Lake map books

[Jefferson]

Are the fishing lake map books at BPS pretty decent or is there a better option out there for this? LSC and southern inland lakes.

[YpsiBass]

As far as LSC goes, consider this http://basstothefuture.wordpress.com/ as some place to start.  From what I understand, he's pretty much got community holes mapped out, but if you're new to LSC and looking for somewhere to start, it's better than nothing.

[motocross269]

I have Wayne's stuff and it is great...but also consider running Lakemaster software for your PC and Navionics.......

I found a spot on my Navionics app for my phone that helped me take a second place in a tournament last year...so it is worth the investment....Pre-fishing from the Sofa...

[Manxfishing]

I like the Sportsman connection fishing map guide
Good over all map of most of the lakes
Spots in the books are so so, It all depends on the season

The DNR online maps are decent, better contours, and bottoms
All free online

The fishing hot spots maps are very nice
A little large, But good contours
There only for the bigger lakes thou

[Jefferson]

Thanks a lot guys!  To many years of just "oh this spot looks good". Wanna start doing this right.

[djkimmel]

If you ever decide to cut the Lake St. Clair learning curve by up to 10 or more years and hundreds of gallons of gas try:

No Secrets on Lake St. Clair Volume 1 by Wayne Carpenter - the book is an inexpensive summary with lots of good bass fishing information.

Lake St. Clair HD The Complete! Marked Maps Series by Wayne Carpenter - or go all out and really cut the learning curve with over 100 good bass fishing spots including GPS coordinates to many. Laminated color chart book format.

[fiker]

Ditto everything Dan said.  I have all of Wayne's materials.  Community holes or not, they work. 

Having multiple maps of the same water, (particularly big water) is a good idea.  You'll find things on one map that aren't on the other.  You'll also find that the maps sometimes say something's there that is not.

[Got Fish??]

You can not have to many charts or lake maps, in my opinion. The map books at basspro are great references for small lakes.The great lake maps marked in  the book are no good for navigation. If your going to fish a great lake. Get a good chart map!! You can get information off the chart, load it in to your g.p.s. and go any where on that lake. Wayne's material is golden, but you have to know how to get there.

[Jefferson]

I checked out the sportsman connection site. Gonna grab the southern michigan book this weekend. Seems like a good place to start.

[djkimmel]

I have some of those too. I agree with fiker and Got Fish?? on multiple maps. When I was traveling the country for a short time fishing the mid-level pro tournaments on new big water I bought every map I could find for every body of water. Just like fishing with new anglers all the time, I learned something new and different from each one.

[Skulley]

I have more maps and more map books than one can actually use.  I am big on referencing material from map to map and lake to lake.  NOAA charts of the Great Lakes are priceless and although a bit expensive are the best reference for big water because they are navigation maps.  The books and DVD's that are out there with maps are good for inland only and the smaller lakes and not so much the bigger ones.  It's really down to what you prefer until you're out on the big water and you need to figure out where you're going.


BD                       

[djkimmel]

I always recommend the actual charts for the Great Lakes too. And knowing how to adjust the depths for the present lake levels. Otherwise, you can play a little Russian roulette with your lower unit. Or even your whole boat. Those tow boat companies keep real busy on Lake St. Clair...

[Skulley]

I always recommend the actual charts for the Great Lakes too. And knowing how to adjust the depths for the present lake levels. Otherwise, you can play a little Russian roulette with your lower unit. Or even your whole boat. Those tow boat companies keep real busy on Lake St. Clair...

Hence forth, the necessity of having Boat US towing. It's certainly not expensive.  If you can't afford peace of mind when you're out there, then you probably can't afford the boat. Just sayin'.


BD.