GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I'm in the market for a new fish finder and looking at a Eagle FishElite 480 with built-in GPS,,, but not really sure how much I will use the GPS. I'm very familiar with the area's I fish and have lived without a GPS for years, so why should I get a GPS?

How often do you use your GPS and what do you use it for while fishing?

The only thing I can see the GPS giving me is a way to navigate during a storm or at night, low visibility. Not sure if I should just buy the $200 sonar or the $360 sonar/GPS, and then another $50 for a map...

(Oh yeah, I'm fishing big reservoirs, Lake Mead/Mohave)

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I think a gps helps me catch more fish than my fish finder but you really need both. If your anything like me then the base map that comes with the GPS is all you need. Lowrance units like the Ifinder H2O C has as good a base map as I need. Base maps on the Garmins are not as detailed but they have the best maps if you buy the upgrade.
How I use my GPS for fishing is mostly for finding the exact spot I found fish before. It is how I find that rock pile out in the middle of the lake with no landmarks very close. These type rockpiles can have a lot of fish because they are hard to find again. Sure if it 20 feet off land right below a purple house the GPS is not going to help. If it 1/2 mile from any shore even with great landmarks then the GPS is the only way your going to find that exact spot. When you find a new spot you set a Waypoint and give it a name. I will make notes and at the end of the end of the day enter the waypoint in my GPS log. Fishing a lake I will note the lake level and water temperature and water depth and what was caught. Then next weekend or next year when I fish that lake and the lake level is near the same I will head to that same spot and very likely will catch the same type fish as before.
I fish a lot in the ocean and with out a GPS finding the same exact spot is almost impossible.
It is also a great Safety device. Anything that happends you can give your exact position. The day when you get to the lake and it is foggy you can still find your spot and you can find your way back.

Lake I fish the most the water level will very form 466 feet when full in June to 350 in November when near empty. I have many times went up to the lake when empty with my hand held GPS and saved waypoints structures or channels I think will hold fish when covered then the next season I go and see if the fish are there. If they are there then I add all the info to my log book. These for me have been some of my best fishing spots and I am the only one fishing them. Most of the boats are fishing the shore line or the very deep water near the dam. They do not know there is a great rock pile out in the center that will hold lots of fish in deeper water on the hot summer days.
I live an fish in California and it is wall to wall people all summer long. All the shore line locations may see 5 boats an hour working the shore line for bass or 60 to 80 boats a day on weekends. Now half of them do not know how to rig or what works in that time of the year and are lucky to catch 2 fish for the boat all day but other are very good at catching fish. Knowing areas that are not along the shore line and have not been fished is a big advantage if you can find them.
One last thing you can do is down load the detailed paper charts and find points that stick out into the deepest channel. Then plot the cordinates from the chart and put in your GPS then when you have extra time go and try that spot. For example Black Bass like rocky structures but they will not stay in an area that does not have deeper water near by to excape into if they become the bait, except durning the spring spun season.
I think every boat should have a GPS for safety but as I said before I think I catch more fish from having a GPS than from having a fish finder.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I copyed the below from a thread i started earilier

So I need advice on a GPS system to know where the heck i am on a lake & how to get to where i need to go I was on a lake today I've fished before & i thought i knew exackly where i was & where the ramp was---WRONG Somehow i got turned around & BARELY found the ramp before dark!!
The wife said "You now have my blessing to buy a GPS"

I have a little Garmin ordered

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Fishing rivers and small lakes, a GPS is overkill. However, fishing Lake Meade may not give you reference points to get your bearings/location for the honey holes. Offshore, I swear by my GPS.

It sounds like you will benefit from using a GPS, the look for structure with your bottom finder.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Thanks Boatist, I appreciate your write-up. I especially like the tip on marking structure while the lake is low. Mead is down 100'+ right now so that will come in handy.

The main reason I'm considering a GPS is for the safety factor, dust storm blowing in and the waves going to 5-6' while the visibility going to near zero. I haven't been caught in those conditions before, but have heard of others getting their butts saved by a GPS. Similar to what Boss Hawg was describing about getting turned around.

Another question for everyone, is your GPS a combination sonar/GPS unit (Lowrance/Eagle/Humminbird/Garmin) or a stand-alone handheld? Anything good or bad about either type? I see a lot of places blowing out the handheld units so that might be an inexpensive way to get into a good GPS.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I have a combo unit (Lowrance HDS-7) and use it both to find the ramp (there is one on Lake Okanagan that I have a brain fart about and can't find on a calm, clear day) and to mark fish.

