Locating the perfect livescope boat mount makes a substantial difference in exactly how much you actually enjoy your time for the water. You've currently dropped a severe chunk of change within the transducer plus the black box, so it doesn't make much sense to skimp upon the one thing that in fact holds everything together. If your mount is shaky or awkward to shift, you're going in order to spend more time fighting your equipment than actually catching fish.
I've spent plenty associated with days from the particular lake fiddling along with mounts that simply wouldn't stay put, and honestly, it's frustrating. The entire stage of live sonar is to observe what's happening within real-time. If your own mount is sliding every time you hit a wake, or even if it's a pain to switch through "forward" to "perspective" mode, you're lacking out on the particular technology's full potential.
Why the particular Mount is Just as Important since the Tech
When most people obtain their first Garmin setup, they're focused on the display screen resolution or the cable length. But the livescope boat mount will be the bridge between boat and the fish. If that will bridge is cheap, your image is going to endure. Think about it: these transducers are usually sending out high-frequency pings that require to become aimed exactly. Even a tiny little bit of vibration from the trolling electric motor or the wind can make your screen resemble a blurry mess.
A good mount needs to be rigorous. You want something which feels like a part of the boat, not something that's just tacked on as an afterthought. Beyond just being "solid, " they have to become functional. You're heading to be altering that transducer all day long—following a college of crappie or trying to place a particular stump. In case the mount is stiff or hard to reach, you'll find yourself simply leaving it within one position, which totally defeats the particular purpose of getting live sonar.
Trolling Motor compared to. Independent Pole Supports
This is the big controversy everyone has whenever creating their rig. Would you go with a mount that will attaches straight to your trolling motor shaft, or do you set up a separate, independent pole? Both have got their pros and cons, and your choice usually depends on how you including to fish.
The Trolling Electric motor Approach
Fixing your livescope boat mount to the trolling motor is among the most common way to get started. It's clean, it's out associated with the way, plus it's usually the particular cheapest option. Considering that you're already using the trolling motor to steer the particular boat, you normally point the transducer in the direction you're traveling.
The downside? If you make use of "Spot-Lock" or any kind of point mode, your trolling motor is going to be rotating back and on to keep you in place. This means your "camera" is constantly whipping around, and it's almost impossible to keep your eye on a solitary piece of cover. It's also a bit of a headache in the event that you're fishing within heavy wind; you'll find yourself constantly correcting the motor, which ruins your view of the fish.
The particular Independent Pole Mount
For a lot of severe anglers, a fervent pole mount will be the way to go. This particular involves a different base that attaches in order to the side associated with the boat or even the bow. Functions independently of your trolling motor. This is a game-changer because you can lock your boat in one spot with the motor plus then manually check out 360 degrees using the pole.
It offers you total control. You can stage the transducer precisely where you desire this without worrying about where the boat is headed. The only real "con" here is that will it adds even more clutter towards the floor. You've got another handle to grab plus another part of equipment to deploy and stow when you're moving from place to spot. But if you're a "power fisherman" who wants to dissect a clean pile, it's hard to beat.
Components and Durability
Let's talk about what this stuff are in fact made of. You'll see a lot of mounts produced from heavy-duty materials or composites, and while those can work, aluminum is generally the king. A high-quality livescope boat mount precision machined from billet aluminum is going to last forever. It won't warp within the sun, and it won't crack in case you accidentally bump it against a dock.
Stainless steel hardware is one more thing you shouldn't overlook. Boats are usually wet environments, during freshwater. If your own mount uses inexpensive bolts, you're going to see corrosion streaks inside a several months. Look intended for something that uses high-grade hardware so a person don't have to issues seizing up whenever you need in order to make an realignment.
Understanding Viewpoint Mode
A single of the best reasons for modern live life sonar is Viewpoint Mode. It gives you a top-down view of the particular water, which is usually incredible for shallow-water fishing or looking over flats. However, not every livescope boat mount handles this nicely.
Some mounts require you to carry the wrench or loosen a bunch of knobs in order to change the transducer directly into perspective view. That's a massive discomfort when you're in the middle of a hot attack. Ideally, you would like a mount that allows for "tool-less" adjustment. Being able to just click the transducer right into a new position by hand helps you to save a ton of time. If it's too much to change modes, you most likely won't do it, and you'll be missing out on a huge benefit.
Cable Management is Everything
If there's one thing that damages a nice setup, it's messy cables. The cable arriving off your transducer is expensive—sometimes costing countless dollars in order to replace if this will get pinched or cut. When you're choosing a livescope boat mount , you require to think about how that cable will be going to operate.
Some supports have built-in videos or channels to hold the cable. If yours doesn't, you'll be depending on zip jewelry or electrical tape. Just be careful not to zip tie it too small. You will need enough "play" within the cable so that if you turn the mount or even stow the trolling motor, the wire doesn't get taken taut. I've seen more than one guy ruin a trip because their cable got captured in the trolling motor hinge plus snapped.
Balance at High Rates of speed
If you're the kind of person who loves to leave your mount deployed while moving at low speeds with the big motor (like whenever you're graphing a shoreline), stability is definitely huge. A cheap mount will move like crazy as shortly as the boat starts moving. This isn't just poor for the; it puts plenty of stress on the increasing points on your boat.
A solid livescope boat mount should have a fasten that will keeps it from vibrating. If you're using a post mount, make certain the base will be bolted down safely with a support plate. Don't simply use wood anchoring screws into the fiber glass; they'll eventually draw out. Use mounting bolts, washers, and nut products to make certain that mount isn't going anywhere.
Which Mount will be Right for You?
All in all, the particular "best" mount will be the one that fits your specific style. If you're a casual weekend fisherman who just desires to see a few fish under the boat, a trolling motor mount is usually probably fine. It's simple, it's efficient, and it will keep the deck clean.
But when you're stepping into competition fishing or else you spend hours looking at that will screen, you're possibly going to need a fervent pole. The ability to stay on a spot whilst scanning the region is just as well valuable to disregard. It will take a little bit of more practice to get used to making use of two hands—one regarding the motor and one for the transducer pole—but as soon as you get the hold of it, it's hard to move back.
Just remember to look for something constructed well, simple to modify, and safe for your cables. A good livescope boat mount might not really be the almost all exciting purchase a person make this year, yet it'll definitely end up being one of the most important for actually putting seafood in the boat. Take the period to set this up right, and you'll take your time fishing instead of fiddling with your gear.