The new Lowrance Pro is capable of doing two simultaneous views at the same time on the same unit.
Next Generation Marine Electronics Unveiled
by Brad Wiegmann
Like many things in the electronics arena, marine electronics continue to advance by leaps and bounds every year. The next surge of new products was released by Lowrance recently, succeeding Garmin’s new LVS 34 LiveScope transducer and Humminbird’s MEGA Live Targetlock. Most anglers would have accepted those two products along with current Live Imaging Sonar (LIS) to stabilize the electronics market, but the next generation of LIS will change sonar view forever.
New Scout + Forward View allows for live viewing of Scout mode and Forward mode with no interference.
New Scout Wide mode allows for double the size live horizontal coverage around the boat.
New 180 View allows for a full 180 degrees front-to-back all in one image viewing.
Lowrance’s new Pro chartplotter/fishfinder is capable of showing something no other fishfinder can. It’s called FishReveal SideScan. Before the new release of the new PRO, Lowrance fishfinders could only show FishReveal DownScan. FishReveal basically combines the traditional 2D sonar with StructureScan allowing the fish echoes to appear as arches in a contrasting color.
FishReveal SideScan will allow anglers to have a clearer picture of what’s off to the left and right side of the boat. This technology will change how easily an angler can see the game fish in difficult situations like mixed in with baitfish, suspended in trees, in submerged grass and around submerged cover or structure. The simple fish arches displayed are colored, making them easy to see instead of white spots or dashes.
Another revolutionary change is Lowrance PRO has the ability to support two of the ActiveTarget 2 Live Sonar systems for simultaneously viewing of two views. Currently, Garmin, Humminbird and Lowrance all have forward, down and limited horizontal LIS views. Let’s put that in to perspective. Before this, anglers could only look at one LIS view at a time unless they had multiple fishfinders hooked to multiple transducers.
Two ActiveTarget 2 Live Sonar modules and transducers connected to a single Lowrance PRO allow an angler to see Forward + Scout View, 180 View or Scout Wide View. Forward + Scout View is a split screen view of Forward and Scout View allowing anglers to pinpoint where cover, structure, baitfish or game fish are in the direction of the transducer or wide horizontal view. The 180 View combines the Forward View and DownView into one continuous view from a selected range in front of the boat to under. Scout Wide View allows nearly a complete 360 real time horizontal around the boat. It’s like Humminbird MEGA 360, but imaging real time not a sweep like MEGA 360.
You can bet Garmin and Humminbird electronics will be releasing some similar dual simultaneous live sonar imaging viewing before ICAST in July 2023.
(From Springdale, Arkansas, Brad Wiegmann is a professional photographer, videographer and outdoor writer published in dozens of print and electronic media outlets all across the nation. Every month Wiegmann will be providing CrappieNOW readers with the latest and greatest information on the ever-changing world of fishing electronics. He is also a well-known guide, podcaster and social media influencer. Learn more about Wiegmann and his lengthy experience and expertise at BradWiegmann.com.)
