High Definition Mapping

When it comes to fishing electronics, forward facing sonar gets most of the attention. It’s the latest technology, and it has certainly changed the game. The conversation is dominated so much by discussion about forward facing sonar that someone new to the sport might think everything else is irrelevant. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Traditional sonar still plays a very important role in locating bass, as do side imaging and down imaging. The real sleeper technology that many overlook is mapping. 

Navionics was one of the first mapping systems that allowed interactive mapping on fish finders. Before that, anglers were limited to paper maps for reference, but it was almost impossible to find that high percentage spot just by looking at a paper map. GPS technology, coupled with integrated lake maps, opened up the possibility to pull up to a hump, point, etc., and be relatively close to the target depth; then, an angler could employ the other sonar technologies to begin looking for cover and fish. That process is still true today, but mapping has improved lightyears over the 5-foot and 10-foot contour lines we referenced on paper maps in the past.