Navionics App vs. GPS

[FishBanker]

So I am tired of looking at paper maps and trying to pinpoint my location when on the ice to find the right bar or hump that my map shows. I am thinking of getting with the current century and getting some sort of GPS solution for my problem.

My question is, does anybody have/use the Navionics App that is available for the Iphone? If so, do you like it? Do you need good cell service to use it, or does it run off your satellite connection?

Or do you prefer buying a seperate handheld GPS.

Just trying to figure out the cost/reward for this situation, as the App is only $10, compared to the price of a GPS with a lake master chip.

Any ideas in regards to the above questions would be greatly appreciated.

Fish ON!

[buzz420]

I have the navionics it gets you in a decent range of target then I drill around to pinpoint. For the price it works well. works with your gps

[KJMinion]

I haven't used the navionics app very much yet, but the little amount I have, so far I like it. I also have an old Lowrance H20 gps with both a lakemaster chip and also an old navionics and I would say that the navionics app for the iphone is pretty comparable so far. The only thing that the app does not have is much for detail of roads (but nether does the old navionics chip for my gps). You can get an idea of what it looks like on the navionics website.

The way I understand it is that you don't need cell coverage because it works off of the satellites.

So far, for $10, I can't complain. I have only used it on the ice so far and I am looking forward to trying it out on the open water.

[KJMinion]

I also forgot to add, I also like to have the app just to use just to pass the time when I'm sitting around waiting somewhere. I always have my phone with me so I can always pull it out of my pocket and scout out some new locations to try the next time I'm out fishing.

[aanderud]

Nothing beats a handheld GPS for accuracy, waterproofness, etc -- but for lots of people it's hard to justify the $300 in cost for a decent GPS plus a map chip, versus the $15 app on the phone. I'd start with the phone app since it's so cheap, if you like it but want something waterproof and more accurate, then buy a GPS and a chip and you'll have both.

The phone version won't zoom in as far, and the GPS in your phone isn't as accurate as a standard handheld GPS....but it's usually within about 30 feet. You won't notice the lack of accuracy because you can't zoom in very far. It'll get you close enough as an educated guess of where you want to be, and drill some holes and use your sonar from there.

[FishBanker]

Thanks everyone for your input on this topic. I just got tired of driving out to a spot, or at least where I think the spot is, and be 100 yards off, becauase I went NE instead of ENE.

I think I may try the App for the Iphone and hope that good cell phone coverage isn't necessary, as I have T-Mobile (Cheap Price) and do not have good service every where I go. My phone case is a LifeProof Case, so it is 100% waterproof, shockproof and dust proof. I did test it a couple of times on accident during duck hunting by having it fall into the slough, and it still runs like a champ.

Appreciate all the feedback on this, your opinions help make the choice a little easier.

Fish ON!

[KirtH]

You can download areas and use the internal gps if equipped

[Swiftswamper]

I have used the navionics for a couple years. I love it. You rarely forget your phone at home compared to a gps.

[CaptainMusky]

I have used the Navionics App for several years now and it is very helpful. It will definitely get you closer than going as the crow flies.

Regarding the GPS, yes, there is GPS on your phone and you do NOT actually need cell service to use the app and it will track you using satellite just like a regular GPS would. If you enable the cellular location services it will also use cell towers to triangulate your position, but make sure GPS is also enabled or it will NOT be as accurate.

For the price it is a bargain. When I bought mine it was only $7 which is an absolute steal.

Its definitely handy to use. I find myself using it more for planning trips, hole hopping, etc than truly navigating to a spot across an entire lake, but that is because I have my HDS7 for that.

You cannot go wrong with the app.

[Horseshoe_Don]

I have used a hand held GPS and my Navionics ap on my phone is just as accurate. It is just as good as the GPS on my $800 sonar on my boat also. Why waste the money.

Don

[Rick G]

The Navionics app is good for showing depth and the general layout of things, but it doesn't show near as much detail as a true dedicated gps unit on the hd lakes.

[1eyeReD]

Bought my Navionics app for my Android device for bout 10 bucks. Sometime mid 2012.

I also have the Garmin's Upper Midwest Fishing Guide on my handheld GPS Unit that I mainly use for hunting (Garmin eTrex 20) which I've used for the past 2 or 3 yrs. Bought the map and loaded to the unit for 100 bucks. The unit itself was 200 bucks, but I won't factor that in as I use it for other purposes.

