Page 7 - Crappie NOW - January 2019

ELECTRONIC SMORGASBORD

only concentrating on what is in front of Blackley keeps his Garmin unit in
the boat or what is within 180 degrees the factory default settings when using
around the front of the boat.” the Panoptix LiveScope feature, which
The tournament veteran usually shows a live image on his screen. “You
relies on the factory settings for the can see every fish in a brush pile or stake
contrast and sensitivity on his Solix bed, which way they are swimming, how
unit. “I hardly ever vary that,” Blackley deep they are and when they are coming
said. “Sometimes if I am on hard surface to bite your bait,” Blackley said.
bottoms or muddy bottoms I will have His system of electronics comes in
to adjust the contrast and sensitivity to handy when spider rigging for suspended
whatever the bottom contour is.” When crappie. The console units direct him
scanning with the front view feature, to the right area while the Humminbird
Blackley sets the viewing range at 360 narrows down his search and the
35 feet. He prefers viewing the Solix Panoptix allows him to stay right on top
screen in the amber hue when using the of the fish. “You can see them out there
front scan. swimming (with the Panoptix) and you
know what depth they are and which
direction you need to go to try and catch
“You can see every fish in a them,” Blackley said.

Blackley’s array of electronics
brush pile or stake bed, which worked perfectly for us at Kentucky
way they are swimming, how Lake in tough conditions with bluebird
deep...” skies after the passage of a cold front.
While others struggled to catch fish that
day, Blackley pinpointed the cover with
his console and front deck units. Once
The third unit on Blackley’s front he dialed in the cover, we were able to
deck is a Garmin echoMAP CHIRP catch crappie despite the unfavorable
93sv model with a Panoptix LiveScope conditions by vertical jigging brush piles
transducer mounted on the trolling or stakebeds and watching the Panoptix
motor shaft about 4 inches away from LiveScope to see how fish reacted to
the Humminbird 360 transducer. “One our baits.
of the issues I found that I have with
the Garmin (Panoptix) is it is hooked to
the trolling motor shaft or the barrel of - John Neporadny
the trolling motor so whichever way the
trolling motor is pointing is which way
you will see on your screen,” he said.
“So it is easier for me to find the brush,
stumps, stake beds or whatever cover
I am fishing with the 360 because it is
stationary and you know that the brush
is either to the right or left of you.”
“Once I get zeroed in with the 360
and I get within 20 feet of (the cover),
then I can kind of dial down with it with
the Garmin Panoptix and know exactly
where the fish are in the cover and I
know where to position my bait,” Blackley
said.

7 Crappie NOW January 2019