Garmin Panoptix Sonar

The Panoptix Forward Tansducer is strapped to a an electric motor, offering a steerable view.

Traditional sonar shows you what's passed beneath your boat. With Panoptix All-Seeing Sonar, Garmin brings new dimensions to the game. Panoptix uses a multi-beam transducer and phased-array scanning sonar technology. With Panoptix Forward Transducer, you see what's below the boat—and also what's out in front of the boat, potentially several hundred feet. And, the picture isn't static—if a fish or school of baitfish enters the beam, you see it live on the screen. Florida Sportsman staffers tested the system in Miami aboard a Sea Hunter bay boat. The transducer was affixed to a Minn-Kota trolling motor. Running the motor along a set of bridge pilings, we observed undercut spaces beneath the surface 20 feet away from us, some occupied by large fish.

Sitting still, we could cast in front of the boat, reel and watch as the lure swam into view. Neat stuff. Garmin also offers a Panoptix Down Transducer for transom-mounting; the Forward Transducer may also be mounted on the transom, but the trolling motor application would be hard to pass up. The transducers are compatible with Garmin's 7400/7600, 8000/8500, X1 and echoMAP 70 series MFD networks. Suggested retail price is $1,499. www.garmin.com