01-08-2019, 04:53 AM
Panoptix review
So I picked up the Garmin Panoptix ice bundle last month and SBennet asked for a local review. I have used it four times, three times at Echo, once at Pineview. I’m still on the learning curve but here are my observations. On several YouTube videos the guys use the LiveVu forward to go out on the ice, scan a 200ft diameter circle, and locate the crappie school.
On my first trip to Echo we went out on the ice about 200’ and scanned a 200’ diameter circle.
There was a fish 60’ behind us, a fish 40’ to the side , and 2 fish 40’ ahead and they were all moving different directions. Trout a different animal. The common denominator was they were all in the 15-20ft depth range. We set up and fished 6-16 ft range and caught 7 trout. Fish sitting on the bottom blend in with the bottom just like with a flasher. LiveVu forward is very powerful in picking up objects suspended in the water column. The first attached picture show a guy jigging 70’ away. The cylinder shape at the top of the picture is how most (but not all) freshly drilled holes appear.
At Pineview I went out on the mud flats at North cemetery and used someone’s abandoned hole and using Live Vu forward looked around and didn’t see anything. I went a ways farther drilled a hole scanned a circle and 40’ away was a fish just off the bottom and what appeared to be a couple more fish on the bottom. I think I was able to see these ones on the bottom because the bottom was mud versus Echo’s rocky bottom and the one suspended fish drew my attention. I went and drilled above them and had a good gathering of fish around my jig all night. ( See second attached picture) Only caught four crappie. Just wish they liked more what I had to offer.
LiveVu down gives you a cylindrical view 100 degrees long and 20 degrees wide. This cylindrical view can also be rotated in a 360 degree circle. Once again a fish sitting still on the bottom will blend in with the bottom. On my second trip to Echo I got into a few 3-4” perch in 34 fow. When they were still I couldn’t see them but when they started inching towards my jig they showed up as a small half a bubble sliding across the bottom. The advantage of LiveVu is you always know where the fish are in relation to your jig a how they respond. Several times I watched fish 20’ away and 15 down descend down to the bottom at 34’ sniff at my jig and swim off ascending back up. If I were seeing them on my flasher I would assume I’m marking fish at 34’.
The ice bundle comes with a Chirp flasher and traditional sonar. I have only used them together on a split screen for a few minutes. The marker lines are thinner than I’m used to on my Hummingbird 55 and I thought it harder to read.
It has GPS and LakeVu maps. The LakeVü maps are worthless in our area.
The di
vantages are the Panoptix is twice the size and weight of my Hummingbird 55 and it has the long pvc transducer pole assembly. It takes a few minutes more to set up. It works best when you drill at least an 8” hole. The transducer cord in the down view position comes off side ways before it turns up. I have to drill two holes side by side with my 5” hand auger that I use on early ice to get the transducer through.
I bought mine on Amazon since it was the same price there as it was at the Garmin store. Do I have buyers remorse? Not unless they come out with something a lot better next year (i.e.
a Live Scope ice bundle).
I can’t say that I’ve caught more fish this year with it than I would without it but It’s tool for learning and brings a new level of excitement to the ice.
[signature]
So I picked up the Garmin Panoptix ice bundle last month and SBennet asked for a local review. I have used it four times, three times at Echo, once at Pineview. I’m still on the learning curve but here are my observations. On several YouTube videos the guys use the LiveVu forward to go out on the ice, scan a 200ft diameter circle, and locate the crappie school.
On my first trip to Echo we went out on the ice about 200’ and scanned a 200’ diameter circle.
There was a fish 60’ behind us, a fish 40’ to the side , and 2 fish 40’ ahead and they were all moving different directions. Trout a different animal. The common denominator was they were all in the 15-20ft depth range. We set up and fished 6-16 ft range and caught 7 trout. Fish sitting on the bottom blend in with the bottom just like with a flasher. LiveVu forward is very powerful in picking up objects suspended in the water column. The first attached picture show a guy jigging 70’ away. The cylinder shape at the top of the picture is how most (but not all) freshly drilled holes appear.
At Pineview I went out on the mud flats at North cemetery and used someone’s abandoned hole and using Live Vu forward looked around and didn’t see anything. I went a ways farther drilled a hole scanned a circle and 40’ away was a fish just off the bottom and what appeared to be a couple more fish on the bottom. I think I was able to see these ones on the bottom because the bottom was mud versus Echo’s rocky bottom and the one suspended fish drew my attention. I went and drilled above them and had a good gathering of fish around my jig all night. ( See second attached picture) Only caught four crappie. Just wish they liked more what I had to offer.
LiveVu down gives you a cylindrical view 100 degrees long and 20 degrees wide. This cylindrical view can also be rotated in a 360 degree circle. Once again a fish sitting still on the bottom will blend in with the bottom. On my second trip to Echo I got into a few 3-4” perch in 34 fow. When they were still I couldn’t see them but when they started inching towards my jig they showed up as a small half a bubble sliding across the bottom. The advantage of LiveVu is you always know where the fish are in relation to your jig a how they respond. Several times I watched fish 20’ away and 15 down descend down to the bottom at 34’ sniff at my jig and swim off ascending back up. If I were seeing them on my flasher I would assume I’m marking fish at 34’.
The ice bundle comes with a Chirp flasher and traditional sonar. I have only used them together on a split screen for a few minutes. The marker lines are thinner than I’m used to on my Hummingbird 55 and I thought it harder to read.
It has GPS and LakeVu maps. The LakeVü maps are worthless in our area.
The di
vantages are the Panoptix is twice the size and weight of my Hummingbird 55 and it has the long pvc transducer pole assembly. It takes a few minutes more to set up. It works best when you drill at least an 8” hole. The transducer cord in the down view position comes off side ways before it turns up. I have to drill two holes side by side with my 5” hand auger that I use on early ice to get the transducer through.I bought mine on Amazon since it was the same price there as it was at the Garmin store. Do I have buyers remorse? Not unless they come out with something a lot better next year (i.e.
a Live Scope ice bundle).
I can’t say that I’ve caught more fish this year with it than I would without it but It’s tool for learning and brings a new level of excitement to the ice.
[signature]
