[eyeFISH]

Guide buddy has adamantly told me, "Doc, why so stubborn about LiveScope? It ain't like you don't have the money. But hey... if you insist on intentionally handicapping yourself, that's TOTALLY your choice"

 

[the_admeral]

@the_admeral

You wanted pictures so I took a couple today

the pole is a bit flimsy for my liking. I have it set to where it will snap into Scotty rod holder brackets.

the unit is in a Summit shuttle it houses the battery the box and the fish finder.

the battery in the shuttle is a 35 amp
Amped battery

soon I’m going to get the release mount makes to hold down the shuttle to the boat. It is a Buick release the will be mounted to my center console and a Johnny Ray so that it will swivel.

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Thats exactly what I wanted to know. Thats a sick setup. I compared with starfishs setup and i know exactly what to order. Thanks for taking the time to post pics. I cant wait to get setup.

 

[the_admeral]

Has anyone found a transducer pole that is ultra rigid?

 

[Starfish]

Has anyone found a transducer pole that is ultra rigid?

Careful what you wish for, Eric. Our encounter with the tribal drift net (in the area closed to netting of course) would have ended badly if the mount and/or pole couldn’t flex.
I’m pretty happy with the summit carbon fiber pole. Much better than their earlier aluminum pole.

 

[the_admeral]

Careful what you wish for, Eric. Our encounter with the tribal drift net (in the area closed to netting of course) would have ended badly if the mount and/or pole couldn’t flex.
I’m pretty happy with the summit carbon fiber pole. Much better than their earlier aluminum pole.

Very true. That could have been a nightmare.
Thanks for all the advice guys. Sounds like I should stay with Summit for all the parts except for the unit itself.

 

[Liquiddeath]

Still haven’t seen live scope in action but I know some of my salmon fisheries they would help a ton. Not really for trolling so much but for anchor fishing definitely. Just can’t justify another expensive gadget on the boat when we can catch a fish just fine without it.

 

[Newport]

My experience with Livescope so far has been interesting. I mostly fish for bass and Crappie, and over the past couple of weeks since I got Livescope I’ve been hammering rainbows and catfish on jigs and craws. See a fish, cast towards it and get hit, only to find it’s not a bass. The catfish have been in schools of Crappie. They’re fun to catch, just surprising.

 

[Joek]

Has anyone found a transducer pole that is ultra rigid?

I’m happy with ArcLab.

first test run was 5 mph perspective mode.

I wouldn’t intentionally go faster than that with this transducer deployed.

 

[the_admeral]

I’m happy with ArcLab.

first test run was 5 mph perspective mode.

I wouldn’t intentionally go faster than that with this transducer deployed.

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Thanks Joek. I really like how rigid that pole is. I just ordered the Summit Shuttle bundle with the carbon fibor pole with the stabilizer plate. My total invoice was $4,765. Gets delivered on Wednesday so I will be busy installing it on two boats.

 

[manuka]

I’m happy with ArcLab.

I ordered the ArcLab setup on 8/28. It's pricey but by all appearances, it's the best setup out there. A friend has it and is very happy with it.

Still haven't received it. Tracking says it's stuck in Winnipeg. ArcLab won't respond to my emails. Getting frustrated.

 

[adamg]

I also got an Arclab setup based on Joek's recommendations here. I attach/detach the base from a Cannon downrigger track. Works great. The standard setup does not include that locking mechanism pictured on his that keeps the pole attached the base--thats an additional add-on they call Hercules handcuff or some. Its not required but would certainly help in rough water, otherwise its just relying the leverage of the ram mount to keep it in place.

Still haven't received it. Tracking says it's stuck in Winnipeg. ArcLab won't respond to my emails. Getting frustrated.

I ordered the handcuff add-on last month and it is also stuck in Winnipeg. I got a pretty quick reply from Owen @ Arclab when I reached out. Sounds like every package they try to ship to the states gets held by customs and requires them to submit paperwork for the product's aluminum and beyond that is in US customs control. Sounds like they're completely choked and theres not much they can do.

 

[Daweez04]

I still see way more issues with autopilot guys. Though one running both may be a menace I'm not ready to encounter.

It is already a thing, and yes, its infuriating. Remote in hand, head down at LS... no care in the world.

I will say, most have their hands on the tiller if they are really watching the LS, because they want to induce a hook up by changing speed when they see something following their gear.

Overall, my freezers are more than full. Now I am getting Omega 3s to my elderly parents to keep them around longer... I don't have trouble filling limits without it. I can see as a guide where you have 6 tags to fill, even getting 2 or 3 more good hookups an outing came make a huge difference, and the investment is 2 day's fares. Seems like a no brainer.

I will say, not going to turn this into "guide bashing", but the crazy amount out there these days, upping their success rate will burn through quotas faster. They fish 45+ Days in the fall, I am on the river maybe 10, and average about 3 rods in the water vs 7 (assuming they only run 1 trip a day). It is just simple math.

 

[Crabcracker]

I’m livescope curious but don’t think I’ll be getting it any time soon. I’m afraid I’d turn into a constant screen watching boat potato. For those that use it, how long/far do salmon follow your presentation? I’m sure this varies wildly, but I’d be interested to hear some anecdotal’s. I know sometimes I’ll troll over fish and then the screen will go blank for quite some time and then I’ll get bit.

