Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum
Bass Fishing => Bass Fishing Tips, Techniques & General Discussion => Topic started by: bassbuster on July 16, 2010, 10:31:24 AM
Is there a handheld gps setup that would work like the gps on some of the fishfinders out there? And if so would it be worth the money to buy it? I'm not sure if I can choke spending the money on a new fishfinder with the gps but is sure would be nice to have. I've ridden in a few boats with it and it sure gives me a better overall picture when you can look right at a contour map of the areas you are/are going to be fishing. Plus marking the waypoints is an obvious plus. I'd like it for bass fishing obviously but for some of the walleye fishing I do also.
If not then what are some good options for fish finders with gps and lake map capabilities that won't "break the bank" if I decide to go that route?
I use a handheld lowrance h20 and like it. I got it for xmas for Ice fishing. But after buying my boat I bought a ram mount for it. The screen is small compared to the fish finder versions. But if you want to save $ I would suggest this. I really like mine.
*I do have the lake map chip. I would definetly say you have to have this chip to make it a good "fishing" gps. Contours and Depths are spot on.
Have any of you guys used the Lowrance Elite 5 Fishfinder/GPS/Chartplotter?? Or have any buddies that bought one yet? For the money it sounds good. I'm on a budget and am kinda looking for a starter model to get going with but I don't wanna waste my money on something just because it's cheaper either. I'm not a pro and don't fish all the time but I do it enough that I'd like to have the gps capabilites...........and a little better sonar than what I have now wouldn't hurt either.
I have the Lowrance XOG with the Lakemaster Michigan chip, it works great for ice fishing and going to new lakes.
I have the Lowrance H2O I finder. I like it, but the screen is small, and sometimes hard to see with polarized lenses and a bright sun.
I have both the Hot Maps East Premium, and the Lake Master Pro for it. The Lake Master allows for zooming in tighter, but the Hot Maps has more inland lakes.
If you don't care about color, the b & w version of the H2O is about a $100 cheaper.
I used a handheld GPS on a RAM mount for quite a while years ago before I got my first combo unit. The smaller screen was challenging, but it was WAY better than nothing!