Navigator for fishing

Modern fishing tactics

Modern fishing requires the presence of quite serious equipment, including an echo sounder and a GPS device (sometimes there are two-in-one devices that combine the functions of echolocation of a reservoir and the navigator itself).

If you have a GPS navigator, you can easily find in the vast water area of ​​the lake or river chosen for fishing, and with an error of two to three meters, the very catching place already marked on the built-in map of your navigator. And if you have an echo sounder in the summer from a boat and in the winter from the ice, the angler can explore both the structure and topography of the bottom of the reservoir under the fishing point. Navigators will save in memory all the promising fishing spots you find and help you easily find them on repeated fishing trips.

Gallery: GPS navigator for fishing (25 photos)

Car navigator for fishing

There are car and travel GPS devices on the market. The former are intended primarily for orientation on public roads.

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They are capable of:

• give voice prompts to drivers that the desired turn is approaching
• issue warnings if the permissible speed is exceeded
• find the necessary addresses in the databases of built-in electronic maps and calculate routes to them
• calculate travel time to your destination

They have fairly large screens that allow them to display maps of the area with a high degree of detail. By changing some settings in the route planning options, auto-navigators can also be used on the water. They will regularly and accurately show the current location of the fisherman on the map of the area, record the route of his movement in memory, remember the catching places and subsequently accurately display them.

However, such devices have some operational disadvantages. First of all, they are afraid of the effects of water, and it is impossible to escape from it in a boat. The second disadvantage is the limited time of autonomous power supply of the device from built-in batteries. And not every boat is equipped with a 12 V power source for connecting a car navigator using the included power adapter for the cigarette lighter.

The Internet offers various compromise options for using weakly protected car navigators when fishing (on the water) - from making homemade boxes for batteries to placing the navigator in a plastic bag - “aquapack” for water protection.

Manufacturers and prices

Navigators from the American company Garmin are very popular in the world, which uses the latest achievements of science and technology to create high-precision navigation devices.

The body of Garmin navigators is protected from shock and water penetration, which makes it possible to use it freely and increases the service life of the device

Garmin

Garmin produces automobile, tourist, aviation and marine GPS navigators, but the most popular are devices for tourism, hunting and fishing.

They have the following significant advantages:

1. The small size and light weight of the device make it easy to use and carry;
2. There is a display with three levels of backlighting , on which image clarity is maintained even in bright sunshine;
3. A simple menu is acceptable to most consumers
4. The case is protected from shock and water penetration , which makes it possible to use it freely and increases the service life of the device;
5. The memory contains topographic maps , the number of which can be supplemented independently as needed;
6. There is a built-in barometer , which is used to determine the phases of the moon and the presence of fish in the reservoir;
7. There is a function for determining the height of the terrain above sea level;
8. Data about the route taken is automatically saved ;
9. The device runs on batteries and rechargeable batteries ; if you use it for a long time without an additional power source, you just need to replace the batteries.

The disadvantage is the high cost of the navigator, which fully corresponds to the quality and performance of the product.

Garmin E-Trex 10

Garmin E-Trex 10 can be called the most inexpensive option, its cost is 5-6 thousand rubles, it has a shockproof and waterproof yellow-black body, black-white display measuring 36 by 43 mm. It has the ability to store information about 50 routes and 1000 travel points. Battery life is more than 24 hours, simple and convenient menu.

Its advantages and disadvantages are:

• A reliable assistant on hiking trips;
• Indispensable in the open waters while fishing;
• In lowlands there may be communication problems;
• Small amount of memory.

Garmin E-Trex 20

Garmin E-Trex 20 is more expensive, its cost is 10 thousand rubles and more.

Its technical characteristics:

1. Two navigation systems are used - GPS and Glonass;
2. Durable housing;
3. High resolution color display;
4. Built-in memory 1.7 GB;
5. Duration of autonomous operation 25 hours;
6. It is possible to save data about 2000 routes and 2000 route points.

Garmin Montana 650T

Garmin Montana 650T costs 20 thousand rubles and more; it belongs to the high price category, has a beautiful appearance and a wide range of operational functions. A large, high-resolution screen provides clear images, high signal sensitivity and device speed. The disadvantage is the large weight, which causes inconvenience during transportation.

Specifications:

• The display has a diagonal of 4 inches, color and touch;
• Built-in three-axis electronic compass;
• It is supposed to use an additional memory card;
• The device runs for 16 hours on a lithium-ion battery, as well as on three regular AA batteries;
• Built-in five megapixel camera with time, date and coordinates;
• The screen can be in a vertical or horizontal position.