Have a spot marked on a local lake where I have caught Kokanee consistently for years. First marked it with my Lowrance H2O and have moved the chip to a LMS-522 and now to the HDS-7 (I'm not upgrading again).

Also use it to mark drop-offs, shallow areas (kinda annoying to be dragging downriggers at 50' when the bottom quickly comes up to 10'). Could fix that by buying the updated lake maps, but my older maps don't include most lakes in the area.

In short, yeah the gps is useful for fishing and just boating.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I fish in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is a barren dessert. The fish live on reefs and structure. 30 miles out it's hard to judge where you are, without a GPS I cant be sure I'm on the structure. GPS is a necessity here.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I use the Raymarine A60 , its a combo GPS/Chartplotter/Fish sonar, color Digital , it'll do anything a larger unit will.There expensive,but worth it.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Myself-- I have a Lowrance X87 sonar that i'm used to & like so i went for a fairly simple Garmin handheld (I did order the dash holder too though to mount on my CC) cause i don't really exspect to use it that much, just want it there :redface:

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I have fished Lake Of The Woods every summer for about 15 years. The first few years without GPS, then 2 years with a non-mapped GPS. LOTW has about 15,000 islands and I got lost a few times.

Since I have been using a mapped GPS I can find the individual rocks that banged up my SkegGard before. I can also find the exact spots that we raised or caught muskies for 10 years.

One thing we must remember: The GPS cannot tell you what level the water is at, so a rock that was 4' down last year may be 6" down today.

Without a GPS I would only fish about 20% of the water I can fish now.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I want to get a fish finder and would like a GPS ,, but problem i am in Spain and they are all in Spanish cant understand a word yet ..

So could i get cheap ones from the USA sent over , with Europe mapping ??

anyone know who could supply that ?

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

GPS is good but I couldn't live without a chart plotter. A chart plotter is indispensable when trolling structure or trying to keep with a school of fish on the move. Not to shabby navigating with one either

As soon as we find a good school of fish we mark them with the MOB function. Makes it easy to circle back around and find them again. Multiple marks show their general direction of travel which helps locating them again should you loose them.

Have bi-direction DSC to the plotter. Can check the DSC log and get a position on my ?buddies? at any given time.

My preference is for multiple units for ease of use and their larger displays. Also if loose one unit you've not lost everything.

Garmin 4208 chart plotter, Icom 504 VHF, and Furuno 585 fish finder

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Just to find the ramp when the fog rolls in.

The lake I fish on and work on is only 1700 acres. Been fishing it since 1966 and working on it (Marine Patrol) since 1978 so when the visibility is good I know where I am better than my 15 year old GPS that I payed $190 bucks for back then tells me. However it is the most accurate speedometer I have ever had on a boat. Great for testing props. No map card but by now if I have the distance and direction the ramp I know where the bends are

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

If you have room on your dash and lots of money get seperate units.
As far as GPS goes buy a color maping unit.
Only problem is most of the cost is from the size of the Screen and seperate units will cost almost double.
For most a combo unit makes a lot of since in a small boat.
In my case I have very old 1985 Lowrance X50 unit with a 20 degree 200 kh transducer for depths to about 180 feet.
I also have a 8 degree 200kh transducer for depth from about 150 to 400 feet.
I have a 1985 Loran C Furuno LC90 and the unit has no maps but good for navigation.
About 10 years back I got a Garmin GPSMAP 76 handheld mapping GPS.
It works great and has good base map and all the buoys.
I use it hicking, boating and in the car and it works great but the screen is very dim and hard to see in the car durning daylight.
I decided to upgrade to a color unit so looked at the Garmin GPSMAP 76C.
It is the exact same unit but with a color screen but still very dim.
While looking at it in the store I zoomed in to Bodega Bay where we fish all the time but could not see any buoys.
I called the sales guy over to help me find and turn on the buoys. He said you have to buy the upgrade map to get the Buoys.
I explained I have the GPSMAP 76 and it came with all the buoys.
He said they never came with all the buoys and I must have upgraded.
I explained to him that I did not upgrade and it does not even have a chip to upgrade.
Disapointed in how dim it was and no buoy and the map also much less detail I started to look around more.
I soon saw a Lowrance Ifinder H2O C and it was a tiny bit larger screen and much brighter.
I again zoomed into Bodega Bay and could see all 30 plus buoys in the bay.
Next I noticed the unit inside the store right next to the garmin had aquirred a 3D position and was picking up 4 sattelites.
I went back to the garmin and went to the satelites page and it was seeing none.
Last the Lowrance H2O C was cheaper and came with a lighter power cord, the garmin has no cord unless you buy it for $34.99.
I ask it they had a new Lowrance one in the box and he said they did so I ask if I could go out and get some batteries out of the car
and make sure it works before buying and he said ok.
I bought the unit and went home to show the wife how much brighter it was.
While inside the house with both units the lowrance beepped and I looked at the screen and it says position aquired. I soon found out it has a dual processor and redraws the screen 4 times faster than my old garmin.
Anyway very happy with the Lowrance Ifinder H2O C handheld.

