There’s no doubt that the COVID era has had an impact on the outdoor industry. With closures, canceled travel plans, or changes in regularly scheduled activities, unprecedented numbers of folks have either found or rekindled a love of the outdoors. During the warmer months, there’s a plethora of activities to get a person out of their home. In the Midwest, we are blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it) with winter – and it lasts more than just a few months. This can make activities a bit harder to find, or at times convince yourself to participate in outdoor activities.

Enter ice fishing season.

Press Release – New Hope, MN (10/22/20) – Two decades ago, MarCum released its first underwater viewing system, giving eyes below the surface to an entire generation of anglers.  Their world has been forever changed because of it, from the way modern ice anglers’ fish to the equipment they use, underwater viewing has shaped the evolution of the sport.  While the systems themselves have also evolved through the years, the one thing that remains consistent over time is the amount of information anglers glean when seeing underwater for the first time.

If new to the sport or have taken a few years off, one glaring change from mere seasons ago is how Lithium fuel sources have taken the ice by storm. For good reason too, though there is a slightly higher cost of entry, 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.

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. 

The MarCum Lithium Shuttle is powerful. It’s equipped with a 12V, 12Ah Lithium ION battery that can extend the life of your unit for up to 40 hours. However, the shuttle is much more useful than just a power pack. Rather, it comes with a long list of features that can change the way you fish.

The standout feature of MarCum’s Lithium batteries is their lithium chemistry, which sets them apart from the competition. Not all lithium batteries are created equal, and MarCum’s line of Lithium batteries showcases a chemistry type, with its own unique advantages. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) is the ice anglers ideal chemistry, which strikes a balance between weight, cold weather performance, and charge cycle longevity.

Scott Mackner, known by his handle 330 Maniac, is an avid fisherman and content creator from Minnesota. He is known for his fishing and trapping videos, his knowledgeable skill set and his ability to chase down a multitude of species.
He recently sat down with us to discuss why he made the switch to MarCum. From target separation to customizable zoom, Scott breaks down the top 5 reasons he chooses the LX-7 Combo over anything else.

New Hope, MN (11/18/21) –Based on the growing demand for MarCum products in Eastern Canada, the Minneapolis manufacturer has engaged Raytech Electronics, a warranty and maintenance service center to enable owners to receive service without having to hassle with international shipments. Raytech will be handling warranty and non-warranty repairs for MarCum consumers starting November 17th, 2021. This new relationship is expected to decrease repair service times by at least 5 business days for Eastern Canadian customers.

The dog days of summer and that’s your green light to grab your MarCum flasher or digital system from the garage and give it a once over and top off the battery.

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 MarCum 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.”

Marcum Technologies, the undisputed leader in ice-fishing-specific sonar, takes tech to the next level. Their long-held principle is that features are useless unless they help an angler catch fish, and that can be seen throughout decades of innovation. Patented technology like moveable zoom that led to angler’s ability to target fish anywhere in the water column was the first ping heard round the world among the ice sonar community. They followed it up with additional advancements to help distinguish echoes from noise in an interference rejection system so advanced, it’s also patented.

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.

When electronic units won’t charge, it can be frustrating for any angler. From batteries to chargers, to the system itself, it can seem confusing to determine what went wrong with your electronics and how to fix it. That’s why we have put together this quick battery troubleshooting guide. We break down each part of the charging system and step you through how to identify the problem and replace the parts if needed.

New Hope, MN (10/25/2021) – Marcum Technologies, the undisputed leader in underwater viewing, takes an on-ice staple and improves it with lighter, longer-lasting lithium batteries.  A new generation of anglers takes for granted what cameras have brought to the sport.  Inline reels and the effect of lure-spin was revealed through watching fish swim away on an underwater camera.  Winter panfish location and the connection to green standing aquatic plants, along with countless other observations; all brought to you by underwater viewing, now made better with a little help from an advanced fuel source.

If you’ve tried to make a major purchase in 2021, you’ve been affected by the global supply chain slowdown.  Materials are backordered, shipping is slow, containers held up; there are seemingly more reasons than ever these days for why you can’t get at what you’re looking to own. 

If you know you want to re-power your ice fishing fish finder or underwater fishing camera with Lithium, but you don’t know why, here’s a great article that discusses all the benefits that Lithium has. In general, 12v lithium batteries possess key advantages over SLA batteries, but it’s important to know a bit more about the details of each as your power source may be the most notable piece of ice fishing gear you purchase this season.