Dear Capt. Paul:
I just purchased a Garmin 176C, and I am trying to hook it to my computer. I have the interface cable hooked to my computer and GPS, but nothing happens. Should an icon come up on the screen? I have the blue chip data card. How does it interface with a computer from GPS?
Thanks, Don White
Capt. Paul’s response:
You have one of Garmin’s Flagship units. It is a superb color unit that offers hundreds of different features. One of those is the ability to store and use a variety of different mapping programs in the unit. The cable is supplied in order for you to take full advantage of some of the features in the GPS unit.They offer the interface cable in order for you to have communication between the GPS unit and a program in your computer. In order for this to happen, you need the GPS unit, the cable, a computer and a Garmin mapping program installed in the computer.
In order to download waypoints, routes and tracks and to install different maps on other data cards, you need one of Garmin’s MapSource products. These programs allow you to store and transfer data files from the GPS unit to the computer and from the computer to the GPS unit, as well as install their maps in your unit.
Garmin offers mapping programs that allow you to select from several different types of mapping. Other programs such as Metroguide USA, Topo US, America Highways, City Select maps, Blue Charts, MapSource US National Parks, to name a few, are available to install into your unit.
They also offer a program called MapSource Trip Waypoint Manager. For under $30, you can purchase the data transfer-manager file that will allow you to transfer and save your waypoint, route and track data. This program does NOT have any maps to install, but does have data handling capabilities.
But to take full advantage of all of the possibilities offered by the GPSMAP 176C, you would need a MapSource mapping program, another Garmin Data Card (I recommend one that has at least 64mb of memory — Garmin part No. 010-10226-02) and a Data Card Programmer (Garmin Part No. 010-10363-00).
This will allow you to have the ability to mark and save waypoints, routes and tracks on the maps in the computer program, and download them directly into your GPS unit and allow you to install different maps on the data card for use in your unit.
As the GPSMAP 176C can be used in a road vehicle, it can be used on such trips with all of its GPS features. Naturally to view the roads or other features as maps in your unit, you would have to install those maps from the MapSource program into your data chip and then install them in your GPS unit.
I highly recommend any inshore angler or traveler consider getting the MapSource U.S. TOPO mapping program. It allows you to have all of the United States topo maps available for use in your GPS unit. I believe that the topo maps show more detail than the blue charts when it comes to navigating the coastal Louisiana marshes.
For additional information, go to the Garmin web site at www.garmin.com, and check out the info on your GPSMAP 176C, its accessories, as well as the cartrography that is available for the GPS unit.
Keep in touch, and get back to me if you think I may be of any other assistance.
Dear Capt. Paul:
Could you tell me what the GPS coordinates are for Fisherman’s Reef in Lafitte? I know it is located somewhere in Little Lake near Bay L’Ours. Thanks so much for your help.
Glenn Shultz
Capt. Paul’s response:
The best that I can do is to give you an approximate position of the Fisherman’s Reef because there is no officially named location.
I believe that the reef in question is the site of an old production platform in the southern part of Little Lake. It is west of Turtle Bay and northeast of Bay L’ Ours. The at one time had a platform and a shell pad around the structure. I think that the shells still remain, and that the old shell pad is called Fisherman’s Reef.
Use the following position and your depth finder, and look for the shell pad.
The former site of the platform should be a productive area. That location is at or about N29 31.821 by W90 09.891. The water depth in the area is around 5 feet.
Dear Capt. Paul:
I am looking for the GPS coordinates and closest boat launch for Te Beu (I think that is how you spell it). I heard it is located somewhere between Marsh Island and Freshwater City.
Thanks, Brent Fusilier
Capt. Paul’s response:
I searched for your Te Beu, and could not locate anything officially by that name.
Judging by the description of the approximate location of your site, I believe you may be looking for Tete Butte, which is a small hill covered with trees and located on the shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico west of Lighthouse Point and the Southwest Pass of Vermilion Bay. The Butte is a hill just north of the shoreline.
The closest launch to that area is the Cypremort Point area in Vermillion Bay. It is about 17 miles via boat to the Tete Butte reef via Vermillion Bay and Southwest Pass. Tete Butte is about 23 miles from Intracoastal City via the Vermilion River Cutoff, Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass.
As far as the Tete Butte reef goes, there are two small oval sections left about 600 feet from the mean low-water mark of the shoreline just south of Tete Butte. They are about 2.6 miles west of the Southwest Pass area, and about 23 miles east of Freshwater Bayou Canal and the Gulf Of Mexico. The Butte is west of Marsh Island.
The lager of the two reefs, the easternmost oval, is about 600 feet in length north to south and about 250 feet east to west. The northern end of this eastern oval, is located at or about N29 34.978 by W92 05.564. The southernmost part of the same oval is at or about N29 34.892 by W92 05.563.
The smaller, westernmost oval is almost 1,300 feet due west of the northern end of the above reef. The southernmost end is at or about N29 34.980 by W92 05.832.
Use caution in the area as the water depth may be less than 3 feet in the area around the reef.
Good luck fishing the reef. Let me know how you make out.
To ask Capt. Paul a GPS-related question, go to www.louisianasportsman.com.
