Live scope vs spot lock

[CrappiePappy]

If you have live scope do you have a separate arm for the transducer that you can aim at what you want to see or is it mounted to trolling motor? I use an 80 pound thrust Motor guide on my 20' boat and a 70 pound thrust Minn Kota on my 17' aluminum, both five speed.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I think most people advocate for using a offset system for the Livescope tdx wire, so if/when the Spot Lock system gets a little "jiggy" in its twisting/turning, it doesn't break the tdx wires.

[Redge]

You’ve been driving the boat long enough, you have boat control figured out.
Get livescope and get after it!


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[DHC]

I think the answer to whether or not you need spot lock is, IMO, completely dependent on how you fish. Speaking from someone who has spot lock (albeit first gen) and just purchased livescope, I vote livescope, but I don’t use spot lock all that much with the style of fishing I do. I do use the remote to run the trolling motor a lot though.

[chaunc]

If you have good electronics already, get the spotlock. No sense wasting money buying another when the one you have already fits your needs. Terrova and ultrex help improve your fishing too. Price on livescope will be coming down next year since livesight has come into the game.

[ultraslab]

Spot lock is nice to have ocassinoaly but livescope changed fishing more than ANY electronics that has ever come out. It's a no brainer to me. Would you rather sit in one spot and blind cast hoping you are casting near a fish or see that fish cast to him and watch as he reacts or doesn't react to your jig. You can use an anchor and a rope to sit still but that won't show you the fish IMHO. Scott

[Ketchn]

I would first off say it depends on your style of pursuit . As stated there are lots of really good graphs that get the job done well . Most of the better graphs can tell you if there are fish down there and jig will tell you if there is a bite .
I personally would prefer the spot lock to be able to avoid the distraction of boat control . I am also of the opinion if you are easily distracted lives scope might have you in the never look up at your line or anything else as it can be rather distracting to watch live fish .
Both tools are the cats meow though and to be sure if I was about half serious I would likely have both .
Best of luck on your choice

[moskeeter56]

I have a Humminbird 1199 on the bow and a Lowrance HDS 7 at the helm. Motorguide 80 # five speed trolling motor on a 20' Skeeter. Will probably be putting my choice on this boat since I use it at Truman and most of the bigger impoundments. Little boat limits movement on bigger impoundments due to having a small motor.


Sent from my XT1710-02 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[Grainraiser]

I think the answer to whether or not you need spot lock is, IMO, completely dependent on how you fish. Speaking from someone who has spot lock (albeit first gen) and just purchased livescope, I vote livescope, but I don’t use spot lock all that much with the style of fishing I do. I do use the remote to run the trolling motor a lot though.

This is pretty much how I see it also. It really depends on how you fish. Spotlock is great for brushpile fishing but pretty useless when fishing for shallow spawning fish are bridge pilings due to lack of GPS signal. Livescope is great when fishing brushpiles, open water and timber. Not so much when fishing shallow spawning fish. For me Livescope would be the choice but it is really due to the style of fishing I do most of the time.

[crappiemax]

If you have good electronics already, get the spotlock. No sense wasting money buying another when the one you have already fits your needs. Terrova and ultrex help improve your fishing too. Price on livescope will be coming down next year since livesight has come into the game.

I agree with this. I have gen 1 Low hds units and it does fine for me.
I added spot-lock last year and I love it. I fished with a friend a few times who has livescope and I have to say it's not for me. I generally don't have much of a problem finding fish and yes you can see how the fish react to your bait but sitting in the boat just staring at a screen is kind of a turn off to me. Since I added spot-lock to my boat, I've had 4 other friends add spot-lock to their boats after seeing it work on mine.
For sure livescope will put fish in the boat and I know one guy who added it to his boat and he went from a mediocre fisherman to a much more consistent fisherman.

[jawjatek]

Would like to purchase both, but only can afford one at this time. Which one should I purchase first, which offers the most bang for the buck? Would like to hear some opinions out there. Have been with friends that had spot lock, but never experienced live scope. Old enough to remember getting our first flasher and how much that changed our outlook and success with fish catching.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Livescope, and an anchor.