How Panoptix Livescope Transformed The Way I Fish
For fisherman who cast, have you ever thought about how little traditional sonar does for you? Traditional sonar shoots a beam down from the transducer and gives you info from directly under your boat. The problem with that is that most of the time you are casting out away from your boat. For me, I am throwing jigs and cranks as far in front of the boat as possible. So for me, I want to be gathering information from out there rather than just what's under the boat. And the intel I got this year really has made a huge difference. Check out the short list:
Snapping plastics: I had multiple times where I watched walleyes chase my jigs in. Every time I snapped a Charlie Brewer Slider, the fish would intensify the chase and then back off. I had the privilege of watching fish chase and reject and (even more exciting) chase and bite!
Hair jigging smallies in deep water: I used my Panoptix a ton this summer on Lake George. I learned so much about the mood of the fish and about the location of the fish. I figured out how to effectively target suspended fish. And I watched lots of fish chomp my hair jig.
Throwing jerkbaits: The last two weeks I saw pods of walleyes come crashing in around my jerkbait. If I had multiple fish following, it was only moments before I hooked up with one.
Identifying fish in the area: The Livescope gave me a ton of new confidence that fish were in an area. I could watch the walleyes swimming above and in the weeds. It was obvious that they were fish because you could see their profile and they were actually moving! If I knew there were fish in an area, I fished it longer and often ended up catching fish in that same area.
Watching how fish are interacting with my baits: I think the coolest thing about Garmin’s Panoptix Livescope is just how much data I gathered while on the water. I learned a ton about how my presentations affected the fish’s reaction and even getting rejected by fish was a teachable moment. The more you watch fish, the more your mind will be blown by what’s going on beneath the water’s surface.
I love to learn. And what makes fishing so much fun for me is the learning opportunities. I can’t wait to get out and do some more watching!