GPS Chart Plotters

Garmin 4210 GPS Chartplotter

 GPS chartplotters have made inland and coastal navigation much simpler for the recreational boater.

GPS Chartplotters are available with a wide range of options and expandable capabilities. Buy the GPS Chartplotter that’s right for you and chart a course for your best fishing season ever.

We all know the thrill of the big catch, the one tell our family, friends, and any one else who will listen, about. Well now, finding that lucky spot, is only a few button taps away.

The same way that the gps in your car has replaced the need to be able to read a map, marine gps chartplotters allow you to set a course for any location on the open waters. Many units come preloaded with navigational charts of inland lakes, coastal waters (or both) and satellite images which all combine to give you the most complete picture of where you want to go.

Previously, trying to plot a course to an offshore location meant first having to navigate out of channel, bay, inlet, or marina where you were docked. This in itself could be quite a challenge due to shallows, underwater objects, and other boaters. The satellite images not only give you a bird’s eye view of your current location, but the navigational charts in your gps chartplottershow you onscreen where any shallows and appropriate reference buoys are located. Most importantly, similar to your auto gps, you’ll see a line indicating your best (safest) course.

Once in the open waters, there is a general tendency to head for a specific location in a straight line, very fast. The first thing that you need to know is which direction are you going to head ’straight’ in? Here you have several options.

If this is your first trip (say fishing for tuna, bass, or whatever it is you prefer) you may simply head out to a location suggested by others, all th time using your fishfinder to determine if there is any good fishing along the way, or if there are actually any fish once you reach your destination. If you do happen to find what you’re looking for, and a good day of fishing follows, do yourself a favor and mark your current location as a waypoint.

Good Fishing Spot!

Once marked and stored, you can then retrieve your waypoint, possibly labeled as ‘large mouth bass – 6/4/09′, in order to return directly there instead of having to search all over again. Waypoints are the gps chartplotterequivalent of your father’s best fishing spot located ‘just off the shore at the second bend in the river after the tallest hickory tree’. Unfortunately these types of landmarks don’t help when you’re 3 hrs off the coast with no land in sight. By using your fish finder to locate what you’re after, your gps chartplotterwill make sure that you’ll have no problem finding it on your next trip, whether it’s next week, next month or next year.

 GPS chartplotters are available from a variety of manufacturers, with as many options as you can afford. Less expensive models range from ~$150 for the Garmin 76 handheld to ~$500 for the Northstar Explorer 550. Mid price unit, such as the Lowrance HDS-5M and Humminbird 1157c range in price from ~$700 to $2000. Of course, for those who want the best, and money is no object, there is always the top of the line Garmin GPSMAP 5215 for around $5000.

For the recreational boater looking to spend a day drifting on the waves, the weekend fisherman trying to remember that lucky spot, or the avid sport fisherman going after whatever fish is available, gps chartplotters can make everyone’s trip safer and more productive.

Watch this quick video for some tips on finding fishing spots with your GPS chartplotter.

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