Want your input to make up my mind

[Mike S.]

I am buying a Humminbird 1197c in the next week or so.  I'm not buying one that is already preloaded with the Navionics cards.  So, what I want to know is, which card should I buy?  I want to buy the best one, so which is it?  Thanks.  I didn't look back to see if this has been posted before, so hopefully I didn't just ask a repeat question.

[LAPORTE]

Good question. I need a card for my 997 as well ...

[Mike S.]

Eric?  Where are you?  What card do we want?

[Genie]

Michigan waters only - lakemaster!!!!!!!  Everywhere else (plus Michigan) - navionics

[fiker]

It may be just me, but the lakemaster allows me to zoom in much closer on the maps. 

The Navionics has some lakes that the Lakemaster does not.   I put Navionics on both units.  I wish I had put the Lakemaster on the dash.

[BryanP]

Overall, I would go with Navionics, especially if you're fishing Lake St Clair or Lake Erie.  The guys who really like the Lakemaster stuff are typically fishing the west side of the state, and on those lakes it may very well be better.  I have both, and the Navionics is far better on the great lakes.  Get the Hot Maps Premium, either East or North.  Michigan is on both, so look at their coverage area and decide what suits you best.

[Mike S.]

Well, Muskegon lake is pretty much my back yard, so I guess the Lakemaster card will do just fine.  But, I am hooked on LSC.  So I guess I need to buy the best one with the entire state of Michigan on it.

[Eric]

Eric who?  I don't know any Eric.

If you plan on using it primarily over there on those garholes where you live, the Michigan Lakemaster chip is hard to beat.  That is only for Michigan though.  For statewide and use out of Michigan, the Navionics Premium chip is the one in my mind.  Both the east and north chip cover Michigan.  I have the east because it covers more of the states that I frequent.  That is what I have in my 1197.  I do notice a difference in putting a chip in a Lowrance vs a Humminbird, with the Lowrance seeming to be better with my chip.  You can get the navionics premium chip for about $30 or so more than the Lakemaster chip and get about 9500 more lakes.  Having said all that, stay off my woodpile.   

[Mike S.]

WOOD pile?  Don't know what you're talking about.  Nothing like that in the lakes I fish.

[BryanP]

That is what I have in my 1197.  I do notice a difference in putting a chip in a Lowrance vs a Humminbird, with the Lowrance seeming to be better with my chip.

I'm kinda curious what's "better" about it, as the data on the chip is the same data, regardless of what unit it's in?

[Firefighter Jeff]

Mike and Eric, you guys are too funny!!!!!   Thanks for the smiles  !!!

[Eric]

Bryan, it seemed like when I plugged the chip into a 332, it was more detailed and showed more things than it did in the HB.  It didn't make sense to me either, but that's what I saw, and the difference was pretty clear.  So I ended up moving some chips around to put whatever chip seemed to be the best in whatever unit, because I have various chips and various units on the boat.  And when I travel, I have to move them around more, becuase some chips don't have some places, or are better than others for certain places.  It's a great problem to have though.

[BryanP]

Check your Chart settings on the HB.  It might just be a simple adjustment.  You can change the detail shown like "spot soundings" for instance, and also shade depth which is something I don't think you can do with the 332.

[Mike S.]

Mike and Eric, you guys are too funny!!!!!   Thanks for the smiles  !!!

Glad someone enjoys it.

[SethV]

I use the Navionics Premium-E chip.  Covers a huge area - many lakes are in HD with 1' contours.

Never tried Lakemaster, but if it only covers Michigan you have to buy mulitiple chips for the other 7-8 months of the year Michigan has a closed season

[jgip087]

Navionics Premium east or north, choose whichever region you fish more. It has a ton of bang for your buck! I believe I have the east chip and I have used it from Escanaba to Kentucky Lake and it is dead on!