Panoptix?

[Captain Ahab]

What is the consensus on this technology for ice fishing?

 

[Davy Crockett]

I had to google it, Pretty impressive. Makes me want to mount a ducer at 45* and see what there is to see on a regular sonar. Has anyone tried ?

 

[nybs]

I’ve only seen a couple videos of it...Im afraid my FL8 is going to be appear very boring next time out. The actual Garmin demo video that I watched showed them scanning 100’ out and rotating ducer...could are suspended fish, watch the contour fall off a break...looked pretty cool. It shows him using a trolling motor mounted ducer on PVC...$1800 - too rich for my blood. Any Lowrance or Hummingbird units w similar technology?

 

[Davy Crockett]

I'm not convinced that its high technology, I couldn't find a youtube video with a 45* transducer on a regular sonar system . But..... I might be missing something , I do that quite often.

 

[nybs]

Could see, not ‘could are’ above.

Here is is one link I watched: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DMZjN5kXgzI

Pretty intriguing but might also suck to know there are no fish within 100’ 360 degrees around my spot

 

[shorthairsrus]

I would of figured u had one already Ahab.

Had a guy next to us had one a pirate that was like 50 feet away. I didn't look at it but my buddy did and when they said a Waldo was under our house they were correct as it would see em come through. We put the camera down and he could see that too. 1700$$ i am to cheap. That same guy didn't get sht that day.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

https://www.beambender.com/

this will kind of do what the panoptix does but not the same

 

[pluckem]

I have been following an owner group on facebook to watch their videos and see any posts related to them. Large majority of the owners look to mostly target panfish, crappies especially. I am convinced it would help put more panfish on the ice given there nature to suspend and relate to structure.

I am not so sure yet on walleyes or perch given their bottom hugging nature and how they roam. Especially in basins.

It seems you would need 2-3 well oil and seasoned anglers to use the machine to follow a roaming school of perch and eyes. One guy using the machine and directing the anglers in the direction the fish are moving. If you do have that group of guys available, look out.

I could also see it helping finding those travel edges faster (weed lines, hard to soft transitions)

Given the price, I would need to swap out one of the units in the boat and get dual use out of it. So I am trying to determine how Garmins 2D sonar and down and side imaging compares to Lowrance and HBird. Anyone?

 

[bowhunter88]

I had a garmin echompap 93sv. Really liked it, crisp and clear imaging. I ended up returning it because the mapping was terrible. In hindsight i should have kept it and then bought helix 7 to use strictly for mapping. The other thing to consider is that the panoptix transducer is a spendy item as well. I think the units they come with are about 500 dollars or so, so the majority of the rest of the price is that transducer.

 

[CatDaddy]

Another good video of this tech.....wow, pretty cool. Not sure the wife will let me sell a son to buy it though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSzejb40idQ&feature=push-u&attr_tag=iv34TY1FttI3GLvE-6

 

[sweeney]

Lowrance has spotlight scan it is somewhat similar. a lot of guys have them cheap on bisman because they were part of a rebate when you bought an hds. the problem they aren’t made for the terova or ulterra so unfortunately around here there isn’t much use for them, but I am sure someone could figure out a way to use it effectively.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I've been playing around with an ice bundle. The thing isn't any good. Do not try it��

 

[AaronJ]

I picked up the 93sv for my "middle-sized" boat just so I can make it double duty after I buy the Panoptics transducer. I have a good friend that has used it alot this winter and he reports significantly more success with this tech. He finds schools of Perch or Panfish and drills on top of them. Once he gets on top of them he switches to his Vexilar. All in I will have about $1300 into my Panoptics bundle primarily because of the smoking deal I got on my head unit.

On BassboatCentral there are alot of guys using it on open water. Forward mounted on their bow mount seems to be preferred. Also seems it works best open water when very calm which we rarely see in these parts....

 

[LBrandt]

Too much for my slush fund.;:;rofl

 

[shorthairsrus]

its looks like if you hunt for the transducer - and like Aaron said buy the head unit separate -- bundle it yourself and your in good shape. Somebody had one the first time out this winter. it worked somewhat but we still ended up drilling to much -- 11 inch hard to get to bite perch just dont do anything for me. Sit me in a chair put a cold one in my hand and let em come to me.

 

[lunkerslayer]

this looks like the best demonstration as to how panoptix works