Page 31 - 2020 MCC Lake Washington Issue
P. 31
Magnolia Crappie Club Adventures Magazine
Using the Garmin LiveScope – From the Horse’s Mouth – “Josh Jones”
By Bernard Williams
I got a chance to speak with Oklahoma the Navionics Plus Lake Map Chip. I use the
Guide and Professional Crappie Fisherman, Josh ClearVU and SideVu scanning sonars to find fish
Jones of Sapulpa Oklahoma a few days ago. For locations. Once I find an area with significant
you crappie guys that don’t know him, this guy fish, I rely on the LiveScope from then on to
has started a cult of Garmin Livescope users. catch fish.” According to Josh, “Arkabutla and
Josh has a huge following in the social media Grenada are the best crappie lakes in the coun-
world. He a Garmin Pro Staffer that helped try for trophy fish. We have a few lakes in Okla-
Garmin perfect the Livescope design. homa that are comparable in fish size but not in
Equipment & Setup quantity.”
According to Josh, he’s been using Panoptix LiveScope Tips and Tricks
for over three years. He started with the original “The LiveScope has changed the face of
Panop tix and made recommendations for the crappie fishing; you can now target the bigger
new Livescope. So now you have a little back- fish in the lake. What we got to do as crappie
ground about my subject. fishermen is to catch the fish, take a photo,
I asked Josh about his rod setup, “I use a release the fish as quick as possible, and have
Todd Huckabee Phantom 13 Rod combined with a replica made for a mount. Replicas last a lot
an inexpensive baitcasting reel as my primary longer than the actual fish. Catch and Release
rod and reel setup”, according to Josh, “I perfer are what we’ve got to do as a conservationist.
a 13’ heavy action 2-piece rod with a fixed reel Otherwise, we’re not going to have any big fish.”
seat. I started with a 10-6 and graduated up as Says Jones, “I love eating crappie, I’ll keep 11”
newer models came out. I don’t need a net to to 12” crappie to filet.”
lift those giant crappie in the boat. My reel is I asked Josh how long it took to learn and
a Bass Pro Crappie Maxx Baitcast Reel. I spool perfect LiveScope fishing? “It took about two
it with 20# Braid Line. I use ¼ oz. egg sinker years fishing approximately 200 days per year.
pegged directly to the line that I can adjust up I was never satisfied; I would learn something
or down whether I’m fishing a minnow or jig.” new on every lake I fished. The big fish lakes in
“If I’m fishing minnows, I use a 2/0 Aberdeen MS taught me a few things. It’s always a learn-
Gold Hook; if I’m fishing a jig, I mainly use 1/32 ing process. The biggest challenge is learning
to 1/64 oz hair jig,” says Jones, “My favorite how to chase fish. It takes quite a bit of practice
color jig is white or light gray. I hook my minnow to chase them down and catch them. Crappie
through the bottom and top lip. If I’m fishing doesn’t aways bite after chasing them. I like
a brush pile, I’ll adjust the sinker down within to get within 30’ and get off the trolling motor
several inches of the jig or hook. I have greater and coast up to the fish. The trolling-motor will
control of bait going down in the brush pile.” spook the fish in shallow water. ”
I fished against Josh on Arkabutla Lake “With the LiveScope, I can put my bait with-
during the Magnolia Crappie Club’s Fall Tourna- in inches of the fish directly in their eyesight.
ment. My first question was, how long did you Sometimes I have to bump them to wake them
practice, and what were your thoughts once on up. When I see that fish turn up at a 45-de-
the lake? “I arrived at the lake around 5 pm. gree angle, it’s time to hold on. When the fish
Brad Chappell and I fished for about an hour; are aggressively biting, it’s not unusual to see
we caught some huge fish. We could have them come from 10’ to 20’ and bite your bait.”
weighed over 17 pounds for our largest 7 fish. Josh says, “Anglers that are new to LiveScope
My research of the lake told me that I needed want to set the distance too far. For best results,
to find deep water close to the edges. Arkabutla don’t set your distance much farther than 35’
has very little structure, so we had to fish open unless you’re chasing a fish. Another tip is to
water areas. The fish we found were in water adjust your gain constantly, the gain changes
depths from 10 feet to 18 feet. The fish were depending on bottom hardness. You can move
very spooky; we had to ease up to them using from a hard to soft bottom very quickly, gain
the trolling motor sparely.” adjustments clears up the screen enough to
“I use Garmin GPSMAP 1222sv Chartplot- distinguish different species of fish. Bringing in
the distance helps determine the size of the fish.
ters exclusively; I have 3 Garmin Units with the Always use the LiveScope Grid. The Grid helps
GT52HW and LVS12 LiveScope Transducer and determine fish size at a glance.” Continued
31 - Adventures Magazine - Lake Washington Issue
