I was looking to buy a ice fishing flasher, specifically a vexlar but have no idea which one. I need it to be able to pick up the micro-jigs used while fishing for panfish and don't know what other functions I need. I know I need to spend some money but don't want to spend too much. also, the temps for usage will be as low as -10 (first time this year that will happen in this thursday). Thanks

This probably aint gunna help you, but I ended up buying a Lowrance M68. It has a GPS, flasher mode as well as the regular depth finder screen. I use it in my boat in the summer, and I put it on a boat box with a battery in the winter. All my waypoints from the summer are there so I dont have to map out the depths to fish. I have found that the split screen is a lot more useful than the flasher. I can see my jigs from about 6 foot down to at least 25, I just wish it had a little better seperation from the bottom.

I went an bought the new show down this winter, love it. I've never owned any of the flashers but have used them for the last couple of years with a friend not reel happy with them. With this unit it is very easy to understand an use, was out in zero an sub-zero weather woprked fine. Only draw back is if you use a flasher in the same shanty you'll get interference that can be filtered, you lose some sensitivity, other than that I love how easy it is to use.

i bought a vexilar fl20. this thing is awesome. the low power mode is great for the shallow water i fish, i would not have caught the fish i have this winter without it. i was able to verify what the unit was showing with the camera and it made a believer out of me. do some research before you buy just like you are,  to the guy that bought the showdown, i read some reviews that stated that your lose the top 5 ft of the water column  when you put it in ice mode? do you use it in shallow water?

If your thinking of putting it on your boat in the summer disregard this unit. If your strictly using it for ice fishing the humminbird ice-35 is the most bang for your buck. At 300 dollars it is ten times better then the vex fl18. The ice-35 has a dual cone trans lots of power flat panel very clear screen using fiber optic lights, plus variable zoom to any point in the water column. Top of the line unit for a lower price!

Good luck. My neighbor says it. My wife says it. But I don't listen to it. I find the pattern. I find the fish. And luck has nothing to do with it. Luck is just an excuse for bad fishing. - Abu Garcia Co.

A flasher is a very important piece of equipment that will help get you more fish.

A few questions:

• What kind of fishing do you plan on doing?
• How deep of water will you be on?
• Hole hopping, portable run and gun, or banked shelter?
• Fishing alone or with other flashers?
• Community hole fisher or no man's land?

The more specific your needs are going to be, you already will know that you'll want the better equipment.  You only have to ask yourself, what features do you like or want. 

Get the best equipment for your money.