Garmin Panoptix Livescope

Anybody using Garmin Panoptix Livescope for ice fishing. What are your thoughts. It looks good to me but also looks big and bulky for hole hopping

[walleyecheek]

I dont know what that is not sure I wanna know ! Looks pretty expensive ? Wouldn't a live actual camera like a acuview be better ? And a lot cheaper ?

[WallyWarrior]

It’s much better than a camera as you have a lot more range and no worry of murky conditions. The thing is very bulky and a pain in the butt to set up and take down, probably 5 minute process really, but feels slow when your used to dropping transducer in and going. Other than that it is amazing technology. You learn a lot about fish behavior toward your bait, I often watch 5 dead sticks in a line plus my jig, you can see fish about 50 foot out with ease, you can rotate and view detail structure at distance, and you can even watch the shack right next you to see how they are doing.

I have no regrets with the purchase. Before anyone says otherwise, you can absolutely see bottom hugging fish. I can pick them up about fifty foot away in 20 feet of water.


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[walleyecheek]

Although you did a pretty good job of explaining, I dont think I would enjoy the set up of the unit ? Most or all of the lakes I fish in the winter are pretty much crystal clear, so I might check out that Aquavu hd10i . Thanks

[DerHornen]

That depends on what you mean by "set up and take down". If you're fully disassembling the transducer pole assembly and storing everything it would be a little tedious. Probably not 5 minutes, but a lot longer than what it takes to drop a transducer from a Vexilar type pack into the hole.

I have an original Panoptix ice bundle. It's not a great hole hopping setup because it's larger and heavier, and you have to deal with that transducer pole. That said, I also don't have to hole hop as much because I can tell if there are fish under the nearby holes without having to go over to check them.

[Limeyangler]

I don't own one but wandered over to see a guy who had one last year. pretty slick piece of gear, but I don't think I will pull the trigger on the price and also as someone else mentioned its bulky and a pain int the rear to set up. I am always looking for ways to customize my set up so I can travel light and hop holes quickly or move to another spot in seconds and set up again with similar speed, pulling out 10 foot of pic tubing to hold the transducer is not my idea of optimal mobility.

[egladding]

Originally Posted by Limeyangler

I don't own one but wandered over to see a guy who had one last year. pretty slick piece of gear, but I don't think I will pull the trigger on the price and also as someone else mentioned its bulky and a pain int the rear to set up. I am always looking for ways to customize my set up so I can travel light and hop holes quickly or move to another spot in seconds and set up again with similar speed, pulling out 10 foot of pic tubing to hold the transducer is not my idea of optimal mobility.

I think the point of the panoptix is less hole hopping and more fishing. When you can easily see fish 70+ feet in 360 degrees around you, it doesn't take 20-30+ holes drilled to get on the fish. I don't have the ice setup but I now have livescope on my boat and it is amazing. I will probably buy the stuff needed to make it ice fishing friendly.

[Walleye2112]

Are these units able to be moved between ice and open water? Close to pulling the trigger on the Panoptix and see that a lot of people use them on their boats but don't know if that is a unit specifically for that purpose or are they dual purpose?

[DerHornen]

They can be used all-season. Jay Siemens discussed that in a recent video about ice fishing electronics. His looks to be a 12" graph so it's bulkier, heavier, and uses a lot more power than the 7" graph I have with the original Panoptix. The Livescope bundle comes with a 9" graph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLxt29XQZtI

[WallyWarrior]

I would say they are more valuable on the ice than in the boat. Very dual purpose.


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