Patrick Walter's Livescope Technique

[schplurg]

7 hours ago, Logan S said:

People tend to over emphasize how easy new tech makes fishing.  I remember the same thing with SI when it came out and it will probably follow a similar path.  As it becomes more widely available and more people use it the 'magic' perception of it will wear off.  Part of that will also be from the fish adapting to it.  

 

The point is to catch fish right?  This isn't snagging or netting them or anything else unethical, it's just helping you be more effective/efficient at targeting them.

 

(I don't have live sonar on my boat currently)

 

Not entirely. If that were the whole point then netting a fish would be fine, depending on whose ethics we are talking about. I mean if I were feeding my family I wouldn't care how I caught them as long as it was legal.

 

I fish for fun. Some call it a sport. Sports have rules so that it is "sporting", like no motors in Tour de France, no aluminum bats in MLB. I'd like to see no electronics in competition fishing at all, and I'm sure there are tournaments for this.

 

It depends on how you want to play. To each their own, of course.  My Dad will tell you I like to make my life as difficult as possible, so there's that!

[Trox]

Personally, I love Livescope and have had it on my boat since it was released... but just because it is on your boat doesn't mean much, in fact, it can actually hurt you. Here's my two cents...

 

When I first installed and used the Livescope, for the first few months it turned out to be detrimental to my fishing. I found myself relying on it WAY too much... I would see a fish on my Livescope and work that one fish for 30 minutes or more just because I knew it was there, and it really bothered me that I couldn't catch it so I would spend way too much time in tournaments casting at lock jawed fish.. or gasper goos... or big crappie...

As time went on, I found myself using the tool less and less, until I got to where I am now, where there are times I never put it in the water (it's pole mounted)...

What people don't understand is that Livescope is actually horrible at finding active bass. From my experience, that's what side scan, downimaging, lake and seasonal knowledge, and experience come into play and are ment for. 

If I had to choose between the normal side scan and down imiging, or my Livescope, the livescope is coming off. It's just another tool, but not nearly as effective as SI or DS... can you imagine trying to prefish and explore a lake like Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend using only your trolling motor? You're just donating money to tournament trails or wasting a day possibly fishing less productive water in that case...

 

So, in conclusion, Livescope is a tool to use ONCE you find your fish using other tools, and definately nothing to rely on. Without time on the water and expereince and knowledge with the other tools that I mentioned before, you can and WILL still get skunked with it on your boat while casting at fish all day... It's not magic.

[Choporoz]

My FB feed just pointed to an interesting 'article' (editorial?) from Wired2 which argued that Walters' show will demonstrably change bass fishing,  and not just pro tournaments. 

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

My FB feed just pointed to an interesting 'article' (editorial?) from Wired2 which argued that Walters' show will demonstrably change bass fishing,  and not just pro tournaments. 

 

The first two groups in the technology adoption life cycle are already in place in bass fishing IMO. Lots of tourney guys at the club level around me have already got it and used it this year. Walters win and resulting publicity will probably help bring along the next (3rd) group this winter and spring. The following group (4th) won't be there for another year or so after they see all their buddies using it and kicking their butt with it next year  The last group might never adopt it. But the bass guys are way behind the crappie guys in this regard, who are already well into the 4th part of the cycle.

[FryDog62]

19 hours ago, TroxBox said:

Personally, I love Livescope and have had it on my boat since it was released... but just because it is on your boat doesn't mean much, in fact, it can actually hurt you. Here's my two cents...

 

When I first installed and used the Livescope, for the first few months it turned out to be detrimental to my fishing. I found myself relying on it WAY too much... I would see a fish on my Livescope and work that one fish for 30 minutes or more just because I knew it was there, and it really bothered me that I couldn't catch it so I would spend way too much time in tournaments casting at lock jawed fish.. or gasper goos... or big crappie...

As time went on, I found myself using the tool less and less, until I got to where I am now, where there are times I never put it in the water (it's pole mounted)...

What people don't understand is that Livescope is actually horrible at finding active bass. From my experience, that's what side scan, downimaging, lake and seasonal knowledge, and experience come into play and are ment for. 

If I had to choose between the normal side scan and down imiging, or my Livescope, the livescope is coming off. It's just another tool, but not nearly as effective as SI or DS... can you imagine trying to prefish and explore a lake like Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend using only your trolling motor? You're just donating money to tournament trails or wasting a day possibly fishing less productive water in that case...

 

So, in conclusion, Livescope is a tool to use ONCE you find your fish using other tools, and definately nothing to rely on. Without time on the water and expereince and knowledge with the other tools that I mentioned before, you can and WILL still get skunked with it on your boat while casting at fish all day... It's not magic.

I agree and have Livescope... some days it really helps other days it’s more of a distraction. 
 

I do think that adding 360 Imaging to find best structure and then scan with Livescope could be a game-changer as it was with Walters. 
 

Its coming and can’t be denied IMO... the day when Humminbird has its version of Livescope and integrates it all in one ‘ducer and to one graph. Same for Garmin when they add 370 (haha) Imaging and integrate it with Livescope. 
 

I’d give it 3 years ??

[schplurg]

On 12/30/2020 at 8:44 AM, TnRiver46 said:

I kind of look at this entire thing the opposite way. Livescope makes fishing too easy? Y’all must be joking!!!! Rigging that thing up to work just right is way more difficult than putting a canoe into the river and just fishing. Also, acquiring the amount of money that livescope costs is way more difficult than just going fishing. Everyone thinking it’s “cheating “ or “too easy” is about 500 steps ahead of me (and a few tax brackets above me). All this new technology is difficult and complicated to me, basically the opposite of easy or cheating 

 

If LiveScope didn't make catching fish easier nobody would use it and pros would be tossing 'em in the water and going back to their paper scroll charts. Of course it makes it easier.

 

A 12 year old who uses a smart phone could figure out how to use a LiveScope, it just takes time - like learning how to fish does.

 

Sure everyone draws their own lines on what is "too much". I fish for fun and I can't see this adding to my enjoyment. Some computer programmer is telling you where the fish are. Ridiculous.

 

If I was a commercial fisherman or in big money tournaments then maybe I would use it. I'd like to see tournaments ban this type of stuff. 

[mheichelbech]

This reminds me of the arguments against use of a crossbow for archery season in deer hunting...and arguments against compound bows vs recurve bows when compounds were introduced.  Why no one vet protested the use of guns for deer hunting is beyond me.

Totally agree it would be nice to have tournaments with limited technology and hp.  I guess they sort of have that with the kayak tournaments already.  And of course guys with 150 hp boats have an advantage over guys using bass trackers.  Eventually prices on all these electronics will come down to “average” fisherman levels and the tournament playing field will be more leveled. To me, it’s a reflection of life in general. People with more disposable income almost always have it easier with nicer, better things but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are happier....in my experience, people who have the most money and things are often the most unhappy.