Lowrance Insight Chips vs. Navionics

[TMF89]

What do you guys think? I'm getting an HDS unit soon and I'll need a chip for it. The only chip I've used before is an old Lakemaster chip in my H20 handheld, and I haven't played with the Insight chips at all. Thanks for your advice guys!

[raymondk]

if you have a older chip it should still work in your hds.

[TMF89]

Well I don't mind upgrading to the latest technology. Besdies that way I can keep the old chip in the H2O and not have to switch it all the time. Come on guys, nobody bought a Lowrance or Navioncs chip last season?

[slurpie]

I'm in the same boat as you just got HDS got old chip but want new chip, when I demoed them if I remember right I'll be buying the insight it was close or same as the lake master. But really go to a store try them both zoom into lakes you fish a lot and see what one has the best, most structure.

[JohnMickish]

I've got the latest Navionics platinum chip and am impressed. They have come alot ways in the last year. The Minnesota lakes are just as good as the Lakemaster stuff.

[CaptainMusky]

I have the Lowrance Lake Insight 2012 Pro chip. IMO, dont get the high definition one with Shaded relief since it goes away anyway once you zoom in to a useable range.

If the Navionics chip is comparable to the app, I have compared the Lowrance Chip to my smartphone with the app and find them comparable. There are obvious differences on some bodies of water, but the "better" mapping goes both ways.

The Lowrance Chips are actually using Lakemaster data, I have confirmed this because I have the Lakemaster Chip and I used them side by side with an HDS 7 and 5 and they are identical.

[KirtH]

Navionics Nav+ and Hotmaps Platinum is the ticket, one thing you get with a Navionics and Lowrance HDS is depth shading, shallow water highlight, rock filter. Fish n Chips/SonarCharts gives you the best fishing data available. You get free unlimited updates for the first year via Freshest data and then its 50% of MSRP after the first year. Go to the Navonics HSOforum and check out the lakes on the Web App under the products tab on top, make sure when you zoom in to click on the sonar icon on the lower left corner for SonarCharts layer

[CaptainMusky]

Navionics Nav+ and Hotmaps Platinum is the ticket, one thing you get with a Navionics and Lowrance HDS is depth shading, shallow water highlight, rock filter.

KirtH, does this apply for HDS Gen 1 units as well or is it only for Gen2 and Touch?

[hawgchaser]

My HDS gen2 has the built in insight. Very few of the lakes I fish are "covered" and the mapping on those (non-covered)lakes is very generic...like 10ft. contours. My Navionics is far more detailed.

[CaptainMusky]

hawg, you are right the built in insight is junk IMO at least here in the Midwest. It may be better on Great Lakes or the coast, but its useless here.

The Lowrance Chips (Lake Insight Pro and HD) ARE very good however. Same content as Lakemaster.

[ClownColor]

Good info thus far...with the updates lowrance made, I'm looking at the navionics over insight because now u can highlight a depth range. It will be great for targeting fish in certain depths.

Is the navioncs plantinum worth the extra money over premium? Looks like u just get 3d.

[KirtH]

Gen 2

[raymondk]

look at insight pro 2013 is very good also at a low cost of $99 .

[KirtH]

Get the Navionics + chip you select the lakes you want to fish you can even put Canada on the chip. Nav+ comes with the High Def SonarCharts layer. Go to the webapp zoom in on the lake you want to fish click on the Sonar Icon on the lower left to get the SonarCharts view

[gwiff100]

+1 98% of all the lakes I fish are on the insite pro chip. Yes if I would have went with Navionics 100% would have been on that card, but with Lakeinsite you also get LOW and Rainy river.