No Love For Vexilar?

I think it's personal preference really. The flasher is instantaneous feedback with what is directly under the beam and generally, with the screen units, you're looking at historic feedback (i.e. the transducer isn't over the same place as what the screen is now showing because the boat is drifting/moving and the 2d is tracking that return up to the width of the screen). I know you can put those units in flasher mode and there is an RTS (Real Time Sonar) window as Humminbird calls it (that's their immediate sonar return at the right most section of the screen - the other brands have this as well but its not called RTS) but it's not as quick as a flasher, in my opinion. But, because of the boat movement, this historic feedback is vital, in my opinion, as it allows you too see everything you have passed over and lets you know the layout of a piece of structure and if fish and bait are present (its hard to determine/decipher all that with a flasher alone because its all real time, no historic picture, so to speak, for you to look at). But, with the flasher you are able to see more precisely what is under the boat/beam immediately at that time (including fish, bait and your jig).

I like to use the flasher for vertical jigging and I'm a bass guy so that generally only happens come fall time. I like to use my traditional screen 2d to have an idea of what's going on under the boat and then have a flasher going to watch my jig and fish more precisely (to be honest it's similar to ice fishing but on a boat if you're pretty good at your boat control). I might also have a map going to stay on specific waypoints (possibly three units at the bow). I don't have a tiller and I use my Fortrex (cable steer) at the bow to do all this fishing so if its really windy and rough it is much harder for me to use the flasher the way I want it. But again, its personal preference, some guys I know have tried it hate it and some other guys I know wouldn't be caught dead without one any time of the year. If you have the chance to try it, give it a go, you may like it for vertical jigging.

 

Sorry for derailing the initial intent of the thread Ernie, but the flasher being used in my commentary is a Vexilar so its still somewhat relevant.

 

Dumpy gave an excellent answer, but I'll give the abridged version of one of the benefits to running a mechanical flasher in the boat----it's quicker at telling you what's under the boat right now. If you're on reefy, new-to-you water, a flasher will alert you to change in depth and bottom hardness quicker than a graph.

Also, jigging in the flasher cone is a touch quicker, although i find my HDS-12 is very quick to tell me what's happenin'

 

I'll also add----I agree Humminbird flashers ....well ..."suck" is a bit harsh.....they're alright, but hindsight being 20/20, I would absolutely take the money I spent on the Ice-55 and put it toward a Vexilar and be happier.