For open water fishing, I'm sure a good sonar unit with maps loaded will give ya more detail than the app. However, I have a very old Lowrance unit on the boat and only use that for depth finding (I dont even trust it for fish finding!). I used to do the paper map thing in combination with my sonar unit and on big waters, it is a pain as you can imagine. Therefore, the app has made life much easier as I use it to find structure and I particularly rely on it on Mille Lacs. It gets the job done!

Now for ice fishing, it is also great too!

My take on the app compared to my handheld unit:

The Navionics app has way more detail, you can mark spots & label them, take notes, download maps for offline use (I believe that's what it's for, but haven't used in that manner yet), record tracks, and do most things I can do on the handheld GPS unit for 90 bucks less. And though your phone's GPS may not be as accurate to less than a few feet like the handheld - it does the job. And it's wayyyyy faster to use the app on a decent up-to-date smart phone such as my Samsung SIII (I take the up-to-date part back) than my eTrex 20. Not sure how it compares to other units, but my eTrex 20 is SUHLOWWWWW. I'm sure this will be the case with most up to date phones or tablets. I learned about it through a friend and since then, most of my other friends who have never tried it before are all jumping onboard. It's a heckuva deal.

Example of some inaccuracies in GPS positioning and some map contours:

There's a smaller lake that my nephews and I scouted out in the general Avon area that's pretty deep. This was on the ice a week ago. In one of the basins where the map says it is supposed to be a 40 ft for perhaps 50 to 70 yds in every direction from where I was standing, my flasher actually read 50 ft. Where I was supposed to be in 50 ft, it was actually 60. I went to the top of an underwater hump that came up to 13 ft from a surrounding of 20 or so, according to the app, but when I finished drilling, the ground was like 3 or 4 ft below the ice!! It was a hump, however, and I drilled around and found the shape of the hump was just like it showed on the map. The actual depth was just off... Or the water level has gone down since the map was created or somethin, heck I dunno.

I've used it out on Medicine Lake in Plymouth and most of the spots I checked holes, the depth was not spot on, but close by a few ft (ya gotta consider your transducer is sittin 2 ft down from the "surface" as well. I think the issue sometimes can be more of due to GPS positioning as most of the spots where I checked, I was near some sort of a steeper break or dropoff. Meaning, where I thought I was on the edge of a deep hole, I may have been already in the deeper part of the hole. Like someone said above, you might be 30 ft off.. Either way, it gets you in those general areas that you wouldn't have found without it. Only noticed a few ft off here. And for 10 bucks, why the heck not!? Much more effective than paper maps!

Been on other bodies of water with it, but haven't paid much attention to the exact ft. Just used it to get in the vicinity of fishy areas. That it does well!

NOTES: Fishing Spots are shared

Once you register your device (your choice to do so for free after you've already purchased the app) you can "edit" maps by marking notes and spots. Now here's the issue I have with the app. Your marked spots are "shared" with the Navionics community. Meaning all others who use this app are able to see these spots. Then again, it's a great way to be lazy and try other people's spots they have marked as well. Or you can think positive and say it's a great way to share your spot with others. I can mark a good spot then tell my buddy who also has the spot that I marked it for him to check out on a day when I can't go. Just sucks I ya can't hide it from everyone else... I can totally see this feature being abused as this app becomes more popular as well. I've already found spots marked with some "interesting" labels on lakes. I've seen a spot marked with a fishing spot icon and labeled "HUGE STURGEON!!" on a smaller lake that doesn't have sturgeon in it which I thought was pretty funny.

Summary:

Good app for price. More than does the job on letting you know where you are in relation to contours, and even some structure i.e. rock hazards people have marked, but may be off a bit with accuracy. Has cool features. Be careful about marking fishing spots if you want to keep them a secret. 10 bucks. Worth more if ya ask me.

[CaptainMusky]

1eye, very good detailed information and pretty much exactly the findings I have had.

The thing with the "community layer" is I have it turned on, but when I mark my spots I choose Favorites instead which it doesnt display in the community layer.

Does the newer version not have "Favorites"?

[1eyeReD]

Captain,

It does. Apparently, I haven't explored the use of Favorites on the app yet. Thanks!! Do you know if these can be shared to people you choose?

1ER