CHanging The Game
in Ice Fishing ELECTRONICs
CHanging The Game
in Ice Fishing ELECTRONICs
Show Your Loyalty with Latest MarCum Apparel.
Show Your Loyalty with Latest MarCum Apparel.
No one can deny how much the sealed lead-acid (SLA) 12v battery has had an impact on ice fishing. This battery has been the dominant player in the game and has been used extensively for decades in flashers, digital units and camera systems throughout the ice belt.
Though there is a slightly higher cost of entry to MarCum for putting these batteries in as standard options, the benefits of Lithium battery technology are many. For most anglers, the weight savings alone are enough to switch out their old Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries, with new Lithium versions weighing less than half of their predecessors. You’ve also got longer run-times, even from batteries with similar amperage output that are not Lithium. That means you can fish for durations numbering days, not hours, with anglers often only re-charging their batteries after a long weekend of use.
While the idea of finding your ice-spots in a boat isn’t a novel one, serious ice anglers should make this a priority this season. No doubt, it’s easier to drive around and scan structure for fish now vs. doing it one ice auger hole at a time come November and December. Advances in electronics make it easier now than ever, such that you can map new water and mark spots with GPS/Sonar combos like the MarCum MX-7GPS.
The first step in your pre-season routine should be checking your batteries. Most flasher failures on the ice are caused by a bad battery.
Leaves are gone from the trees, and that’s your green light to grab your MarCum flasher or digital system from the garage and get ready for the ice-fishing season.
The first step in your pre-season routine should be checking your batteries. Most flasher failures on the ice are caused by a bad battery, so now’s the time to inspect your MarCum’s power source. “You could be kicking yourself later if you don’t take a minute to check everything out now,” says ICE FORCE Pro-Staffer, Joel Nelson. “Nothing will wreck a good day of fishing faster than a bad battery, because there’s nothing you can do about it out on the ice.”
Organization and preparation are critical elements to success on the ice. Without them you may be stuck repairing or replacing rather than actually fishing. Most of us are limited to specific windows for fishing, so make sure you can capitalize on those periods by having your gear ready and in working order. Winter conditions are hard on gear, so doing your due diligence is important.