Well written, BrianF. We make an impact on a fishery even without knowing it. Small things add up as more people with more technology go fishing.
I like the point Andy made in another post that many Mn fisheries are put and take. The DNR plans for fish consumption. That’s one way to get in front of the problem.
Unfortunately, I think it’s our panfish friends that are going to feel the majority of the impact from this technology. If there’s a spectrum of, ‘What percentage of fish get kept by species’, it probably goes something like this:
Musky —- rough fish —- bass —- walleye ——————-panfish
This technology is so cool and so game changing for finding panfish, especially in the winter. Instead of drilling 100 holes to carve out half an acre and constantly hole hopping / searching, you can drill 10 holes and locate and stay on top of schools of panfish constantly.
Walleyes get restocked, lakes get shut down, populations ebb and flow. It’s the management of bluegill and crappie that need to really be looked at with these advances in technology.
The best defense these fish have will continue to be how accessible and remote they are to the majority of the fishing population.
I went back to Mille Lacs yesterday to beat the heat. I had planned to go around Alex but Mille Lacs was 10 degrees cooler.
Fished 7-mile flat from 7:30-2:00. 12 eyes all 19-20. Half riggin’ a leech and half Live Corkin’. There were so many fish that came up to jig and leech and wouldn’t take it. Very different from Tuesday when only one did that. One fish came up to it 4 times and went back down to the bottom. I’d twitch it and it would come back. On the fifth time it came up to jig and stayed there. Couldn’t detect a bite so I reeled up the slack and felt tension and set the hook. It had taken it with the bobber sitting on the surface. On this day I probably would have caught more fish if I would have just rigged, but I’m still learning the LiveScope and it’s fun.
Now to answer some of your questions:
Do you think you could get a reactionary bite out of them with an artificial lure like a jigging rap?
Tried one and the fish would follow but not strike. Did have a light strike on a small Rippin’ Rap vertical jigging but it pulled off.
Netguy,
You runnin the Garmin si/di ducer with your livescope setup or just runnin in perspective til you find em?
I’m running the LVS32 ducer and use it in forward view. I rotate the pole mount to find fish after I first find them with the Helix 12. I got an attachment for the mount I’m using to add perspective view but haven’t put it on yet. Probably a project during this heatwave.
Netguy, same question – does your’s convert to ice?
I bought the ice fishing bundle that came with the Garmin mount for ice fishing. I moved the ducer to the Brew City Trolling Motor Service’s CT-360 mount for the boat. I don’t know if this mount can convert to ice. Based on feedback on this site, I’ll probably get a Summit mount for next winter. This bundle has a 12 amp lead acid battery. The bundle weighs 23 pounds. Next winter I’ll get a lithium battery. Yesterday I drained the battery down more than normal. When I had my boat rigged last year I had them add a set of wire (+,-) from the fuse block that can reach anywhere in the boat. I can place the LiveScope anywhere in the boat and run it off the main battery. So if I want to fish up in the bow I can easily move it.
I remember when underwater cameras first came out. Some legislators wanted to ban them for the potential impact on fishing. A lot of the guides and people in the fishing industry said the wouldn’t. Well, I took my 10 year old son out ice fishing for sunfish. I put the camera in down view and told him to set the hook when the white thing, a Euro larva, disappeared. I used my flasher. He caught just as many as I did, 15-20 fish each. Now I’m sure some 10 year olds could line watch and see the bite but he wouldn’t have been able to do that since he hadn’t ice fished much.
LiveScope is very similar to an underwater camera in that it is real time but more effective because you can look out from the unit quite far. I’ve marked fish 70-80 feet away, drive to within 30-40 feet and then cast to them and caught them.
It’s another tool to use. I’m excited about using it this summer on non-weed related panfish.
Tried one and the fish would follow but not strike. Did have a light strike on a small Rippin’ Rap vertical jigging but it pulled off.
Worth a try. The reason I ask is that I rarely use live bait and combining this new technology without the use of live bait is the ultimate goal.
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Worth a try. The reason I ask is that I rarely use live bait and combining this new technology without the use of live bait is the ultimate goal.
I’m not going to rule out this presentation. Last Tuesday all but one fish bit the slip bobber rig. If I threw a jigging rap then maybe it would have worked.
Second thoughts BrianF? Good thing I copied it over to my fishing notes document. That was some good info.
Disclaimer: just my opinion and point of view. Are you guys that are incorporating this just “buying” fish?
I’ve had two outings now where the LiveScope has significantly increased the number of <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes I caught. I’m pretty jacked about it.
I’m sure it’s generational but is money trumping talent? Guys complain about slots, DNR mismanagement, Yada Yada but will spend thousands to save time finding fish.
Are you fishing or invading Poland?
Ya know, I’ve been thinking/saying this since SI/360 came out, but especially now with livescope. Let me start by saying I think it is like a childhood dream come true to be able to see exactly what’s down there — and it really is cool to look at — but on the other hand I think it’s too much, personally. Making it so much easier for people to locate fish and structure just doesn’t seem right… I personally think it takes away what makes fishing fun in the first place— the mystery and anticipation, the surprise, etc.. Not going to knock anybody, but this is my opinion and I’m honestly surprised I don’t hear more people who share it.
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