# Line counter for ice fishing?



## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

Just wondering if anyone has used them or has a system for consistent depth while ice fishing? I know the obvious solution is to buy a flasher but I don't know if it's in the cards this year. 
As a fledgling ice fisherman, any general tips would also be greatly appreciated. We didn't get a whole lot of hard water action in Vegas!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Measure how much line you pull with the other hand with an average motion, do the math of how many pulls = how much depth you want. Or measure the length of your rod tip to butt etc etc.

Or if that doesnt work ebay

-DallanC


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

You may want to look at the reviews on Cabela's.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Berk...=berkley+fishing+clip+on+line+counter&CQ_st=b


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## nickpan (May 6, 2008)

Set your drag low, measure a foot from your bail and make a mark on your rod and pull out however many feet you want to go down. Always worked for me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

I saw the other day that Garmin sells a flasher/depth finder/GPS combo unit for $100-120 right now. It'd be pretty easy to convert it over to an ice fishing rig.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

too complicated. Remember: KISS


drop your line down the hole.
back up, pulling the line up the hole as you take steps backwards.
when the line comes out the hole, stop. Now you know how much line you have out.


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## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

Thanks for the tips guys, Ill be trying them out Saturday and see what works best for me. I also realized that I have a fishfinder I bought for my boat and never put on that's sitting in a box so I'm going to try and sell that and pick up a flasher.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

why not just use the fishfinder?

mount the transducer to a couple furring strips or PVC in the shape of a "T", or use some foam as a float...


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## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

I don't know enough about either but I thought I've heard that regular finders don't work well when people are running flashers in the area. Something about interference?


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

just go use it. You might have trouble if you have someone using another sonar right close to you (10 feet). We were running multiple Vexilar units and 1 Lowrance this weekend without any trouble.

If you have a fishfinder, you already have what you need. Go drop it in a hole and see what's down there!










What have you got? Let us help you set it up for a successful trip.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I've never had a problem using a fish finder ice fishing. Your beam goes straight down and returns. Depth ice fishing is usually so shallow (25ft or less depending on target species) your signal cone is pretty tight.

Like PBH says, rig some PVC pipe to hold the transducer in place.


-DallanC


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## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

Its a hummingbird 596C, if I'm not mistaken. And that's really all I need to do if mount the regular transducer on that bracket and attach it to a power source?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

yea, and you can get these to use for the power source, it lasts all day on my unit:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-5AH-Sea...559635?hash=item2eddda3093:g:yd0AAOSwG-1WzRUn

-DallanC


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## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

Well, stay tuned, Im stopping at home depot on the way home!


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

you can pick up a case to put the sonar, battery, etc. in too. Just do some Google searches. here's one from Walmart that would probably work just fine:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Humminbird-CC-Soft-Side-Carry-Case-CC-Ice-780015-1/20449450


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

huntn30inchers said:


> I don't know enough about either but I thought I've heard that regular finders don't work well when people are running flashers in the area. Something about interference?


Interference can happen but it is more of a nuisance than a deal breaker. It also varies from machine to machine. For instance, My LCD can fish next to a Marcum all day and have no interference, but a Vexilar will indeed give me some interference issues.

As for how to utilize your transducer, you've been shown some ways. Here is how I have mine rigged.



The battery is in the tackle box and the screen is mounted on the top of the box (not visible). Nice and compact, with a minimum of wires going hither and yon. It works for me.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

I have an old Lowrance X85 set up for Ice Fishing and it works fine. Even if I end up with interference from somebody nearby, which rarely happens, I can turn down my sensitivity and tune it out, for the most part.

NPS out in West Valley sells 12v 7AH batteries for under $5. I have a couple and they're workhorses.


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## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

That was almost the exact idea I had except I was going to use an old ammo can that I have. I did run into a small problem though which is that I moved this year and cant find the **** fish finder! Its around somewhere so Ill have one this season but I guess Ill be going oldschool on Saturday.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Before I bought one specifically for ice fishing I used a regular one and put the small battery and everything in a small ice chest and had a quick mount on the lid for the display and pvc that would come apart and fit in my ice bucket.


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