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  #1  
Old 01-10-2017, 07:18 AM
Jaylive Jaylive is offline
 
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Default Most accurate lake maps?

Hey I'm just wondering what lake maps other guys are using in Alberta? I'm running navionics and have found on my home lakes of sylvan and gull that they are quite inaccurate. I mean ya it will show the steep breaks and stuff but iv gone out to fish certain structure just to find out it's not really there. Any one else have this problem? Thinking of switching to another map company any suggestions or concerns? Thinking of heading to cold lake for lakers and I don't wanna get there and the map be put to lunch like it is here.
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Old 01-10-2017, 07:28 AM
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FlyTheory FlyTheory is offline
 
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I know those self-imaging programs are the most accurate maps since you fabricate the map yourself!
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Old 01-10-2017, 07:52 AM
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sturgeonhound sturgeonhound is offline
 
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The most accurate maps are the ones you make your self with lowrance's insight genesis or humminbird's autochart. The commercially available maps are all about the same, but from my research, navioincs sonar chart seems to be the best because it gets updates from all of the folks that record their own data and share it with navioincs.

If you want help making your own maps, shoot me a pm.
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Old 01-10-2017, 08:37 AM
TylerThomson TylerThomson is offline
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If you ate running the phone app of navionics turn on community edits. Bottom left of the map screen click the sonar icon. Click on sonar chart. Click on update all.
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Old 01-10-2017, 09:07 AM
livinstone livinstone is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerThomson View Post
If you ate running the phone app of navionics turn on community edits. Bottom left of the map screen click the sonar icon. Click on sonar chart. Click on update all.
WHAT??
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  #6  
Old 01-10-2017, 09:41 AM
laker taker2 laker taker2 is offline
 
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Does the navionics app only work on a lake if you have cell service or does it work with gps location from the phone?
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  #7  
Old 01-10-2017, 10:42 AM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laker taker2 View Post
Does the navionics app only work on a lake if you have cell service or does it work with gps location from the phone?
Works like the gps on your phone. You have to preload the maps if you are going out of cell service but if you do that then the gps will still pick you up and show your location. If you forget to preload maps then it is useless.

There are no accurate lake maps available here in AB other then a couple lakes on insight genesis down south or ones that guys have made for themselves.
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Old 01-10-2017, 11:07 AM
TylerThomson TylerThomson is offline
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Originally Posted by livinstone View Post
WHAT??
What is it you are having trouble understanding? If you can't infer from my post what this does, it turns on community edits and the map is built from sonar information that it's provided by fisherman and it is updated regularly.

It increases the accuracy of the charts down to 1 foot increments.
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  #9  
Old 01-10-2017, 11:14 AM
TylerThomson TylerThomson is offline
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Here is a screen shot of the point west of the marina. First one is navionics chart second is same chart with community provided sonar info.

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk
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  #10  
Old 01-10-2017, 12:47 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerThomson View Post
Here is a screen shot of the point west of the marina. First one is navionics chart second is same chart with community provided sonar info.
The sonar charts view is more accurate on some water bodies but still horribly inaccurate on most of our lakes. I think they used the same data and just added more interpolated lines to it, I don't think most of them have actually been updated by locals.
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Old 01-10-2017, 01:07 PM
TylerThomson TylerThomson is offline
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I emailed them a while ago and they told me that those maps are the ones that are updated by people who run compatible sonar and upload the info from them. I've found it to be pretty accurate on the more popular lakes but it defaults to navionics maps if there is no sonar dares available.

On the mite popular lakes I've had no problem using it to locate mid lake humps and bars but depending on which lake your are at ymmv.

If anyone knows of a better map pack I'd live to hear about it I would buy it in a second.
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Old 01-10-2017, 01:31 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerThomson View Post
If anyone knows of a better map pack I'd live to hear about it I would buy it in a second.
There is no better one other then making your own.

