I’ve had almost a full season now of utilizing Lowrance’s Lively Goal sonar. This new forward-looking expertise has resulted in lots of catches that might have gone unrealized. I’m primarily a bass fisherman, however not solely have I caught additional bass with it, however I’ve additionally caught many extra walleyes and crappies. In some ways, the expertise makes a fisherman extra efficient with their time on the water by dashing up the time it takes to get rid of water and discover fish. And when they’re discovered, the expertise can assist in directing extra exact casts to them. Moreover, Lively Goal will reveal the fishes’ surroundings greater than ever, permitting an angler to bear witness to issues beforehand shrouded in uncertainty. It’ll even go away an individual in amazement, just like the time I watched on the screen a number of smallmouth directly peel off the underside sign (15 ft) and have a race to my topwater strolling alongside the floor!
First, let me clarify what the expertise is all about. A transducer is hooked up to a bow-mounted trolling motor with it pointing in a ahead direction. The sign from the transducer then reads what’s ahead of the trolling motor, and is then transmitted to a bow-mounted graph for real-time viewing. This permits an angler to “see” something out in entrance of the trolling motor. And since the transducer is on the trolling motor, the transducer could be pivoted to look in all instructions. However not solely is it displaying what’s in entrance of the trolling motor, the sign remains to be capable of learn straight under the trolling motor. So in different phrases, what an angler sees on the graph is an oblong slice of water (from the underside to the floor), starting on the trolling motor and straight under it, out to a distance as decided by auto/handbook settings on the graph. An entire new perspective to angling and added effectivity is the outcome which in fact yields extra fish within the boat!
The precise parts of Lowrance’s Lively goal are easy. Within the bundle, you get a transducer and an oblong energy field, together with the needed cords to hook it up. A Lowrancegraph able to working the Lively Goal is bought individually. A wide range of latest fashions will work to help the Lively Goal, seek the advice of Lowrance’s web site to see precisely which fashions are suitable.
So let’s get into the advantages of this expertise and the way it assists anglers:
1) Brushpiles/stumps/large boulders are simply focused. An angler can spot these options earlier than driving the boat over them, thereby avoiding the possibility of placing any fish relating to those options on warning. Plus, casting and hitting these options with a solid is now manner simpler as a result of the route and distance of the function is displayed on the graph.
2) Weedlines are simply focused. If the fish are associated to a weedline, a fisherman can extra simply pinpoint a solid to this edge.
3) Fish could be seen and focused. Particular person fish could be pinpointed and focused with a solid. Plus seeing fish affirms that the right areas in a lake are being chosen. Not solely that, however you may have higher estimates as to the variety of fish on a spot.
4) An angler’s lure can be noticed. This profit additionally helps to extra precisely fish the options talked about above. For instance, I can solid a jig to a submerged brushpile and watch the jig descend to it and choose the spatial relationship of the jig to the brushpile. By observing the lure, an angler also can see fish strategy and hit it. Oftentimes they’ll strategy it with out placing, which can tip off an angler to make an adjustment in presentation. In reality, my observations in clear waters have proven that of the bass that do strategy a lure, most don’t take it!
There are limitations to the expertise that are helpful to know. Realizing these permits an angler to higher choose how the unit might help in numerous conditions.
1) The forward-viewing distance is proscribed in shallow water, particularly lower than six ft. In water shallower than this, objects can’t be seen till the boat is simply too shut and the fish referring to no matter object could also be spooked. So basically, an angler will get larger, ahead viewing distance as water depth will increase. Personally, if I’m fishing shallow water, I don’t even flip the unit on.
2) Objects which are additional away from the transducer will mix into the underside sign. This goes for fish hugging the underside (suspended fish a pair ft off the underside nonetheless register) and typical options like boulders, brushpiles, stumps and so forth. Because the boat closes the space with these objects, they’ll steadily come into extra element and higher separate from the underside. Fish near the underside are a lot better seen straight under the transducer. At the least now you understand they’re current, however sadly they could be on alert with the boat above them.
3) The transducer transmits a really slender beam, nearly like a laser, which has benefits and drawbacks. I just like the slender beam as a result of it completely pinpoints objects, thereby higher aiding an angler in casting accuracy. Plus higher element and definition is seen with a slender beam. For instance, a fish suspended within the high branches of a brushpile will likely be extra noticeable as a fish as an alternative of simply mixing into the branches. Nevertheless on the down aspect, it makes it tough to trace a lure. If the beam is off beam of a lure by only a few levels of rotation of the trolling motor, a lure is not going to be seen on the display. Notice that larger lures are simpler to see as in comparison with smaller lures. I can nonetheless detect tiny crappie jigs, however simply not as straightforward as say a giant crankbait.
4) Fish could be seen in sparse cowl however not dense cowl. For instance, a bass referring to weedy cowl can be considered whether it is sparse and there are open areas. Motion of the bass might help with detection. But when a bass is buried up in a dense forest of weeds, an angler is not going to choose it out. Solely the wall of weeds will likely be seen. The identical precept applies to standing timber and brushpiles. However bear in mind, fish glued to the underside at all times mix into the underside sign at a distance.
5) It’s tough to distinguish fish species and measurement. I actually don’t know if I’m casting to a bass, northern, walleye, or large crappie. Generally the habits or grouping can tip me off in the direction of a possible candidate. Concerning measurement, once more that is troublesome. If it’s a 30 pound carp, sure, I can inform it’s not a bass. However I can not inform the distinction between a two-pound bass and a four-pound bass.
6) Earlier on this article, I used the time period “real-time”, that means what’s seen on the graph corresponds straight to what’s taking place at that second. Nicely, this isn’t fairly true as a result of there may be a couple of second delay. For instance, if I’m lifting a jig off the underside, the graph/monitor will show the elevate one second after I really do it. Or what occurs generally is I’ll see a fish rise to a crankbait, however I really feel the strike on the rod earlier than the fish on the monitor really has made contact with the bait on the monitor. Fortuitously this delay is simple to regulate to and isn’t an issue.
7) Watch out, as a result of this expertise can entice a fisherman! It’ll present you the fish, however a number of time could be wasted on inactive fish. I feel this occurs to everybody who purchases one among these. Know when to maneuver on!
8) These items are an extra energy drain to all the pieces else already hooked as much as the boat’s battery. If you’re on the water for prolonged durations and function a number of graphs, livewells, radios, and many others, think about including extra battery capability to your boat.
9) A spot within the boat is required to mount the facility field. Mine is mounted within the heart, dry-storage compartment on the entrance of my Ranger Z520L.
10) Huge waves trigger a poor readout on the graph. When the bow of the boat is coming up and down with wave motion, what’s seen on the graph could be tough to interpret and observe. For anybody simply starting with it, be certain the primary few journeys are in calm waters!
11) Different sonar can create additional noise/interference on the readout. Myself and different anglers I do know, simply go away it off. You’ll uncover that you simply don’t even want it when Lively Goal is on.
Like every device, whether or not it’s a hammer or a cellphone or Lowrance’s Lively Goal, talent degree with using that device will enhance over time. Personally, I’m a lot better now as in comparison with the start. However not solely have I improved my use of the expertise, I’ve noticed and realized issues about fish and their surroundings that I didn’t know or perceive. Some prior notions I’ve had confirmed, whereas others I’ve needed to rethink. Moreover, to absolutely profit (catching extra fish) from the expertise, understand that it’s simply as essential to know its limitations. However even with these limits, the Lowrance Lively Goal is an superior device that may put extra fish within the boat!
