gps or no gps?

[lucky chaiyaker]

Well gentlemen or ladies,

Should i purchase a FF with or without a GPS

[DOGFISH]

I rarely use mine except for speed. I use the speed feature for trolling purposes. I tend to fish the same areas most of the time. So I don't need the mapping on a GPS, for the most part. Saving a waypoint is nice, if you need to have additional memory of the spot. The ability to follow a contour line on some of the more detailed chart plotters would be nice. I am presently looking into that. However, when fishing from a kayak, you are generally not far from landmarks or fishing a wide rangeing area as you would in a power boat.

I would say it depends on your budget. If you have the money to spend, then it is a good thing to have. It is not necessary. You can study charts and get the lay of the land, so to speak, and almost do the same by depth readings. That is a bit old school, but it works. If you use the newer GPS units, they can pretty much let you know where you are in relation to the bottom contour and structure. Some even have the fish eye view of you location, with bottom contours, not just location. The use of the split screen feature will give you both. However, with that said, the size of the screen is also a matter of cost. Some of the smaller units, when you split screen, are quite small. So it is a matter of cost. Larger the screen and resolution, the more money. Let your wallet be your judge. If in the future you may want the GPS features, then get GPS. If you can wait till you have the money, then it is not an absolute. However, it is nice to have, but if you get a GPS unit, get one that does what you want it to do. All GPS units are not created equal.

[ronaultmtd]

Same question I had ten days ago- looked at the 300 series and thought it was pricey for what you got. Screen was small, especially where it would be mounted on the kayak, and the resolution wasn't the best. After much thought I went with a larger screen size and resolution without the GPS feature. My thoughts in making the decision was to spend the same kind of money on features like down imaging and a larger, easier to see screen. The down side of my decision is Hummingbird doesn't yet make any of the scupper tranducers for their down imaging products, so it is a thru hull install.

If I need a GPS, I can buy a dedicated unit later on, but one of the main reasons for me to be attracted to kayak fishing was simplicity and economy of scale and time. Adding too much technology kinda defeats the purpose and requires a lot of setup, prep and caring around a lot of gear.

[ictalurus]

I have a separate fishfinder and GPS, but I kind of wish I had gotten a combo unit. The screen on my handheld GPS is kind of small, and I pretty much have to hold it to see my course track, but I thought I could use it while hiking or in the car.

A major reason I wanted a GPS is because there have been several times I've been over a nice school of stripers or blues, caught a fish or two, then the school moved on. Not having a GPS makes it almost impossible to find the school again if you're fishing somewhere without any handy landmarks. With the GPS, I can pedal in an expanding spiral until I find the school again, especially if I hit the "man overboard" button when I found the school the first time. This helped me out on at least three different occasions last year and a couple times this year fishing for suspended fish in St. Mary's Lake.

One of my buddies has a combo unit on his boat, and it was handy for following a contour.

If I were to do it over again, I would get a color combo unit (my fishfinder has lousy contrast). If money was tight, I would get a color fishfinder and buy a handheld GPS later. Just my $0.02.

[Memory Maker]

Definitely get the GPS ........... what Dogfish said is correct, however ........

if you get caught in the dark everything looks the same and you can't see most landmarks ........ GPS will keep you from getting turned around .......
trust me I know ...... even in places you think you know.

GPS will allow you to track over structure or schooled fish taking the best course to offer the bait.

Many of the combo units will also allow you to back track on the DF and mark a spot on your GPS mapping .... Lead to a treasure trove of fish 1 day. Found some structure while going to another spot ......... backtracked on the DF and marked it to investigate later. THe other spot didn't pan out so we left early and went to investigate and ended with a bunch of large fish .........

Most will allow you to store the waypoints so you can go back to the exact hotspots rather than just the general vicinity. Saves alot of time searching for the exact structure spot and gives you alot more productive fishing time .......

Do you have to have it ........ no ........... but you'll wish you did when you're lost and should give you more fishing time ....... never heard anyone complain that they bought a combo ........... can't say the other way around .........

[moc]

Good thread. I am in the market to get a new fishfinder for my new REVO. I have already decided to get a combo unit. I am not sure which one yet, whether Hummingbird or Lowrance. Any suggestions. I do want the color option for good contrast. One kayaker told me that he could see the thermal layers in the water much better than the monochrome screen. My old fishfinder on my tarpon is a 5 inch screen and it works well and has good visibility for my eyes because of its size. So I want my new one to have a 5 inch screen too. I also agree that if you are night fishing that the landmarks are hard to see and since I like to try different fishing locations, that means that I will be less familiar with an area in the dark. I can never forget that I went night fishing on the bay and could not really tell which beach that I launched from when I was paddling back. I made my best guess and I was 1/4 to 1/3 mile off. I wish that I have a GPS at that point. I know the features that I would like, I just do not know which one to get.... Any recommendations? I noticed that the lowrance had the contour maps built in and the hummingbird required a $200 chip that had to be purchased to give it the contour option. But with the built in contour, is it missing alot of rivers, and bay locations.....?

