GPS Units

[GitRDone]

Hi All,
Looking to purchase a GPS unit this year to get some form of lake maps on. Wanted to see what people around hear recommend as i would like to either walk with it or attach to ATV. I know there are apps out there but came across a few schillings and would like to buy a unit specifically for tracking down some fish. I fish NY mostly and already have a flasher but not the type that could double as a GPS unit. I appreciate any info on units you currently use and any pros/cons in units I should be looking out for. Thanks in advance for any info.     

[rickwalley]

It sounds like you’ve already decided on a handheld  gps unit?  Because more than likely be ready for most people to tell you to just use your smartphone.

[hardwater diehard]

Garmin ...can add/make custom maps ..they have several topo/lake contour maps for purchase ..

[mistertwister]

It sounds like you’ve already decided on a handheld  gps unit?  Because more than likely be ready for most people to tell you to just use your smartphone.

I’m one of those guys  navionics has always gotten me pretty close to where I want to go

[JTrottaNY]

If you're going handheld, look at Garmin Monterra, being android based you can install apps in addition to basic GPS functions. A couple that come to mind that could be of use; gopro, navionics, marcum...

[XC 600]

I have an older handheld Garmin Oregon. I have a Lakeview Hd chip as well as a Topo chip. Great asset for fishing or hiking. Take a pic with it and it automatically marks your spot on the maps. Great for marking  your buddys honey hole without him knowing.

[trapper2000]

compos and 2 land marks

[filetandrelease]

compos and 2 land marks

Jeez Trapp just stand still point your hands at 2 point then put your hands together lol save the compass for snow storms 😉 sorry trap I can’t help myself

[trapper2000]

 

I really  don't know  how  to  use my phone as a gps ,I should  learn

[GitRDone]

Thanks for the input. What are your thoughts on the hummingbird Helix units? I could always by the navionics chip and install and use for location and fishing, correct?

[JTrottaNY]

Have a 688ci with navionics chip and it has worked great both on the ice and in my boat. The Helix 5/7 are further improvements on the product line.

[Fishin-Mission]

All I have to say is, a compass is useless in a snow storm and on a foggy day.  My cheap hand held GPS works petty good in those conditions and will get me where I want to fish and back to where I started.  I used a compass in the old days and ended up miles from where I wanted to be.  I almost end up in Canaseraga Creek. 

[badger132]

For sure a smartphone with the Navionics app is the way to go. You get all the GPS functionality, plus good lake maps. On my lake, people share points like hazards, where people have broken through thin ice. As far as I know, no separate GPS gives you lake maps plus sharing of points, and even the ability to share your location with others for meetups and safety.

 

[Fishin-Mission]

Yup, with the smart phone it allows other (government, Google, Amazon, ect...) to track you cause your location is turned on.  My piece of crap GPS does not allow that.

[trapper2000]

All I have to say is, a compass is useless in a snow storm and on a foggy day.  My cheap hand held GPS works petty good in those conditions and will get me where I want to fish and back to where I started.  I used a compass in the old days and ended up miles from where I wanted to be.  I almost end up in Canaseraga Creek. 

that's why you carry a compass is  for a white  out  .....(my batteries never wear out in my compass)  and if you were miles off you need to learn to read on ..................end of story

and  every outdoorsman should be able to  properly read and use a compass

[GitRDone]

A compass wont help me find drop offs or humps under the ice. I have a compass and bring it with me all the time. If i get lost i will use the compass but i am looking for something that gives me contours of a lake.

[trapper2000]

compass sure would if you have a map of the lake.....you do know  before GPS were fully operational  1995  we flew to the moon and  back  ,sailors crossed the  oceans  and we even hunted and ice fished and found our way around .....next week we will discuss  how we lived before cell phones  and video games

[filetandrelease]

Omg to early for 🍿 so I guess my toast will just have to do lmao
 Trapp is this going to be a mini course
Or a full semester 😜

[trapper2000]

no I just bought a gps

[GitRDone]

Thanks Trapper2000 for not lending anything to the conversation except snarky responses. I am just asking other anglers what type of GPS they use for ice fishing and if they could recommend one. If you don't have something to add to a conversation/question might be better off not saying anything. Trying to shame people for not using a compass and saying they are not outdoors-men if you cant use a compass? Where does that fit into this post of GPS Units? I read a lot of post and only comment when i feel it is related to the post. Compasses not related to GPS Units. So, Thank you for informing me about the use of a compass and maps i appreciate it. Have a Good Ice Fishing Season.

