As forward-facing sonar, aka live sonar, from brands such as Garmin and Lowrance takes over freshwater bass fishing, some anglers forget that the company that introduced this technology was Humminbird. Now Humminbird has stepped up its game with a new generation of FFS—Mega Live 2—along with a new series of compatible multifunction displays.
Mega Live 2 features enhanced clarity and a more stable view versus the previous Humminbird forward-facing-sonar system. It offers improved real-time lure tracking, enhanced target separation, and optimized color choices. You can call up any one of 15 vibrant color palettes, each designed to improve visibility in varying water and light conditions.
“With Mega Live 2, Humminbird’s live-imaging technology now exceeds angler expectations, delivering the clarity, detail, bait tracking, and target separation needed to make the most of every cast,” says Braeden Harris, Humminbird brand manager.
Mega Live 2 offers three viewing modes—Down, Forward, and Landscape—to allow anglers to scan different areas around the boat. The TargetBoost function in Mega Live 2 boosts brightness and contrast, making suspended fish and bait stand out more clearly in open water. Mega Live 2 sonar operates on a single frequency in the 1 MHz range, and is compatible with Humminbird’s Apex, Solis G3 and the latest series, Xplore.
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Boasting the best features of Humminbird’s Helix series, the new Xplore series of MFDs integrates seamlessly with Mega Live 2. Xplore displays feature a simpler user interface, Cross Touch control, improved waypoint management, and built-in Lakemaster and Coastmaster with mapping of 13,000 US and Canadian lakes, 170 million acres of coastal waters, and SmartStrike for real-time fish activity predictions.
A powerful quad-core processor and customizable side buttons allow anglers to quickly access critical features. Available in 9-, 10- and 12-inch models, Xplore integrates with the One-Boat Network for control of systems such as compatible Minn Kota trolling motors, as well as Mega Live 2. Xplore starts at $1,299.99; Mega Live 2 sonar starts at $1,499.99; humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.com.
