Garmin or Humminbird Fishfinders and Trolling motors

[KurtR]

I stand corrected. I never thought of watching the baits while running bouncers or down riggers. I was thinking more on the line of pulling cranks while scanning in front of the boat.

It pretty cool watching and seeing how many come up and look and gives a really good idea on how they react to different presentations

 

[Svivian]

It pretty cool watching and seeing how many come up and look and gives a really good idea on how they react to different presentations

Yep it’s especially important with fish like Kokanee where they could be biting a color one minute then another color an hour later.

 

[wapitibob]

Guides up here are using live for Kokanee, it's pretty awesome to see the schools. Youtube has a bunch of vids. I can't afford that stuff, my electronics already cost more than the whole boat.

 

[fulldraw1972]

It pretty cool watching and seeing how many come up and look and gives a really good idea on how they react to different presentations

I run a 360 and love it. Most the water I fish is either sand, scattered rock or weeds.
The fish show up in the sand very good on 360.
I bought a mega live transducer last fall only because I got it dirt cheap and run helix units on my boat. But I haven’t put it on my boat yet. I know it’s not even close to being as good as LVS 34 or mega live 2.
Don’t even know if I will put it on the boat or just use it this winter ice fishing on a shuttle.

 

[BrentH]

I use livescope here in Washington for trolling for salmon on the Columbia. It absolutely helps see what depth the fish are, and you can actually see how deep your gear is. I run my LVS34 on a pole mount on the transom, forward facing mode, but pointed out the back of the boat. I’ve also used it trolling in the ocean with good results.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

OP

Pls let me know if interested in a deal on a HBird Explore 9 BNIB.

 

[N.ID7803]

I’ve been on guide boats before and they all had Garmin. Last year the guide actually referred to Humminbird as “Humminturd” when I asked what he preferred. Said they use to run them and now everything is Garmin, but I don’t see them paying much attention to the fishfinder either. Probably after fishing areas so long you don’t really need to rely on electronics?

 

[Macintosh]

Im pretty much 100% casting, and my boat is “hopelessly out of date” (ultrex tm with linked humminbird side imaging at bow and console). I completely re-rigged my 2003 boat in 2015, so 10 years ago my setup was +\- state of the art. Now…its antiquated. I can’t speak to trolling, and I haven’t used the newer Garmin stuff, it literally didn’t exist in current form 10 years ago. But, a couple tidbits not already mentioned that I think apply here.

1) all of the imaging sonars I have used, both Hummingbird and Lowrance, anytime you use one of the imaging views the screen size and resolution makes a massive difference. If you are considering spending to get any imaging sonar, make sure you have AT LEAST a 9” screen, and even that is on the small side. On a smaller screen, the images still look cool, but most freshwater fish sized objects simply don’t show up against the background with that resolution. If 9 to 12 inch screens are not in the budget, I would stay with basic sonar and get a better quality basic sonar—for the imaging views. I’m not 100% clear how this does or doesn’t translate to fwd facing sonar, could be interesting to get some feedback on that.

2) this is an area where the technology changes very very rapidly. If there’s something NEW you want now, you’re going to pay for it. But guys seem to change electronics the way bow hunting guys buy a new bow every year. It’s crazy, literally insane, how much people spend on this. I think there is some sort of tournament fisherman racket where they get a discount, then sell it at a profit a year later to buy the newest, etc. Anyway, some of the big fishing forums you can save a ton of money buying used sonar setups that are just a year or three old.

3) last piece of info I have is that I used to be a big humminbird and Minnkota fan because they had really, really exceptional tech support and warranty service. Over the last five or six years I’ve had a couple issues where I needed help, and things had changed a lot. I got uniformly terrible service over the last few years. I don’t know if this was a Covid hangover thing, or if things have really changed there, but my opinion of their service changed 180°. I might look into this and get some up to date feedback if you start looking at any used stuff or if you intend to keep a setup for a while.

 

[summs]

That I dont know. Is Livescope worth it? I hear its amazing. I probably go trolling for the above mentioned a dozen times a year, but my kids are getting to the age where I could see us going a lot more often.

