How to Tilt the Ice-Ducer to Read a Wider Angle

The Vexilar Ice-Ducer is designed to help you locate fish during ice fishing outings. Unlike a standard fish or depth finder, the Ice-Ducer is a transducer made to supplement other fish or depth finders for ice use. Like all transducers, it works by emitting sonar waves which bounce under the water and back, where the data is transmitted to a display screen (in this case, in your own fish finder). The angle the transducer points plays a critical role in the quality of information it receives. To receive a wide angle, get the Ice-Ducer pointing as straight down in the ice as possible.

Instructions

    • 1

      Conduct an "air test" to get the straightest reading possible with the Ice-Ducer. Turn the unit on and hang the Ice-Ducer rod 24 inches above a hard floor (off a table is fine).

    • 2

      Adjust the gain to zero on the transducer box. Turn the flasher on. Adjust the range on the control box to the shallowest setting.

    • 3

      Grip the Ice-Ducer and move it around and over the floor. Watch the flasher and look at the transducer dial. Read your first echo signal (it appears on the outside of the dial, in a 360-degree readout). Wait for a second echo as you move the Ice-Ducer. When you see the second echo, notate the angle of the Ice-Ducer as it is reading near straight.

    • 4

      Use the angle you learned during the air test when dropping the Ice-Ducer under the ice. Use ice screws or ice stakes to hang the Ice-Ducer in the tested position to get the maximum readout with the device.