The ICE HELIX 5 (5-inch screen) and ICE HELIX 7 (7-inch screen) have been the go-to choice for winter anglers looking to have an all-in-one ice unit with built-in GPS capability. For the upcoming ice season, Humminbird has added a number of exclusive features to the second-generation ICE HELIX Series (G2) including CHIRP Digital Sonar, making it easier for anglers to differentiate between lures and finicky fish.
Unlike traditional sonar, which operates at a single, constant frequency, CHIRP optimizes pulsing sonar signals for greater target separation. What that means to ice anglers is more detail and clarity. They can now confidently see the separation between bottom, bait and fish on the screen, instead of all three blending into one color on their locator or flasher. This is critical in ice fishing when most species of fish are hugging the bottom, and being able to identify your lure from the lake bottom can be the difference between going home empty handed or with a limit catch.
Contributing to the clarity of the new ICE HELIX 5 and 7 CHIRP GPS G2 is Humminbird’s new, easy-to-use Interference Rejection feature. Anyone that has ice fished with sonar on a busy lake can attest to the annoyance of unwanted interference from multiple sonar signals in the water, which causes screens to be difficult to read. The new Interference Rejection mode gives anglers comfort and confidence by letting them find the right sonar setting to cancel out these competing signals, resulting in a screen that is now void of noise and lines.
Also new is the ability to select from multiple screen views designed specifically for the ice angler. Anglers used to relying solely on a Flasher view still have that option, only now the on-screen flasher is split-screen next to 2-D sonar, which lets anglers track the history of a lure and fish. Other views include Flasher/Sonar Zoom, Flasher/Chart, Sonar/Chart, and Sonar/Sonar Zoom. The viewing screen is ultra-responsive with a resolution that’s 4-times greater than flasher-only models, and both ICE HELIX G2 models come without the humming sound that accompanies flashers.
Unlike traditional sonar, which operates at a single, constant frequency, CHIRP optimizes pulsing sonar signals for greater target separation. What that means to ice anglers is more detail and clarity. They can now confidently see the separation between bottom, bait and fish on the screen, instead of all three blending into one color on their locator or flasher. This is critical in ice fishing when most species of fish are hugging the bottom, and being able to identify your lure from the lake bottom can be the difference between going home empty handed or with a limit catch.
Contributing to the clarity of the new ICE HELIX 5 and 7 CHIRP GPS G2 is Humminbird’s new, easy-to-use Interference Rejection feature. Anyone that has ice fished with sonar on a busy lake can attest to the annoyance of unwanted interference from multiple sonar signals in the water, which causes screens to be difficult to read. The new Interference Rejection mode gives anglers comfort and confidence by letting them find the right sonar setting to cancel out these competing signals, resulting in a screen that is now void of noise and lines.
Also new is the ability to select from multiple screen views designed specifically for the ice angler. Anglers used to relying solely on a Flasher view still have that option, only now the on-screen flasher is split-screen next to 2-D sonar, which lets anglers track the history of a lure and fish. Other views include Flasher/Sonar Zoom, Flasher/Chart, Sonar/Chart, and Sonar/Sonar Zoom. The viewing screen is ultra-responsive with a resolution that’s 4-times greater than flasher-only models, and both ICE HELIX G2 models come without the humming sound that accompanies flashers.
Good luck to all the anglers this year out on the ice, As for me I will not be without my new Hummingbird Ice Helix 5!
