During the late 1970s In-Fisherman magazine, along with angling pioneer Dave Genz, proposed the idea of rigging sonar units for ice fishing. At the time, this was a radical departure in approach.

The first fish finders used on ice were flashers, such as the original Lowrance Fish-Lo-K-Tor— a unit that arrived in the late 1950s. The Fish-Lo-K-Tor—or, Old Green Box— and others like the Vexilar, employed vintage transistor technology—a development that made portable sonar units possible. Still, modern display technology did not exist. Instead, a motor-driven spinning disk lit a neon light bulb, which provided basic depth and object information.

This was novel technology for the 60s and 70s, no question. And yet, nearly fifty years after the first Green Box, many ice anglers still rely on this same type of antique technology today. If we applied this same logic to music, ironically, we’d still be listening to motor-spun vinyl records. Sure, record players still work. But play the same music with CD or MP3 technology, and you’ll hear a rich, fluid sound that’s simply without equal.

So even while some anglers have continued to use the same flashers for years, pioneers in sonar technology now offer a new level of technology. Indeed, in nearly every other industry and pastime, analog has been replaced by digital.

Ice fishing is no different. The ShowDown Digital Fish Finder represents the new wave of sonar on ice—a culmination of decades of research, engineering, and on-ice experimentation. One-hundred percent digital. Logical, clear presentation of the water column that anyone can understand. Incredible sensitivity and target separation that’s so discerning you can even count individual minnows within a school—something that no other ice fishing sonar can do.

The breakthrough ShowDown Digital Fish Finder represents the highest standard in ice electronics today. ShowDown offers superior sonar features, like an advanced noise rejection system that filters out interference from all competing units. Adjustable targeted zoom and auto bottom-lock zoom. Twenty-five level sensitivity. Incredibly low battery draw for runtime measured in days, not hours. Noiseless operation. A heated LCD that yields super-fast display response. Auto and manual depth range, and digital depth display. One-thousand watts true RMS power, which is the equivalent of 8,000 watts of “peak-to-peak” power.

And unlike the puzzling circular readouts of flashers, ShowDown’s innovative vertical display matches the water column, yielding instant understanding, even for beginning anglers. Top is the surface, bottom is bottom—always. Plus, the unit’s Crystal Quick digital response yields immediate signal display, even down to 40 degrees below zero. Finally, with a micro-fine resolution of 720 vertical pixels (and less than ½-inch of target separation)—fish tight to bottom can no longer hide from sight.