Open Water Livescope Users

Got my livescope last fall and it has only seen hardwater. And I freakin love it!
I learn something new every time I take it out. I have it pretty much dialed in on my presentation so I can watch my bait and fish around it.

Now that were are going to open water does anyone have tips on seeing your bait when you not vertical fishing directly below the unit?
Anyone use bigger sinkers, more sinkers, etc… I was thinking of maybe installing a rattle spoon as a sinker or tie a piece of Mylar on the line a couple feet up just to better see where I’m at or get some kind of sleeve to use as a sinker that would better show up on the unit.

I’m stoked about the thought of open water. Did I just say that? I hope the Ice Fishing Gods didn’t hear that.

I would say don’t plan on seeing your bait much further than 35-40′ away. I’m sure it is possible but with the boat constantly moving around it is tricky to keep the bait in the transducers path at times.

The real benefit I find in open water situations is always making a cast to productive water. Following the school of crappie, casting right in the weed pocket, casting exactly on the deep weed line, etc…

I think you should just use an A rig all summer.

We used it on Lotw to see our jigs. We were able to see quarter oz and up when vertical or pitching just behind the boat. It was pretty awesome to see walleyes come up and whack a jig.

My ducer is transom mounted so casting out and seeing the baits is limited. I might change that this year. I don’t really want to deal with the pole system but the transom mount does limit functionality.

I run mine on a pole mount. This method suits me well, as a TM mount, when on spot lock, moves around too much if there is any wind. It’s one more piece of equipment to mess with but I can turn and shoot the the area I want to look at rather than it always looking in the direction of TM.

Couldn’t you just mount it on the end of a second bow mounted ulterra to auto stow / deploy and remote trim / pan? Let one ulterra control the boat and use the second one to steer and one to pan the transducer?

Adam Steffes wrote:

Couldn’t you just mount it on the end of a second bow mounted ulterra to auto stow / deploy and remote trim / pan? Let one ulterra control the boat and use the second one to steer and one to pan the transducer?

Jesus, how much money do you guys have.

Sorry if this is a stupid question. Could you mount the transducer to show your live bait behind the boat while rigging for walleyes? If so, would you see the walleye approach the bait?

I could see an 1/8 oz. jig and plastic easily 50 feet away. I casted past the school at 30-40 feet, let the jig fall, then worked it through the top of the school. You can also zoom in on the area to make it easier to see.

39degrees wrote:

If so, would you see the walleye approach the bait?

I’ll find out this summer but I’m sure you could as long as your bait is visible.

Livescope has truly changed the fishing game. I predict that the next generation of trolling motors will be designed around the forward-facing sonar technology now available, with the ability to fix the sonar signal on a target independent of the trolling motor head position. That technology has existed since the introduction of the old MinnKota autopilots and will only get better/more sophisticated. The challenge for TM manufacturers is to provide anglers two separate guidance systems – one for the forward-facing sonar and the other for the trolling motor head – all in a single trolling motor unit. We’re probably three to five years out from that becoming available? Till then, it’s going to be a compromise. Either put it on the trolling motor shaft or put it on a separate stick. Since I’m running a Fortrex, my Livescope transducer is conveniently affixed to the trolling motor shaft. No problem with spotlock here!

I think you are going to love it. Here is a school of crappie from our Kansas Trip last week, majority of these are 11-13”. Verified by catching dozens of them.

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Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Adam Steffes wrote:</div>
Couldn’t you just mount it on the end of a second bow mounted ulterra to auto stow / deploy and remote trim / pan? Let one ulterra control the boat and use the second one to steer and one to pan the transducer?

Jesus, how much money do you guys have.

LOL

39degrees wrote:

Sorry if this is a stupid question. Could you mount the transducer to show your live bait behind the boat while rigging for walleyes? If so, would you see the walleye approach the bait?

The answer is yes. Just depends on how far back but yes you can.

Matt Moen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>39degrees wrote:</div>
Sorry if this is a stupid question. Could you mount the transducer to show your live bait behind the boat while rigging for walleyes? If so, would you see the walleye approach the bait?

The answer is yes. Just depends on how far back but yes you can.

Awesome, thank you

Terry Heese wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Adam Steffes wrote:</div>
Couldn’t you just mount it on the end of a second bow mounted ulterra to auto stow / deploy and remote trim / pan? Let one ulterra control the boat and use the second one to steer and one to pan the transducer?

Jesus, how much money do you guys have.

LOL

Exactly!

If you find a way to mount to the Ulterra let me know! Ultrex yes, Ulterra with stow and deploy I doubt it.