Live scope is very overrated. It's cool, and I learned a ton 'using it' the past 3 years. However, to sit and video game cast at 1 fish is a waste. If you have a co angler... soon you wont.

I fish normally, and while I'm moving down the bank/ ledge/reef, i'll scan around and see some structure or debris to cast near.

Garmin is my vote for fish finder, but i'd take an ultrex tm over a ghost.

 

[N.ID7803]

Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions. Decisions decisions....

 

[summs]

Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions. Decisions decisions....

What size boat?
Cabelas had a 24v 80lb ultrex for $2200 recently + member discount for $2,000 flat.

I run a 17' aluminum and get away with a 12v 54lb, should have went to 80 to also use it on a 21' aluminum.

I have a 9"uhd because I got a great deal with live scope, both brand new from Cabela's for $1200. When lvs34 came out and they thought everyone was going to jump ship immediately.

A 12" screen would be much nicer, but not $2000 nice.

 

[Coyote Commander]

I have Humminbirds on my boat.

Its always been said Humminbird has best side imaging and mapping. Garmin is best for livescope.

I have all Helixs, which of course they dont make anymore. But I find the Garmin if much more intuitive to use without having to push seventy two buttons to get to where you need to get to change something compared to the Helixs.

I just went halfsies with my old man on a Livscope setup. He gets it in the winter, I get it in the summer, so we did a mobile setup.

Ive only been on the water one weekend now with it, but honestly, as a primarily walleye angler, I cant think of a WORST spot to mount that transducer than on my trolling motor. I troll a lot as well with a gas kicker and use the bow mount to steer. I want my livescope to be able to operate completely independently of the bow mount no matter what im doing.

If I was to start from scratch I think Id do a Hummindbird linked with a Minnkota for mapping/maneuvering. Than do nothing but Garmins from there on out for actual fish finding.

 

[N.ID7803]

What size boat?
Cabelas had a 24v 80lb ultrex for $2200 recently + member discount for $2,000 flat.

I run a 17' aluminum and get away with a 12v 54lb, should have went to 80 to also use it on a 21' aluminum.

I have a 9"uhd because I got a great deal with live scope, both brand new from Cabela's for $1200. When lvs34 came out and they thought everyone was going to jump ship immediately.

A 12" screen would be much nicer, but not $2000 nice.

I have a 18' 2003 Crestliner

 

[KurtR]

I have Humminbirds on my boat.

Its always been said Humminbird has best side imaging and mapping. Garmin is best for livescope.

I have all Helixs, which of course they dont make anymore. But I find the Garmin if much more intuitive to use without having to push seventy two buttons to get to where you need to get to change something compared to the Helixs.

I just went halfsies with my old man on a Livscope setup. He gets it in the winter, I get it in the summer, so we did a mobile setup.

Ive only been on the water one weekend now with it, but honestly, as a primarily walleye angler, I cant think of a WORST spot to mount that transducer than on my trolling motor. I troll a lot as well with a gas kicker and use the bow mount to steer. I want my livescope to be able to operate completely independently of the bow mount no matter what im doing.

If I was to start from scratch I think Id do a Hummindbird linked with a Minnkota for mapping/maneuvering. Than do nothing but Garmins from there on out for actual fish finding.

That’s why you have one on the transom the bow mount trolling motor is the cats ass for chasing big walleyes

 

[KsRancher]

What size boat?
Cabelas had a 24v 80lb ultrex for $2200 recently + member discount for $2,000 flat.

I run a 17' aluminum and get away with a 12v 54lb, should have went to 80 to also use it on a 21' aluminum.

I have a 9"uhd because I got a great deal with live scope, both brand new from Cabela's for $1200. When lvs34 came out and they thought everyone was going to jump ship immediately.

A 12" screen would be much nicer, but not $2000 nice.

I have the 9in. I wanted a 12in for my dad in the back of the boat. I just want the screen to connect to my 9in. No sonar, just the screen. $2800

I wish there was another option for a bigger screen. All I need it to do is mirror the 9in. I will do all the stuff from the 9in