[DOGFISH]

Both will probably take a chip. Most come with a U.S. base map of inland waterways and coastal areas, which would include the bay. The ability of the chip will be greater detail of an area. Even though the base maps are pretty good. Most stores will demonstate this for you. There is also the option that if you are going to an area not on the base map, to add to your areas. It is a nice feature, most higher end units beyond the entry level will have a chip slot. As far as Humminbird goes, they have a great customer service department. They really stand by their equipment. Take a look at some of the units, as far as contour lines. Some of the Garmin units look like they copy the NOAA maps right onto the unit and are very detailed. They even have a fishing view. They do cost more. If you can get a Hummingbird to do the same, I would go that way. I have always had Hummingbird depth finders and GPS. I am leary about the side scan and down imaging HD units as they do not have a scupper hole transducer yet. They seem to be more directed at boaters. Another concern is power consumption, although most will be ok, as long as you don't mind charging your battery every so often.

Not only is night a factor, but fog and haze can roll in on you and give you a real problem, if you are one who ventures quite a ways out in the bay. Fog and haze is the problem for me, because they tend to catch you off guard. Night I am used to, I tend to go back before the days of Loran and GPS. I know, I know, and of wooden ships. Although, GPS does take the guess work out of the equation.

[Memory Maker]

Both will probably take a chip. Most come with a U.S. base map of inland waterways and coastal areas, which would include the bay. The ability of the chip will be greater detail of an area. Even though the base maps are pretty good. Most stores will demonstate this for you. There is also the option that if you are going to an area not on the base map, to add to your areas. It is a nice feature, most higher end units beyond the entry level will have a chip slot. As far as Humminbird goes, they have a great customer service department. They really stand by their equipment. Take a look at some of the units, as far as contour lines. Some of the Garmin units look like they copy the NOAA maps right onto the unit and are very detailed. They even have a fishing view. They do cost more. If you can get a Hummingbird to do the same, I would go that way. I have always had Hummingbird depth finders and GPS. I am leary about the side scan and down imaging HD units as they do not have a scupper hole transducer yet. They seem to be more directed at boaters. Another concern is power consumption, although most will be ok, as long as you don't mind charging your battery every so often.

Not only is night a factor, but fog and haze can roll in on you and give you a real problem, if you are one who ventures quite a ways out in the bay. Fog and haze is the problem for me, because they tend to catch you off guard. Night I am used to, I tend to go back before the days of Loran and GPS. I know, I know, and of wooden ships. Although, GPS does take the guess work out of the equation.

GEEEEEZER !!!!!!!! .......... ............ I can say that because it takes one to know one !!!!!!

[ronaultmtd]

Three years ago I was planning to go on a trip to visit relatives and fish a big lake in central Arkansas- I bought a handheld called the Garmin GPSMap 76 on clearance for $129.99 that was supposed to have a marine feature. The trip fell through and the hand held went into a drawer in my dresser- forgotten until a few days ago...guess what? Yep, it still works and I checked it out- software is still up to date. Come to find out that this is a pretty robust little unit- dumb luck or what?

[MetroMan]

If needed, my phone serves as a backup navigation aid via its GPS. I have an app that plots my location (& course) over marine charts. I think the app cost me around $5.00

[ictalurus]

ronaultmtd--did you pay for extra marine maps or did it come with it? I have the 76CS, and the marine maps are pretty crummy. According to it, I'm fishing on land most of the time.

[DOGFISH]

Sometimes, depending on how old the unit is, you can go to the Garmin web site and update you software. You can also get updated G2 chips, if your unit is not that old, that will give you better maps. Right now there is a unit on sale at the store, the 78cs, which has very good marine maps. They appear to be the same as on the larger units. Only the hand helds have a much smaller screen. They are too small for me. They might be nice for someone who hikes and kayaks.

I am very interested in the combo units, as I would like to be able to troll along the contour lines, guided by the GPS. My only hold back is I need a thru-the-scupper transducer. I have a question into Humminbird about the thru hull transducers on the HD DI combo units. I can get by with a 5" screen. Anything smaller, when you go split screen, is too small for me.

[moc]

If needed, my phone serves as a backup navigation aid via its GPS. I have an app that plots my location (& course) over marine charts. I think the app cost me around $5.00

What app are you using.... I will like to look into it.

[MetroMan]

"FlyToMap" is the name.

[moc]

Too bad, it does not seem to be available for the Andriod OS. I did see that Navionics is available at a higher price.