Do you use your GPS

SHOUGALNITE · 12-05-2003, 12:04 PM

I had an eagle gps I could never figure it out.

Tacklebuster · 12-05-2003, 12:06 PM

A GPS is a must in my opinion, even if you don't plan on venturing out into the ocean. The Columbia can get very foggy (just ask Catch and Eat

) and using the back track feature or knowing where the shore is can turn a stressful trip into an easy one. They are very good to mark your Zipper lip holes and slots as well. Mine is always in use.

Chromaflage · 12-05-2003, 12:09 PM

I used mine this year on the CR. One day we were out and hooked into 8 fish within 45 minutes (some of you may have seen it :grin: ). I marked the spot on my GPS, went back to the same spot several times - bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk. I'll never leave home without it. It's also fun to bring home and plot your trips on a 3D map with mapping software.

ORS

Pitch Pocket · 12-05-2003, 12:48 PM

Every time! Although river travel is generally easy enough if you can see the bank, I've been on it in a soupy fog you can't see 5 feet in. If it's not workin, I'm not travelin. I agree don't leave home without it. If you don't know how to use it, have someone show you or take the time to figure it out. I carry a spare just in case.

Conn · 12-05-2003, 12:58 PM

I had a very good learning experience with my GPS on the CR in my new boat. We were fishing close to Hammond when the fog socked us in. The tide was running out and the strangest thing (to me at the time) happened. My GPS showed me going with the tide NW while my compass showed SE. Well...you guessed it since I couldn't see anything to orient myself, I was drifting with the current backwards. Both instruments were correct. Took me a few minutes to figure it out.

Now...if I didn't have my GPS would I have had a problem, probably not, actually if I only relied on my compass I would not have gotten turned around in the first place.

Do I like my GPS...Absolutely, especially for ocean trips. Also if I had been in a different area, i.e. near the sand bars, I would not have known my position if I didn't have the GPS.

CC

fishineer · 12-05-2003, 01:19 PM

Yes, I turn my gps every time I go out. I use it to mark spots that I have caught fish. I have used it in the fog to find my way. I also use it when I go crabbing and mark where I toss the pot overboard. Last time I went crabbing on the lower Columbia, the crab buoys went underwater right after they went overboard and I used the gps to look for them at the slack. Amazing how easy it is to get turned around and misjudge distances when you are crabbing and especially when the tide is running and you are drifting.

fishineer · 12-05-2003, 01:20 PM

Yes, I turn my gps every time I go out. I use it to mark spots that I have caught fish. I have used it in the fog to find my way. I also use it when I go crabbing and mark where I toss the pot overboard. Last time I went crabbing on the lower Columbia, the crab buoys went underwater right after they went overboard and I used the gps to look for them at the slack. Amazing how easy it is to get turned around and misjudge distances when you are crabbing and especially when the tide is running and you are drifting.

Knucklebuster · 12-05-2003, 01:25 PM

Yep, I use mine. Magellan. The only thing I don't like is when people use it as a substitution for a radar. With visibility low, they fly through the water just because they have a gps. Boats with radar can see them, but they can't see the boats with radar. Could get ugly and does. :depressed:

Pitch Pocket · 12-05-2003, 01:49 PM

I agree with Knucklebuster. GPS is a great tool, but you better not get over-confident with it.

You should travel only as fast as you can stop in half the distance you can see. Radar or not. Not only that, the rules say you have to sound your horn on regular intervals if you are moving in fog.

I've been down in the soup at Astoria and have seen people on full step charging up the river. They must have better vision than me.

rustyl · 12-05-2003, 02:29 PM

I have a hand-held unit that I bring on every trip, and use it most of the time. Regardless of the many times I have slammed it on the deck because I left it sitting unsecured while cutting through chop on the Columbia, the unit is still working great.

It is also very handy while exploring the complex matrix of logging roads in TSF. I tend to get all mixed up with out a GPS.

pearl · 12-05-2003, 02:46 PM

I use mine for the following...

URB anchor spots.

Sturgeon holes.

Astoria and Tillamook bars ( not the kind you drink in) and bouy's marked.