[trapper2000]

git  stop ....no snarky response  give me a  map and a  compass  i and I get  around   pretty well I been doing it all my life you said  a  map and  compass can't  find  drop offs ,you are wrong it can take you right to them if you have the knowledge  to  use them ,,,, the comment was  made that  a compass  doesn't work in fog or a white out  i can get   back  to my  car   if i can't see 2 foot in front of me  and so can  fishing mission it he learned how  ...... i did say  EVERY outdoorsman should  learn how to properly use a compass   so does  every outdoors organization  including  the  new York  DEC .... fishing mission proves my point when he said he was miles off course  was his compass off nope   he  didn't know how to use it ..... you asked  what unit i use i  told you ..... is  gps  good   yup  that's why  freddie and i joked  cause  he told me the  app to put in my  phone .... would i use it YES ....would i  totally depend on it  NO  still  use my compass  and map as well.....now i think your the one with snarky responces   while your  getting a compass today get some thicker skin and a since of humor as well ...if you want  me to show you how to use a  map and compass i'll be  glad too

[esox_xtm]

All I have to say is, a compass is useless in a snow storm and on a foggy day.  My cheap hand held GPS works petty good in those conditions and will get me where I want to fish and back to where I started.  I used a compass in the old days and ended up miles from where I wanted to be.  I almost end up in Canaseraga Creek. 

Only if you don't know how to use one. In the days before GPS I made my way through a swamp in a blinding snowstorm to the road. Missed my spot by a quarter mile. Oh, I started out at 4:30 and hit the road till 9:30. PM. I was on my third set of flashlight batteries.  No BS... I felt pretty good about completing the mission.

Sure, GPS is more exact in conditions with poor visibility but battery life is always limited. Especially if you're using a phone.

Back OT: I've carried/used two handhelds, both Lowrance and both very good. Still use the H20C for hunting and carry it on the ice just out of habit. There are a bunch of good ones out there. Even the not really great ones, like I got, are surprisingly good. Garmin is probably at the top of the handheld list if I were to do it again. If you're going to rely on it to get you out and, more importantly, get you in don't but something cheap because it's more affordable. Stick with known reputable manufacturers and push to get a little more than you can afford. Once you learn how to use it if you cheap out you'll always wish you had gone the little extra. If you get more than you need you'll grow into some of it and will likely not ever be disappointed with your purchase.

NOW, I would never have a locator without GPS. Used to have the handheld mounted and running on 12v on the boat but it was always a pain to have to leave the front of the boat, go back to the console and add a waypoint for crib, rockpile, breakline, whatever.  Once I sold the Vexilar, which was doing double duty as a bow mount unit on the boat, I bought a Lowrance x67 because of its size and both graph and flasher modes. I almost immediately kicked myself for being a cheap smack and not getting the m68. Same unit only with GPS. So I blew out the x67 and got what I should have had in the first place. Advantage? It goes in the boat with me all non-ice season, small enough to be easily portable on a buddys boat or rental, I can simply lean over and save a waypoint without leaving my fishing. THEN, when ice comes I can walk right back to all those locations I saved during open water. No fumbling with two units.

When you on the ice you can save your spots there too. Oh, snap, I forgot my GPS at home. How will I get back? When was the last time you forgot your locator (assuming you have one)? I will never, never, never own another locator without GPS. Both boat units have it and I only use one on the ice.

Last gasp: I'm sorta in the trap camp on the loss of basic skills and the reliance on technology. Tech is great and even superior at times to basic skills. BUT, can you carry enough batteries, can you get a signal, drop your phone or whatever down the hole, crush under a vehicle wheel or otherwise lose it? If you can't or did, can you get where you wanna go? If you're going to play outside you'd better know how to fly by the seat of your pants. I've always got a compass in my tackle bag and have a sense of where I am and where I want to go.

