H2O

[mrklean]

Im thinking about buying a Lowrance H2O with the lakemaster chip but not sure yet. How many of you have one and how usful is it? I mainly fish smaller lakes so they arent in the high def.

[SP180]

I bought one last year and fish Devils Lake with it. It is extremely helpful on the bigger lakes. I do have the MN chip, but never got to any lakes last winter to use it. I think on the bigger lakes that it is one of those must haves like a flasher is. Now i have the b/w version and many on this sight will steer you to the color. don't be fooled, the b/w works just fine for a fraction of the cost.

[Sandmannd]

I have the B&W one and it's invaluable to me. It really helps getting you close to the depths you are looking for. You can mark your spots. Helps you find the landing on the way back. It's over all a great unit. Then I take my chip out and use it in my locator on the boat. I got mine for abotu $120 off of craig's list. I think I saw a color one on there yesterday for about $160 with a chip. That's a steal.

[toughguy]

Even on lakes without hi-def its nice. I love the unit. Saves me from drilling hundreds of holes each year. Now you don't have to guess where the transition areas, or deep holes are. You just walk right up and drill. Better purchase than a camera IMO.

[jwhjr]

Very useful to get you back on your hot spots.

[ameyers41]

Agreed. Invaluable. Saves lots of time/drilling, even on lakes w/o the high def.

[toughguy]

Very useful to get you back on your hot spots.

That's true too. It's nice to go back the lake and be within inches of a spot where you killed them the day/month/year before.

[mrklean]

For the lakemaster chips is it just like a live pic of a DNR Lake map pretty much?

[toughguy]

I would say more accurate than the DNR maps. Some of those DNR maps were made decades ago and are slightly off. I would hold off until Nov. to get the new chip unless you plan on using it a lot this summer. Each year they add sevreal new lakes and upgrade the definition on other lakes.

[SP180]

As mentioned before, i think it is more valuable then a camera also. I used a camera last year on a trip and wont waste the money. I don't like the extra weight and all the goofing around to get it set up. I know on devils lake, your eyes only bite consistently at sun up and sun down and being fairly mobile is the key. The H2O keeps you mobile.

[sx2]

where would be the best place to buy one? i was looking at reeds they have one for 269.99 and one for 299.99 they were both h20c what is the difference between them.

[toughguy]

Got mine at Cabelas for 260. I'm not sure why there is one for 300. I found out that the new chip came out in June not in Nov.

[mrklean]

so next spring a new one will probably come out

[LMITOUT]

I wouldn't leave home without mine. I also fish smaller lakes which don't have high definition lake maps available on the Lakemaster card, but the maps will still put you in the general area of structure where you can narrow it down further with a lot less drilling than you may have to do without the chip. The maps are essentially the DNR maps and I've found them to be fairly accurate. Using the chip in the boat I've noticed a few areas that are off on different lakes, but not enough to not want to use the chip.

[Farley]

Bought one before an ice fishing trip to Pelican lake a few years back. Never fished Pelican before so we picked out a few spots on the GPS and we drove right to the first spot we wanted to fish, popped two holes to check the depth and dropped the house on a dropoff that goes from 70 to 9 feet in a matter of 20-30 feet. No sooner than I got a tip up line down the hole outside of the house, my buddie pulls up an 18" walleye. That took about a half hour after arriving at the landing, all because we could just drive to the spot, there was no searching involved. Stayed there the whole weekend and hammered them. I use it in my truck and I cant count how many times it's saved me from sitting in traffic or finding alternate routes on unfamiliar roads. It's priceless. Now I mainly fish the lakes with the H.D. maps since they are so accurate.

[tisosy11]

The H2O is a godsend...never leave without it in the fishing gear.

Saved my prop this weekend...was up on Pelican Lake north of Brainerd and came across some rocks as i was looking at the screen. Was able to raise the motor up and just in the nick of time.

[fishinJohn]

In heavy snow or fog finding your way back isn't always easy unless you have your GPS. They also help you keep track of where water flows into a lake where thin ice may be. I don't have an underwater camera yet and sure woudn't trade the GPS for one. I even used it on the Mississippi last fall and it was sure nice to know which areas of backwater connect to the main channel.

[fishinrush]

I have the H2OC as do most of the guys I fish with. A great tool and borderline necessity in my opinion, especially when runnin and gunnin.

[Craig Plummer]

Never thought I would own anything like a H2O but it was one of them darn impulse buys, I now concider it just as useful as my Vex I dont ice fish with out it!

[wanger29]

The other week me & a pal were heading out to new waters and he'd asked me to bring my H2OC along. After a gas stop and about 7 miles down the road it dawned on me that I didn't have my GPS, and I knew I'd grabbed it. We stopped the truck on the highway and I went to see if I'd placed it in my tackle box. Sure enough it, along with the power cord attached, was sitting on the bumper of his truck. What a relief!!! I got to think with the amount of spots I've got marked in it, had it fallen off, if I would have met the one who would of found it somewhere down the road somewhere???

[schweady]

You'd just head to one of your favorite secret fishing spots, pull up along some new guy you've never seen there before, and ask to see his GPS!

[PerchJerker]

I have an H2O (got it before the color H2O C came out). I mostly use it for ice fishing and couldn't get along without it now. I use both LakeMaster and Nav chips in it depending on where I'm fishing.

[SP180]

I also bought the H2O last season and think it is really awsome. The H2OC was out, but did not want to spend the extra amount. I really do not need the color and if i dont buy one, i wont feel like i need to have it.