A fixed sonar target is different from a fixed boat
Trying to steer the boat, aim sonar and work a bait can feel like a three-handed job. TargetLock helps with the aiming, but the fishing decisions still belong to you. TargetLock controls the direction of the MEGA Live transducer independently of trolling-motor steering. That is useful when motor corrections repeatedly swing a shaft-mounted beam away from a brush pile or ledge. Spot-Lock concerns boat position; TargetLock concerns sonar aim. Use them with those separate jobs in mind rather than expecting one button to solve boat placement, lure depth and target tracking.
Learn the lock on structure
Start with an isolated stationary object in open water. Find it in the live image, use the supported TargetLock control and observe what happens as the boat changes position slightly. Keep the movement slow and controlled. A brush pile makes this easier to understand than a moving fish because the reference itself does not swim out of the area you selected.
Fish the locked view with a repeatable cast
Hold outside the target and cast far enough beyond it for the lure to reach the intended level. Locate the lure, then retrieve through the view. If the bait leaves the image while the structure remains visible, your cast or drift has taken the bait outside the beam. Correct the path or aiming deliberately. Do not change the gain simply because an off-line cast is invisible.
Do not confuse a location lock with following a fish
A fish can leave the aimed area. The fact that the transducer continues to look toward the selected location does not mean it is following that individual fish. Decide whether to release the lock and search, or remain on the structure for another presentation. Constantly abandoning a good position to follow every return can consume a morning without producing a controlled cast.
Resolve compatibility before installation
Use Humminbird's current motor and display compatibility resources for the full mounting arrangement. For MEGA Live 2, existing TargetLock equipment has software and, for some serial numbers, adapter requirements. Confirm those details before reusing an older assembly. Follow the installation and calibration instructions, then test manual aiming, locking and release where a mistake will not put the boat or transducer into cover.
Put it into practice
- Practice on a stationary object before using fish as the reference.
- Keep boat holding and sonar aiming as separate decisions.
- Release or redirect the aim when a fish leaves the selected area.