Texas BOATING by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor
Coastal Mapping Systems
of all major electronics manufacturers. In recent years, however, electronics manufacturers have also made an investment in developing their own proprietary mapping systems. Garmin has developed BlueChart g3 and g3 Vision maps. These maps include bathymetric contour detail to one foot, auto-guidance ability, depth and shoal water shading, and some high-resolution relief shading via ActiveCaptain. The g3 Vision mapping also includes high-resolution satellite photography, aerial photography, and 3-D “fisheye” underwater perspectives. Humminbird recently entered the proprietary saltwater mapping game with their CoastMaster charts, which won the 2020 ICAST award for Best of Electronics. CoastMaster charts are an add-on compatible with Helix G3/G3N and Solix models, with contour data to one foot, depth and shallows highlighting, and customizable fishing and navigation presets. These charts also have several unusual fishing-specific features that will prove valuable for shallow water anglers casting along the coast. This includes the ability to color-shade areas that will be above water at low tide but submerged at high tide, and a water level offset that synchronizes contours and shorelines with current tidal levels. Raymarine offers LightHouse charts and LightHouse Premium. This feature adds high-
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SING THE BEST SYSTEMS can help you cruise directly to the hotspots—and then catch more fish. Any discussion of coastal mapping for anglers should certainly start with the Texas Lakes & Bays Atlas. We’ve been publishing this book for 32 years. It covers more than 3,000 fishing hotspots in 63 lakes and coastal bays Although the GPS coordinates, tips, and detailed contour maps are invaluable to anglers of all kinds, the conversation certainly does not end there. The digital mapping system in the MFD at your boat’s helm is also a critical component to locating hotspots, cruising directly to them, and identifying similar benthic geography in an area that potentially holds fish.
MAPPING MATTERS Marine chartography has long been dominated by two players, Navionics and C-Map. They are still the mapping providers of choice
resolution satellite imagery and points-ofinterest intel with data on marinas, fuel docks, and the like. This will come in handy during road trips to unfamiliar waters. Contours can be displayed up to that same epic one-foot detail, and there are “verified” fishing hotspots included on the maps. Most of these systems depend on a mix of different databases, usually starting with NOAA soundings and building from there with proprietary information. In some cases, data is sourced from charter captains or even crowd-sourced information. Some additional mapping system providers, however, take a different tack. CMORE Mapping is compatible with many Navico brand, Raymarine, Mercury VesselView, and Furuno products. It produces bathymetry for limited geographical areas including some Gulf waters. These color-shaded maps with one meter resolution feature data gathered via full-coverage echosounder surveys with no interpolation. This produces mapping with far fewer errors and significantly more accurate detail than the norm. However, coverage areas are limited. Most of the West Gulf bathymetry and much of the Eastern Gulf is offshore waters, only, and the price is steep at $700 for a chart card. Another on-the-water data gatherer is StrikeLines, which details a wider swath of
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of 20 pounds. The state record 53-pounder was caught there in 1999. Anglers may retain five striped bass/hybrids per day, 18-inch minimum length limit.
“Broadway, the Peanut Patch, and north of Costello Island are the most popular places to target stripers, but they can be found anywhere in the reservoir.” Mauk said there are quite a few reputable guides available for those who don’t own a boat or know the lake very well. An added bonus is fishing the Brazos River tailrace below the dam. This is a great option when the winds get up, or for anglers having trouble locating biting fish on mainlake. Mark says the tailrace bite can be outstanding at times, particularly for larger fish upwards 22
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NO. 4: BUCHANAN SIZE: 22,211 ACRES LAKE RECORD: 27.80 COMMENTS: TPWD fisheries biologist Patrick Ireland says the scenic Hill Country impoundment near Burnet is typically big on numbers but light on size. While recreational anglers frequently box limits of three- to five-pounders along with an occasional dou|
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ble-digit fish exceeding 10 pounds— which rarely show up in TPWD’s sampling efforts. “A 15- to 20-pounder be considered a ‘big’ fish for Buchanan based on our sampling and creel data,” Ireland said. Ireland said guides and weekenders alike typically have the best springtime results trolling with inline spinners, spoons, swim baits, Rat-L-Traps or soaking live bait. Topwaters also can produce outstanding results, especially during the early morning hours. “The most important tactic is to look for baitfish and do not sit on an unproductive PHOTO: LENNY RUDOW
4/9/21 11:49 AM