I am just pointing out that like Navionics in general you have to take the sonar charts view with a grain of salt too. For example the image that you showed for Cold Lake is not even close to accurate. It looks a lot more detailed but it is worthless because the contours are not correct.

It still can help find the odd hump, drop off etc but you have to be willing to cover a bunch of ground because they often are not where navionics shows them and sometimes they don't even exist. Still better then nothing though.
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  #13  
Old 01-10-2017, 02:15 PM
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rmk800 rmk800 is offline
 
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http://aep.alberta.ca/forms-maps-ser...etry-maps.aspx

here are some

Last edited by rmk800; 01-10-2017 at 02:20 PM. Reason: found better link
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  #14  
Old 01-10-2017, 06:13 PM
220 Swift 220 Swift is offline
 
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Can a map that someone makes be saved on anothers machine on humminbird Auto chart
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  #15  
Old 01-10-2017, 06:36 PM
huntsfurfish huntsfurfish is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 220 Swift View Post
Can a map that someone makes be saved on anothers machine on humminbird Auto chart
If you have a zero lines card.
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  #16  
Old 01-10-2017, 06:40 PM
Jaylive Jaylive is offline
 
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Yah for instance on my navionics it showed a spine leading out to a reef but I drilled and drilled and never found it. Another instance it showed a big break like 30ft drop and when I drilled i relized it was just a gental slope. Anyways I was just seeing if I happen to find a few small issues back to back or if others had problems too. Any input on lake master? Or garmin lakeview hd? Might be worth the switch. I have a helix for ice fishing I don't have a chart plotter. All input is appreciated good chat guys.
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  #17  
Old 01-10-2017, 09:19 PM
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Willowtrail Willowtrail is offline
 
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I use Insight Genesis with my Lowrance unit and there's no more accurate map out there. The negative is when I go to a new lake. I don't have any info on the lake of my own. I can go on and upload the Social Map but then I'm relying on someone else's map and I've been on a lake downrigging and started bouncing on bottom when the graph showed me I should have been 20' up from the bottom.

I did contact Insight about this and sent in my sonar logs and it has since been fixed.

The second drawback is when I got on a long trip and camp. I have to either tether to my cell phone and eat up data to get my map back or go without. They still don't have live mapping sadly.
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  #18  
Old 01-10-2017, 09:23 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowtrail View Post
They still don't have live mapping sadly.
Check a few threads down, it was just announced that some of the HDS gen 2 and 3 units as well as Elite Ti units will have live mapping via an update.
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  #19  
Old 01-10-2017, 09:30 PM
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SamSteele SamSteele is offline
 
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The new Helix 5 & 7 G2s have Autochart now too, plus you can use them with the ice kit for ice fishing. Pretty great technology for a relatively low input cost.

Last year was my first year with a Helix 9 and Autochart and it was a game changer. Making accurate maps as I needed in realtime was such a time saver. Being able to have those same maps in a portable unit for ice fishing would be awesome too.


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  #20  
Old 01-10-2017, 10:08 PM
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Willowtrail Willowtrail is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak View Post
Check a few threads down, it was just announced that some of the HDS gen 2 and 3 units as well as Elite Ti units will have live mapping via an update.
Is it not with a Navionics chip? I only have 1 card slot so I can't record Insight and run Navionics. HDS 7 touch
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  #21  
Old 01-10-2017, 10:11 PM
Game Hunter Game Hunter is offline
 
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What's the full name of that navianics map app? And cost?
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  #22  
Old 01-11-2017, 11:19 AM
ddddd05 ddddd05 is offline
 
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Wow that navionics app must be awesome. What a good suggestion. I just went to their website and you can see the maps for free. Just zoom in with coverage chart at the bottom.

http://www.navionics.com/en/mobile-pc-app-2
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  #23  
Old 01-11-2017, 01:46 PM
Jaylive Jaylive is offline
 
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It is cool just don't get your hopes up to much
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