Livescope…Yes, It’s Worth It!

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There’s been some debate on the use of livescope technology. Does it really help you find fish quicker? Does it help you catch fish faster? Is it worth the money? And to all of these questions, I would answer with a resounding yes!

This, of course, doesn’t mean that everyone should go out and buy a livescope unit. In fact, I would not recommend that you do so unless fishing is a pretty serious part of your life. But there are reasons why it makes sense, even financially, if fishing is something you love to do, not just even if, but especially if you don’t get to go very often.

Before we go on, I want to point out that while I am using the term livescope generically, the term is actually the name of the Garmin version of live sonar. But because that is the widely used term for the technology in the industry, I am using it here in the generic sense. When referring to the Garmin version, I will use the term, “Livescope” with a capital L.

Should You Buy Livescope?

The first thing you should think about is how much you like to catch fish as compared to how often you get to fish. If you love to fish, enjoy the pursuit of finding them organically, and have lots of time to do so, livescope may not be for you, especially considering its high cost.

But if you don’t have a lot of time to fish each season, but really value putting fish in the boat, especially if you enjoy keeping them for table fare, then livescope is highly recommended. Now you may think it’s cost prohibitive, but it’s not as bad as you may think.

First, think about all of the fishing equipment you have purchased over time. A fishing boat is probably the most expensive piece of equipment you’ve ever purchased for fishing. It gives you the flexibility to go where the fish are, right?

But as the old saying goes, 90% of the fish are in 10% of the lake. So if you leave it to random chance, you’ll spend 90% of your time not finding many fish. If you only get to go fishing a handful of times each summer, that’s not very good odds, unless you tend to fish the same body of water over and over again.

Now of course, there is traditional sonar which most boats and fisherman have. So this gives you a reading when fish are under the boat. This is great in deeper water where the fish aren’t easily spooked. But what about the ones that are off to the side?

Well, for that, there is sidescan technology. This can help with seeing fish off to the side, but sidescan has its own limitations. The sidescan will tell you that there are fish there, but it won’t tell you if those fish came from the area under your boat and were spooked to the side of your boat. And we all know from experience that spooked fish are not that likely to bite.

But with livescope, you have the ability to watch the fish reacting to these scenarios. I have been out spider rigging for crappie and watched schools of them scatter just shortly before my baits actually reach them. This is invaluable information to a fisherman in real time. With this knowledge, I can change my approach to casting, which allows me to reach the fish without spooking them.

Finally, electronics on boats tend to have a long lifespan. When you buy your first unit, the bells and whistles of any future enhancements won’t compare with the advantage you gain from just being able to see the fish’s behavior on the screen in real time. So if you never want to upgrade, you won’t be missing much.

So Which Unit to Buy?

Like all things, this is really a matter of cost and preference. Watching them on demo mode at a store like Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s will give you a good idea of how the unit looks and feels. Lowrance, Humminbird and Garmin all have their own versions.

Personally, I chose Garmin Livescope and can tell you that I have zero regrets. The unit has been very reliable and consistent in it’s performance. I paired it with a Garmin 12″ head unit. The large screen makes it very easy to see, even on bright sunny days, without straining.

At the time I bought mine, the total cost for the head unit and the Livescope transducer was about $4500. If I were buying today, I would probably purchase this bundle from Amazon. This provides you with a 9″ display head unit and their latest Livescope Plus transducer.

If fishing is something you really enjoy, but are frustrated with coming up empty handed on the few trips that you make each year, or if you’re just frustrated in general with not being able to catch fish that you know are there, consider a livescope unit. You will never regret the purchase!