I have it linked to my TR1. It runs my springer trolling routes on auto. I can go from Ore City clear in to PDX and not touch anything.

I have it mounted in a cradle on the dash of my boat. That way it has a mounting spot but can still be taken out and used for other ventures like geocaching.

Neat toy!

Bobber Down · 12-05-2003, 03:18 PM

I have three GPS's on my boat and two of them are always on. You know back up for a back up. I will not leave the dock without either of them. Both for marking fishing spots and most importantly navigation. I use both of them for ploting and the radar for what's ahead of me. When I'm on the ocean, I either make a log every hour & enter GPS # or pencil my location on a chart (in case GPS's quit). That way I can plot my way back by compass course. You always need to know where you are out there at all times. I run the boat at 6-7 kts when the fog is thick, or when in total darkness. I would much rather have fog any day than wind...........Bobber Down

Pilar · 12-05-2003, 03:26 PM

Oh, you are talking about the 'Plastic Jesus' here. Yes, do not leave home without it. Mark good spots to crab or sturgeon fish and use it every time you run the boat as much as you can. Use it with the compass and learn both methods of navigation.

Pretty soon saying "I don't know how to use it" will sound dumb when you say it. Not long after that you will wonder how the hell you lived without the Plastic Jesus on your dashboard.

Thumper · 12-05-2003, 03:48 PM

Bobber Down --- I'll bet you tie double knots in your tennies too. :smile:

Lepper · 12-05-2003, 03:52 PM

I never leave the dock with out my GPS.. for fishing in the river and ocean.. it has ALL my honey holes.. and it's nice to look down and you can tell that you are exactly where you need to be.

Fishfeet · 12-05-2003, 03:53 PM

Pretty good in the woods also. We have a couple Garmin GPS3+ here at work. Pretty easy to get the hang of. Work fairly well even under tree canopy. Not as accurate as our Trimble set up though. That one is good for 500th of a ft. Fishft.

trollin4trout · 12-05-2003, 04:24 PM

I have a handheld and use it on lakes to mark schools of fish so I can go back through them over and over.
Also I was using the downriggers at Wickiup the first time I was there. There were so many shallow spots and few landmarks(it was at full pool)that I kept running the lead into the bottom. So I turned on the GPS and started marking the edges of the deeper water and after about two cirles of the route I was trolling I had smooth sailing from then on.
Mine eats batteries in about 4 hours or so though so it's not as handy as a "wired in" unit would be.

edsr · 12-05-2003, 04:40 PM

When you get your HAND HELD GPS up and running be sure to check if it will operate with all types of batteries. Some are adjustable for alkaline or lithium.
Last season I had two fresh sets of lithium batteries, loaded one set into a Garmin 76s before we started out and sooprize! sooprize!, they quit in just a few hours. Loaded the second set and they also crapped-out in a few hours. We were 30+miles from shore, NorRiverDave had a back-up GPS which showed us the way to go home.
Lessons learned :
1. Lithium and alkalines may not be interchangeable.
2. Bring several additional sets of back-up batteries.
3. One GPS is not enough, even a cheap second unit can navigate well enough in a pinch.
4. A plain, good quality, "Adjusted", compass may not be as accurate as GPS but can get you home when other systems fail.

edsr

ampersat · 12-05-2003, 04:42 PM

I have one. It rides everywhere with me in the truck. I just hardly ever turn it on.

I've been a bankie for years and then got a drifter. Then I got an outboard that forced the restoration of the drifter. Once it's all done, I'll venture out in Tbay and some spots on the Columbia. When I do, I'll make sure I mark the ramp and a few spots on the way out so that if it gets ugly out I can find my way back to the channel. On the Columbia, I'll mark where I anchor if I actually catch fish.

Gotta love the plastic jesus.

pearl · 12-05-2003, 05:25 PM

Anyone looking for an entry level GPS should check out the ad in todays paper from GART Sports.

Magellan 310 - 12 parallel channels - 100 land marks.

$49.99

I'm going to pick one up for my 12 year old who can learn " How To" with this unit. Good back up as well.

lost_sailor · 12-05-2003, 05:34 PM

It's definitely great for zeroing in on the crab pots.

