after many years of using the humminbird SI to locate spots, mark them, then drive over them with the 2D imaging ive been experimenting with different approaches since the addition of my 1222 garmin with livescope.
there are some places I do not use SI like bottom features with alot of indulations, or on a channel vee, I only use 2D .
I usually fish with my son, and he sits in the front, and scans with the livescope that is independently mounted on its own pole, while I drive the boat from the back, while following the mapping contour lines... . If im going to previously marked spots where as im coming up on them I will tell him to scan it abt 30 feet out as I stop the boat... if it looks good, we stop and fish it, if not we continue on to the next.
Right now, we are searching for more wintertime spots, so I get us in the right depth, then ride the contour lines on the map while he scans out to 40 or 50 ft with the livescope. If he sees something interesting I get on the trolling motor and creep up to the finding.. we are using the forward mode on the livescope.
I have thought abt getting the perspective mode mount for the livescope, but havent found many folks that use it to scan for crappie .
I plan to upgrade my mapping card soon and have considered getting a mapping card for the Garmin, so we can both sit up front and scan with the livescope while following the mapping on the Garmin BUT I would have to either split the screen or keep switching to the mapping.,
Im also considering mounting my livescope transducer on the trolling motor, But I have a little humminbird 570 that I like to use for 2d as 2D can give details and information that nothing else can, like baitballs and brushpile density.

I would love to hear how other anglers are set up and your methology in how you search for fish with all of this amazing technology we now have.

I use SI to locate fish, mark the spot and then circle back around to approach from downwind using livescope. The downwind approach is just for boat control. My LS is also mounted independently which works better for me as I primarily fish structure while spot locked. I have found perspective mode to work well in shallow water, but when I start getting deeper I tend to get a little lost in the graph. I have also found with LS that pretty much all year I can find fish at several different depths, but the LS allows me to quickly discern which fish are active (or at least more active than others).

I also dont know what I am doing half of the time, but I am on the water trying to figure it out making [censored] up as I go.

The word c-r-a-p is censored? Really?

alot of what I found this summer is that after I check one common brushpile that is well known and frequently fished, and void of fish, I will start headed towards another pile and find smaller cover that is loaded.. so im getting into a habit of scanning for smaller trees and brushpiles while going from known spot to known spot.. some of the best fishing we had this year was on incidental findings , and not what we were actually concentrating on . Im trying to pick a certain area, and work it over very thoroughly now, looking for the cover that most people dont bother to fish.
It takes discipline to not run and gun from one end of the lake to the other fishing the circuit of known good piles, but livescope is showing me that there are alot more fish, and smaller cover in most areas than I previously realized.

LP you're last comment will keep you on "good fish consistently"..... At times most of my better fish will come off a twig, one that maximizes his use off livescope uses it to hunt fish not brush piles..... Get your unit dialed in so the fish pop but where you can still see the structure and you'll be able to target the fish fast trolling areas away from those beat-up always fished big piles... That comment is the most important in my opinion.....
Congrats on coming to the light..... The underwater spot light that is....

point into the wind TM on 3 look at mega 360 once I start seeing what I am looking for then start looking at livescope , usually chasing isolated smallish structure that gets far less pressure

yes,., what were noticing is that alot of times, were seeing those horizontal shaped blobs in the water, in groups first, then as we get closer, we can see what they are relating to.. great tip man.
lm seeing that to get the most out of livescope, you really have to adapt to its capabilities and that is a process. especially after having targeting fish differently for many years.
everytime we go out were learning more .

My modus opporandi for Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be sitting on the sofa watching TV with the heater on 75.

Keep them reports coming on your successes and findings.....Enjoyable reading.....

this is the kind of weather they really feed heavily... The older I get, the harder it is to get up early, put on 3 layers of clothes, and drive to the lake to sit on some damp, cold boat seats.
Sitting in front of the fireplace, enjoying a hot plate of biscuits and gravy is alot more appealing, but the whole time, im wondering what the crappie are doing and thinking abt the 2.5 pounder that was caught last week.
Found a brand new spot just 100 yrds from the boat ramp and just know they are stacked up.. its just agonizing. ha

The console unit is my office where I locate fish and or structure via side imaging and mark a waypoint.
I have not driven over a waypoint in over 3 years spooking what I am going to fish. I get close to a waypoint I know I am going to fish, kill the big motor at the office, Go to the playground at the bow, lower the trolling motor, cursor over to the waypoint on the graph and hit the go-to button and the motor gently, quietly takes me to the point and softly anchors me at which point along the way I had already dialed in on the structure with Livescope forward view which is on "The ProDucer" transducer pole system...It is either game on or I simply move onto my next way point. I like to find the single fish (loner) as it will usually be a bigger fish.

This is my M.O. to a tee!

Exactly...


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This is the method I use too.