A lot of fishing success, and particularly big water fishing, comes down to eliminating unproductive water. This is normally done based on seasonal patterns and the maps you have available. Maps tell you the depths in different areas and seasonal patterns help you eliminate the most likely unproductive water. This only works as long as you have good information.
So what if the map isn't accurate?
We spend a lot of time in waters that are off the beaten path from typical boat traffic and as such the waters are unmapped. On navionics and paper maps there is little to no informarion for these area. When maps don't have infomation they take the safe route and show unnavigatable waters. Anglers, including ourselves, typically look over these areas and rule them out quickly because they are shown as too shallow to navigate.
There's just one problem.
A lot of these waters have plenty of depth. There are also lots of hazards but there is a ton of fishable water in between. Boat navigation would be difficult and unadvisable for the average cruiser but anglers, this is still worth exploring. Scouting the area with autocharting capabilities unveils a completely different story and opens up a ton of new fishable water. We have found tons of big areas that are 15-20 ft deep in the middle where the map shows completely un-navigable.
Prior to heading into these areas anglers can get a better idea of what they may look like by using satellite imaging technology to be aware of actual hazards and where to be extra cautious! To learn how to use satellite imagery for angling purposes as well as ways to identify key fish holding areas like sand/gravel flats, deep submergent weeds, and other features check out the link below:
Don't always trust your maps, you could be missing out on some incredible fishing opportunitites!
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