Using GPSwith topo maps for depth ??

[murphy421]

Has or does anyone use a handheld GPS unit with topo maps for unfamiliar territory for depth readings? Been toying with the idea since I'm fairly new to the area and don't want to be drilling test holes all over the place to find the depth I want. I bought a Marcum LXI HAND HELD SONAR. One night laying in bed, this GPS idea jumped into my head so I  haven't opened the package yet since I might be returning it or selling it depending on feedback about this idea. It seems logical anyway................ ..................??

[dawnordusk1]

I always use my GPS and hydrographic lake maps together. I have done that for years both soft and hard water seasons. I get a kick out of picking my fishing spots sitting in my warm house and seeing  wither I was right or wrong when I get out there. It's like taking old Buck Perrys "Structure Fishing" to the next logical level when you add in the GPS.

[Knoodles]

Have a Garmin with lake maps.  Some topos are very acurate (depth) and some are not.  I dont use it as much as I thought I would but generally only fish lakes I am familiar with.

[mn man 1]

I bought mine with the impression that topo came with lake depths, no does not happen, you have to buy lake master, kind of disappointed that I spend around 230 dollars for it, give or take, but since I have been out on the ice, especially big lakes and lakes that you have not been on much, well alls I can say is that I really like it! Knowing where you are fishing, setting tip ups, what kind bottom you can expect(really spoiled with that since I have a fish camera also) is a great benefit of the feature. Lets just hope this lite square deal does not go through.....no more gps signals for us!

[bpfohler]

I use Navionics Iphone app for the lake I fish.  For $9 it's a pretty cheap guide and in my area it's been pretty accurate.

[huntny30]

I use US Recreational lakes and Fishing Hotspots on my Garmin...it is awesome...it is discontinued but you can still get it to work...

[stripernut]

mn man 1,

Lets just hope this lite square deal does not go through.....no more gps signals for us!

What are you referring to?

[eriksat1]

I have a Delorme PN 40 and I downloaded the USGS Quad maps and they seem to have all the depth contours of most of the lakes I fish.

[shaun_300]

I have a Garmin Oregon 450T, have considered getting the marine topo map with the depth charts. Never knew how accurate it would be so I never bothered. Sounds like it might be a good investment though.

[mn man 1]

mn man 1, What are you referring to?

Now, I am not 100% sure of this group, or even if it is spelt right, but I work in the agriculture industry where GPS is a big deal, it saves time, money and makes the environment 100% better with the VRT that is now out their. First of all from what I understand this is a group or company that wants to bring high speed internet to rural places via GPS signal, I am sure it is an L1 or L2 band, which is the band that most of our hand help GPS units, or Tom Tom's run on, but anyways I remember a while back when all GPS signals went down for about a half a day or so. Well it turns out that these internet signals that they just started up and running were knocking out the GPS signals going to the globes of machinery etc. They come in at a higher amperage than your normal greenstar or WASS signal does so they basically disrupted them and made the signal into nothing readable because of the higher amperage. Well they got shutdown or something because of this, and now they are bringing it up to the government saying that they should have rights to give people high speed internet in rural areas, but the fact of the matter is they will disrupt all other signals at low amperage, which is basically anything from hand helds, to your cars all the way to tractor. The fact that they COULD get the right to do this would put alot of people in the GPS industry out of work.
It is kind of like a Hughes Net deal, which I did have at one point, do not buy it, it is still slower than molasses on hot day.
But like I said this is just a rumor I heard, I am not 100% sure, but it is making a big rucus in the industry, I don't know if all these facts are straight, just what I heard.

Do not take offense to this post, as I can not 100% vouch on it right now.

[stripernut]

I will read up on it and thanks, now I know what direction to look. I don't think that it could happen, but people have a way of surprising me with just how dumb they can be...

[dabluz]

I bought mine with the impression that topo came with lake depths, no does not happen, you have to buy lake master, kind of disappointed that I spend around 230 dollars for it, give or take, but since I have been out on the ice, especially big lakes and lakes that you have not been on much, well alls I can say is that I really like it! Knowing where you are fishing, setting tip ups, what kind bottom you can expect(really spoiled with that since I have a fish camera also) is a great benefit of the feature. Lets just hope this lite square deal does not go through.....no more gps signals for us!

Here in Quebec, I can get most of the hydro-graphic maps for free on the internet.  However, I do not have a Garmin GPS.  I'm certain that you can get them for free for waterways in the U.S. 

[wyogator]

I do this all the time.  I use a hydrographic map and mark waypoints.  When I get to the lake, the Garmin takes me right to the spot.  You will still need the Markum though. So, don't take it back to the store.  The maps are usually right on the money, but not always, or you may not have marked it just right.  You will probably be within several yards of the spot though.  If there is a sunken island, and you want to be in less than 10 feet of water, the GPS may bring you to the slope in 15 or 20'.

[chris71383]

Navionics app on my android phone. Used it a few times this season on unfamiliar water and it was dead o, $12.

[rabcon]

Yup, I use a Gramin E-Trax, and down load  way points from fishing hot spots at home with my lap top. 

[Chris Raymond]

How does that phrase go..."Trust but verify"?  I run a handheld Garmin with Lakemaster chip and while it is accurate, I still confirm expected depths against actual with sonar.  Right now it's with the same unit with which I fish but can see where the little flashlight sonars would be considerably more effecient (easier/quicker to use, carry and employ) and have toyed with the idea of picking one up.  One of the things to remember about lake chips is that not every lake is hi-def (close interval depth data recently gathered) as I call it.  Some, if not most, of the smaller, and even some larger lakes if you're in a less than populated area, lake depth info is based upon 50 - 80 year old DNR info.  Undoubtedly some of that information has changed over time.  So if the wallet can afford it, I would keep your flashlight and add GPS into the mix for the best of both worlds.

Add--One thing that I found out after the fact was that when I recently updated my handheld to a newer unit that the data format was incompatible with my Mapsource software.  It could download the data to the unit but anything created on the unit itself would not be easily read by Mapsource (there is a workaround but it's very clunky and inefficient).  It forced me to move over to Garmin's Basecamp...some aspects of it I like and others I wish I still could use Mapsource.  This only matters if you're using your computer to help pick and keep track of your spots. 

[Gillfisher]

I use Lowrance H2OC with Lakemaster chip and it is pretty darn acurate most of the time. We usually pick our spots to start with by the contours on the map.

[gutshot_again]

I will read up on it and thanks, now I know what direction to look. I don't think that it could happen, but people have a way of surprising me with just how dumb they can be...

And/or greedy......

[iceargo]

I have a Garmin 300 with a Lakemaster chip. I love it. It has over 1100 lakes in Michigan. 80 some with 1ft increments. I go out with the boat in the summer and mark weed beds near drop offs, then come back in the winter and fish them. A great tool for marking your honey hole one day, then coming back the next day and finding it. It's tough to do when your out a couple miles.

[ice dawg]

I use a hand held GPS with a Navionics chip, but most of the SD maps are old survey maps and not all that accurate. The water levels change a lot around here also. If the lake has been surveyed the contours are pretty accurate.

[mtboho]

lake maps work good!