Best hand held gps for Ice fishing?

[springermnguy26]

Hey guys. I am in the market for a new hand held gps. I currently have a lowrance H2o with a lakemaster chip, but the time to retire the unit is now. Any ideas? I am also looking for recomendations for a lake chip as well. Thanks!!

[M1dwestF1sh]

I'm sure its not the answer you were looking for but its all I use now. The app for your phone navionics. Its not the best GPS but for ten bucks the contour lines get me pretty close to where I want to be.

[hamms-scooter]

H20 sits in the truck. I use my phone and my hds5 locater

[walleyeking19]

I'm sure its not the answer you were looking for but its all I use now. The app for your phone navionics. Its not the best GPS but for ten bucks the contour lines get me pretty close to where I want to be.

The app is the only thing I use. I have the H2O gps, but i let me dad use it cause my phone is just so convenient.

[BobT]

I do not use my phone for one reason. Last winter I was in my portable. My Garmin Rino120 GPS was in my pocket. I happened to lean forward and it feel out of my pocket and down the hole. I managed to hook the lanyard and retrieve it. It was water proof but only to about 3 meters but it didn't survive the 25'depth.

I have dropped that unit in open water a time or two as well but fortunately I was in shallow water at those times.

I replaced that unit with a Garmin GPSMap78s. It is water proof plus it floats. My phone is neither.

[usmcjsy]

I doubt it's the best anymore but I use a Garmin 60Csx with lake master chip, it's pretty much right on. I like it because it's very user friendly. It's just very nice to mark spots as well.

[JayDeHay]

I use the Navionics app on my iPhone. Before I get on the water, I put the phone in an armband and strap to my wrist like a big watch. It's not waterproof that way, but it's only getting wet if I go in with it, and then I have bigger things to worry about anyway. It keeps it pretty handy as well (no pun intended) because it leaves me both hands free to do other things without having to pick it up and put it down constantly.

[MN Mike]

Hey guys. I am in the market for a new hand held gps. I currently have a lowrance H2o with a lakemaster chip, but the time to retire the unit is now. Any ideas? I am also looking for recommendations for a lake chip as well. Thanks!!

If you are looking for a new GPS, take a look at these Garmin Handhelds:

Etrex 20 or 30

GPSMap 62 or 62s ( discontinued, you might find some great deals )

GPSMap 64 or 64s

GPSMap 78 ( floats )

Oregon 600 or higher, these are nice touchscreen devices

Garmin also made a mapping chip which contained Lakemaster data and many lakes in 1 foot contours, it's called the Upper Midwest Fishing Guide and you can still find it at some online retailers, the product itself was discontinued last summer but some places still have it in stock for about $80

You might even stumble across someone that has a Garmin Lakemaster chip they might be selling, those would work too but the UMWFG is a better deal because of the coverage it offers.

I've got a Smartphone ( no Navionics App ) and a Nexus 7 tablet with Navionics, when it comes to being out on the ice, my Garmin handheld is the one I always use.

Mike

[Lawrence Luoma]

I run the Garmin GPSmap 78s but I was lucky enough to get it before Lakemaster was bought out by Hummingbird. Problem is you can't get a Lakemaster or any other chip other than Garmin's own mapping system. Really wish these companies would make a great handheld for us ice fisherman as I still believe its the way to go.

[Scott O.]

I'm glad someone asked this. I've been looking for a handheld GPS for a while now. I usually print lake maps from the Game and Fish, but pinpointing exactly where you are is still a problem.

[MN Mike]

I'm glad someone asked this. I've been looking for a handheld GPS for a while now. I usually print lake maps from the Game and Fish, but pinpointing exactly where you are is still a problem.

That reminds me, I forgot to mention the free Basecamp software download from Garmin for your home computer or laptop. This program allows you to work with your current waypoints ( back them up too ), create new waypoints and push them to your handheld device.

If you purchase a data card for lake contours or TOPO maps, you can view that data right on your computer, Garmin also provides satellite imagery via their Birdseye program, that too can be viewed inside the Basecamp software.

The software will also check for updates to your Garmin handheld.

One item I found real handy Elk Hunting in Colorado this fall was the wireless transfer of waypoints to another Garmin handheld. With the newer Garmin's most have the ability to link wirelessly and share waypoints and I can tell you it worked slick!

