Self Correcting Depth Charts

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scarkner
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Self Correcting Depth Charts

Post by scarkner »

I am considering a new fish-finder but many of the new units with built in maps/depth charts seem to suck in the areas I fish. I have noticed that Garmin and Navtronics maps are often at very low detail levels, especially for smaller remote lakes where little and sometimes no information is available. Even on popular lakes there is clearly missing information such as no contour lines near an island, etc.

I know that with the newer combined GPS/Depth plotters you can add your own annotations. But the systems I have seen only seem to allow you to make text notes like 'caught big bass here" or "saw mermaid sunning herself on this rock".

Is there such a thing as a system that self-corrects? For example: if the chart says there is a nice level bottom at 60 feet, but the depth ramps up to 40 feet over a small hump, I want that the hump would to appear on the chart? If I then drive back-and-forth over the area, I might be able to define the edges of a point, bowl or ridge of ground. All great holding zones.

I guess the next best thing would be a system that allows you to hand-edit the maps to add your own contours?

Am i dreaming?
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toobinator
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Re: Self Correcting Depth Charts

Post by toobinator »

Humminbird and Lowrance both have their own mapping that you can create for whatever body of water you fish. Also with Navionics, there is a "freshest data option", where you add to an area, email the info to Navionics, then get an email back the next day with your information incorporated into the chart. Over simplification but I think that's the gist of it. You can also get the sonar chart download which gives toy 1' depth lines.

Ed
Save a bass. Eat a chicken
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PunchRig
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Re: Self Correcting Depth Charts

Post by PunchRig »

Yes, the navionics freshest data, takes info from lots of fishermen, and turns it into a highly contoured map, but you have to turn it on separately from standard mapping/contours,, just in the last year , if you look at the enhanced contours of big rideau, it is quite different than 5 years ago. It is very expensive to survey a lake privately, canada fisheries and oceans also charge big $$ to reproduce their surveys. So with the new freshest data, navionics is creating better mapping for end users. Small inland lakes, just aren't financially feasible to survey, vs . The small amnt, of ppl. ,That will pay for the chip.
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