Fishing Locations - Gps

[mpon]

Hmmmm .. an extremely polarizing topic ... I hope I haven't ticked anyone off too much ...

 

What I have discovered in continuing with some of the comments here and putting together a test .GBD file with a few waypoints in it ... I don't know how to attach a file here, so if anyone wants to see a sample, PM me with your e-mail ...

 

- The data I've seen online isn't as accurate as I would like it to be. You've all read the stories about people who trust the GPS directions so much they end up in the middle of a lake .. Well, I'd rather send them to the parking lot.

- The data I have in a number of maps and other books isn't the data I need. While they may show where the lake is and how to find it, there aren't GPS coordinates to a boat launch or parking lot.

- The regs are still a good idea (and I'm willing to put in the time to collect and collate), but the issues with that are:

- For the data to be on a GPS, there is a limitation as to the amount of data that can be attached to a waypoint, and it's not very much. While the data can be entered on the computer side, the unit itself chops it to about 25 characters.

- The amount of data to be collected and VERIFIED cannot be done by myself. The key word here is VERIFIED. A lot of what I've seen on the 'net is unverifiable by me without actually going out to site. Not just regs data, but even coordinate data. Something that can't be done by one person. I mention Beaver Lake because Ive been there and seen the signs. If I recall correctly, the signs at the lake are even more detailed than what's in the regs.

 

Bottom line on this ... anything I do for this now will mostly be for personal use ...

 

Ming ...

 

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

i dont think you ticked any one off, its just that some of us have worked hard to find these places and we dont want to share them with people who are to lazy to do the leg/book work.

[adams]

Apart from the other issues already mentioned above, I think you might be missing out on a valuable part of the fishing experience by using a GPS with pre-loaded waypoints anyway.

 

I've enjoyed many a cold winter night pouring over maps with my compass planning adventures for the next season. When the magic day arrives, I've already played it out in my mind many times over, yet the adventure never ceases to surprise and please me again in reality. It adds another dimension to have to correlate land marks with your map, work out the magnetic declination and then sight out the next bearing of the trek. Even if the fishing isn't great when you get there it still feels like a rewarding experience.

 

Compare that to mindlessly plodding along with your head down watching a computer screen that tells you what to do.

 

Not knocking anyone who uses GPS or anything else, just trying to suggest an alternative that might bring you more enjoyment. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned (or just old).

 

Adams