Mike

[bbfenatic]

Glad I had my H2Oc over the weekend with all the thick fog...takes me right to my spot and leaves a trail on the screen to show me how to get right back to the access without having to guess or get lost and wandering too close to a river inlet or bad ice.

[Capt'nMorgan]

Which app do you all use, pay or free

[storm_rider_1]

Which app do you all use, pay or free

Navionics - $9.99

[ZachD]

If you are looking for a new GPS, take a look at these Garmin Handhelds:

Etrex 20 or 30

GPSMap 62 or 62s ( discontinued, you might find some great deals )

GPSMap 64 or 64s

GPSMap 78 ( floats )

Oregon 600 or higher, these are nice touchscreen devices

Garmin also made a mapping chip which contained Lakemaster data and many lakes in 1 foot contours, it's called the Upper Midwest Fishing Guide and you can still find it at some online retailers, the product itself was discontinued last summer but some places still have it in stock for about $80

You might even stumble across someone that has a Garmin Lakemaster chip they might be selling, those would work too but the UMWFG is a better deal because of the coverage it offers.

I've got a Smartphone ( no Navionics App ) and a Nexus 7 tablet with Navionics, when it comes to being out on the ice, my Garmin handheld is the one I always use.

Mike

[Hawg]

I agree with the Navionics on a phone. It's as close or closer than any GPS I've ever used. And sooooo easy.

[Capt'nMorgan]

They bad thing is phone coverage can get vary spotty up nnorth like on Red or lotw.

[delcecchi]

They bad thing is phone coverage can get vary spotty up nnorth like on Red or lotw.

I don't think Navionics app requires phone coverage. Isn't the data downloaded to the phone?

[aanderud]

The phone app is OK. However, it has many drawbacks. Inaccuracy coupled with the lack of zoomability, huge battery drain on my phone, lack of true waterproofness (yes, the phone says it is water resistant but that doesn't mean I want to be testing it out there), inability to use my phone with gloves on are just a few. I continue to use a handheld GPS and probably always will. And I also use the navionics app on my phone, I"m just not using it by itself. It's another tool in the box but it'll never be my only GPS.

I have a retired lowrance expedition C in the drawer and a relatively new garmin gps map 62s that I use these days. As the poster above said, the upper midwest fishing guide is the card to get on there - it's only about 40 bucks since they've discontinued it.

Anyone who says the phone app is as close or 'closer' than a handheld GPS clearly hasn't used the two side by side. If you try using your phone for things that require real accuracy (like geo caching) you'll notice that it isn't nearly as accurate as a handheld unit from magellan or garmin or lowrance. In fact, I'd wager that is why the navionics app doesn't zoom in nearly as far on the phone as it will on any handheld GPS using the same navionics chip/ddata. They don't want you to see yourself bouncing around on the screen as your GPS data varies inexplicably.

[NELS-BELLS]

This is great info. I have an H2O with a lakemaster chip that I want to replace. Recently I had to do a reboot because it started acting up. It works great now but unfortunately I lost all the waypoints that I had saved and I'm worried that it might happen again. The Garmin system sounds great especially the part about interacting with my home computer and saving waypoints.

One thing I like about the H2O and chip is the 1' contour maps. Does the Navionics phone app have 1' contour detail or is it just the vague DNR version?

Nels

[leechlake]

I have the Navionics app and I rarely use it. It does have one foot contours on certains lakes. Leech does but my lake which is five miles away has one of those terrible maps that is worthless.

[WalleyeSlayer21]

This is what i have

[southender]

I use the Navionics app on my iPhone. Before I get on the water, I put the phone in an armband and strap to my wrist like a big watch. It's not waterproof that way, but it's only getting wet if I go in with it, and then I have bigger things to worry about anyway. It keeps it pretty handy as well (no pun intended) because it leaves me both hands free to do other things without having to pick it up and put it down constantly.

this should answer your questions about buying a real gps over using your smartphone with a gps app. what do you think will happen when a fish comes unhooked in the hole and he reaches down in the water with that smartphone on his wrist like a big watch, a real wet smartphone that is not waterproof. going the cheap route by buying a $10 app could cost you $500 or more in the long run to replace your smartphone. most if not all of the new handheld gps units flote. the gps app is a good backup, but does not replace any gps unit