Has livescope changed your fishing?

[white gambler]

Had two garmin 7600 series units at the end of 2016 on a boat with panoptix when it first came out. I wasn't overly impressed at all with the panoptics, but the units were nice.

currently have a lowrance live at dash and a carbon at bow. I'm just not comfortable with those units. I have a boat on order with a helix in the dash and a garmin unit with livescope at the bow.

From everything I've seen online the livescope is a huge step forward from original panoptics. I'm trying to see if I'm making the right decision with going livescope up front. I rarely fish lakes and don't do much offshore. Basically I'm a river rat. Option 2 is just put a helix up front.

For or you guys that are now fishing with livescope, as the title of my post asks, has it changed your fishing/catching? And has it changed the WAY you fish?
Thanks

[DR. DROP]

I have had my LS since Jan. 2019. I have been fishing mainly in water 10ft or less up until now.
For me it has not been much help at this depth fishing around boat docks and vegetation. I can see brush around docks which is nice.
I think at this depth the cone angle is too small and you are looking at a very little area. I see individual fish and bait but I don't think it is picking up the bass that are on the bottom. I am usually in a tournament situation and it is not feasible to spend time looking for fish at this depth. No it has not changed the way I fish at this depth.
I have Just now moved out fishing deep.
From what I have seen so far I believe in deeper water it is going to be a different story.
Just my 2 cents. I may change my mind with more experience with LS.

[MDBASSNPRO]

It’s a tool and I have used it to do everything better that I did before from bow of the boat.
This includes in front and under the bow of boat with a 93sv and believe on an ultra 12 it will be even better.

PS22 is better in >10’ of water, clearer water for searching and most readily identifying fish presence. Along the bottom it less able to discern fish from structure without the fish moving. In rocks or hard bottom image gets messy. Still a useful tool especially in open water. For river fishing less than 10’ of water, Livescope is better on all acounts than PS22. With practice the searching in open water, you can dial in searching for Livescope less than 50’ but PS22 is like the blob version for fish location and it’s hard to miss them.

What hasn’t changed - still need to find them and make them bite ��

[puhlw]

I spend more time searching and less time fishing. Not completely sure thats a good thing. Its more of a benefit when the bite is poor you at least know your on fish. When the bite is good fish let you know where they are. As said above 8-10 feet or deeper works better.

I still struggle with reading panoptix if the boat is moving much. Its just hard to tell whats what with a moving boat/image and moving fish. Livescope is better at this though.

i still havent found any sonar that works really well for fish that lay tight to the bottom like walleyes around here. Last year i used my ps30 at lake of the woods ice fishing. So basically ideal conditions since your stationary. I could see the fish come in but they were the tinyest little bump up of the bottom. The bump would slide across the bottom then come up to my jig. If I was in a boat moving at all I never would have seen these. These were mostly small fish.

[TOUCH OF CLASS]

We were in the toon this weekend with no scope ..We sucked!

[rbarrow]

I have Lowrance Live units as my main system with a 93SV/LS. I am very comfortable with locating and waypointing offshore structure using the typical approach of marking in sidescan and refining the waypoint in downscan (for those waypoints that are specific targets). Most of my tournament days then are basically deciding which set of waypoints to run for that time of year or lake conditions.

What I have started trying is pulling up on a waypoint and sweeping it with LS looking for ANY movement...and usually if I see anything - bait/bream/crappie, I will fish it....and usually get a bite. On the other hand, if I see NO activity, it seems I get substantially fewer fish in spite of fishing it just as hard. So for me, it seems to be evolving into an activity locator more than anything else.

One thing I have started doing which has proven to be VERY helpful, is using LS to locate key structure, driving the boat to the structure while looking at LS and when I see it on downscan on the Lowrance I make the waypoint on the Lowrance. That has proven to be the absolute quickest approach yet to refining waypoints for me.

I certainly like the sidescan/downscan and mapping options on the Lowrance compared to the Garmin offering...but the LiveScope is one of the most interesting tools I have used since the introduction of sidescan. And... I am moving my LS off of the Ultrex and on to a Fishing Specialties system this next week as I do a lot of offshore while spotlocked.

I have a LOT to learn on how to best apply this technology to my fishing style...but it is something I believe can be a difference maker for offshore work.

Roy

[Royt]

Yes!

[j791]

Yes, I now know exactly how deep to drop my jig. If I see fish play with my lure and not bite, it’s time to change lure color. I mark brush with a waypoint, then use LiveScope to get right on it.

[roachboat]

YES SIR a game changer for crappie and now bass. Just scan and see them and you know your cast is at their front door . Lot of times I see them turn on bait. Also with moving baits you can understand how much speed it takes to stick it in there face . Then hold on or cuss when they turn away.LOL I mainly fish 10' to 30' deep

[Sbp]

Hands down YES. I’ve been out four times with it now and each time I’ve caught fish as a direct result of seeing them first.

[crazyju]

I was working a big worm thru a school last week. After second cast without them moving at all, I wound the worm fast back to the boat, 15+ fish came up off the bottom. I put down the worm and picked up the crank bait. Now eventually I would have got to the crankbait, but it showed me very fast how they were reacting.

[pfisher]

I don't see it as a "game changer" but more as a tool. it's been great for crappie fishing when jigging deep brush. It's also taught me a lot about how fish behave and disproved many things that are taught to be the "gospel".

If I still fished tournaments I'm not so sure. Under the time constraints of a tournament for me the 360 is more valuable unless I'm vertical jigging.

If you watch a lot of the "live" broadcasts on the pro circuits the Garmin pros aren't sitting there staring at them.