major/minor highways down to complete street level detail and much more. 

For those of you that have enjoyed the benefits of LakeMaster's Software and Humminbirds Graph and GPS technology over the years, now you get to enjoy them together, and I know I will!

Occasionally I will be doing a part called Key To Success, which will focus on using the technology that is available to succeed on the water.  Obviously the technological advances in fishing over the years have been amazing but for some they are still hard to grasp.  Fishing professionally requires you to be at the top of your game all the time and part of being at the top of your game is utilizing the technology available to your advantage.

Recently while fishing Leech Lake I established a pattern for finding big fish that would bite.  The big fish were staging on the deep sand breaks and then feeding on the many inside turns on these deep sand breaks.  After figuring out a pattern where the fish were holding I was able to use my LakeMaster Contour Pro PC Mapping Software and look for other spots that looked like the area I was finding fish.  Pictured above is a typical deep sand break on Leech with an arrow showing an inside turn that held fish during the tournament.  By utilizing the Contour Pro Software on my lap top computer I found 8 spots that were producing big fish prior to the tournament.

The LakeMaster Contour Pro software has over 235 lake maps from many of the popular lakes across Minnesota ( I have the MN version, other states are available).  Many of the lakes are mapped with 1ft contours.  Because this is a computer program you are able to zoom in and print maps of those spot on the spot areas you want to try complete with the GPS coordinates for that spot.

If you have not looked at Contour Software for your state I suggest you check out www.lakemap.com  I could not do what I do without an accurate make and LakeMaster does it best.  Utilizing LakeMasters PC Mapping Software is definitely a Key to Success for me and helped me with my top 10 finish on Leech Lake.

If you fish or spend any time in the outdoors, when you think of quality sun glasses instantly Costa Del Mar comes to mind.  I have been wearing Costa's for the last 10 years I can say they truly make a difference no matter what you are doing.  Today I want to officially welcome Costa Del Mar as a sponsor here on the Blog.

I spend countless hours a year fishing both the ice and open water.  After having Lasik Surgery about 10 years ago I learned the importance of a good pair of sun glasses.  After lasik surgery my eyes would really hurt after spending a day on the water or ice. Wearing glasses all my life I did not realize just how hard reflected sun light off the ice or water is on your eyes.  It was at that time that I bought my first pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses.  Over the years I have owned several different pairs and I wear them all the time now.  From driving, fishing, golfing, scooping live bait or doing anything outdoors, I don't go anywhere without my Costa's.  I only wish I would have known Costa Del Mar makes prescription sun glasses back when I wore glasses!

I am very excited to have Costa Del Mar as a site sponsor.  Costa has a huge selection of frames to meet anyone's needs and Lenses unmatched in the industry.  If you want to read more about Costs Del Mar's full line of frames and many different lenses I suggest you check out www.costadelmar.com Whether you choose the Costa 580, Costa 400, LightWAVE or CR-39 lenses it is important to understand why you should choose the right lens to meet your particular needs.  Not all sunglasses are the same and after doing a lot of research I found out that Costa Del Mar is the best in the industry for a reason!

I would like to welcome a new sponsor, Off Shore Tackle Company, LLC.  Many of you that follow my Blog know we talk a lot about trolling.  We have covered open water trolling, contour trolling and still have a  lot more to talk about.  If you are not familiar with Off Shore Tackle, they make many of the products I use in the boat on a daily basis.

Off Shore Tackle is very well known for their Planer Boards, they simply make the best in the business.  Almost every touring pro I know uses Off Shore Planer Boards.  In addition to Planer Boards, Off Shore Tackle makes Snap Weights, Releases, Downrigger Releases and a full line of Planer Board Accessories.  Also, this year they have released a new mini planer board that I will be using a lot this season.

You will be hearing a lot about the many different Off Shore Tackle products over the summer as there are not many days on the water that I am not using something from Off Shore Tackle.  I am very happy to have them as a site sponsor and if you would like to check out all the products them make you can check them out at www.offshoretackle.com If you have any question in regards to any of their products please feel free to ask or email me directly.