If you’re going to fish shallow weeds for panfish, the Vexilar FLX-30 is a hard unit to beat. The FLX-30 allows you to easily adjust the unit’s frequency and power which are essential adjustments for being able to look into the weeds to see your lure and fish. Jason Mitchell breaks down how he sets his unit up for success when targeting shallow weed panfish.
Frequency
One of the main settings to experiment with on the FLX-30 is the frequency. The higher the frequency, the narrower the cone angle. Choosing a mid-range frequency is often best for deeper water while the low and high ends are your specialty situation ranges. If you’re fishing in a lot of timber or heavy weeds, a higher frequency will give you a narrower cone angle to help you see more detail through the clutter. For most situations in less than 20 feet of water, Mitchell recommends selecting 180 kHz as the best overall frequency.
To adjust the frequency, set the “MODE” knob to “F” and press the “GAIN” button knob to toggle the unit through various frequencies (kHz). The range of the FLX-30 is 160 kHz – 300 kHz which imparts a cone angle range of roughly 16 degrees to 7.5 degrees.
Power
It’s also essential to adjust the power output to tune out the weeds in shallow water. Keep in mind that reducing the signal strength makes it harder for the unit to lock onto the bottom in the “Auto Range” mode, so the unit will need to be in a manual depth range for it to work properly in low and medium power settings. Generally speaking, lower power is best for shallower water (<20 feet) while high power is best for deeper water (>40 feet).
To adjust the power, flip the “MODE” knob to “P” and press the “GAIN” button knob to cycle the unit into “L-Power” – the Low Power mode – for fishing shallow water.
When you can remove the weeds from your display, anything moving is then easily identified as your presentation or fish.
