Lowrance HDS On Tour – Broadband Radar

You may have noticed the unique object perched atop the rear seat pedestals of some of the Lowrance pro staff’s boats at the recent Bassmaster Classic in New Orleans, La. The announcement of a spring Classic on Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta brought several concerns to the pro’s minds.

The Mississippi River Delta fishery is vast, and anglers began talking about making 120 mile runs to their preferred fishing spots; some of them having to cross the Gulf of Mexico to get to them. The ever changing waterway did bring one concern to the forefront that had some of the anglers more than a little worried; fog.

The cold Mississippi River water mixed with the expected warming air temperatures created a concern for dense fog layers. The expectation was that even if the skies above New Orleans were sunny and bright, the mix of freshwater, saltwater and warm air could leave the Venice area socked in.
Lowrance had a solution to that – Broadband Radar.

Large ocean going vessels utilize radar high above their cabins to help them navigate in dark, treacherous conditions. Manufacturers of typical radar systems provide a technology necessary for navigating the earth’s oceans. The downfall of most radar is that it is basically a microwave which can permanently damage human cells; that is why the units are mounted high above the cabins on masts.

Leave it to Lowrance to come up with a solution; Broadband Radar, with less emissions than a typical mobile phone.

The system, which has been available for more than a year, found its showcase with the 2011 Bassmaster Classic when Lowrance pros (and some other non-sponsored anglers) installed the units on their back deck on top of modified pedestal seats.

The technology allowed anglers to overlay the radar screen over their mapping screens on their HDS 10 or HDS 8 units, and allowed them to navigate through the fog. The Broadband Radar was said to display channel buoys, islands, barges, other boats and even small birds; such as coots, as they took off from the surface of the water.

Lowrance Pro Anglers who employed the units were: Gary Klein, Terry Butcher, Edwin Evers, Skeet Reese, Kevin Wirth and Mike Iaconelli. Wetumpka, Ala. pro Greg Vinson purchased and installed a unit on his boat prior to the event. Brent Chapman; the lone angler in the top five who fished in Venice, borrowed the Lowrance Broadband Radar system from Butcher after he failed to make the top 25 cut for the final competition day.

For more about Lowrance HDS Units and Structure Scan and Broadband Radar Technology, visit www.Lowrance.com

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