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Mrs. Loop Knot and I got to go fishing on Lake Fork in TX. Our guide was Cameron Burnett and I can't say enough good things about him. Very knowledgeable and patient. He was worth every penny.
So I got to see LiveScope up close and personal. No doubt it will help put fish in the boat. No doubt it allows the fisherman to gain insight into how crappie behave. AND I think (my opinion) it's an unfair advantage to the fisherman.
Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth commence.
Unfair advantage maybe to those who have put in the time to learn (like guides, pros, Nimrod lol, etc). My partner and I still a ways off as are likely most folks. It’s been good for the fishing industry and that’s always a good thing IMO.
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Where are the photos , Give some details of your catch . What tackle did you use ?
We love photos!
What was your big fish of the trip?
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Attachment 378589Attachment 378591
We kept our limit of 25 each and threw back another 20-30. 12 foot rods w/ spinning reels. White braid line 20# test. 1/4 oz jigs tipped with minnows. Several things stood out to me. I would have thought crappie would have been line-shy of such a visible line. The bite was much better when I had the jig tipped with a minnow. Like 4 to 1 better. Crappie really like to strike a target that’s moving slowly to the surface. I’d find a fish, drop to his depth, jiggle a little and the slowly raise to the surface. Prior to watching crappie do that on a screen, I’d just drop a jig to a depth that seemed right and jig a little.
Another thing... our guide fished fast! We’d find structure loaded with crappie and catch a few. If we went more than a couple minutes without a bite he was ready to move on. I fish WAY slower than that.
Mrs Loop Knot went on a streak where she caught three crappie bigger than my personal best in about ten minutes. It was incredible to watch.
Right before we took our lunch break I had one near the boat that would have been much bigger than my personal best. As I was reeling my palm somehow tripped the nail on the reel and I lost it.
It was a great time.
My primary observation was the difference livescope makes. It’s the difference between deer hunting with a stick versus a high-powered rifle with a scope. Night and day.
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My palm tripped the BAIL. Not nail. Stinking autocorrect.
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One thing that I have discovered is that once you catch a few fish from a tree, brush pile, etc the rest of the fish there seem to turn off for a period of time. I've watched them "sink" on my LS about a foot down and nothing would get them to bite. Come back in 10-15 minutes and catch 3-5 more before they sink again.
Fork has some great fish and is one of the best fisheries in the US. Glad you got to experience it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by arkcrappie
Thank you, sir! It was neat to be on such a big body of water and not have to deal with water skiing and jet skiing and all that.
My bride is becoming as addicted as I am to crappie fishing. While we were there she was checking out the boats! She wants to go on a guided trip at Grenada now!
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It is a good time to go to Grenada. The crankbaits are working well right now and the spider riggers are still catching fish. I see you are in Walnut Ridge. Why aren't you catching fish in the mud holes close to home? The fishing is fantastic along the rivers right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loop Knot
I have a bunch of oxbows off current river and black river I fish. And of course those rivers themselves. I have a hard time convincing myself to go fish when it’s ninety plus degrees and 400 percent humidity. I like October through May. I was willing to fish Fork in the heat because I figured I was almost guaranteed to have a great day.
Where are you from?
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Loop Knot,maybe try to hook-up with NIMROD and see how his livescope works,i'm headed that way this week hope he has time to teach me more about livescope.
I live in Blytheville. I fish oxbows a lot
I had a fellow ask if I would take him crappie fishing. He said he wanted to eat some crappie really bad so I took him for some fish to eat. That day was his first experience with LS and he basically said the same thing you did about it being unfair, as a matter of a fact he went a step further and called it cheating and wasn't even joking. I told him if he felt that strongly about how the fish were caught he could leave the fish with me and I'd eat them. I guess he temporarily got over the guilt because he took them all home with him.
I agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loop Knot
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Haters gonna hate , :Rofl:Rofl:Rofl But you still got to find ones that want to bite .:twocents Funny story right there :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by Pac in Arkansas
Cheating. That's the word the guide used to describe LiveScope as he was using it. It all depends I guess. When I'm on the front of my boat with no electronics and the guy next to me is using live scope can anyone really make a case that we're on an even playing field? On the other hand, there aren't any rules against livescope, so how could it be cheating i.e. against the rules.
