I first heard about the new Panoptix all-seeing sonar from Garmin after talking to pro bass fishermen at Hobie’s Bass Open last summer. Even just hearing about the capabilities of a system like this, I knew it was going to be a game changer across the board.
The Panoptix sonar is designed to allow anglers to see all around their boat, not only directly below them, but also in front and on both sides. It’s so detailed and easy to read you can look at the water column in 3D and watch your lure in the water as you reel it in. Being able to see how fish react to your lure is going to change the way we all fish.
The Panoptix PS21 LiveVü Forward transducer is what really blew my mind when talking with the bass pro anglers that had tested the software first. The LiveVu is designed to attach to your trolling motor and allows you to essentially point the sonar in the direction you want to see. Wherever your trolling motor is pointed you can watch your lure and see how fish react on your compatible Garmin chartplotter/sonar combo.
I’m just waiting for kayak anglers to retrofit this sonar to their kayak so that wherever their kayak is pointed they’ll be able to use the sonar the same way a pro bass fisherman would use it on their trolling motor. Or maybe even more effectively since we can turn our boats with the flick of our wrists.
All of this technology at your fingertips might sound daunting and you might be thinking you have a new set of images to start understanding, but Garmin made it easy. Not only can you watch the sonar in real-time, even watching fish swim around the water column, but for those that want a more picture-like image, there is the option to see structure in a 3D image, both below and in front of your boat.
Do you think this tech is getting too good? Do you think it takes away some of the skill for new anglers learning to fish with this technology? Let us know!
Watch As Scott Martin Explains How The New Panoptix Works
For more information about Garmin or their new Panoptix all-seeing sonar, check out their website, Garmin.com.
