Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk AL Fishing Talk Unsolicited LiveScope Advice

Nobody has asked a question like this lately, but I thought I would post my recent experience to maybe keep someone from making a bad decision. I have posted before about my LS setup - I have a stick steering boat and fish seated. The 9" Garmin unit is mounted on the port gunwale with a Beatdown mount that lets up 30" and puts the unit at eye level. I have told folks that the 9" unit is big enough for me and I didn't think I would gain much with a 12" unit.

BUT, that doesn't apply at all on a bass boat with the unit mounted on the floor. I fished with a relative the last 2 days and he has mounted a 9" unit just like mine on floor at the bow of his bass boat. I found the 9" to be all but useless in that type setup. Someone with better eyes than me might be ok, but I don't think so. Your eyes are just too far from the screen. If you are gonna mount one on the floor, cough up the money for a 12". This opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it, but I don't want anyone to buy a 9" because I said I was happy with mine. It all depends on your setup.

You don't need a LS to catch fish right now, but the time will come again.

They make bigger than 12. Get the biggest you can afford and dont say its not worth the money. It is worth every penny no matter what size you get. I have owned 10s and 12 both are fine on the floor mounts

im fine with my 1022 on the floor with the mount that it is on. but im usually sitting on my pro pole seat when i am livescoping

I bought the 106sv & have only taken it out 1 time since I installed it. I can see what you are talking about preacher. I see it ok with my sit down seat up front, I haven’t tried it with my butt seat yet. A 12” screen would have been better & I’m so glad I didn’t purchase a 9. I’m going to go in the morning & play with the settings some more. I may try a different color palette when the sun gets on it.

Preacher rotate your transducer upward one extra notch whe using forward facing and drop your range to 50-60 feet max if bass fishing drop tp 30 crappie fishing. Rotating the transducer up mpre will allow you to see the splash when your bait hits the water and will allow you to find it falling quicker. Also pollen kills your ability to see in the forst few feet once your bait lands so at times this time of year it can be tough to find your bait quick if there is a lot of pollen on the surface

Thanks! I am about to head out using my boat again and I am looking forward to being able to see again.

I have done a lot of tinkering with the settings on mine and can usually pick up my bait pretty quickly, especially a bass sized bait. I struggle to find jigs at times but by cutting the distance to 40' if in some crappie. I think I am seeing everything ok with my unit because it's right at my eyes. I'm sure a 12" would be better, but I guess I won't know how much better on this setup unless I buy one. The bad news is that BPS has the 12" in the Bargain Cave for 1599.

In my uncle's boat, I couldn't often see the fish, much less my bait. I wear bifocals and the distance was too far for the reading lens, so that made it harder for me than it might for someone with better eyes. But I think anyone would really struggle trying video fishing from that boat. It was ok for getting info about water depth and maybe seeing bait, but for finding fish and then making casts to them and seeing them hit, I don't think so.

I had posted that I thought my 9" was ok for a boat like mine, and didn't wanna lead anyone astray who was buying for a bass boat setup - get a bigger unit. Good fishing to all!

Sage advice. I have a 106SV up front mounted on bow and it's barely large enough. Ready for something larger and up higher.

I had a good day on the lake and caught a lot of fish. I didn't really plan on video fishing, but that's where I ended up. The bass weren't schooled up on bait, they were just on a mud bottom in 25' of water. It was nice to be able to see the fish and my lure, and I watched most of them bite.

A bass boat is far superior to mine in many ways, but I don't know if anything could be better than a gunwale mounted LS unit and an old fashioned cable steer TM for video fishing. I can stay on the fish no matter what they do, and the screen is close enough to my eyes that I can see all the details.

Good fishing to all!

I'm thinking the same thing 7x57. I would like to mount the 10 at the console & put a 12 up front. I.may do that this winter. Using my seat instead of butt seat helped a lot. I fished half a day Friday, started out shallow but after a couple of slow hours started fishing the middle of the pockets livescoping. I brought home 6 spots & 5 crappie for the grill. It surprised me the spots were on bottom in 15-20'. I was swimming a mooneye jig & 3" kitec about 3' off the bottom & they would come up from nowhere & hit it.

How have you got the transducer mounted? I have mine on a pole mount and not happy with it. I need another option that won't break the bank.

Mine is just mounted onto the shaft of the TM with a Perspective mount. But that's an obvious way to mount it since it's a cable operated motor. I don't have spot lock, but I do have easy control of the transducer and I am constantly sweeping it when video fishing. The pole mount with a spot lock motor is great for fishing brush piles and anytime fish are staying in one spot, but I don't think it works as well on moving fish. Everything to do with a boat is a compromise of some sort.

Well, as luck would have it the transducer connection on my 7" Garmin broke loose and I don't see any choice but to upgrade to a 12" unit. . I will move the 9" unit over to replace it and put the new one on the LS. I will post about it after I've used it on whether the bigger unit leads to more fish.

So I got the 12" unit mounted on the port side on the extension mount, and moved the 9" unit to the starboard side. I was able to fix the 7" unit, but now don't really have a use for it.

Went to the lake yesterday and caught a decent bunch of bass and crappie, and caught most of them video fishing. There are some big crappie just swimming in open water right now and they were pretty aggressive.

I promised a report on how much better the 12" is than the 9" on the LiveScope, and the report is that I can't say that it's any better at all. With the mount extended the full 30" the screen is reading distance from my eyes, and I don't get any advantage from the bigger screen. It has a higher resolution, so maybe someday somehow I might catch a fish that I wouldn't have caught using the 9", but I don't think it will happen often. The 9" is noticeably better than the 7". I would buy 2 of the 9" units if I had it to do over.

Once again, this is not relevant to a bass boat with the unit mounted on the deck. Your eyes will be at least 5' from the screen in that setup, and bigger is better.

PCP, I’d hate for you to have to look at that 12 and think what a waste it was.

I’ll buy it off of you for half of what you paid, just so you don’t have to sulk in your sorrows each time you’re on the boat. 😀

Appreciate the advice. I have a 9 and was holding off when you mentioned getting a 12 to see how much better it is/was/wasn’t. I’m just watching from afar right now before pulling the trigger on anything.

Next question: Anyone able to comment on the LVS34 vs the LVS32? Is it worth the extra cost?

It is better but not that much better. I dont recall the price difference if its $100 difference get the 34 if its $250 I would keep the 32

I’m sure its $400 difference, I bit the bullet & bought the 34 after much debate.

Yes sir, everywhere I’m looking is $400-$500 difference.

I'm sticking with the 32 I've got. Couldn't tell enough difference to spend the money.

Anyone heard of the LS transducer “wearing out” over time or have the opportunity to use a new vs old unit? If so, did you notice a difference in the clarity. I’m not referring to the 34 vs 32 but instead a new unit that has been in use for a few years.

Cal you can wear out or burn up a transducer. Never seen it done but they recommend you turn it off when not in use to keep it from getting too hot they say