The Garmin LiveScope Plus Ice Fishing Bundle LI (or the Garmin LiveScope Bundle LI for short) is just that—a bundle designed for ice fishing that combines:
We have an ECHOMAP UHD 93sv review on our site—it’s one of our favorite fish finders. The 95sv is the same exact model, except it has a Canadian map pack (the Canada LakeVü G3) instead of a U.S. map pack.
This review will be focused on the whole package—and that package is incredible for anyone who wants to go ice fishing. We’re very impressed with this bundle, and we think it’s a home run for anyone willing to invest in an ice fishing fish finder kit.
This is an ice fishing kit for the ages—a portable carrying case, a lightweight battery and charger, and the incredible ECHOMAP UHD 93sv or 95sv fish finder, coupled with LiveScope. This honestly may be the best ice fishing bundle we’ve ever seen—as you’ll see from the specs below, the ECHOMAP coupled with LiveScope blows most ice fish finders out of the water.
| Max Depth | 800 ft |
|---|---|
| Imaging | Down: 400 ft; Side: 500 ft |
| Frequency | 70/83/200 kHz (Traditional CHIRP); 260/455/800/1000/1200 kHz (Imaging) |
| Transducer | GT56UHD, LiveScope™ Plus LVS34-IF |
| Screen | 7.8" x 4.8"; 9", 800 x 400 pixels |
| Maps Included | Canada LakeVü G3 or U.S. LakeVü G3 |
| Memory Card Slots | 1 microSD |
| Max Waypoints | 5000 waypoints, 100 routes, 50/50000 tracks/points |
The ECHOMAP UHD acts as the LiveScope Ice Fishing Bundle LI’s interface. There are tons of useful display features on the ECHOMAP, including:
All of the other features you might expect are here—you can zoom in on specific depths or zoom out for a broader view.
The interface is, likewise, fantastic—it’s a touch screen fish finder with buttons to make navigation easier. We recommend getting touchscreen gloves to make the ECHOMAP easy to use without your fingers getting cold—there’s no arrow or joystick for navigating through menu options, so you’ll need to use the touchscreen at almost all times.
Our ECHOMAP UHD review has a more in-depth explanation of the display and interface features—we wanted to keep it short here so we can elaborate more on the ice fishing bundle rather than just the fish finder.
The sonar isn’t the most important part of the LiveScope Ice Fishing Bundle LI—the imaging is. Fortunately, the traditional sonar is quite good, even though it may not be the main mode you use.
The transducer supports a wide range of frequencies, and it has CHIRP, which allows for better target separation than traditional sonar. We suspect that most of our readers, like us, will opt to use the flasher for their traditional sonar reading. You’ll find that the transducer offers excellent depth, great for fishing in the deep for kokanee and other fish who like to swim in deeper waters.
With up to 800 feet down, you’ll have absolutely no problem seeing the deepest points of just about any lake you’re ice fishing on, and standard features like sonar recording and sonar history rewind are all here.
As we mentioned, traditional sonar and ice fishing flashers aren’t the real selling point here—the killer app for the Garmin LiveScope ice fishing bundle LI is the imaging. The ultra-high-definition display makes it incredibly easy to see targets, and ClearVü gives you an excellent look at what’s going on beneath your boat. You can also use SideVü to look around your fishing hole and try to find a better spot.
ClearVü and SideVü aren’t the best parts of the bundle, though. That distinction goes to LiveScope.
LiveScope is a real-time sonar attachment—it’s basically like having a video camera with an incredible range below the ice. There are two modes that are incredibly useful for ice fishing:
Ice fishing with LiveScope is an absolute dream—in our experience, we’ve caught more fish while drilling fewer holes, which is exactly why you’d want to buy a fish finder in the first place. We love using combination screens of traditional flasher sonar with LiveScope Down or LiveScope Forward.
We’ve used ClearVü and SideVü less than LiveScope when ice fishing—LiveScope allows for better fish detection and more accurate jigging because it shows live sonar images instead of the sonar history you’d see with traditional down and side imaging. We will, however, still attest to ClearVü and SideVü being useful for finding structure—and we can use that structure to narrow down where we want to set up camp.
All in all, the imaging features are fantastic, and LiveScope is the real reason you’ll want to get this bundle—it’s a game changer for ice fishing, which traditionally hasn’t benefited as much from imaging technology as non-ice fishing.
The Garmin LiveScope Plus Ice Fishing Bundle LI comes with mapping technology thanks to the ECHOMAP UHD. You might not think that matters too much for ice fishing—you can’t exactly pair your fish finder with your motor and autopilot along a route.
Then again, if you’ve ever been out on the ice and seen nothing but white for what seems like miles, you probably understand why a map to your favorite fishing spot is handy. You can mark the areas where you’ve had success using the fish finder’s GPS, then go back to those areas whenever you’re in the mood for some ice fishing. Pretty handy!
The LiveScope is compatible with some other Garmin fish finders, and the ECHOMAP is Wi-Fi enabled, has an SD card slot, and can connect to other ECHOMAP devices in the UHD or Ultra line. This means you can share map data, sonar history, and other information.
You can also connect your device to ActiveCaptain, Garmin’s fish finder app. Using ActiveCaptain, you can plan where you’re going to go ice fishing from the comfort of your home, then send that information to your ECHOMAP; that way, you can stay warm for as long as possible before hitting the ice.
The Garmin LiveScope Plus Ice Fishing Bundle LI comes with a lightweight lithium battery that has an excellent battery life and a portable carrying case that lets you bundle your fish finder, LiveScope, battery, and charger into one easy-to-carry package. When bundled together like this, it works exactly like an ice fish finder should—there’s even a swivel mount to keep your transducer in place.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best ice fishing bundles we have ever seen, and if you’ve got the money for it, we can see it becoming an essential part of your ice fishing kit.
The bundle is lightweight. The fish finder is easy to use. The transducer is fantastic. The only downside is that navigation basically needs to happen by touchscreen, so touchscreen gloves are a must, and it’s a pricey combo. We’re going to say that this one is for real enthusiasts—but if you fall under that category, you may never need another ice fishing bundle again.
It’s worth mentioning that buying the bundle is less expensive than buying LiveScope and the ECHOMAP separately, and you get way more bang for your buck—the battery, the charger, the carrying case, and the swivel mount designed for ice fishing.
Basically, if you can afford it, get this product. We’re extremely impressed!
