By Seth Taylor
At this point, just about everyone that fishes, has heard about forward facing sonar (FFS). Regardless of one’s feelings toward FFS, its effectiveness cannot be denied. While FFS has taken the industry by storm, there is a mode within these units that is less discussed and tremendously underutilized on kayaks.
In the beginning of 2024, I purchased a Garmin GPSMAP 1242xsv Chartplotter with the LVS34 LiveScope Plus Transducer. I installed this unit and transducer with help from Travel Country Outfitters (Altamonte Springs, FL) on my Hobie PA12 kayak. I didn’t know at that time, but what I thought I knew about fish behavior and fishing in 34 years had only scratched the surface. I was about to be introduced to the underwater world that would change fishing for me forever.
Due to the general nature of a kayak being less stable than full-size boats, I initially had issues keeping my forward beam on the fish while being rocked by waves, pedaling, and casting. I then rotated my transducer into perspective mode.
With a cone of 135 degrees, this mode allowed my kayak to have movement and did not require me to keep the transducer beam directly on the fish for it to still be shown on my Garmin unit.
For those that have never seen perspective mode, imagine you are standing next to a small goldfish pond. As you lean over and look down on this pond, you can see the backs of the orange goldfish swimming around. You can see their length, you can see what direction they are swimming, and how they move their caudal fins. This is what perspective mode shows you on your Garmin unit. A live, top-down view of the water in front of you.
While fishing for bass in perspective mode, I am typically in less than 8 feet of water throwing a jerkbait, Senko, swimbait, or creature bait depending on the vegetation. The spring is a fantastic time to find beds in deeper water where the fish have not been disturbed and other anglers bypass daily. Another way I utilize this mode is in grass or areas full of hydrilla. I am able to scan the grass and find pockets and even individual fish that I can cast directly to.
For the crappie fisherman, this mode can be utilized the same way and can be unbelievably efficient and effective. I have caught bigger and higher numbers of crappie in the last year, than the rest of my life combined.
If you have FFS and are having trouble keeping the beam on the fish or are slightly considering purchasing FFS, I highly recommend giving perspective mode a try. Whether you are fishing for fun with your family or competing in tournaments at the highest level, perspective mode can help you catch more fish and bigger fish with your limited time on the water.