Garmin navigators will help travelers accurately determine the coordinates of their location, and anglers will remember fishing spots and return to them during their next fishing trip.

Tourist GPS navigator – will it suit the fisherman?

Portable travel GPS navigators are usually waterproof. They operate either from standard AA batteries, which you can stock up on in advance, or from regular batteries, available in any rural stall. At the same time, their operating time on batteries or rechargeable batteries is up to 10 hours or more. But this is where the advantages end, since the functionality of tourist GPS landmarks is much worse than that of their analogues for cars. Their screens are small and uninformative, with low brightness and resolution. With low performance, they often “slow down” for so long that they drive even the most balanced anglers crazy.

This situation is a consequence of the policy of navigation aid manufacturers, who find it profitable to sell two devices instead of one universal GPS panel. Therefore, outdoor enthusiasts (fishermen, tourists) often require at least two devices. One is for traveling to a fishing spot or to the beginning of a tourist route by car, and the other is directly in nature (in the forest or on the water).

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Navigator selection criteria

Receiver capabilities

• Signals to the device come from many satellites in orbit. How many of them can a particular navigator “work” with?
• Sensitivity. Not all devices that support stable communications in open areas function reliably in the forest. This is one of the reasons why navigators installed in cars, fishing or hunting are usually useless.

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Display options

• Resolution. The clarity of the image directly depends on this.
• Navigator screen size. There is nothing to comment here.

When deciding on a display, you need to take into account the peculiarities of your vision and prepare for the worst situation (the golden rule, which many people forget). For example, you don’t have glasses at hand, the sun is on the horizon or has already gone. Will it be possible to see anything on the navigator screen? And not just vague outlines of contours, but to see a completely clear picture, a diagram.

But whether the display is color or black and white is up to the user to decide. For navigation while fishing or hunting, this does not matter. A color screen is only needed if the navigator has special options for viewing, for example, downloaded files to pass the time. How relevant is this for a person who goes out into nature for a very specific purpose?

It is unlikely that anyone would exchange an evening around the fire for a film that can be seen at home on the TV screen. And considering that the cost of a “color” navigator is significantly higher, such a device is unlikely to be needed for hunting or fishing.

Duration of continuous operation

This indicates how often the batteries will have to be replaced. This determines how much battery you need to take with you.

Availability of memory card

Navigators without this service, which determine only the geographic coordinates of the standing point, will not let you get lost. But only on the condition that the person has a compass, a map of the area and is trained to work with them. For example, it is correct to “reference”, determine the sides of the horizon, and so on. Therefore, when choosing a model, you should pay attention not only to the ability to load information into the navigator (memory capacity), but also to the presence of a built-in magnetic pointer.

All of the above are nothing more than general recommendations. Manufacturers are constantly updating, introducing, and improving something, so it is unrealistic to cover all the nuances of the functioning of navigators. For example, is it possible to mount a separate device on a dog’s collar (for hunters).

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Anglers may prefer a stationary model that is installed on a boat or boat. Some navigators have an echo sounder function. For someone who goes to nature not just to sit with a fishing rod, but to return with a rich catch, this is an indispensable help. But a hunter does not need this option at all. But if there is a built-in barometer, it will be equally useful for everyone who is forced to rely on weather conditions. The same applies to multi-level screen backlighting.

And yet – which specific navigator should a hunter or fisherman choose for himself?

Not all the advantages of devices that manufacturers and sellers emphasize to buyers are tested in practice. Some functions actually turn out to be useless, others do not live up to expectations.

• Before going to the store, it makes sense to interview friends who already use navigators. Their opinion and reviews of models are more objective.
• You can learn a lot of useful things by “visiting” thematic forums. On them, fishermen and hunters openly talk about the problems that they face when using GPS devices in “field” conditions.

The author did just that. It turned out that the most popular among “average” hunting and fishing enthusiasts are navigators under the GARMIN brand. Firstly, the devices are available in various modifications, therefore, you can choose the most suitable series. Secondly, the functionality is simple, so understanding the peculiarities of the navigator’s operation is not difficult even for a person who is still familiar with modern electronics. Thirdly, the price of the products is quite affordable, and their purchase is not burdensome for the family budget.

"E-Trex" 10 series

The device is sold in a yellow-black case that meets all requirements for moisture protection and shock resistance. Screen size 43 x 36 black and white; simple menu; continuous work throughout the day. The memory allows you to store information about 1000 standing points on 50 different routes.

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Price – within 5,500 rubles.

The same 20-series device is capable of working not only in the GPS system, but also in the domestic Glonass system. 1.7 GB memory, color screen, 2000 saved routes and marked points. All this increases the cost of the device.

Price – about 9,800 rubles.