Printable View
Well, Live Scope has been out for a little while now. What's your thoughts on it? Likes? Dislikes? Worth the money? Have they made updates?
I'm planning on making the leap to Live Scope this year and would appreciate feedback.
Garmin is out for me. I'm Humminbird/Minnkota/LakeMaster all Ethernet linked. Live Scope will be plug and play.
I do not have Live Scope. Most folks I talked to while I fished today were not doing too good. Slowed down to idle to not blow a fella out of the water. He was glued to his screen. He pulled in 2 fish from a treetop as I idled by
I would still go with livescope, Garmin.
HB is way behind Garmin. Not sure they can or will catch up.
I have aUltrex, HB solix, all networked.
So if I mark something on my Solix, I tell the ultrex go to it.
Then I just use LS after I arrive.
I have had several updates from Garmin.
Zero problems.
I have never laughed so much as watching the fish react live.
I often look at 200 fish a trip, that doesn’t mean I’ll bring home a limit.
LS wastes a lot of time, you just know you can make them bite. So you spend 30 minutes instead of 5.
All in all LS is just a tool, so is side imaging, 360 etc…I have had LS for a couple years now.
…Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
Agree with redge as I did the same thing. I’m a bird guy. But just use garmin for LS.Quote:
Originally Posted by Redge
Definitely has not proven to put more fish in the boat for me as I’m spending too much time fishing for fish I can see and not catching!
Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
I love my livescope. This year I'm adding another 1042xsv along with another LVS32 and box to the bow of my boat for perspective view...the other one is for forward view. The best thing about it for me is when you find the fish, they either eat or they don't. If they eat, we stay and catch some. If they don't, we move on until we find some that do. Elimnates water fast.
Yes, they have made updates, but you have to be careful which ones you do (depending on which units you get). I myself am not updating past GPSMap version 25.30 with GLS version 2.55. All the versions after that, people have said they get dead spots. I am going to stick with 25.30/2.55 and learn it like the back of my hand, and be done with it.
No one I talked with were catching many crappie yesterday. I idled past a fella in a treetop looking down at his screen. He pulled out 2 as I went by. Only looked away from his screen long enough to unhook the fish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redge
Well said, thanks
I am also 1 garmin up front, everything else is Humminbird Minnkota. I know nothing about mega. Your statement "Livescope will be plug and play" caught my eye, not sure of your meaning, but I am always adjusting, range, gain, color pallet etc. That is why so many of us have them on elevated mounts, not to see but rather easy to reach to adjust. Hope this helps, it is a game changer, at least you know you are on fish, I think it helps my confidence and focus, instead of chunkin and a windeing
I love my Mega Live. Use it some single poling but mainly while spider rigging. Helps me see that fish are in the area, how deep they are, and whether they show interest in my bait or not. Has definitely improved my catch ratio.
Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
I waited until last year to pull the trigger and buy the Livescope system.After using it for the better part of a year I would say it was definitely worth it.Some trips I will just use it for reference like looking at some brush or a laydown and seeing what amount/size fish are in there,and then fish it pretty much like I use to before I had the Livescope.On other occasions the Livescope turns what would have been a pretty slow trip into a big day.I was out 2 weeks ago and most all the brush I checked was empty or full of little dink Crappie.I started looking around using the Livescope and found small groups and single fish roaming off the brush quite a bit and was able to pitch and cast to them and had a big day.I seriously doubt I would have been able to key in on pretty much any of these Crappe without the Livescope.We also find it very useful when spiderrigging and pan around to find where exactly the fish are and use it to set our baits at exactly the right depth.It makes us much more efficient when we are rigging and eliminates alot of the guesswork and saves time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanr3
I am in the same boat as you have been looking at Live haven`t pulled the trigger yet as my Mega 360 covers most of my bases. The new Mega Live update seems to have helped tremendously, I think if someone is looking at just plug and play with no tweaking then Garmin would be the choice with the new LV 34. From watching some videos of the new LV 34 not impressed at the way the sonar rays look on the screen, but had more definition then the LV 32.
Agree with this post. LS is a time saver for me. If I slowly approach a marked brush pile or underwater structure and there are no fish on it I move on. Conversely, if there are fish there I can change baits, sizes or colors to entice a bite if they are reticent or just move to another waypoint or new brush pile I find on SI as I also run a Helix 10.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackjeepjk
Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com
Thoughts?
