LiveScope Plus wins the live-sonar category
Garmin says LiveScope Plus LVS34 is the 2026 NMEA Product of Excellence winner for Live Sonar. The recognition highlights a technology that has become increasingly influential in freshwater and inshore fishing by showing targets moving around the boat in near real time.
Unlike a conventional historical sonar trace, live scanning is intended to show how fish and structure relate to the boat at that moment. That can help anglers adjust casts, lure presentation and boat position instead of interpreting only what the boat has already passed over.
Three viewing modes cover different fishing situations
The LVS34 transducer supports Forward, Down and Perspective viewing modes when installed with compatible Garmin equipment. Forward mode looks ahead of the boat, Down mode concentrates beneath it, and Perspective mode gives a wider shallow-water view.
Changing mode requires the transducer to be positioned correctly for the intended view. Mounting arrangement therefore matters as much as screen settings, especially on trolling motors where the transducer needs to move predictably with the angler's direction.
Sharper target separation helps distinguish fish and structure
Garmin introduced LiveScope Plus with improved resolution, reduced noise and better target separation than its earlier LiveScope system. The company says the system can show fine detail including lure movement, helping anglers understand how fish are reacting.
Water conditions, range, mounting and user settings all influence the image. Owners should expect a learning period and should avoid treating any sonar display as a perfect representation of every object in the water.
Integration is aimed squarely at small fishing boats
The LiveScope Plus system combines the LVS34 transducer with a GLS 10 sonar module and works with a range of compatible Garmin chartplotters. That makes it particularly relevant to bass boats, aluminium fishing boats and other compact recreational craft.
Before installing, owners should check chartplotter compatibility, battery capacity, mounting space and cable routing. High-use fishing electronics can add meaningful electrical demand, so the boat's charging system and house battery should be considered as part of the upgrade.
Official sources: www.garmin.com; www.garmin.com; www.garmin.com.