Maps Unique

Sea Draggin · 10-05-2008, 10:46 AM

I just want to know if anyone else is experiencing this???

My background is in trolling, so I have never payed much attention to the bottom and more attention to water color and temp.

Now that I am jigging, I am totally focused on the bottom and structure. I am finding that I am not finding much on the Maps Unique marks. I have probably looked hard at 20 of them from the Big Rock down to the rise and inshore to 100ft. I am just not seeing anything on what they say the numbers are. I'm starting to thing that the chart is not worth the laminate used to make it.

I am finding more live bottom from seeing turtles. Make a lap around them and sure enough, awesome bottom.

Anyone else notice this??? I'm not even bringing it on the next trip, because it seems to be leading me on wild goose chases.

SeaBiscuit · 10-05-2008, 11:00 AM

Excellent observation Sea Draggin. Bottom fishing requires a degree of location precision not necessary for other types of fishing. maps Unique, as expensive as it is, does a very poor job of publishing "real" gps coordinates. I don't use Loran so I can't comment on that. I can certainly attest to the fact that certain well known wreck locations are off by Map's unique numbers by as much as 1-2 miles! Some of these wrecks are accurately displayed by inexpensive garmin gps maps!
I believe that their charts are so inaccurate that they cannot even serve as a general reference of hard bottom areas, never mind actual spots. I have saved a lot of money on fuel ever since I threw away my maps unique charts and focused on reading signs on the water (turtles, bait, bass traps, etc) and studying my sounder.

Great tip on the turtles, as well. They have to live where large amounts of food is available. same kind of food that holds on structure and live bottoms. they have given me some fantastic bottoms in the past as well.

Cheers,
SeaBiscuit

swell rider · 10-05-2008, 11:48 AM

I second that... It might get you in an area but after thats it's all about reading the machine...

Sea Draggin · 10-05-2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swell rider

I second that... It might get you in an area but after thats it's all about reading the machine...

My observation is the maps don't even get me to an area. I can blindly run from one point to the next without any map.

Gut Wrench · 10-06-2008, 02:50 AM

Not sure if this will help you but since i have put the Bathymetric chip in my gps/fishfinder i have been able find more good bottom structure,just by studying the contour lines..best $200 i spent..

i found too that MU was very inaccurate. wasted a bunch of fuela nd time looking for their spot.

also when trolling i keep my eye on anything i would want to come back to later,i mark it and then download it to my Mapsource program,been pretty productive using this method too..

swell rider · 10-06-2008, 08:24 AM

The Bathymetrics chip will help out alot, it's not 100% but what is .. Worth the money. When I put the new Furuno 3D machine on next year look out!! Ken

Sea Draggin · 10-06-2008, 08:32 AM

My challenge is this.....now that I have sold the Grady, I will be fishing with others for the next few years at least. I guess I will have to get a portable or handheld. The chips are better, I had C-map on my old unit and thought it was great.

swell rider · 10-06-2008, 08:36 AM

I have C maps on my Furuno now but the Navionics chip is more detailed.

gottaflylee · 10-06-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swell rider

I second that... It might get you in an area but after thats it's all about reading the machine...

Ken, your right, it is all about knowing how to read your bottom machine. I like to fish a lot of areas that are not much bigger that your kitchen table, knowing what to look for is the key and each machine if different. Having a bottom machine that will mark when running very important.
Gut Wrench, contour lines help a lot but not the answer to finding "hard bottoms". How ever when trolling, they are great as fish tend to follow some of the paths as well as currents will also.
AS far as MU goes, here is my 2 cents about it. I have known the owner of Maps Unique for a lot of years and he is a great person. When he first started making the maps, he relied on people like you and me for numbers and areas. Most of what he had were TD's. With old TD numbers and the new GPS units, if you don't have the correct offset for your area and your unit, you will not get on the spot. Now the rest of the story...as some of you know, conversion from TD's to Lat-Lan is also not a 100% and before WASS 300' + or - was the norm for GPS units...
Some of you know that I spent more that a few years cutting my teeth commercial bottom fishing (Grouper- snapper) out of Wrightsville Beach
I know from old books that we used that most of the areas on the maps are with in the areas we fished, maybe not "on the #'s but with in the areas, also I have seen some of the old "Hard Bottoms" we used to fish, disappear. I assume, that they were covered in sand from storms or just died off.
So think about what I have said before we jump on the bashing wagon here. I know that the old "Pinkie" bottom is right on with the map...

