Understanding Trails on Garmin LiveScope LVS32 and LVS34

Trails is a setting on Garmin LiveScope that creates a residual path behind moving objects on the screen. This helps track fish movement, bait position, and the history of sonar returns as they appear and disappear. While Trails can be useful in certain scenarios, it can also clutter the screen if not used correctly.

What Does Trails Do?

When enabled, Trails leaves a temporary “ghost” image of where fish, lures, or other objects have been. These trails fade over time, depending on the speed setting chosen.

• Slower Trail Speed: Leaves a longer-lasting path, helping track movements over time.
• Faster Trail Speed: Fades more quickly, keeping the screen less cluttered.

When Should You Use Trails?

Trails can be helpful in a variety of situations, particularly when:

• Tracking Fast-Moving Fish: If you’re targeting active fish, Trails can help you see where they were just seconds ago.
• Following a Bait’s Movement: Helps determine how fish are reacting to your lure.
• Understanding Fish Behavior: Watching how fish move in response to structure or your bait can provide insights into their activity level.

However, if you’re constantly panning or scanning new areas, Trails can create unnecessary clutter and make it harder to see real-time returns.

The Trade-Off: Useful Tracking vs. Screen Clutter

While Trails can help with tracking, there are some drawbacks:

• Too Many Trails Can Overload the Screen: If fish or bait are moving rapidly, Trails may make it hard to see what’s happening in real-time.
• Panning the Transducer Too Much Creates Unnecessary Trails: If you’re moving your transducer frequently, old returns can linger and make the image messy.
• May Not Be Necessary for Stationary Fishing: If you’re dropping straight down on fish and not tracking movement, Trails might not provide much benefit.

Practical Tips for Using Trails

1. Start at Medium or Fast: This keeps the image clear while still tracking movements.
2. Use Slow Trails for Studying Fish Behavior: If you want to see how fish react to your lure, a slower Trail setting may help.
3. Turn Off When Scanning Large Areas: If you’re covering a lot of water, Trails can quickly clutter the screen.
4. Experiment with Different Conditions: Some anglers prefer to leave Trails on all the time, while others turn them off for a cleaner image.

Final Thoughts

Trails can be a powerful tool for tracking fish and lure movement, but they should be used strategically. If you’re actively scanning, turning Trails off may provide a cleaner view. If you’re watching fish behavior in a specific area, keeping them on can give valuable insights.