Navionics Or Lakemaster Sd Card?

[jessejames556]

I have a humminbird 587 ci combo that is SD card compatible. I'd like to get a good card before I make a December trip to dale hollow lake. What would you guys suggest? My unit is compatible with lakemaster and navionics.

[Brian Needham]

unless your lake is lakemaster HD, I would stick to navionics.

[JDFishing]

First off, I always suggest comparing maps of lakes you fish and making you decision based upon that. By far most important. Don't just look at Dale Hollow but also compare your home lakes as well. Navionics allows the public to first view their maps before purchasing, here's the link. http://www.navionics.com/en/webapp

I'm going to suggest Navionics especially due to the fact they just released the new Navionics + card. This is the first card to not have regions and instead allows you to download whatever lakes you want, regardless of region. 

Another added feature is SonarCharts, this is a free addition to the + card and allows users to record their own sonar logs and upload into the Navionics system in which they will turn out a new and up to date map as a separate layer. Wether you choose to contribute or not, you still have access to view. With so many uploads daily this is definitely the way of the future.

Here's a few screenshots of what Navionics offers for Dale Hallow. Everything is in HD (1ft. Contours)

Hope this gives you perspective on one of your options! Good luck on them GIANT smallies!

[slonezp]

I like the Lakemaster HD better than the Navionics. Navionics has a lot more coverage.

[jessejames556]

Thanks guys. Thanks for the information and examples JD, that is all very helpful..another question: after inserting the SD card, does the navionics/lakemaster topographic map become my background for my chartplotter/gps? Or does it become a new view that I can select that's separate from my my already existing views?

[Wayne P.]

Thanks guys. Thanks for the information and examples JD, that is all very helpful..another question: after inserting the SD card, does the navionics/lakemaster topographic map become my background for my chartplotter/gps? Or does it become a new view that I can select that's separate from my my already existing views?

Yes, if you have Auto chosen in the Chart select menu. There is no dual view for charts.

[scrutch]

I'm with slonezp on this one.  I have both cards and I prefer the detail of the Lakemaster HD over the navionics for my lakes.  I like Lakemasters depth shading better.  I also like the fact that it can be used to control my Minn Kota with iPilot link.

 

 Lakemaster has just released Auto Chart mapping which gives you the ability to record your own soundings and input them into the software and create your own lake maps.  I'm seriously looking into getting that soon. 

[NathanW]

i have a 788ci HD Di. I believe its a single processor. It is compatible with lakemasters (the one I tried was the North West region) but runs so ungodly slow that I cannot use it. I have updated my unit to the latest version, have tried the latest version of the chip, and also use north-up on my map like you are supposed to. Still runs painfully slow. Also, to make things worse the non-HD maps for the lakes I fish are equal to, or far worse detail than my stock maps.

 

I would strongly suggest that everyone try before they buy.

[curtis9]

Can you use the SonarCharts feature to add contours to lakes that aren't currently mapped?

[Wayne P.]

Can you use the SonarCharts feature to add contours to lakes that aren't currently mapped?

With a Humminbird unit you sure can no matter if the lake outline is shown on the maps or not.

 

Just do the recordings and upload them to the Navionics server. Later download a HD contour map to be viewed on the FishNChip layer.

 

This is one I did what just had an outline. The outline was not accurate, so Navionics re-did the shoreline to apply all of my recordings since some were shown on land with the original outline.

 

BEFORE:

 

 

AFTER:

 

[TrapperJ]

If you don't mind my throwing something else into the mix how's the hotspots maps? The ones that make the paper maps they make a card too. If I'm going to a new body of water I atleast like to look torwads these areas for starting spot.

I have hds touch 9, if not I may just be manually entering info from my paper maps which wouldn't be the end of the world. But like two lakes I frequently fish one on navionics shows lots of details road beds etc. but this other lake navionics doesn't show much stuff. Where my paper maps for the lake that doesn't show much on navionics it's all there on paper.

[Wayne P.]

If you don't mind my throwing something else into the mix how's the hotspots maps? The ones that make the paper maps they make a card too. If I'm going to a new body of water I atleast like to look torwads these areas for starting spot.

I have hds touch 9, if not I may just be manually entering info from my paper maps which wouldn't be the end of the world. But like two lakes I frequently fish one on navionics shows lots of details road beds etc. but this other lake navionics doesn't show much stuff. Where my paper maps for the lake that doesn't show much on navionics it's all there on paper.

Humminbird units cannot use Lowrance Hotspots mapping. Humminbirds are Lakemaster and Navionics compatable.

[Talonman]

I believe LakeMaster is the only one that gives you the (offset water depth) option.

 

I could be wrong on that...

 

But it is a neet feature.

 

[dfris]

Hey guys, I do not want to high jack this thread, but Can you use the navionics web app to find waypoints and download them into your unit as well?

 

My humminbird has a color selection for a certain depth, and a water level offset. Is the lakemaster option different. I thought the water offset was for the trolling motor. lol Seeing it sets about 2 feet in the water I adjusted the levels by 2 feet. Am I wrong on this ?

[Wayne P.]

Hey guys, I do not want to high jack this thread, but Can you use the navionics web app to find waypoints and download them into your unit as well?

 

My humminbird has a color selection for a certain depth, and a water level offset. Is the lakemaster option different. I thought the water offset was for the trolling motor. lol Seeing it sets about 2 feet in the water I adjusted the levels by 2 feet. Am I wrong on this ?

NO, that feature has not been added yet.

 

Humminbird has Shaded Depth from the shoreline to the chosen depth. You can use that to indicate a lower water level or warn you of approaching shallow water.

Water level offset adds the distance of the transducer below the surface to the depth readout so you see the actual water depth readout rather than just the distance between the transducer and the bottom.

 

Lakemaster lake level offset lets you adjust the contours to the actual water level. I think that setting has been increased to 200' with a unit software update to handle the huge fluctuations of the western lakes or any drought area lakes.

[dfris]

Thanks for clearing that up. Also I have my depthfinder transducer mounted on my trolling motor. lol  after I re read my post, my comment didn't sound right.