Lowrance HDS and map cards???

[intense369]

Anyone out there with a version of the Lowrance HDS (5,7,8, 10). Wondering what cards you have and recommend and/or recommend against???

Lot of different versions and brands don't know what is worthy of $50-100-$200 for a card

thanks for any info

Chad

[Catch & Release]

If you get insight, you dont need any card. I have 2 hds 10's they are awesome especially with structure scan.

[Travis C.]

First question you really need to ask instead of are they worth it is:

Where will I use it?

The cards are broken down in regions. If you can get by with one card then by all means go to Bass Pro or somewhere you can physically look at them to compare. Bass Pro will have display chips of the different ones and you can see which you like.

The Insight was an adaptation from the LEI Hot Spots fishing chip and can be bought already on the HDS units. So if you don't have Insight but get the Hot Spots Chip they will have not every but many similiar features. Insight on the other hand is a better of the two and has a channel darkening feature which aids in navigation but a draw back for both is the contour lines are further apart.

Navionics is pretty much a topo map for underwater. The lines are closer together which really aids in marking offshore ledges or contour changes.

When I sold them, we described the two as: Hot Spots or Insight was a more a "fishing map" with fising info on it and spots premarked on the map and Navionics was more of a "topographic" map for the lake bottom.

If you fish on more than one chip then a national chip would be worth the $$ over having to keep up with 2 different chips. You shouldn't be losing much in the difference plus there it is if you go somewhere new already in the boat.

If you haven't bought a unit yet and this is part of your decision look into the Insight addition for the HDS units. It won't be much more than buying a national chip and it already covers nationwide plus on the 7,8,10 I believe coastal too.

Hope this helps some but the main thing is to check it out before you buy. Any contoured lake map software over preloaded base maps is worth whatever $$ they cost.

[intense369]

Thanks for some of the info.

Base model so no insight. Mainly looking for TN. My father-in-law is looking for one too, but he's looking for AL/GA, so for both of our cases East chip for me, South chip for him.

I guess having more detailed "countours" and being better at seeing lake changes, points, drops, etc... is most important. So I guess that puts navionics ahead. Never thought about going to bass pro and having them show off their chips, thats a great idea..

Thanks

[Buccaneer]

Intense - When you do get the Navionics map cards, make sure you register them With Navionics and get the 1 year free weekly chart updates. Go here and click on "Freshest Data" and learn more about it. http://www.navionics.com/LakeFeatures_HMPlatinum.asp
I have a HotMaps Premium East card and I was stunned at the additional detail I got for Old Hickory and Percy Priest when I signed up and updated my maps. You download Navionics World and go through the process and your card gets updated. Make sure you download the free PC App program that allows you to view the lake maps on your PC, its a great scouting tool.

[Reel Tune]

Thanks for all the info Travis.

I just sold my Humminbird, and in the process of buying a new unit. I'm leaning toward the Lowrance HDS GEN-2 due to all the features, and no need for maps/chips like Navionics due to them being built in. From what I hear the Lowrance maps are better than Humminbirds also.