Probably a stupid question on fish finder
 

Quick question on fish finder functions.
So what is the difference between gps only and ones with mapping chips like navionic in them?
Can you make waypoint with gps only fish finder and make routes to waypoint etc?
Thank you in advance!
45

GPS with navionics will give you topography lines, some basic points of interest, navigation details, etc. Without, you'll just have blank map. I find them to be *ok* in terms of accuracy

Without, you can definitely make your own waypoints, routes, etc.

I've never bought a-la-carte, but just happened to be getting a WestMarine item that was bundled with it.

I've gotten used to having it over the years, but it's more just saying "I want to check out the 50-80 foot range" and have a rough estimate of how far I'll need to paddle to get to that line. Prolly trivial at best.

I'll say something akin to Garmin's Quickdraw (I think other manufacturers have something similar) is pretty amazing and I'm getting more value out of it every time I use it. It basically draws contours on to your map *as* you go, with your sonar data. Looking back at that data can be really useful.

Almost without fail, whenever I discover a pinnacle or depression, I tend to find fish on it. It can be really cool to have to get a feel for an area. It's almost always more accurate/detailed than the Navionics data as it paints over it too.

+1 When I first started using Navionics sonar charts a few years back, their was a lot of fantasy land contours. They have improved significantly as a result of anglers sharing data online.

Recommendations
 

I have what I believe is an older Navionics card that will not let me do a software update. Do you recommend getting new card? Is is worth it? Apologize for going off topic. Thanks.

Thank you for your reply!
45

Another option is to download Navionics boating app on your phone which has a lot more detailed contours than my Navionics chart in my unit. You can hook up your phone to your unit and transfer any waypoints over to your unit. Or you can just grab GPS coordinates and enter them in manually.
I find it lot easier to research an area on my phone when doing my homework vs. messing with my unit in the garage anyways. They have 20-30 day free trial period, and then itÂ’s like $20 for a year I believe.