Is this Beneficial Around Here?

[Tyler882]

Hey all!

Been wondering this for a little bit now, especially as things get a little cheaper and maybe a little less painful on the wallet to get into.. talking Forward facing sonar...

How many of you all are using forward facing sonar and find this beneficial on our ever changing, always crowded lakes? (talking the TVA reservoirs, TN river areas, and all like Douglas, Cherokee, Melton Hill, Watts Barr, Loudon, etc.)

The reason I ask is everyone always labels it as "depends on your lakes" or "depends on your fishing style and area of the lake/country". Well, unfortunately, I really don't know anyone personally who uses this around here to even ask - so I'm seeing what your thoughts are, good, bad, or indifferent

[RoadrashPaul]

I am close to pulling the trigger to use on crappie. I fish a lot of deep clear water lakes that make them tough to find so I think it would be very beneficial and cut down on the searching time. I also want to use it to locate shad easier to cast net for catfishing.

[pantherdad]

Just be sure you will put in time to learn how to use it and will use it. Had mine 1 1/2 and haven’t fished enough to justify a boat much less livescope. On vacation next week so maybe I will use it.

[Tyler882]

I would like to think I would put in the time to use it, especially at what it costs to get into; however what I am fighting with and thinking is that most of our lakes have great deep water fishability but I've just never been that much of a deep water person myself. I'm not opposed to doing, I just always have liked to fish shallow and that is my strength for sure.

I see a lot of the guys on tour and on TV shows catching them off brushpiles and docks, or fishing jerkbaits and watching bass eat it on their screen.

As untraditional and non-oldschool as it may seem, it looks interesting to me and if that helps me catch more fish then maybe it's worth it. But there lies my problem, I hate to put the money into it and not like it or not use it as expected.

It's a tough decision for sure!

[SHM64]

I'm about 30 days into my Garmin Livescope. For crappie fishing it is cheating. I was amazed at the numbers of and how they school up and suspend above, near or nowhere near cover. I've seen and caught them in 3 feet down to 25 feet... and could catch them deeper if they went that far down. I can see my 1/16oz tube hit the water, fall, and then fish it to their mouth. I can tell if they chase it and leave it to change colors or presentation. For bass... I'm getting better, but waiting for the post spawn schooling patterns to begin to better understand what they specifically look like on the screen. I have targeted specific fish I thought were bass and caught bass... but also hybrid and catfish. I don't have the bass pinned down like I do the crappie, but I definitely think that will come with time and experience. I spent time in boats with Lowrance and with Garmin products. In my opinion the Garmin is light years better than Lowrance.

[SLYDoggie]

I think the key is more with your willingness to invest the time to watch videos and get your unit dialed in for the fishing you do... Crappie, Bass, Trolling, and etc. I don't think it's as much about the lake itself as it is your fishing approach. If you have more of a set it and leave it mentality, then Live sonar may not be the thing for you. I saw someone post that, if you are still using a flip-phone, then Forward Facing Sonar is probably not for you. There is probably a lot of truth in that statement.

[Tyler882]

Very interesting actually. I'm still looking into all the options available and seeing what they do. I have watched some videos and the concept and fishing style in general certainly looks like a learning curve to it obviously, but I wouldn't be opposed to it at all. I like the analogy of comparing it to a flip phone. I definitely know some folks like that and there is nothing wrong with that, however I might look into this a little deeper because it sounds like as long as I put in the time and work sounds like it might be worth it. Thanks for all the responses!