Free GPS Guidance
Posts Tagged ‘Garmin chartplotters’
Whenever I bring up the topic of marine GPS units with my fishing buddy Grover, he dismisses the topic out of hand. According to him, fishermen should be able to anticipate hotbeds for angling without any outside assistance. Of course there were plenty of points I could have made to poke holes in his position. For instance, is it “cheating” to check the weather report before heading out to the lake?
Besides that, I always remind Grover that Garmin chartplotters are good for much more than finding fish. In fact, I rely on them as navigational tools on dark nights when clouds obscure the stars overhead. When you’re out in the middle of a lake in pitch darkness, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll miss rock outcroppings and other debris that’s just waiting to run your boat aground. Grover couldn’t help but admit that I was right.
For all you beginning boaters out there, you really might want to consider purchasing a chartplotter for your vessel. Garmin chartplotters like the Garmin GPSMAP series include marine cartography – preloaded with marine mapping software – and have GPS and WAAS capabilities so that you can not only see the rocks and shoals to avoid, but you can plot your best course to your destination. Also, with the use of the GPS/WAAS capabilities you can know with accuracy if you are beginning to venture off course. You can also save each course you plot to make finding your way back to that great getaway or fishing ground a cinch next time you want to return. Marine chart plotters are built rugged to be reliable, and are completely sealed with a waterproof casing, especially built to stand up to use in harsh saltwater environments.