I haven't gotten stuck in the fog yet, but if its on Nehalem bay or Warrenton-Ilwaco (or Detroit, or Odell) - I'm dialed in!

I'll be using it for some outback nordic skiing in a week or so, I hope.

I never knew how fast my boat could go before ... 18 mph

glowball · 12-05-2003, 06:12 PM

I wouldn't go out without it. Fog is a misterious thing.

Snapset · 12-05-2003, 09:34 PM

I've had one for 4 months, I use it for hunting, mushrooming, rockhounding, and geocaching. It is also great for plotting your way thrrough an unfamiliar town.

I will use it for fishing this spring. Get the 12 volt adapter. It will pay for itself very quickly, but always carry 2 replacement sets of batteries also.

jetsled1 · 12-05-2003, 11:59 PM

How much do you use your GPS,

now, I am not going to venture into the ocean, but I am thinking about one to mark

zipperlip

holes and such and am wondering are they just a toy to play with, or do they actually get used and help in keeping track of all the places you catch fish

If you use one what is the biggest benifit you have found, again I am not going to use it to navigate the foggy bars or get back to land as I am not going there, just planning for mainly the columbia, lakes and such.

[ 12-05-2003, 01:02 PM: Message edited by: jetsled1 ]

Empire · 12-06-2003, 08:22 AM

I purchased a topo map showing the bottom of the lake I fish. I then figured the coordinates of the channels, and programmed those locations as icons on my gps. When I troll, we just go from icon to icon and stay over the deepest parts of the lake.

It was a lot of work, but it really pays off. We catch more fish, and never (well, almost never) snag the downriggers.

My next project will be to create icons for the high points of the lake bottom for bass fishin'.

Shaker-King · 12-06-2003, 09:03 AM

I have used a handheld to find my way to the holes I wanted to fish while the river was socked in with fog. Personally I won't go out in the fog without a GPS.

This summer I got a LMS320 and got the map for the Columbia River. I used it to tell how close I was to the shipping channel. It gave me a little added confidence that I was not the one that was going to get honked at by the ship. And of course with both units I mark places that I go back to when the bite is hot.

peter frederick · 12-08-2003, 12:51 PM

I would neverleave the dock without it, I have a simple Garmin handheld with a power cable in the boat so my batterys dont go dead. A Must have in every boat.

Pete

Lure Dragger · 12-09-2003, 06:47 AM

If anyonr could tell me a good hand held to buy I am looking for one. I do a lot of fishing on the Columbia and have gpt caught in the fog several times. It is a spooky feeling to say the least. I also tthink it would be great to mark spots where you get fish. I am not wanting to spend a lot of money for one but I would like a decent one. Do they make one that would plug into a ciggarrette lighter? If you could send me a PM I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

Jeffroe · 12-09-2003, 01:20 PM

Jetsled-

I use my GPS all the time while on the boat. I do a lot of walleye fishing in the mid-columbia and mark a lot of "humps" and ledges in the middle of rivers and lakes. Also if you get a heavy fog and can't see where the launch is they become invaluable if you have saved the launch as a waypoint.

The model I have is the Garmin e-trex Venture. It is a handheld that is very good for under $200.

Jeffroe

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 12-09-2003, 01:39 PM

I have 2...

My Garmin GPS Map76S is awesome. I have loaded 3 different CD's of software into it.

1. The Americas Blue Charts
2. Roads & Recreation
3. Waterways & Lights

The Waterways & Lights is a little overkill since I have the Blue Charts but when I bought the unit I went on a shopping spree.

I have been out to the CR Buoy in the thickest pea soup fog one could imagine and these things provide you the confidence & security to bring you back safely. The GPS Map76S has added memory for the software and is a real bargain in my opinion.

Good Luck.

slabhunter · 12-09-2003, 01:44 PM

Use my gps every time I'm on the Columbia. It is the best investment to find and return to productive spots. Just be aware that there might be something between you and your destination. So keep an eye out for other boaters and things in the water.

Snapset · 12-09-2003, 11:46 PM

I liked the Magellan Sportrak Pro. The best price I found on it was at Amazon.com