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Got a new humminbird sonar/gps this year (was attached to a new boat too!) and can't wait to try it out on Big V. My question is, which map should I buy...Lakemaster MN or Navionics Hoptspot Premium North? I know the Lakemaster one has Vermilion in HD (so it should have 1 foot contours)but, seems one of the Navionics bundle maps covers more area and is better value. However, not sure the detail level of the hotmap North for Lake Vermilion...HELP!

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I don't think that you can go wrong with either map! Both are very accurate and have worked well for me. Each map has things that the other does not have but not that much of a difference as far as I know.

Cliff

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LakeMaster has special features for the Humminbirds. That is what I decided to go with for my new Bird. My vote goes to LakeMaster Pro Map Version 3.

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Lakemaster DOES NOT have 1 foot contours.. Navionics does and is the clear winner on Vermilion.. I have a bird now too and can tell you don't bother with the nav platnum 3d it doesn't display on the bird like it does on Lowrance..Navionics A+++

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Casey

Would it be fair to say that your new boat and my boat are similar in that we use the same chip? wink

Good Fishing,

MarkB smile

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My choice is aslo Navionics on V, tried the Lakenaster one year and promptly went back to my Navionics...

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Dave S told me something about a new boat.. I have not seen yours yet. You got it late last year?

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Thanks everyone for the input. Sounds like both are good, slight edge to Nav. I will check it out.

Can you do the shaded depth range option with humminbird using Nav map? I imagine it would be useful if you find fish at a certain depth, you can find more similar spots that way.

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I can't speak for navionics on V, but I have seen it elsewhere and on other bodies of water I prefer lakemaster by far.

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Casey

LOL...what I meant Casey was, the day I talked with you at Aronson's, I brought in my beat-up 16' Lund with the 25hp to get a new bilge hose and aerator pump. I looked at my boat and then your new 2012 ProV 1875 IFS with the 200 Verado and every bell and whistle available whistle. Your rod rack for your new boat costs more than the work Aronson did fixing my boat! When I saw your post regarding "chip choice", I thought about your new boat and concluded about the only thing "similar" between your new boat and my old Lund is our choice in chips laugh

Good Fishing,

MarkB smile

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Thanks everyone for the input. Sounds like both are good, slight edge to Nav. I will check it out.

Can you do the shaded depth range option with humminbird using Nav map? I imagine it would be useful if you find fish at a certain depth, you can find more similar spots that way.

The shaded depth contour feature is unique to the Humminbird/Lakemaster combo to my knowledge. Vermilion is listed as a HD map on the Lakemaster site.

Features on LakeMaster/Humminbird include:

1. Easy to read contours

2. Depth Highlight Range

3. Water Level Offset

4. Shallow Water Highlight

5. Scrollable Lake List

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I've been using Navionics. 2 years ago it was spot on for depths. Last year it seemed like it was off about 20 feet--when the depth finder showed the drop-off, the GPS showed me 20 feet from it. That makes it tough to work some of the nice rocky drops in Vermilion. No change in transducer or anything else. Did anyone else notice this phenomenon? I'm thinking of switching to Lakemaster (I have a "bird") to try to fix it. Otherwise, Navionics has been fine for Vermilion.

RLG

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Thanks everyone for the input. Sounds like both are good, slight edge to Nav. I will check it out.

Can you do the shaded depth range option with humminbird using Nav map? I imagine it would be useful if you find fish at a certain depth, you can find more similar spots that way.

I don't believe so. I think you get the standard shading thats on the chip.. not sure what it is.. not home to check it out.

Here is a picture of said boat.

full-19099-19627-img_2360.jpg

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I've been using Navionics. 2 years ago it was spot on for depths. Last year it seemed like it was off about 20 feet--when the depth finder showed the drop-off, the GPS showed me 20 feet from it. That makes it tough to work some of the nice rocky drops in Vermilion. No change in transducer or anything else. Did anyone else notice this phenomenon? I'm thinking of switching to Lakemaster (I have a "bird") to try to fix it. Otherwise, Navionics has been fine for Vermilion.

RLG

I would think that's an issue with the GPS locking system, especially if it worked right the year before. The more satellites the system can lock on, the better the positioning, and i don't think it can do any better than +- 14 feet. There are times of day when there are only 3 satellites available, and you'll be +-40 feet then.

For me at least, i'm always looking at my depth finder to see how and where the variance is on my GPS map. There are times where the GPS Map is off by 30 feet.

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That makes sense. I'm anxious to get on the water and see how it works this year. Maybe I'll hold off on that cool new chip.

Thanks!

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Has anyone tried a smartphone app? A buddy of mine said he downloaded one (I think navionics) on a droid for a $10 one time fee. We were on mille lacs and it seemed to work well enough. I would be very interested to know if that works on vermilion.

Bartman - Is that app what you were referring to?

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Yes the Navionics app will work but hard to see when under power and when activated eats your cell battery fast....

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Wow, 1 foot contours. Nice. Looks like a nice reef there at 18 feet on bottom pic, good summer walleye spot! Thanks for posting those. Which Navionics chip is that one..the Hotmaps Premium North?

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Both the Navionics and the Lakemaster will have the 1 foot countours. I own both and I really don't think you can go wrong with either. The Lakemaster will zoom in a little more than the Navionics.

I have the Navionics chip for my iphone 4 and it works great. Just the same as the photos above.

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And here is that same spot shown from the Navionics iPhone app. I rotated the orientation so it was the same as the above posters.

full-18186-19842-photo.png

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Both the Navionics and the Lakemaster will have the 1 foot countours. I own both and I really don't think you can go wrong with either. The Lakemaster will zoom in a little more than the Navionics.

I have the Navionics chip for my iphone 4 and it works great. Just the same as the photos above.

Show me the one foot contours on the Lakemaster.

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To finalize the debate, here is the 2012 LakeMaster Promap v3 screen shot. It does only have 3ft contours.

full-18186-19888-photo.jpg

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I stand corrected Casey. I always use my Navionics chip even though I have both, and I know the LakeMaster chip is HD. I was almost sure that HD was 1ft contours, so I even called LakeMaster. They confirmed you and Bartman are right...3 ft contours on HD for Vermilion.

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They do have lakes with one foot but not Vermilion. I run a lake master chip for rainy lake rainy river and LOTW. Has both the US and Canadian sides.

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I have that Lakemaster chip for Rainy and LOTW too.

I just switched from Lawrance to a bird 998c SI on my dash and 788 on the bow. My old Lawrance is going on the pontoon. I'm still trying to figure out what chips I want for what unit.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
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    • CigarGuy
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    • PSU
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    • Hookmaster
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