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Love it or hate it, marine electronics are a big part of modern bass fishing. In recent years, an underwater arms race has engulfed the sport, with manufacturers competing to top each other with the newest tech. From mapping to side sonar to live sonar, anglers can combine countless options on the front and back of a boat to help locate fish.
Since Humminbird, Lowrance, and Garmin are the frontrunners in the freshwater market, we reached out to all three and asked them to send a graph that supports their most advanced features and hardware. Then we installed each system on a boat and put them to the test in a side-by-side comparison to find the best mapping, forward-facing sonar, and side sonar. Here are the results.
- Best Forward Facing/Live Sonar: Garmin 106SV EchoMAP Ultra 2 LiveScope Plus System (GLS 10 and LVS34 Transducer)
- Best Side Sonar: Lowrance HDS Pro 10 ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1 SideScan Fish Reveal
- Best Mapping: Humminbird Xplore 9 Mega Live 2 LakeMaster VX Premium Digital Charts
- Humminbird Mega LIVE 2
Best Forward Facing/Live Sonar: Garmin 106SV EchoMAP Ultra 2 LiveScope Plus System
best forward facing/live sonar
Garmin 106SV EchoMAP Ultra 2 LiveScope Plus System
Pros
- Best picture quality
- Quick release mount
Cons
- Black box
The Garmin LiveScope outperformed both Lowrance and Humminbird’s forward-facing sonar technologies. I tested Garmin’s LiveScope system on their 106SV EchoMAP Ultra 2 10-inch screen unit. On the water, I set the forward-facing sonar (FFS) gains/contrasts to “Auto.” Then I set the unit to read 70 feet out and 20 feet down. While this range is a little less than I would typically use when running a single unit, I chose 70 feet instead of 100 so I could get a closer look at the fish, bait, structure, and cover to compare. Ultimately, I found my eyes gravitating back to the Garmin screen time and time again during the side-by-side test.
The image was a smidge clearer on the Garmin than on the Humminbird, and both were superior to the image I got on the Lowrance. The difference came down to bottom separation and target definition at greater distances. Past 30 feet, the detail was clearer on the Garmin. You can also pick up your bait better on the LiveScope Plus System.
Garmin was first to market with live sonar, and the rest of the industry is still playing catch-up. Their LiveScope is the best at identifying species and baitfish in real time, as well as surveying structure and cover. This is as close as you can get to a live-streaming camera beneath the surface that can reveal things at great distances, making the Garmin the best choice for targeting suspended fish in open water and picking apart submerged cover like hydrilla and brush.
The only place the Garmin paled was installation. You must install an additional black box with the Garmin LVS34 transducer. However, Garmin just released two new transducers that no longer require a black box, which tips the scales even more in Garmin’s favor. I tested the system on Garmin’s 106SV EchoMAP Ultra 2 with a 10-inch screen. This model also comes in 12- and 16-inch sizes, and a half dozen other units are compatible with the LiveScope system.
Best Side Sonar: Lowrance HDS Pro 10 ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1 SideScan Fish Reveal
best side sonar
Lowrance HDS Pro 10 ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1 SideScan Fish Reveal
Pros
- Sensitive
- Clear
- Detailed
Cons
- Expensive
To evaluate side sonar, I set each graph to read 50 feet left and 50 feet right, then compared the images. All three transducers marked the same cover, and each returned good detail. However, Lowrance’s side imaging edged out the other units. When talking about “more detail,” we’re really splitting hairs. When scanning by a tree, for example, it can come down to counting more limbs on one screen than the other. All three transducers collected and conveyed a ton of data; the Lowrance just did a little bit more.
Installing this unit and transducer was fairly easy, and I was impressed with the operating system on the Lowrance HDS Pro 10. This unit had a 10-inch screen that was ultra-clear and easy to read, even in bright conditions. Navigation through the different screens and settings was intuitive. The HDS Pro also comes in 12- and 16-inch screen sizes. If you want this graph for SideScan and a different unit for FFS, the 10 or 12 is sufficient. This technology is better for finding a productive area while idling, then switching to FFS to pick cover apart and catch fish.
Best Mapping: Humminbird Xplore 9 Mega Live 2 LakeMaster VX Premium Digital Charts
best mapping
Humminbird Xplore 9 Mega Live 2 LakeMaster VX Premium Digital Charts
Pros
- Extreme detail
- Customizable depth shading
Cons
- Cards and regions sold separately
Depending on your area, certain maps will be better than others simply because one company has better coverage than another. For me here in Alabama, Humminbird’s LakeMaster charts outpaced Lowrance’s C-Map and Garmin’s Navionics. Over the years, I have found that each of these products is on certain lakes. Some are more detailed, while others map lesser-known lakes that another company hasn’t mapped yet. So the best mapping is really subjective to where you’ll be doing most of your fishing.
What sets Humminbird’s LakeMaster charts apart is their coverage of my area. While other brands also offer customizable depth shading and identify road beds, sunken bridges, channel markers, and other features, having better maps on the lakes I visit most often put the LakeMaster charts at the top of the heap. You can do a lot with the Minn Kota LakeMaster VX Premium Digital Charts, from 1-foot contour lines to custom shading and even satellite image overlay directly onto the maps. The latter can be really helpful when trying to find isolated backwaters that don’t appear on traditional contour maps, as well as shallow brush and rock piles on lakes with wintertime drawdowns—since this cover may appear as dry land depending on when the satellite images were taken.
Of these different technologies, mapping units are the easiest to install. You can connect a transducer to the same unit or an external GPS puck, but the graph has an internal GPS antenna, so you don’t need any additional hardware beyond what comes with the graph. This means you can connect power to the graph and immediately pull up the maps, your position on the maps, and start plotting. Do some research to figure out what maps cover your area best, but for me, Humminbird’s LakeMaster charts were the best.
Humminbird Mega Live 2
Humminbird Mega Live 2
Pros
- No FFS box or module needed—transducer only
- Easier to install
- More affordable
- Great image
Cons
- Technical issues
Humminbird’s Mega Live 2 was extremely sensitive and could detect baits at long distances, and it marked the same cover, baitfish, and larger fish as the Garmin unit. I like that Humminbird’s Mega Live 2 doesn’t require an external black box or module, unlike the Lowrance ActiveTarget 2 XL and Garmin’s LVS34. (Note: Garmin’s next-gen transducers no longer require a black box.) The lack of a black box made the Humminbird significantly easier to install, and the lack of additional hardware likely contributes to the lower price of Humminbird’s Mega Live 2 compared to Lowrance’s and Garmin’s offerings, which both cost an additional $200.
I had issues getting Mega Live 2 to read on the last couple of outings. I’m troubleshooting that now, but this technical glitch is the only drawback I’ve experienced with Humminbird’s FFS so far. While the 10-inch Xplore unit I tested with the Mega Live 2 was compatible in size with the other brands, it couldn’t really maximize the full potential of the Mega Live 2 system. If you want to use this as your FFS, consider upgrading to a larger 12- or 16-inch screen.
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