[GitRDone]

Trap, I asked for GPS units not compass and maps as they are not a GPS unit. No need for thicker skin, just need people to stay on topic and not try to hijack a legitimate question and give their 2 cents about using something that was not part of the topic. You look at all my post, no snarky comments or disrespect to anyone. You may not think your comment was snarky but when I am asking about GPS units and people are responding about GPS units and you bring up using a compass and maps? No place in the conversation. No worries, I am not mad or upset just letting you know my thoughts on your input to a question i asked to people that use GPS units. Hope you have a great ice season. Just an FYI, I am a former scout leader/outdoor rec student and used compasses quite a bit so i was just looking for some ideas for new technology as I came across a few schillings and wanted to up grade. Thanks   

[filetandrelease]

I just purchased a Garmin 680t Montana nice unit but I haven’t loaded up the Birdseye yet ,  and wirenut45 sent me an H2o and it works great and again thanks ,old habits die hard as I still carry a compass

[trapper2000]

well I kinda thought the thread was about  navigating and  we were supposed to post  our opinions  when you started saying  you couldn't  find   drop offs and rock piles  with a compass and a map(guess you never read the  scouts manual)  I thought  you  were  asking questions  and  when  fishing said  he couldn't  find his car in a snow  storm that we were  having a open conversation on how to   navigate and  find our way on the ice .....that's ok but I'm glad your a past  scout leader my scout leader  was a lot more  open to new ideas and a lot less rude ..... and I'm betting  you don't need a gps or  compass  to figure out where I think you should go     have a great season on the ice

[trapper2000]

and my offer is open  i'll show anyone  how to use a  compass and a map   and you will be pleased at how  well you will be able to find things and  how  well you will be able to get  back

[flyfish413]

well I kinda thought the thread was about  navigating and  we were supposed to post  our opinions  when you started saying  you couldn't  find   drop offs and rock piles  with a compass and a map(guess you never read the  scouts manual)  I thought  you  were  asking questions  and  when  fishing said  he couldn't  find his car in a snow  storm that we were  having a open conversation on how to   navigate and  find our way on the ice .....that's ok but I'm glad your a past  scout leader my scout leader  was a lot more  open to new ideas and a lot less rude ..... and I'm betting  you don't need a gps or  compass  to figure out where I think you should go     have a great season on the ice

 

I'd love to see someone reliably find the same dropoff or hump with a compass and a map with a 1/100th the efficiency of the cheapest GPS unit. Safe to assume you throw on your buffalo hide overclothes and ride a horse to the launch too? The question was about recommendations for GPS units. Nobody cares that you know how to use a compass, and nobody asked, so drop the holier-than-thou act Copernicus. Also, when did using a compass become a "new idea"? Around the time they stopped throwing rocks at the sun out of fear?

Anyhow, the Navionics app for your phone is cheap and amazing, any battery issues are solved with a small juice pack, and there are plenty of small waterproof phone cases for short money too. I'd look into that well before spending the money for a dedicated handheld GPS unit. I've been using it for 5 years plus on ice and open water and never felt the need to upgrade (if you can even call it that) to a stand-alone unit. I couldn't justify a GPS unit unless I was doing huge water snowmobile/ UTV trips or exploring desolate wilderness. I'd say try that first 100%.

[trapper2000]

flyfish  first  I bet I can get you to a exact point with a compass and map   number two  I never compared which is "better"  because there is no such thing as  "better"  merely pro's and  cons  to both  ..... you actually left  the mass room to come  give me a  hard time  ?  lol amazing

 

[flyfish413]

flyfish  first  I bet I can get you to a exact point with a compass and map   number two  I never compared which is "better"  because there is no such thing as  "better"  merely pro's and  cons  to both  ..... you actually left  the mass room to come  give me a  hard time  ?  lol amazing

 

Yeah ok Magellan. And whenever you make it to that exact point you're referring to I'll let you know how the fishing was since I'll have already been there for 3 hours.  I'll drill you a couple holes too because you probably won't have enough time to chip them out with a sharpened moose antler or whatever before dark. Pros and cons right? Hey how much ice before it's safe for a covered wagon by the way?

[SirCranksalot]

Just get Navionics for your cell phone..


On a slightly different subject re compass being useless in fog! When I grew up on the Atlanic coast the only time inshore fishermen used a compass was when it was foggy!!