Hunting smallmouth w Livescope 34 forward view

[Dingaling man]

Hello,

Does anyone have any tips for LVS 34 settings for lake ontario/ St.lawrence clear water smallmouth?  I've been using default settings which are great. Anyway fine tuning settings I could try? To many endless videos to dig through on YouTube. 

Thanks fellas

[Woody B]

I've got Active Target, and I fish mostly stained water so none of my settings will translate.   What I will tell you is mess with the settings.   Go to a familiar area with structure and cover.  For me brushpiles and schools of Crappie are great for messing with settings.   (they're easy to find around here)   Point your transducer at something and mess with the settings.   Water clarity makes a big difference with Active Target, I suspect Live Scope is the same.   "Contrast" is a BIG setting for Active Target.  I suspect Live Scope has a similar setting but it may be called something else(gain?).  Clearer water needs lower contrast.   Contrast that's too low will result in not seeing stuff in the middle and upper part of the water column.   Contrast that's too high will clutter the screen, and make stuff bleed together.  It will also make stuff on or near the bottom "wash out".  (best way I can describe it)    Depth, range, and other stuff like that is a personal preference.   I usually keep my forward range on 100 feet, and my depth on 30 feet.   If I'm fishing deeper I'll set the depth deeper.  I used to run the depth on "auto" but realized with I was fishing shallow,  (say auto is on 10 feet) small would look bigger.   The opposite with fishing deeper.   By keeping depth and range fairly constant I'm getting better at telling what size most fish are.   

 

 

Again, get on familiar water and just mess with the settings.   Write the settings down.  When water clarity, wind or waves change mess with the settings more.   

[Dingaling man]

1 hour ago, Woody B said:

I've got Active Target, and I fish mostly stained water so none of my settings will translate.   What I will tell you is mess with the settings.   Go to a familiar area with structure and cover.  For me brushpiles and schools of Crappie are great for messing with settings.   (they're easy to find around here)   Point your transducer at something and mess with the settings.   Water clarity makes a big difference with Active Target, I suspect Live Scope is the same.   "Contrast" is a BIG setting for Active Target.  I suspect Live Scope has a similar setting but it may be called something else(gain?).  Clearer water needs lower contrast.   Contrast that's too low will result in not seeing stuff in the middle and upper part of the water column.   Contrast that's too high will clutter the screen, and make stuff bleed together.  It will also make stuff on or near the bottom "wash out".  (best way I can describe it)    Depth, range, and other stuff like that is a personal preference.   I usually keep my forward range on 100 feet, and my depth on 30 feet.   If I'm fishing deeper I'll set the depth deeper.  I used to run the depth on "auto" but realized with I was fishing shallow,  (say auto is on 10 feet) small would look bigger.   The opposite with fishing deeper.   By keeping depth and range fairly constant I'm getting better at telling what size most fish are.   

 

 

Again, get on familiar water and just mess with the settings.   Write the settings down.  When water clarity, wind or waves change mess with the settings more.   

Sounds like there's so many variables with different water clarity ...ect I'll have to go mess around a bunch. Thanks!