Get past the learning curve on DAY 1 with these tips!
by Paul Potter – Grand Lake Pro Fishing Guide
The Garmin LiveScope! It’s changing the fishing world as we speak! Many have heard of this device and some have not. Never have we seen technology that will allow you to view fish LIVE as they swim right below your boat. Now you can watch REAL TIME as fish bite your lure! Many anglers have coined the phrase “Video game fishing” in reference to fishing with the Garmin LiveScope because it really is like playing a real-life video game.
Yes, there is a learning curve for using the Garmin LiveScope, but this article is going to teach you the MOST IMPORTANT information needed for success. This information will allow you to go out DAY 1 and catch fish with the LiveScope! So, let’s dive in!
Forget everything you currently know about traditional sonar
The first thing you need to know about using the Garmin Livescope is the transducer beam is not like traditional sonar or down-scan sonar. So throw out all knowledge and information you currently have regarding 2D and down-scan sonar. Because the Garmin LiveScope transducer is very different from traditional sonar technology!
So how is it different from 2D and Downscan?
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The Garmin LiveScope Transducer utilizes 3 separate beams, not a single cone beam.
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The Garmin LiveScope Transducer beams face Straight Forward, Down, and Backwards. Not Left AND/OR Right.
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The Garmin LiveScope Transducer beams are 30° forward looking beams. The beam is around 12 inches wide when fishing directly in front of the beam, which is where you will be fishing most of the time. (See pictures below)
(The LiveScope transducer is mounted on the trolling motor in the following picture)
So why are the Garmin LiveScope Beams so narrow!?
Having a narrow beam improves your accuracy when finding fish. Now when you place your bait in the water you will know exactly where your lure is located in-reference to the fish you can see on the screen. Follow these two rules to track down fish with the Garmin LiveScope and you will know for a fact that your lure is right in front of their faces!
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If you can see your lure AND the fish, you are both within the beam, wait for them to bite it!
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If you can see a fish but NOT your lure, you need to move your lure LEFT or RIGHT until it is in the LiveScope beam.
Pro tip: Find the fish on your LiveScope FIRST. THEN drop your lure down IN FRONT oF the LiveScope beam. This is easier than trying to move your lure back and forth trying to find it on the screen.
See the Garmin LiveScope in action on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6GB5SxNxClo?si=5gWz-Xe94SWOjcty
This is not an accurate description of the “beam.” The transmitted beam is 30 degrees wide from the transducer. Think of it a pie wedge that gets wider as the distance from the transducer increases. This pie wedge goes from the surface to the bottom. If you drop a jig right by the boat it has a fairly narrow area that it can be seen on your display. As you get farther out you can move your jig in a wider sweep and still see it. Don’t know where the 12 inches came from. https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/636902
Have 19′ mako. Can you run this in back with unit and panoptic and still see everything under your boat. Said beam goes to 130 degree
Yes sir. the beam is pretty narrow. But at 100 ft down it will be a lot wider.