Tennessee Boy

They put some time into creating a good user interface on the Xplore. The interface on the Solix/Apex line was not well designed so this looks like an improvement. The waypoint management looks great. I spend a lot of time looking at Lakemaster maps on my iPad. It has been infuriating to me that waypoint management between the app and the units was not integrated. They FINALLY fixed this!!! The biggest remaining question for me is will the Xplore be compatible with my existing Solix units on the network. If they are, I'm sold. If not then they are forcing me to transition to a new platform. If I have to make this transition then I might as well consider all of the new platforms available to me which include Garmin and Lowrance.

You could switch the charger leads on the batteries.

I think you're gonna need to get your hands on a multimeter. 😊

Looking a little closer at the Xplore, there are a lot of differences from the Solix/Helix. If it's unable to share data with my existing Solix units I'll be a very unhappy former customer.

You're thinking on a higher level. 👍 The guy who bought it said he was going to eat the banana. In other words a guy with more money than he knows what to do with went to an art gallery without eating breakfast first. Dance is considered art so why can't dancing a lure be considered art?

I would call a banana taped to a wall art. I would call paying millions of dollars for a banana taped to a wall stupid. 😊

It's been too cold to fish this week so I need a good philosophical winter fishing discussion. So here's the question. Is Bass fishing more art or science? Music is something most people think of it as an art, but it wouldn’t exist without the science of sound—the physics of waves, acoustics, and harmonics. Similarly, bass fishing wouldn’t be what it is without the science of fish behavior, biology, weather patterns, and lure dynamics. Yet, there’s no denying the art in how we approach it—the intuition, the creative lure presentations, the personal style that makes each angler unique. So let’s start by acknowledging upfront: bass fishing is undeniably both an art and a science. It’s a pursuit that blends creativity, instinct, and skill with knowledge, research, and experimentation. But which is it more of? So, I want to hear from you: when you think about bass fishing, does it lean more toward art with its endless possibilities for creative expression, or is it more of a science, rooted in principles and logic? I hope this sparks some thoughtful discussion that will get me through this cold spell. 😊

I should have said I've never seen surface temperature below 40 on my fish finder. That's because it doesn't happen often and when it does I'm not in my boat to see it. We do occasionally have some ice on the lakes. The ramp closes to my house iced up last year for several days.

I don't think you would get in trouble in Tennessee for releasing fish into your own pond. Bob stated that he's planning to release a dozen or so bass from his pond into public waters. The authorities would frown on that because it could introduce deceases and there is also the possibility that someone might not know what species they are actually releasing.

I would encourage you to rethink this. It's illegal to move fish from one body of water to another plus the number of fish you will have in your possession will be over the daily limit. I would eat them instead. They are very tasty. 😊

Below 50 is winter. Below 45 is cold. I've never seen water below 40 around here. I used to pay a lot of attention to the surface temperature. Now I pay attention to how deep the shad are.

The Xplore runs the same software as the Solix/Apex. It makes sense. Before the Helix topped out at 15 in, the Solix ranged from 10 in to 15 in, and the Apex started at 13 in. Now the Helix will be the low end that tops out now at 10 inches. The Xplore will start at 9 in and tops out at 12 in. The Apex starts at 13 in. As a Solix user I don't want to pay the price to step up to the Apex but I really like the mechanical knob and joystick that will now only be available on the Apex. I'm pretty sure you will not be able to connect MEGA 360 and MEGA Live 2 to the same fish finder and I only have one that supports both. That's a problem that will require money to fix. It's also appears that MEGA Live 2 includes Target Lock or something similar.

The announcement was already made in Amsterdam. No need to sell your Garmin stock.

They can fix the bugs through software updates. MegaLive was horrible when it first came out. They made it much better with updates. It's still way behind the competition. My Solix units were very buggy when I first bought them. I'm very pleased with them now. The original 360 imaging left a lot to be desired and mine died after two years. I've been very pleased with the new Mega360.

I got the email today and was wondering the same thing. I'm sure fixing their live sonar problem is their top priority. That would be my first guess. It said two product announcements, so I don't think they will be replacing the entire Helix product line. Maybe a smaller Solix as a step toward eventually replacing all of the Helix line with smaller, cheaper Solix units. When Humminbird eventually replaces MegaLive, I wonder if it will be an incremental improvement that brings them closer to Garmin or if it will be a major upgrade that attempts to surpass the competition. One thing I'm sure of is it will be a year after they start selling whatever it is before they work the bugs out.

Based on what you've said, I would definitely go with option 2. I'm sure many here will disagree but the older I get the more I think bass fishing knowledge is overrated. Your dad's experience will give him intuition and what I call "rod in hand" skills that are essential. His lack of bass fishing experience will allow him to think out of the box. Also, when fishing with someone you know well, you don't have to waste time being polite. If you think their idea is dumb you can say so and discuss the issue without worrying about hurting their feelings.

Great question. I assume the goal is to catch more fish and you are you are asking what advantages and disadvantages we have in that regard. For me that all comes down to time on the water. So my greatest advantage is I’m retired and my greatest disadvantages are other obligations that keep me off the water. In my opinion nothing else even comes close to time on the water when it comes to catching fish. As I get older I’m starting to realize that it’s not all about catching fish. For me it’s more about understanding the game and solving the puzzle.

I'm a nervous wreck.

Not to many people know this but bass reproduce and they grow over time. Eat all you want as long as you honor the limit. Don't worry about eating too many, if you do they will change the limit. 😆

If one guy doesn't catch any fish and the other guy catches 8 or less then it's probably due to chance alone. This is almost always the case. Now if the two guy go fishing regularly and one guy always out fishes the other then it's due to angler skill.

We've got plenty of them. We hear them at night. There's plenty of woods and farm land where I live so they don't get around the house that much. I've always heard people say you should only kill the ones that cause problems. When you kill one, another will take it's place. If you kill one that doesn't bother your chickens, the next one might.

I do fish them occasionally. It will catch a lot of different species. I primarily use it as a "what the heck are those fish" lure. When I see fish on the graph that will not hit the bass lures I want them to hit, I'll tie on a tail spin and see if I can catch one to see what it is.

I prefer Junebug. A statistical analysis of my fishing journal is inconclusive in determining what my local bass prefer. 🙂

Yes they used to have many color options. Now they have only five.

I have Hummingbird MEGA Live. Don't buy Hummingbird MEGA Live.