Garmin vs Ifinder and Rainy Lake

[Guest]

Ok, I am finally going to get a mapping gps. Thought would help on my week long trip this spring to rainy lake. I don't see anywhere that there is a contour map for rainy lake that works with Garmin. Is that true? If so I will either wait for the ifinder h20 or get a baggy for the regular ifinder pro that will probably go on sale when the h2o comes out. Thanks for any info!

[Rockin Rod]

Garmin's new GPSMap60c is IMHO the best handheld out there right now. I have one and it's incredible. Head and shoulders above the iFinder. And they do have detailed underwater cartography for Rainy lake. Below are the details on the map you need. Besides Rainy lake, it also includes Lac du Bonnet, LOW, and Rainy River. Check out their website for a screenshot of the coverage.

AMR-CA012-4 Region CA012-Lake of the Woods / Rainy Lake, JAN 04 Detailed coverage of Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake including Lac du Bonnet, Sand Lake and the Winnipeg River.

[MIDNIGHT777]

Wilddance, Last year on Rainy Lake I used my buddies Garmin GPSMAP76 with the fishing hotspots software and loved it. 2 weeks ago i picked up the GPSMap76s with the same software. Pretty much the same unit with a couple more option and more memory. I found that the software was pretty accurate when I used it last year. For example when my boat was going off the reef on the GPS my depth finder also said that I was going off the reef. I researched this a little and was told that the Garmin Fishing Hotspot software was not all that accurate but I found it was not bad. If I remember right it does only come in 5 foot depth contours changes. My theory is that if it gets me close enough my electronics can do the rest. Although, I would consider gettin the new LAKEMASTER software that is supposed to be unbelievable.

Matt

[bbells]

Ok, I always liked the Garmins when flying. But, nowhere in the literature for hotspots does it say rainy lake. Ran into the same thing with lakemaster. Is there an update I am unaware of and isn't listed on the sites?

[minnesota mac]

I have a garmin 176. The fishing hot spots cd does have rainy lake. Since I bought that cd and downloaded it I haven't fished rainy lake, so I can't tell you how accurate it is up there, but I can tell you use could use it for toilet paper on winne or millelacs, or kaby. So that is a fact. I just bought the new lakemaster cd, but haven't used it yet. For $200 it better be a little better. I would not buy The ifinder that is not waterproff. If it goes in the boat it will get wet. Lowarance does have better mapping for the lakes through navionics software. I would wait for the h20 and go with the lowarace. Its only my 2 cents. With the hot spots software you may be more accurate looking at millelacs WHEN on winne, like I said toilet paper, what a waist of $100.