By far, the most innovative element of today's fishing is the electronics; a good live sonar system not only helps us find fish and fish holding areas, but it can really open our eyes to what lies beneath the surface. Since Lowrance is one of the leaders, it goes without saying that their sophisticated systems have become more and more proficient in finding fish, especially our favorite target: the largemouth bass. In fact, so many professional bass anglers rely on Lowrance electronics to give them an edge that it only makes sense that the rest of us everyday bass fishermen have picked up on how good it really is. With the Lowrance ActiveTarget Sonar system, people out on the water for a day's fishing have been finding things that would surprise anyone.
What is Lowrance ActiveTarget Live Sonar?
ActiveTarget is a forward facing sonar technology from Lowrance. More and more professional anglers from every corner of the fishing world - B.A.S.S., MLF, NWT - are relying on this unique and reliable way of identifying fish and finding fish-holding cover or structure under the water. The word has gotten out as to how simple this system is to use, not to mention how effective it is.
As Lowrance says, "Casual and experienced anglers alike are finding some unusual objects below the surface with more clarity than they'd ever seen before: from smaller objects like tires and bicycles to bigger things like boats, cars, trucks, buses - even submerged bridges."
And the effectiveness of ActiveTarget Sonar is creating more and more believers.
Lowrance (a part of the Navico company) has been a frontrunner in consumer marine sonar capability since 1957, so as you might think, they really know their stuff. With this tech now seemingly having no ceiling, the things that are being found above and beyond fish are getting the attention of everyone.
Check out these incredibly clear and vivid images captured by Lowrance LiveTarget, and you'll get the idea.
That Bus in France
Lowrance
A recreational angler from France thought that he had spotted a school of fish to target, but it turned out to be a part of a city bus was what the fish were holding to. Since fish are well known to be drawn to any structure for security or for ambushing prey, even an old bus rusting on the bottom can be especially good for angling. Interestingly, it can be seen on the border of the image that the words are shown in French, an indicator that Lowrance ActiveTarget can be set for multiple languages.
Submerged Bridge
Lowrance
Just to be sure, this is not the underwater view of the stanchions, pilings, and footings of a bridge, but an actual bridge that has been unused and completely underwater for many years. At around 20 feet of depth, the old bridge serves as a fish-holding areathat isn't exactly natural. Since the ActiveTarget Live Sonar fits together perfectly on the shaft the Lowrance Ghost Trolling Motor, anglers learn right away that its forward facing tech allows it to see in front of them, down into the water column, or be used as a scouting tool to see where exactly the fish are positioned.
Sunken Boat
Lowrance
Not only does this show a boat lying at the bottom of a lake, but the image gives a clear view of the sunken timber around it that is still standing upright after all these years. This vessel appears to be a cabin cruiser and even the windows are fairly recognizable. It looks to have settled onto the bottom upright in its normal sailing position, ready to move on to the next spot at any moment.
Chevy Pickup Truck
Lowrance
Lowrance
A quad-cab pickup (in remarkably good condition) was found back in April 2022 during the MLF Pro Circuit Lithium Pros Stop 3 at Pickwick Lake, Tennessee. Cheryl Spencer, who works with Team Lowrance, explained that it was found during some testing along with some minor adjustments of the Ghost Trolling Motor unit. "We were just finishing up the boat test, when we spotted this odd shape in the water. And sure enough, it was a pick-up truck down there," she said. "We called the Sheriff's office to report the truck, the truck and been stolen and then hidden in the lake, luckily there were no casualties when they dove down to tie the cables."
One of the items that she and her team had been working on was adjusting the ActiveTarget settings for clarity, and by the look of the pictures, we're thinking that they got it right.
Finding What it's Supposed to Find
Lowrance
Fishing electronics were meant to give the sporting angler a new way to navigate the water safely by knowing the depths around them so that they could recognize shoals, stumps, and even manmade objects that were hidden under the water. It was only after years of trial and error that companies like Lowrance began to create and manufacture "depth finders" that could identify solid objects between the surface and the bottom and recognize them for what they were: namely, fish.
Anglers no longer need to guess what it is that's hiding under the waves, and can now see clearly what they've never been able to see before. As usual, the pro angling circuit has been integral in leading the way. It's due to their standard of learning, using, and having success to these products, all the while sharing it with you and I in an effort to make more and better fishermen and women around the world. And that's a very good thing.
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