Thread: Livescope Destroyed Your Grandfathers Teachings and Tradition Lost

Not everyone can afford to own one. All I need is a fish finder to know if they are there or not, then it's up to me to catch them.

I'd have to say I agree with both sides here. I have always been interested in my electronics and knowing the most I could about them for as long as I've owned boats. Now that we have Livescope I enjoy using it. I've seen kids that couldn't keep their faces off their cell phones put them away and fish all day with Livescope. I really think it's a good thing for getting the younger generation involved.
But, I'm a jig fisherman from way back and I miss the old days of dipping in under a big 'ole cypress in the White River Refuge and being surprised by the "thump" of a big slab crappie!

Same was said about spider riggers too. Wasn’t fishing, ruining fishing, was going to kill the population, etc. I stared at my electronics all the time before livescope. Heck I stare at my console graph now all the time when behind the wheel and it’s not livescope.

Livescope is for 95% of the people that have actually gotten one. I said the same thing, but when I was forced to buy new electronics when my prior electronics had an unfortunate accident, I bit the bullet, to bar any potential regret. The only regret is not doing it sooner. I can see and hear all the things the lake has to offer, from my front porch. Wildlife of all sorts, eagles, deer, ospreys, etc. Don't need to be on the boat for that. My time on the water is limited. Three times a week one week, maybe once every two weeks otherwise. I like what it's taught me. It's taught me that "grandpa" was about half right. Crappies biting when the dogwoods bloom....well yeah, they're up shallow on targetable structure. It's taught me that a lot of brush is flat useless. It's taught me that 95% of the time, the fish ARE biting. It's taught me that cold fronts move them and how they want it, rather than shutting them off 95% of the time. It's taught me that minnows aren't the end all be all, which I pretty much knew. It's also taught me that a minnow WILL SPOOK a crappie on occasion. I've seen that several times and it perplexes me. It's taught me a lot of fish spook long before we ever had a shot at them with conventional methods. It's taught me crappie dont hold at a particular depth within a given pattern. I've fished in 15 foot of water and watched them go to the bottom them come up and suspend 1ft under the surface. It's taught me that they don't always feed forward or feed up. That old theory about a crappie wont go down after a bait, or wont hunt down below him is garbage. They'll absolutely chase or go below them for something if they want to or have to. It's taught me a lot of those "bites" you get aren't missed fish, it's the idiot fish that can't read the play book and bite the weights if one is being used. It's taught me that often times color isn't a factor as much as we want to believe it is. Usually they just want a general shade, and most importantly it's profile and how it's presented. Often time's we move it too much, or just the opposite, we move it too little. They often want a game of chase.

It may not be for everyone, but for me, I rarely go fishing to relax and get away, I set a goal, be it trying to break a PB, trying reach or pass a weight of 7 best, look for something for a future trip (prefishing), or freezer refill mission (which is rare these days due to the fact that you can usually catch all you want at-will).

I'd say it leveled the playing field, but rather added a new ceiling, and just stepped most of the users up a level. It's added a level of fun back to fishing that was missing before. You can say you're staring at a screen all day rather than taking in what's around you, but quite simply, the time I spend staring at a screen was spent watching rod tips, checking whatever electronics I had, and keeping the trolling motor on a given course. It's a wash.

Originally Posted by TreednNC

It's taught me a lot of fish spook long before we ever had a shot at them with conventional methods. It's taught me a lot of those "bites" you get aren't missed fish, it's the idiot fish that can't read the play book and bite the weights if one is being used.

You're so right, Treed ...

Case in point ... a buddy of mine fishes LS exclusively and Pitches double jig rigs, while his usual fishing partner is a minner/float kinda guy. He's told me many times about not being able to get within 20-25ft of a school of Crappie without them scattering or just moving off. He's also told his fishing partner that the "bites" he was missing fish on were fish biting his sinker, not his minner !!

Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

You're so right, Treed ...

Case in point ... a buddy of mine fishes LS exclusively and Pitches double jig rigs, while his usual fishing partner is a minner/float kinda guy. He's told me many times about not being able to get within 20-25ft of a school of Crappie without them scattering or just moving off. He's also told his fishing partner that the "bites" he was missing fish on were fish biting his sinker, not his minner !!

My buddy caught his PB with me a few weeks ago and she never let us get closer than 40ft. She kept gliding off about the time we’d break the 40ft barrier. It doesn’t sound sporting when you say you followed one for 30 minutes, but that fish didn’t like the boat and it took a perfect presentation to get her to eat that jig. I firmly believe she would’ve never got caught otherwise. Cheating? Maybe. However it was a stalk/hunt rather than blind luck into one

Lot of what I always said about Crappie being on bottom and holding jigs still has now been proven with livescope . I used to use sonar to see brushpiles or stakebeds on one screen and map to show where they were on another screen . Still using my maps on one screen but livescope on the other . Have found if you hold jig still close to their nose most will move in to look bite or not . Always said color of jig not a big deal, now we see them react in real time . Caught some on unpainted jig heads with no plastic . Used to when we got few bites on our stakebeds or brush piles they were assumed to not be biting . Most times it has to be right on their nose and not moving . Other times they are on bottom or just suspended in open water on occasion I see them once locked on a bait follow it down . For the biggest part they want it at eye level or higher on their nose . Many slow to react . Seen put it on some as many as 10 times before they move to a bait or bite . Livescope can and does change the game . May not be like we grew up fishing but is productive . Many times we are killing fish and most traditional fisher saying they have lock jaw . Livescope takes lots of fishing knowledge and boat control to be consistent at catching . I am one of the old guys that feel livescope has increased catches . My eyes getting so weak I bought reading glasses in sunglasses that enables me to see electronics better . Many hate these new electronics but they are here to stay .

I do not have livescope yet but it has taught me things about crappie I would have never figure out on my own. For one big crappie seldom hang with schools. Crappie will suspend at 2ft in 30ft of water. They will also suspend 10ft from the nearest structure at times. I would have driven right over them on my way to a tree or brushpile. Who ever said crappie will not go down to get a bait is wrong. They see a bait much better than I ever expected and will dive down to get one. I have times when a crappie will not hit a jig put directly in his face but move that jig away from him and he will chase it and nail it. Livescope is not only used only to catch them but it teaches you alot about their behavior. Some of the things they do will simply amaze you.