 

[no excuses]

My mount for livescope. Around $70 brand new and shipped. Look for a dead trolling motor and probably get it for free.

 

[GreshamFisher]

A couple more weeks under my belt and I'm really liking my Livescope for salmon fishing. I attribute 2 of the last 3 fish I caught to it, and probably all 3. But specifically 2 of them I watched on the livescope and made decisions that I believe resulted in the hook up.

First one, I was about to reel in to check lines when I saw the fish, so I stopped and not 5 seconds later it took.

The second we watched a fish come in behind a spinner... I've just had no luck with spinners for whatever reason... the fish was just watching it. My other rod on the screen with a stuffer bait was about 5 feet lower. I cranked it up, the fish immediately switched targets and took the stuffer bait.

The down side is definitely seeing fish totally ignore my gear as it travels by them. It doesn't bother me one bit when a fish comes in to investigate and decides not to commit. At least I feel like it's close and maybe I can switch something small up. But when I'm dragging and they look like they are literally avoiding my stuff, that bothers me.

 

[Starfish]

A couple more weeks under my belt and I'm really liking my Livescope for salmon fishing. I attribute 2 of the last 3 fish I caught to it, and probably all 3. But specifically 2 of them I watched on the livescope and made decisions that I believe resulted in the hook up.

First one, I was about to reel in to check lines when I saw the fish, so I stopped and not 5 seconds later it took.

The second we watched a fish come in behind a spinner... I've just had no luck with spinners for whatever reason... the fish was just watching it. My other rod on the screen with a stuffer bait was about 5 feet lower. I cranked it up, the fish immediately switched targets and took the stuffer bait.

The down side is definitely seeing fish totally ignore my gear as it travels by them. It doesn't bother me one bit when a fish comes in to investigate and decides not to commit. At least I feel like it's close and maybe I can switch something small up. But when I'm dragging and they look like they are literally avoiding my stuff, that bothers me.

I’m starting to develop a rejection complex after seeing hundreds of fish turn and follow my baits for long minutes at a time and then finally ghost us
It is awesome though when you barely have time to say “fish in the gear” and a rod doubles over.

 

[jcarufo]

I’m starting to develop a rejection complex after seeing hundreds of fish turn and follow my baits for long minutes at a time and then finally ghost us
It is awesome though when you barely have time to say “fish in the gear” and a rod doubles over.

In both of those instances the live scope seemed to have exactly no impact on either eventual outcome. An expensive, entertaining toy? jc

 

[2slow]

In both of those instances the live scope seemed to have exactly no impact on either eventual outcome. An expensive, entertaining toy? jc

In both of those instances the live scope seemed to have exactly no impact on either eventual outcome. An expensive, entertaining toy? jc

You are correct, in many cases I have had limited success being able to trigger a following fish to bite. In some cases I have been able to trigger them but not consistently enough to accurately say the fish wouldn't have bitten anyway. In my experience the value of the livescope when trolling for salmon has two main components. One is that I KNOW when I am in fish. Many of the marks I have seen for years don't show as fish in the livescope. Secondly, you know exactly where your bait is. Once you positively identify the fish you can see what depth they are in and then accurately get your baits to that depth. Some fish will move up or down 5 feet or more to look at a bait but having your bait at the same level as the fish is definitely more productive. One of the biggest surprises to me is how MUCH your bait changes depth with varying boat speed. Especially with 360s. If you are a guide or someone with 6 people in the boat you can cover all the depths. My wife and I fish by ourselves most of the time so we can only fish two depths at a time. Locating the right depth every time out is time consuming. Looking at the livescope we know rather quickly what depth to be at.

Having said all that, it is more of an expensive toy than a must have tool.

 

[Starfish]

2slow nailed it. It’s entertainment for trolling but not a game changer.
However it’s a game changer for anchor fishing imho. Running in perspective mode I was able to adjust boat position to meet fish movement for springers and sockeyes this year. I can definitely attribute many of my sockeye successes this year to the Livescope.

 

[Herring Aid]

Very easy to point out all the reasons not to get it if you don't have it, and the flip side? Very easy to justify having it once you do. I wouldn't go without it now for the reasons listed above. I sold my old boat with my bow mount and then rolled that money into the livescope, instead of another bow mount. I get waaaaay more out of the livescope, no doubt. I would love to have both but I would also love to have an efi kicker and a prop lower unit and a fish fighter rail system. Out of all of those big ticket items, the return on investment on the live is a lot higher IMHO. I use it the entire time I'm fishing. I know if a rod is tangled or weeded up, I know exactly how deep my gear is and am consistantly reaffirmed seeing fish go by and knowing that variable is eliminated (this is huge for confidence). These benefits have been stated and one that was touched on is knowing a 2d mark is an actual salmon is nice but even more important is knowing 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are NO fish in an area you are fishing, or very few fish. I was able to consistently stay in the larger groups every trip down to the estuary this year and it certainly increased my catch. Specifically on incoming tides hover fishing. I knew when it was time to hop scotch to stay on them. I've also had consistency seeing followers reject whatever is on the business end, changed it up an then have that rod get bit. You can experiment and see what's working, or not, and that to me is also putting more fish in the boat and contributing to more multiple hook ups. I can go through a group of fish that several turn and follow, get a bite, tell everyone to stay in for a few seconds while I throttle up and then come off it and get another bite because I know they are there.