10-05-2008, 10:46 AM	#1
Sea Draggin I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: High Point, NC Posts: 3,849 Credits: 3,894.9 Blog Entries: 1	Maps Unique I just want to know if anyone else is experiencing this??? My background is in trolling, so I have never payed much attention to the bottom and more attention to water color and temp. Now that I am jigging, I am totally focused on the bottom and structure. I am finding that I am not finding much on the Maps Unique marks. I have probably looked hard at 20 of them from the Big Rock down to the rise and inshore to 100ft. I am just not seeing anything on what they say the numbers are. I'm starting to thing that the chart is not worth the laminate used to make it. I am finding more live bottom from seeing turtles. Make a lap around them and sure enough, awesome bottom. Anyone else notice this??? I'm not even bringing it on the next trip, because it seems to be leading me on wild goose chases. __________________ . www.EasternTackle.com My Jigging Videos

10-05-2008, 11:00 AM	#2
SeaBiscuit I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 3,168 Credits: 7,132.5	Excellent observation Sea Draggin. Bottom fishing requires a degree of location precision not necessary for other types of fishing. maps Unique, as expensive as it is, does a very poor job of publishing "real" gps coordinates. I don't use Loran so I can't comment on that. I can certainly attest to the fact that certain well known wreck locations are off by Map's unique numbers by as much as 1-2 miles! Some of these wrecks are accurately displayed by inexpensive garmin gps maps! I believe that their charts are so inaccurate that they cannot even serve as a general reference of hard bottom areas, never mind actual spots. I have saved a lot of money on fuel ever since I threw away my maps unique charts and focused on reading signs on the water (turtles, bait, bass traps, etc) and studying my sounder. Great tip on the turtles, as well. They have to live where large amounts of food is available. same kind of food that holds on structure and live bottoms. they have given me some fantastic bottoms in the past as well. Cheers, SeaBiscuit Last edited by SeaBiscuit; 10-05-2008 at 11:02 AM.

10-06-2008, 02:50 AM	#5
Gut Wrench Anthony's Ark is a blowboater Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: easley s.c. Posts: 258 Credits: 1,466.2 Boat: 268 key west(POS) Home Port: charleston s.c. Best Catch: state record cubera snapper 118lbs Occupation: slowly going broke toolman	Not sure if this will help you but since i have put the Bathymetric chip in my gps/fishfinder i have been able find more good bottom structure,just by studying the contour lines..best $200 i spent.. i found too that MU was very inaccurate. wasted a bunch of fuela nd time looking for their spot. also when trolling i keep my eye on anything i would want to come back to later,i mark it and then download it to my Mapsource program,been pretty productive using this method too.. __________________ Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up and loudly proclaiming, "WOW! What a ride!"

10-06-2008, 08:32 AM	#7
Sea Draggin I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: High Point, NC Posts: 3,849 Credits: 3,894.9 Blog Entries: 1	My challenge is this.....now that I have sold the Grady, I will be fishing with others for the next few years at least. I guess I will have to get a portable or handheld. The chips are better, I had C-map on my old unit and thought it was great. __________________ . www.EasternTackle.com My Jigging Videos

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10-05-2008, 11:48 AM	#3
swell rider Crab mustard is good Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlantic Beach, NC Posts: 675 Credits: 2,142.0 Occupation: Charter boat captain/owner	I second that... It might get you in an area but after thats it's all about reading the machine...

10-06-2008, 08:24 AM	#6
swell rider Crab mustard is good Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlantic Beach, NC Posts: 675 Credits: 2,142.0 Occupation: Charter boat captain/owner	The Bathymetrics chip will help out alot, it's not 100% but what is .. Worth the money. When I put the new Furuno 3D machine on next year look out!! Ken

10-06-2008, 08:36 AM	#8
swell rider Crab mustard is good Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlantic Beach, NC Posts: 675 Credits: 2,142.0 Occupation: Charter boat captain/owner	I have C maps on my Furuno now but the Navionics chip is more detailed.