My 2 cents.
I somewhat envy those just getting into LS.
The 106sv unit at $1000 is a really unit at a great price.
The new LVS34 system and Ultra MFDs on sale will make great combos.
I bought one (106sv) during the BP special last fall and am very happy with the screen resolution compared to my Ecomap 93sv+.
The part that impressed me the most in the RMP video was the statement that the LVS34 system was as close to plug and play and ready to go right out the box with minimal adjustment as possible.
I started with the original Panoptix 6 years ago and then the Livescope LVS32 for the last 4 years.
Have learned how to dial in the LVS32 and with the recent software update will probably finish out the year with it before deciding on bumping up to the new system.
Buying new today, I would probably grab a sale 106 unit and a LVS34 system for a good value that would last for the next 3-4 years easily.
My boats are networked with HB helix10s and an Ipilot Link Terrova and will not give up that system for searching with SI and the mapping.
Hanr3
Give JK a call as we just returned from a club trip to Enid and used the system described above.
Good Luck
My thoughts….After retiring from 53 of building pipelines I’m finally back to fishing full time, when the weather permits. Hadn’t fished in years. Man, how the fishing electronics have changed! My Buddy told told me I needed to get Livescope. I told him I could catch plenty of crappie without spending a small fortune. WRONG! I made the mistake of fishing with him in his boat with LS. That weekend I was was installing Livescope and Garmin 93sv UHD in my little boat. I have caught the crap out of the crappie with LS. But it never ends. Today I just installed a 106sv and networked it to the 93sv. It will definitely change the way you fish. We were on the lake the other day in our separate boats. I looked over at him looking at his screen and said ‘hey look at us out here. We look like 2 old men sitting out here fishing playing video games’…..I must tell you Livescope is very addictive. Lol
Some very good info guys.
For me it has been a huge help. Like everyone says it won’t make inactive fish bite but you can change change change to try and get a bite. It may cause you hours of time messing with fish that won’t bite but it should never cost you hours of time fishing water where there are no fish. I personally if at all possible will sadly not fish without it anymore. Also like said it gets expensive first you get the scope and head unit and think your done. Did good got it all on sale. then you want bigger then you want the heading sensor which then you need nema2000 cables and connectors then you’ll want a second unit. Then you’ll want to link it all together which you’ll have to buy a network hub and cables. Welcome to your next addiction. All that said I’d do it all again!
I spider rigg and was wondering if live scope would benefit me. Based on the information you have provided, it looks like it would. I use lowrance electronics as that was on the boat when I bought it. The LS would be set up to itself. Trying to justify the cost but when you look at the big picture, boat, truck, poles and equipment, none of it adds up. I just like catching. Give the biggest part of my fish away to friends and family. But I do want to give it a try and probably will.Quote:
Originally Posted by ad1974
Definitely worth it, keeps you out of the brush and over the fish. Forward facing sonar is the best for spider rigging. You can keep your baits on the individual fish, raise or lower as needed. You see a fish at 8’ and your baits at 10’ just give it a couple of cranks up. Don’t stay hung up as much either on them meat runs. I’m lowrance/motorguide all networked with stand alone garmin livescope.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanr3
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
I guess it is all about what you want from fishing . I know without livescope tournament fishing is a no go . A friend who is a master at turkey hunting told me the day he used a tent or decoy would be his last turkey hunt . I am close to his thought about livescope . Seems like everything to make things "easier" and a little fame we go all in . Am strongly considering becoming a 100 % red ear fisherman . I am not anti livescope, just not sure it is a necessity for non tournament guys .
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eagle 1
DITTO
My thoughts are that i dont have any.
Especially about buying one.
This has been my first year with it. I don't have a lot of money in it, just a 93sv and the scope. I sold my two birds and used that money for the scope. If I'm in the boat by myself i can usually pick out a nice mess with it, but i can't explain, and don't have the patience to try to teach someone how to catch fish with it. Usually, if someone is in the boat with me, I just put out the rods and fish like that. It does help to find the fish, which I didn't really have any issues with that with my birds. And it has showed me why we usually catch fish not too far off the bottom. They tend to go down to the bottom when the get spooked. I havn't been able to get it dialed in like I'd like,and like what you see others have. I don't see me upgrading to another unit in the future. The side image is no where near what a bird is.