Jeremy Smith shares how he utilizes his Humminbird Helix for early ice navigation.

Early Ice Navigation: Humminbird Helix

Like most people, I grew up using a flasher and I’ve been really accustomed to that. When hummingbird introduced the Helix series for ice fishing I’m not gonna lie I really fought that technology, especially for sonar usage.

I thought yeah it’s got the map and that’s a big deal but, when they first came out there was just a slight lag. That has completely changed. Now, these LCD units have no lag and run at a blistering speed.

You also have so many more options with the Helix compared to a regular flasher. You’ve got a flasher screen, you have also got your traditional 2d sonar.

You have your zoom mode and most importantly you have your map.

Now the map comes in handy every time you are out on the ice, but it can be used as an added safety measure when venturing out onto early ice.

When you head out on to early ice the ice conditions often varify and can be somewhat treacherous and the Humminbird Helix is extremely valuable for these situations, especially for safety.

Before you even set foot on the ice, you’ll want to have the unit powered up and record a trail as you are checking the ice walking out. Check the ice with a spud and auger to make sure you are safe. Your Humminbird Helix is a great tool for early ice navigation.

Once you’ve made it to your fishing spot, you’ll have a map of a safe route back to shore.