Recommended map software for Lowrance? (Ocean)

Hey guys,

Up at Shelter Cove this weekend I discovered that the "basemap" on my new Lowrance Hook 5 is quite inaccurate. It was almost as if the whole map was shifted somehow. Large pinnacles shown on the chart plotter screen just didn't line up with reality as reported by the sonar. In several instances, the depth discrepancies between the two were in excess of 20-40 feet.

I'm curious which aftermarket map software is the most spatially accurate. I'm not really concerned about the minutia of 1' depth contours, but I would like a software package that shows depth contours and subsurface features that match up well with reality. If I point the bow at a pinnacle shown on the chart screen and peddle toward it, I'd like to see it show up on my sonar screen.

If I'm trolling for salmon in a rocky area, I want to be sure I raise my offering well above any pinnacles to avoid bait-steeling rockfish and snaggy kelp fronds. And when I target halibut I like to find areas where sand meets reef. Both would be MUCH easier if the chart plotter and sonar were in cahoots...

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Thanks,

Alex

My Elite 5 HDI does the same thing, not always though. It got most area right, some are wrong.

I believe Navionics provides the basemap to Lowrance.  I know they do the Nav+ map for sure. (Formerly the gold chart chip)

The gps receiver is probably accurate to 3 meter resolution...that's why I never get within 10ft of MPA borders

I'll have to fire up a unit to verify but I believe you can turn WAAS GPS on/off.  In an off position, regular GPS accuracy is good to 10-20 meters.  With WAAS on, you can expect about 5 meters BUT there are things that affect it.  Now .. There are also some known msp issues throughout the USA that are common to Lowrance, Garmin, raymarine & h-bird so I cannot rule that out 100%.

Interesting. I don't know if WAAS was on or off. My gut tells me it was off by more than 20 meters, but I could be mistaken.

might be off topic. Ocean vs freshwater setting? I did a restore to default over the weekend when I was in the ocean thinking there might be a ocean setting since I wasn't getting a clear picture.

I tried dual sonar (high/med chirp) but had a lot of clutter. I turn off auto sensitivity and adjust it manually which helped.

anyways any tips for ocean setting on lowrance 5 elite chirp Thanks.

Best advice I can give there is just to play around with your settings and watch what happens. Change each setting and watch how it affects your picture. There is no magical "ocean" setting, you just need to dial it in to the conditions you're fishing in that day.