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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | My good friend Bob and I are going to LOW around the third week of July. I have purchased two new Hummers (One unit is SI) for my new boat. Could someone recommend what kind of chips I should buy? The units can take LakeMaster or Nav...
What would you buy guys?
Badgerpat1
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Posts: 3508
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Lakemaster far and away the best to get. The detail of the mapping is downright amazing!! Buddy of mine had one last year and it was spot on, and even showed little spines here and there that the navionics chip did not show.
Navionics is good....but if detail is what you want then lakemaster is the way to go
Steve |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | VMS did you try the 2009 Navionics chip on LOTW? I know the 2009 version was updated and basically was a completely new chip for LOTW. I know Navionics spent almost the entire 2009 season remapping the lake. I wouldn't completely overlook it unless someone has used the 09' chip side by side the Lakemaster. |
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Posts: 3508
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hi TJ,
I didn't know Navionics was mapping last year...
I would bet they needed to after the job lakemaster did...
Steve |
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Posts: 32951
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Navionics. |
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| IMO the Lakemaster chip has too much detail the screen becomes cluttered with too many contour lines. They miss a good number of very dangerous rocks and showed hazzards where none exist. No map is accurate and shows all the potential hazzards. Anyone of the maps will allow you to navigeateand fish the lake if you use caution. |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | VMS, I actually meant they remapped it in 2008, with the new chip being offered in 2009. National Sales Manager Jeff Brodeur talks about the updates done in 2008 and being offered last year for 2009 chip. The LOTW chip is now high def, should be completely different now.
http://upload.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=1323
Edited by TJ DeVoe 4/25/2010 7:19 PM
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Posts: 169
Location: Houlton, WI | I have a lakemaster and love it and you will too! |
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| I run the lakemaster on LOTW and really like it and have seen no reason to add the navionics chip. Without the lakemaster chip I would be in a lot of trouble.
As far as which is better the discussions tend to be like which is better Chevy or Ford.
The way these chips are made take a tremendous amount of time. On a body of water such as LOTW it would be nearly impossible for either lakemaster or navionics to capture everything. So care needs to be taken when traveling in shallow water. |
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Posts: 32951
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I tend to buy products made by companies that are constantly pushing the envelope and innovating, while actively engaging in promoting the sport. Navionics does alot of both, and offers a top shelf product.
I really like the Navionics iPhone apps., and we use the Navionics overlay on our mapping component of the OutdoorsFIRST/Anglers Insight Marketing 'AIM Live GPS Tracker' during the live coverage of the last day of all AIM events. |
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| hi Pat, ready for that new Tuffy to hit the water???
you need to be careful about the answers you get to a question like this: it's good to get answers from people with recent first-hand experience using the new chips out on the water.
both the Navionics and Lakemaster chips on LotW are works in progress, adding more area and detail with each upgrade. look at the listing of updates from year-to-year to see what was done, ask the manufacturers about it, and then ask people who are out there using them on their home water.
last year i found the Navionics Premium chip to have quite good detail through the NW Angle for both zooming in close while fishing and zooming out for navigating. that said, i don't know the water well enough to recognize if a spot is mapped exactly right or wrong in every instance.
one very big limitation that was obvious to me was that they did not include the primary travel lanes! the Lakemaster chips and the older Navionics chips have them, but the Navionics '09 Premium did not include them. (???)
my Humminbird had the NVB map bundle with the Navionics Gold marine charts and old HotMaps fishing maps, so when making long runs i would switch the display to the old maps and follow the safe travel lane. if you're going to be fishing LotW very much with the new Navionics chip, this alone would make it worth the NVB bundle or putting an old Navionics chip or a Lakemaster chip in the second chip-slot on that Humminbird.
i like my Navionics chips quite a lot; i'll be adding the Lakemaster this year as well so that i can use the better one for the particular area i'm fishing at any given time. if i had to get just one, i like the value of the Navionics chip due to the area covered on one chip.
the same discussion is going on at Baystore's site, with a couple of guys all weighing in who know LotW better than anyone else on the planet...
http://www.baystorecamp.com/reports.htm
Edited by lambeau 4/25/2010 6:38 PM
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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | Thank you Mike and everyone else. I did purchased two Lake Master chips for Wisconsin. I will continue to do my homework before the LOW trip in July.
I'll also check on the resources you suggested ...as well as take a peak at both current products before we leave on the trip. Yes, I do want accurate maps to maximize my Muskie time. I also want precision because I'm not that interested in having my new Tuffy find rocks the old fashion way...CONTACT:)
Bob and I will also be using our old fashion charts along with the GPS. I have been told it is a good idea to have the maps handy while at the helm.
Still, maybe it wouldn't be so crazy to buy one of each chip...
Pat
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Depending on where you are going the Lake Master Chip doesn't fully cover the LOTWs.
If you are heading for the Angle you will run out of chip at around Big Narrows going north, and at the end of the French Portage going northeast. The southern parts of the Angle and going east and south east are mapped. They've missed a few things, but it's not too bad.
All of the Sabaskong and Whitefish Bay parts of the lake are mapped.
I'd check with Lake Master to see if they have done any more mapping. I have a 2009 chip.
Doug Johnson |
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| Does the new navionics (09)map contain the areas north of french portage and conecting ares to the big narrows and over to sunset channel? If so, is it fairly accurate? |
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| Badgerpat1,
As lambeau recommends, have a look at the comments on our site: http://www.baystorecamp.com/reports.htm
I have them both, and have seen virtually all of the software out there. They are both useful tools, but after the latest discovery of Lakemaster's shortcomings, I would never use it, or recommend it for general navigation. It is missing way too many hazards in areas that we frequent. Hazards that are shown on all versions of Navionics, and the Canadian Hydrographic chart. There is a good photo example on the site.
As a fishing tool......Lakemaster is awesome. As navigation tool, an accident waiting to happen. |
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Best Chip for LOW???