If I was rich I would buy the Lowrance HDS-8 but can not get over the sticker shock or justify.

I would love to here a Repots from TACKLEWASHER on the Lowrance HDS-7.

Any way the hand held units work very well for BOATING, DRIVING, OR WALKING a trail in the mountains.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

fishrdan said:

Another question for everyone, is your GPS a combination sonar/GPS unit (Lowrance/Eagle/Humminbird/Garmin) or a stand-alone handheld? Anything good or bad about either type?

Click to expand...

Combo units are now offering integrated features that seperates can not provide. If I passed over fish or interesting structure, can use cursor and move over spot and set a waypoint. Waypoints can be captured with a screenshot, so you don't have to try to use clever names to remember everything about what was found. Also can do recordings that you can playback at home and mark and save wavepoints. With the lowcost of large memory SD chips you would be surprised how much you can record.

BTW, in my case I am using HB, but would be surprised if Lowrance HDS units didn't offer similiar features.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Boatist said:

I would love to here a Repots from TACKLEWASHER on the Lowrance HDS-7.

Click to expand...

Used it three times now and still learning the menu functions. Very different menu than the 522 I had.

Bought the 50/200 and the transducer is huge but I have not used it in deeper water yet so it's tough to compare to the old 200 only setup. Next weekend (not this one coming up as it's CFL final weekend) I plan to hit the big lake and look over 500 ft deep.

I liked my 522 but a friend offered me enough for it that I could justify springing for the HDS-7 and enjoy a bigger screen and the other dooddads.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Tacklewasher said:

HDS-7 and enjoy a bigger screen and the other dooddads.

Click to expand...

Yowsers, $900 for the HDS-7 , that's way out of my league. Well for 1 sonar that is. I'm going to have 3 sonar's installed on my boat, bow, console and a stern unit I can easily see while trolling. So, I guess I will have $800-1000 of electronics after all is said and done (don't tell the wife )

I decided to get an independent GPS so I can use the GPS while not on the boat, or in my other boat, or connect it to a marine radio when I get one. I'll have to look into the Lowrance that was suggested.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Installing 3 units most of the time is not a good idea if they are on the same frequency.
This because they will interfeer with each other.
A friends 19 foot bass boat I fish on a lot has two fish finders and both have 200 kh 20 degree tranducers.
One tranducer mounted on the front trolling motor and point a little foward.
The other mounted in the stern bildge.
We can use both fish finders down until about 30 feet.
Any deeper than 30 feet and you have to turn one off because they intefeer with each other.
So If going to mount 3 then make sure they are different frequencies.

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

Yeah, I won't be able to run the sonars at the same time sine they all have 200K ducers, just 1 at a time. While trolling I face port so I can mind the rods and look forward easily, but found it a pain glance down and focus on the dash mounted sonar, missed fish. Adding a sonar on the doghouse made it easy to see the depth, which is what I'm mainly concerned with while trolling as I'm hugging the shore and trying to run at a specific depth. 3rd sonar is going on the bow for casting

I was thinking of getting a Eagle 480DF so I could run it at 50KHZ, but Eagle said the ducer fires 50 and 200KHZ all the time. The head unit selects which frequency it wants to look at, so that shot down my idea there...

Re: GPS, how much do you use it for fishing?

I plan on running two but I really can't see both at the same time, so I suppose I'll just turn one off. Someone mentioned in another thread that you might be able to hook 2 graphs up to one transducer, but I'm not sure about that...