Guys,
I run a 721 ProXP in my tournaments but I'm looking for a unit to put on my aluminum boat that I do most of my pre-fishing out of. It's a 17' Xpress with a 115 E-Tech. I have always used Hummingbirds and was wanting to put a Helix 7 on it but read a few bad reviews. I was considering going to a comparable Garmin unit. I would like to hear folks' thoughts.
Thanks,
joey
If I could swing it I would have the new Garmin Livescope. I would move the Hummnibird to the aluminum rig and have Livescope on the 721. I have thought about upgrading to a high end unit so I have been doing some research. I thought I wanted 360 until I saw Livescope. I like Panoptix but for me it was easier to interpret the picture on 360. However the Livescope is a whole new animal. If you are not familiar with Garmin Livescope check out this video...
Im interested in the two different boats concept. Don't you end up preferring one over the other?
You probably wont like the SI/DI compared to your HB's.......
YOU are not entitled to what I have earned!!!!!
2014 Phoenix 619 Pro / 2014 Mercury 200 Pro XS
Use the same thing that is in your tournment rig! Going from partners boat to my boat with same units but smaller and set up different is hard enough at times!
I use both on my 721. H'bird for 2D/DI/SI/mapping and Garmin 93SV for Livescope. I will say, the 2D and DI/SI on the 93SV is really pretty solid...much better than I was expecting. The mapping isn't the best, if that matters to you (not sure of where you would be fishing with the Al rig).
If I were to build a new boat, I would have it set up the same way that I have this one. If I were told that I could only choose 1 brand, I would pick Garmin with Livescope. It's really incredible what you can do with it.
2021 Phoenix 721
Merc 250 ProXS 4S
Lowrance Live 12/9/Ghost
Garmin 1222 w/Livescope
Ionic 3x50 AH Lithium
I would go with Birds just because that is what you already have. And transferring waypoints or using lakemaster mapping is an easy card swap.
But....my main question,,,why do you have a separate boat for prefishing???
Ive always preferred birds. My last boat had Lowrances and i was less than impressed with them in general. My boat now came with Garmins and i anticipated selling them and getting Birds till i used them. The si/di isnt as good as birds but close and both blow lowrance away. The sonar on the Garmins is great and im not sure id take any other brand over them. The mapping leaves a lot to be desired and has been the hardest thing to get used to. The ease of switching screens is great. I have an older panoptix ducer that came with the boat that ive been thinking about selling but have also thought about just hooking it up. Im pretty sure if i took the time to learn it id prolly spend more time watching the fish than trying to catch them.
They aint got hands, set the hook
Musch easier on the pocket book and I can be somewhat incognito. And I don't just pre-fish for tournaments out of it, if I'm just pleasure fishing, I will fish out of it instead of the Pheonix.Originally Posted by moetorola
That sounds like what you have to do here if you want to keep anything a secret. I know guys that will never go to their fish with people around even if it cost them the tournament. But I also know those guys won a LOT of money so I cant blame them
Last weekend I went out with a buddy who bought a BASS Pro's 2018 boat with Garmins. He previously had a rig with HB Solix units. The 2d on the Garmins is great, but the SI/DI/Panoptix isn't very impressive. The panoptix could be useful, but for the way many of us fish in Texas, it's not. His Solix units and my Helix units are much nicer.
Last edited by DEFMP; 11-28-2018 at 10:54 AM.
2022 Phoenix 721 / 250 Mercury ProXs / MK Ultrex
HB Helix 12 G4N / Garmin 106sv / Livescope
I decided to go with both at the bow on the boat I’m ordering, a 93sv+ with livescope, and a 12” HB 2D/gps with the 360 imaging. I feel this will give me the best of both and the option to change depending on how I’m fishing. The plus is that the Garmin will also do SI/DI if needed.
option 1- 360 imaging on the HB with map and 2D sonar on the Garmin.
option 2- livescope on the Garmin with with map and sonar thru the ultrex universal transducer on the HB
this will give me one active forward/down fishing mode plus map and 2D sonar at all times.
barrel mount the livescope on side of TM foot, Garmin transducer on bottom of TM foot, universal sonar built in the foot for HB, hydro wave speaker on top of TM foot, and 360 transducer attached to ultrex frame.
Anyone? I'm considering the Garmin Panoptix but the cost! What exactly CAN you do with it that's better? I cast more than drop-shot, so how will the Livescope help me?
I think the value play is the lower end Garmin with livescope and then the remaining units (I have 3 Lowrance 12's) for all of the other functions. HB has great units, but so far, no one can match the livescope for scanning for brush / fish / bait ahead of the boat.
Garmin Echomap unit’s sit in a cradle. You can have an extra cradle on one boat and swap the head unit back and forth in seconds. Waypoints go with you that way. One set up for two boats.
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