The VEXILAR FLX-28 and FLX-30BB

In the fall of 2020 Vexilar introduced their newest flasher, the FLX-30BB.  After three seasons of using this model on the ice, as well as the FLX28, FLX20 and FLX12, the 30 has become my favorite everyday flasher.  If you are still using the FLX12 and FLX20, and you should they are great flashers too, it may be time to upgrade to utilize more options that the 28 and 30 give you.  Let's take a big dive into the 28 and 30 models from Vexilar.

Technical advances that sets the FLX30BB apart from ALL other flashers: The BB stands for Broad-Band, or different settings for your transducer in kHz power.  The settings range from 160kHz to 300kHz can be changed with the push of a button.  In the 160kHz setting the unit will show you a 15-degree cone angle, and can be adjusted down to an 8-degree cone angle in the 300kHz setting (7 different cones angles in total).  Another new feature is the addition to a third zoom option.  This unit will allow you to zoom to the bottom 18 feet of water, along with the standard 6 foot and 12 foot options available on other models.  This larger zoom area is perfect for deep water lakes.  Vexilar also added a 15-foot range on the manual range settings for this unit.  Another new feature on the FLX-30 is the ability to choose from normal(high) power, medium power or low power.  Using these three options along with the 7 different cone angles it allows you to fish under 21 different settings with one transducer.  Lastly, it comes standard with a 9amh Vexilar Lithium Battery, which will power the flasher for a couple of days.

On the Ice:  The biggest advantage I have seen is how much smaller the lines on the screen showing your bait and fish are.  This allows for precise jigging, and location of fish.  This has also made fishing brush piles much easier with less clutter on the screen.  Another great upgrade on this unit is the medium power, it has really been great for fishing weed beds.  Other Vexilar units offer either high or low power, much of the time low power takes away too much of what we can see down below the ice, while the medium power option is a perfect fit in most weedy situations.  Another nice upgrade to the FLX30 is the ability to change zoom settings by pushing the gain button.  On other units you must turn the dial to change zoom settings, which can be cumbersome with gloves on, a small thing I have noticed but has been a very nice difference.  Multiple cone angles is an important part of ice fishing, the new Broad-Band transducer on the FLX30 is even better.  With a press of a button I can cycle through the seven different cone angles very quickly to see which screen I like.  When searching fish 160kHz is best as it has the largest cone angle of 15-degrees.  However, when fishing near brush, weeds or on top of a large school of fish, the narrower the cone angle the better.  I will be able to pick out my jig and how the fish are reacting to it much easier in a 9-degree cone.  Again, this is done by pressing the gain button and you can cycle through all 7 cone angles in the matter of a few seconds to see which screen looks the best for that particular hole you are fishing.  As you cycle through the different cone angles they narrow down as you push the gain button.  It really is amazing how a small tweak can let you see so much more of what you want to see.

FLX-28:  This model is still the "king" of finding fish under the ice.  The Pro-View transducer, which is standard on the FLX28, has the capability of widening your cone angle to 30+ degrees.  When used correctly this a huge advantage to anglers.  If you do not have Forward Facing Sonar but want to get as much as possible out of drilling holes to find fish, then the FLX28 is the one for you.  Mathematically speaking, the FLX12 or FLX20 (with the standard 12-degree ice ducer) can see a diameter of about 4.5 feet in 20 feet of water.  The FLX28 can show you upwards of 12 feet of diameter in 20 foot of water.   That is three times fewer holes while searching for brush, weeds or schools of fish.  Again, by turning the gain up you increase the cone size of the Pro-View ice ducer, making it ideal to minimize the holes you drill and maximize what you see under the ice.  Then when fishing, adjust the gain down to whatever cone angle fits your situation.  It is a WIN-WIN for ice anglers.

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Both of these above mentioned Vexilar products are top-notch.  The FLX30 is $80 more, but the extra features are worth it.  As you can see there are many advantages to the new FLX30BB, it is a fantastic system for those that like to visit many different lakes with unique fishing situations.  There has not been one situation that I have not been able to fine-tune the FLX30 to fit my every need.  It has led to more fish, no doubt.  Let me know if you have further questions about the FLX28 or FLX30, there are many locations to get a closer look near you.

Email: treedbass@yahoo.com