If you ain’t rubbing, you ain’t racing
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Were you having as much fun as the next guy? The score is not tallied by the number of fish caught. You can enjoy catching 10 as the next guy gets by catching 25. Funny how people who hire pro guides worry about other folks using electronics. Seem about the same to me.
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You have a boat, isn't that an unfair advantage over the bank fisherman? The only way to level the field is either you sale your boat and sit on the bank next to the guy or he can buy a boat.
They way I see it is some guys never change .nonono You can see they go to same spot all year and if they don't catch fish they give up saying their not biting :rolleyes: Some never will use technology or could not use it if they bought it . Easiest way out is to bad mouth it and say it is not fair.:popcorn I hope lots of folks refuse to use live scope .:twocents I do and not apologizing for it , makes catching much easier even for us old timers .:fishQuote:
Originally Posted by Pac in Arkansas
Loop Knot you have the best catah holding them two fish thats all that counts
don't have LS or a fishing boat. have good lowrance elite SI unit on a pontoon but don't have it hooked up properly or use it and somehow I still ketch a lot of crappie. to each their own. one thing with the cost of units and complexity most folks don't have them and many that do can't figure out how to use them properly or at all. it's a tool and especially if your a guide or pro it's a must to have and that's fine. Millions upon millions of crappie in all the lakes we fish and it's not that significant on numbers taken. Fish a lot off bank or walking docks. Lots of different ways to ketch.
IF someone spends their money for this tool and takes the time to use it properly good for them. it's like anything else and folks can get all wrapped around the axle about it but it's like pizzing in the wind, no one cares.
Really important thing here is his wife is now addicted too! That is huge and will add many productive days with your wife on the water. GFY!
I can understand your thoughts about LS kind of like what I thought about using an "A" Rig while bass fishing. It was not for me. Throwing an a rig is about the most boring thing I can do yet it is deadly for putting fish in the boat. LS is just the opposite for me. I find it very entertaining and am constantly talking to the fish as I watch the screen. There are times when even though you can see the crappie down there they will refuse to bite, other times it looks like a swarm of piranhas fighting to see who gets to eat the jig first. I fish several days a week and do keep about 6-12 for a meal once in awhile. The rest that I catch go right back into the water.
The important thing is do what makes you happy. If LS isn't for you don't use it. I understand the anticipation of the thump. I still have that same anticipation but now I have a visual stimulus as well.
Oh yeah! It was fun, no doubt! I was talking to the fish on the screen I.E. "Bite It! Bite It!" and "Eat It! EAT IT!".
Thinking it through there's maybe a deeper sense of satisfaction when I have to find the fish without the benefit of electronics.
If I'm posting about the limit of fish I caught I would feel obligated to disclose I had caught them w/ LS. Nimrod always does this. Though I'm sure Nimrod was catching limits before LS.
I guess what I'm saying is.... If me and another guy fish the same area of a body of water and he's catching fish and I'm not.... I'm not going to sweat it too much if the other guy has LS. Just too much of a difference maker.
And yes. The biggest issue is that I have Mrs. Loop Knot addicted to crappie fishing!
I think you are confusing an issue with a blessing. I wish my wife still wanted to fish with me. She basically quit after we had kids. Maybe she will start up again when the kids are grown up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loop Knot
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Live Scope is viewed many different ways. If it weren't for tournaments and now guiding, I would not have it. But since I have it, I use it. And I will give Garmin the compliment they deserve. I've used their DI and maps and I like them. I like the entire set up of their units.
Live scope being real time is the best right now !:fish
No. No. I LOVE her fishing with me! It's the best!Quote:
Originally Posted by D10
I have fished with a guide who uses live scope and it's definitely on my shortlist of upgrades to my boat . For me , I would at least know that the fish are there .
Quote:
Originally Posted by arkcrappie
You bring up another great point. The creativity and smarts of the good folks at Garmin. It is truly INCREDIBLE technology.