Outdoors Angle: Ice Electronics

The Flag Outdoors Expert Steve Carney has your weekly Outdoors Angle right here!

     One of the biggest factors in ice fishing success is the ability to interpret your on-ice electronics. There are so many brands with lots of bells and whistles that it really takes time on the ice to master the art.

     I get asked a lot about how much to spend and it really comes down to how serious are you and how much time will you actually spend on the ice. I suggest an entry level unit around 300.00 to start with and then upgrade later. You can spend 800.00 very easily and have features that you will never use. The common feature on all of these units is that they show fish equally.

     I tell anglers to "read the book !" Most anglers never take the time to read the manuals but they are chock full of tips to help you figure the unit out.

     The most important feature on any of these on-ice units is the sensitivity button. When in shallow water, the sensitivity should be set at around 1/4 and then increase the sensitivity to 1/3 when in deeper water. You want just enough gain to show your bait in a small red line. Not enough sensitivity will hamper your ability to read fish while too much sensitivity will gather interference. Playing around with the unit will help you find the sweet spot on your settings.

     In reality, like all things fishing related, you have to put your time in and pay your dues on the ice. There are no shortcuts.

Steve Carney is The Flag WZFG Outdoors expert. He can be heard every Thursday morning at 8:05 on AM 1100 WZFG. Check out his weekly podcast on am1100theflag.com and hear his Outdoors Angle reports every Friday on AM 1100 WZFG. You can also visit stevecarneyoutdoors.com for more information.