GPS technology and fishing

by: Angela Carter



What type of fisherman are you? Are you satisfied go out and drop your fishing line and be totally unconcerned about if you catch anything or not? Is the time that you spend with your family, friends or even by your self enjoying nature what your trip is really all about? If you don’t caught anything that’s fine-you can always stop at the fish shop on the way home, but it would be nice if you caught something. Or do you feel like your trip’s been ruined because you didn’t caught anything, and go home frustrated. Or is fishing how you make your living, either by catching fish or taking customers out to fish? If you take a customer out to do some deep sea fishing, it would be much better to bring home a happy customer with his catch, who could be possibly a repeat customer or tells his friends about how great his trip was bringing you additional work. A frustrated customer will think twice about using your services again and when planning his next trip, might go elsewhere and may be steering other potential customers away from you. What if there was a way to make sure you go where the fish are? What if there was a way to guarantee that you would catch your limit, to be able to ensure that your customers will go home happy and raving about your great service.

With GPS technology it is now possible to go where the fish are and to remember the spot so you can relocate it. The other good thing about using a GPS while on the water is safety. You can enter the spot where you put your boat in the water in the memory of your GPS unit. Most GPS units hold at least 500 landmarks or areas where you want to get to. If you run into fog or bad weather you should be able to find your way back. Also if you stay out longer than expected you can find your way back in the dark. If you run into an emergency while on the water, you can call someone and let them know your coordinates, and then they could find you. If someone falls overboard a GPS unit can pinpoint the exact area where the incident happened and helping rescue crews with their rescue. This allows you to enjoy your day and not worry about getting back to land safely.

A chart plotter GPS with a map chip can give you your position relative to land features, water depth, and harbor entrances. Using a GPS with a water depth can allow you to follow the bottom looking for fish. It is also possible to let others know about a spot that you have found by using GPS coordinates.

Often people like to fish around a wreck, with a GPS unit you can enter the location of the wrecks to be able to find them easily. Plus knowing where a wreck is only part of the scenario, you need to know how deep that wreck is and if there are any areas you need to avoid. Often a fishing trip starts out before daylight, with a GPS you can pinpoint where you are going.

No matter what your intent is when you go fishing. A GPS can enhance that experience.