The pros and cons of forward-facing sonar (Livescope) seem to be a hot topic with ice and open
water anglers. It’s amazing, a game changer, the best thing since the trolling motor, and what
can be bad about that?
After wrapping up our 3rd guided ice fishing season on Lake Cascade, I had a little time to reflect
on some things. Forward-facing sonar pros and cons are something that I talked about every
day when guiding last ice season. The biggest concern was how the perch acted in shallow
water less than 15 feet. There were MANY situations when the fish reacted to the Livescope in
a negative way.
One afternoon this season, I was ice fishing a weed flat in 13 feet of water. My Livescope was in
forward mode set to 60 feet. I saw a very large school of 10-inch perch coming my way. There
were so many perch the that they covered the screen from top to bottom. I watched as the
school got closer. When they were about 15 feet from the transducer, the school changed their
trajectory. The fish on the top of the school started swimming to the bottom, away from the
transducer. The whole school pushed down to within a foot of the bottom as they passed under
my lure. I caught one and it was a 10-inch perch. By the time I released it, the rest of the school
was gone. It was like the transducer was a musky, and they had to avoid it.
There was no doubt in my mind that the Livescope had pushed those fish down. A situation like
that tends to get in your head. It’s hard to forget, and makes a guy wonder. Does ice fishing
with a Livescope in less than 15 feet of water hurt you, or help you?
There are other things that hurt you when ice fishing perch in shallow water. Noise, in
particular, can make the fishing terrible. Starting a snowmobile, moving your chair, or even
walking around on crunchy snow can all spook the fish. When big fish are shallow, they do not
like noise. Shadows can also deter fish from coming in on curtain days. This is particularly true
on sunny days when the six-sided hub shacks create a large dark shadow. The fish don’t
particularly like coming in under the dark hub shack on sunny days. When there’s a lot of snow
on the ice, and the whole lake is shaded, it doesn’t seem to matter as much.
I’ve caught many big perch in less than 15 feet of water using a Livescope while fishing in a
shack. For some fish it doesn’t seem to matter. But, what about the fish that don’t like it? The
best technique that we use while guiding large groups of fishermen, fishing in shallow water, is
spreading them out with Vexilars. The guys using a good ‘ol trusty Vexilar consistently catch
more fish in shallow water than guys using a Livescope. For this application in particular, a Vexilar out fishes
a livescope. I don’t know why, but it’s true.
Maybe it’s the energy coming from the Livescope. Maybe it’s the detailed target separation
from the lure to the fish. And maybe it’s the fact the Vexilar doesn’t have a delay. I’m not sure
exactly, but I’ve seen it too many times to ignore.
Here’s another thing to consider when running more than one Livescope. Try not to overlap the
sonar angles. For our trips we always try to run our holes parallel to the other shacks. We will
spread out the shacks a good 40 yards, and then run the holes in the shack in a straight line to
fish multiple anglers. The holes in the second shack should be parallel to the first shack, not
perpendicular. If there is sonar from two Livescopes overlapping, the fish tend to shy away and
do not come from that direction. I assume it’s just too much for them, and they don’t like it.
Livescope definitely has its place, but it’s not the end all be all. Especially in shallow water, the
Livescope can hurt you more than help you while ice fishing. Take it from me, a full-time guide
for the last three ice seasons on Lake Cascade. Guys that ice fish with Vexilars catch more fish
than guys using Livescope in the same area. I’m not affiliated with either company. This is my
honest, unbiased opinion of both. Yes, you can see more about what is going on under the ice.
And yes, a Livescope keeps your attention longer. At the end of the day, the Vexilar usually out
fishes the Livescope. Livescope is an amazing tool to figure out fish patterns, locate productive
areas and learn what size fish are in the area. But, don’t think that a flasher is now obsolete.
They still have their place in the ice fishing world.
Chris Weber is a full-time ice fishing and open water guide on Lake Cascade, Idaho. For more
information on a guided fishing trip on Lake Cascade visit
https://tamarackidaho.com/activities/guided-fishing
