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  1. #1
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    Mar 2009
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    Plainfield, IL
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    765

    Things you didn't expect to see with Livescope

    Hey all, I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs waiting for ice out and ready to use my new Livescope system. Those that have had it and use it consistently (which I'm hoping is everyone), I wanted to get your thoughts while on the water. I primarily fish grass lakes for bass because they are local. Certainly I'm not going to find fish in the grass with livescope, but anticipate locating hard edges, or perhaps wood in the grass I wouldn't see until my DI picks it up. I saw someone mentioned they were surprised at fish they've seen in coves just randomly suspended.

    This is kind of a loaded question, but what have you seen on Livescope that you found particularly interesting (helpful or not)? Unless it's productive on all fronts, I worry that I'll focus too much on what's on the monitor and get distracted with an overall pattern or gameplan. In addition to the last question, how much human "filtering" are you doing (i.e. "this fish may not be active based on where it's positioned in the water column", or "that's not a bass, don't bother casting there," etc.)? As a bass guy, I can see how easy it could be to get stuck looking in the microscope. Crappie guys, likely a different story as you all are focused on a tree, steakbed, etc whereas we are going down the bank or a breakline and picking up new information every 20' or so.

    So with that random stream of consciousness, please share your thoughts. Or at least give me something to read to help pass the time until the ice melts.

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Washington, MO
    Posts
    680
    #2
    I really like seeing the creek channels and ditches in coves. You see them on the map and can visualize them, but it’s really cool to pan around and actually see it. Especially with fish on them. I’ve also found some good ditches that don’t show up on mapping. LS has also helped me with suspended fish on things like bluff ends. Fish might not be where you thought they would be, or you’ll see them randomly out there. Fire a cast and you’ll be surprised what you might catch.

  3. Charger Boats Moderator TOUCH OF CLASS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    St Louis Mo.
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    10,599
    #3
    First time out last Christmas I had no idea ,but I think the brush and trees along with real time fish really shocked me.Just seeing under the water is very cool every time Iam out and it never gets old sorta like going on scavenger hunt.

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Plainfield, IL
    Posts
    765
    #4
    We just had a baby a year ago and still can't get over the technology available. Other than watching dozens of youtube vids, I have no personal experience with LS, but I compare it to the effect of the ultrasounds that we got. I mean we knew there was a baby in there, but totally different when you can see him, how he's oriented, etc. The cool factor is seeing fish in real time, but the kicker for me is the info you get from it you'd never know unless you actually caught a fish. Being able to see them, I'd imagine would give us better perspective on how they're setting up. Clearly I'm excited to get out there and mess with it.

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    93
    #5
    I'm an ice guy through winter - I don't need to talk about how it has literally changed fishing for me on hard water. We never fish now where there aren't fish - so we waste far less time fishing empty spots essentially.

    I'm a bass guy as well - live up North, didn't think I'd use it nearly as much as I did. In fact, I never turned it off once I got used to it so I'm adding another graph up front this Spring dedicated to LiveScope.

    For me personally, it opened up bites that I would have never tried. Quick example - deep weed edges in 15-25'. I totally get that you can idle over these spots and drop a crap load of way points and try to target them - its just not efficient and boat control stinks, you don't know where you really are in relation to that edge, etc etc. With LiveScope, I know precisely how far that edge is from the boat at all times. We caught a ton of big largemouth in 15'+ last year on deep weed edges that historically I wouldn't have even tried to fish. Being able to watch a jig fall right on the edge and a fish swim over to eat - just adds to the 'cool' factor and is honestly just a bonus lol.

    Aside from that - just seeing suspended fish out chasing bait in 15-30' (Smallmouth, Largemouth and Walleyes here up north) that we never would have fished or seen historically. You pan the TM, bam there are 25 fish 75' out and 12' down. Pick up a swimbait, let it fall to the right depth, swim it 1' over there head and watch them come up and eat it. Yeah, its a wicked technology lol.

  6. junk fisherman Fish Loco's Avatar
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    Feb 2006
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    Welcome
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    2,125
    #6
    This past weekend I found a boat with motor in 14 feet of water next to a dock.

  7. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    378
    #7
    From what I've read and seen on YouTube an unintended consequence of LS is staying in one place way to long. People say they see fish and of course, finding the fish is one of the hard parts, but they say they spend way too much time on inactive fish trying to force them into biting.

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    Pickerington, Ohio
    Posts
    1
    #8
    Definitely a game changer for fishing! Especially crappie fishing! But bass also! I fish for both! Make sure you learn how to use your settings to get the most clear and defined screen when you’re fishing. There’s lots of YouTube vids on how to do this and it’s very simple to do. There’s nothing like watching a fish come out of a brush pile and grab your bait/lure. A lot of times you won’t even feel the hit, you’ll just see the fish suck in your bait and see your line start swimming off sideways! If you hadn’t seen this you would never even known you had a bite! It’s pretty incredible! And you will be able to see bass moving around in weedbeds! Any type of movement by a fish you’ll be able to see! I catch a lot of smallmouth while fishing for crappies too! It will definitely change the way you fish forever! Lol!
    Last edited by BassCat5; 02-23-2020 at 06:48 PM.

  9. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Baton Rouge LA
    Posts
    179
    #9
    I was in my friends boat and he called me to front deck and look at live scope

    was watching fish suspended around some weird cover off end of a pier

    Between live scope and helix side view we made out an old toilet, bathtub, table, lawn mower and tin roofing!

    that was a cool day

  10. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Calvert City, Kentucky
    Posts
    786
    #10
    Can you hook a Live scope unit (on bow) and share maps and waypoints from console Lowrance units (Gen 2 Touch). Had all Lowrance units considering adding a Garmin to front of boat but like how lowrance units share data , (waypoints, maps, 2d sonar, see DS/SS

  11. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Clarksville, Virginia
    Posts
    1,581
    #11
    Lowrance units will only share waypoints with Lowrance units.
    Garmin only with similar Garmin units

  12. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    Lower Burrell Pa
    Posts
    1,643
    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by wiel0059 View Post
    I'm an ice guy through winter - I don't need to talk about how it has literally changed fishing for me on hard water. We never fish now where there aren't fish - so we waste far less time fishing empty spots essentially.

    I'm a bass guy as well - live up North, didn't think I'd use it nearly as much as I did. In fact, I never turned it off once I got used to it so I'm adding another graph up front this Spring dedicated to LiveScope.

    For me personally, it opened up bites that I would have never tried. Quick example - deep weed edges in 15-25'. I totally get that you can idle over these spots and drop a crap load of way points and try to target them - its just not efficient and boat control stinks, you don't know where you really are in relation to that edge, etc etc. With LiveScope, I know precisely how far that edge is from the boat at all times. We caught a ton of big largemouth in 15'+ last year on deep weed edges that historically I wouldn't have even tried to fish. Being able to watch a jig fall right on the edge and a fish swim over to eat - just adds to the 'cool' factor and is honestly just a bonus lol.

    Aside from that - just seeing suspended fish out chasing bait in 15-30' (Smallmouth, Largemouth and Walleyes here up north) that we never would have fished or seen historically. You pan the TM, bam there are 25 fish 75' out and 12' down. Pick up a swimbait, let it fall to the right depth, swim it 1' over there head and watch them come up and eat it. Yeah, its a wicked technology lol.
    Similar story with me last Spring......Pike fishing post-spawn but still early enough that they were 99% shallow.

    Seen a big return all by itself in a featureless 38ft hole, dropped a Big Dawg down and 30 seconds later had a 34" Pike in the boat.