Humminbird TargetLock Benefits

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Fish finders offer virtual snapshots of the underwater world, but live sonar provides the equivalent of streaming video to see fish swimming about in real time and even watch your lure. Now Humminbird and Minn Kota join forces to take live sonar to the next level with a system called TargetLock designed primarily for freshwater fishing.

The key to live sonar such as Humminbird’s Mega Live Imaging is a transducer that electronically and continually sweeps the water to create high-resolution, real-time images. In order to scan in Down, Forward and Landscape modes, the transducer is usually mounted on the shaft of a bow-mount trolling motor. 

But this also creates an issue: When you turn the trolling motor, you also turn the transducer beam to maintain boat position.

TargetLock solves the problem with an optional bracket kit for Minn Kota’s Ultrex 45- and 52-inch-shaft trolling motors. This allows for independent rotation of the Mega Live transducer, and you can aim it three ways: with a foot control, an onscreen function on a Humminbird multifunction display, and a wireless hand remote.

But TargetLock goes beyond independent operation. With the press of button, the Mega Live transducer will lock on a target you select and maintain your view, even as the boat moves. 

The sonar system has an effective range of about 100 feet in fresh water. With TargetLock, anglers can motor closer or maneuver to improve the casting angle to the target, be it submerged brush, a rock pile or a school of fish. A yellow arrow atop the TargetLock pole indicates the direction in which the transducer is pointed to help you draw a bead on the structure and fish. 

TargetLock also avails anglers of Mega Live Sweep, which mechanically sweeps the transducer back and forth over a 120-degree arc. Employed with the Forward mode, this gives you a wide live-sonar search pattern to find fish and productive structure. Once you do find a key target, you can activate a feature call Minn Kota Steer, which synchronizes control of the transducer with the trolling motor via the Ultrex foot pedal.

Finally, Mega Live Target Lock can run simultaneously with Humminbird’s Mega 360 Imaging using an optional dual-mount adapter bracket ($199.99) with the Minn Kota Ultrex trolling motor.

The TargetLock adapter bracket starts at $1,499.99 without the transducer and $2,999.99 with one. To learn more, visit humminbird.com.

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Source: https://www.boatingmag.com/gear/humminbird-targetlock-benefits/