~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Richard Thorne ~

Use caution when ordering any map program as once purchased, they are not refundable or exchangeable. In short, the program is yours.

I say that to alert you to do your homework before purchasing nearly a $200 purchase.

Most of the Navionics programs come area produced in several formats. The same regions are usually marketed in a Secure Digital (SD), which is the format that is used by your Humminbird unit, as well as Compact Flash (CF) and Micro SD formats.

To get the most out of your Humminbird 898c, I suggest that you get the
Navionics Platinum series of mapping. They offer a new region of HOT Maps called Navionics Platinum South. It has INLAND LAKES in New Mexico, Texas, OK, NE, KS, MO, AR, LOUISIANA, MS, AL, GA and Florida. It is available from the Humminbird site as well as other dealers on the web.

The other Navionics Platinum is marketed as Coastal Regions. Coastal Region 651 in the Platinum Plus program, I believe consists of Coastal NOAA Marine Charts that covers the from Cape San Blas, Fl to Baton Rouge, LA. But I was unable to ascertain if the “PLUS” version will operate in the Humminbird 898 as the “Plus” version is sold in the MICRO SD format. You should be able to get a converter that converts the Micro SD to a standard SD format at any electronics store, but be sure to check the compatibility.

I strongly suggest that also you access the Humminbird web site at

www.humminbird.com/leading_innovation/fishing-systems.aspx

and register your unit and then download the FREE Humminbird PC program. This download will allow you to transfer data such as waypoints, tracks, and routes to and from your Humminbird GPS unit and your computer. It is a worth while endeavor even if you don’t buy a supplemental mapping program.

~ Captain Paul ~

.
~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ HCKID719 ~

This is a tough question to answer. It is almost like you picking out a dress for your wife or mother. Yes the dress will cover the necessary parts, but how does it fit, where will it be used and how long do you intend to keep the outfit. You can see what I mean!

There are several units that should suit your needs WHEN LOADED with the proper accessory mapping software and an accessory or two. What ever unit you decide on, be sure to get the 12 volt remote power cable and a marine mount that can be installed on your console or dash of your auto. This arrangement will give you a hands free, unlimited operation time, when connected to the cigarette adapter on you boat or auto. It will save you money in the long run on batteries.

I would be hard pressed to recommend a specific unit. There are a lot of considerations that would affect your choice. Foremost would be the cost of the unit or rather the dollar amount you want to or can spend.

Most users who get a very basic unit usually upgrade to a color mapping unit within a few months of seeing what a GPS unit can really do. I suggest that you save the upgrade costs and get one that has more features and an internal mapping program.

So, in order to at least give you a starting point, let me express some of my findings about different GPS types and styles.

First, as I said, I have found that most GPS owners eventually upgrade to a mapping GPS unit sooner or later. So spare the cost of additional units and get a color screen mapping unit at the start.

The mapping features really bring the GPS into a realm that allows the user to take full advantage of all of the functions of a GPS unit and to have maps of the area. Remember though that a Mapping unit requires the same manufacturers mapping software. This is usually sold as an option accessory and usually runs +/- $100.

Most manufacturers have a web site that comprehensively covers their line of receivers as well as the mapping software that is available.

I suggest that you begin by looking at each of these sites for an understanding of what is being offered in today’s market. There are others, but I would START with the largest companies that sell hand held GPS receivers to the consumer market.

Lowrance, Magellan, DeLorme and Garmin have a very impressive line of hand held units. These units are available for your perusal on the same web site. Check them out at Garmin @ www.garmin.com/ , Lowrance @ www.lowrance.com/ ; www.Delorme.com and Magellan @ www.magellangps.com/.

Yes, It know there are others and you may want to consider them also, but start with these brands to get an idea of what is available from the top three brands.

These units when loaded with the OPTIONAL mapping software, offer a very versatile package that will more than accommodate your needs.

In narrowing down your selection you will have to decide whether or not you want (or need) color screens. I strongly recommend the color version.

In addition you will have to determine the features that you want in the unit.

I can, however, offer you some pointers that may help YOU decide which one will be best for you.

A gray scale screen (not color) will be less expensive than a color one.

A smaller screen will be less expensive than a larger one.

A screen that has screen touch-controlled functions will be a great deal more expensive than a button or menu controlled unit.

Those units with a “Touch Screen” command area usually more expensive than button model.

A non mapping unit will be less expensive that a mapping unit.

Some units can utilize auto type road maps. This mapping software when used in specific units can provide an ON THE ROAD routing. This type of road and street routing can guide you to various street addresses and locations throughout the U.S. Those units that have the ability to do an ON ROAD routing generally cost more than other units that only have a “AS THE CROW FLIES” type of routing.

Some units cannot accept any other mapping than what is already loaded into the receiver. These units have a preloaded “base” map that the manufacturer believes will suit your needs. It cannot be supplemented with any other mapping. These types are less expensive than those that CAN accept additional mapping.

Some units require that a data memory card loaded with the maps you designed with your software, or that you purchased pre loaded data cards with maps. These memory cards are inserted into the receiver in order to view those maps on the unit’s screen.

Some of the units can use an over the counter Secure Digital (SD) or Media Memory Cart (MMC) or Micro SD cards and some can ONLY use their own proprietary memory card that requires their own card reader/writer.

Some units have an internal compass and altimeter~barometer and even a camera. Those with such extra sensors are more expensive than those without such additional features.

Some of the units CANNOT accept electronic connections. They are less expensive than those that can accept such downloads.

Some units have an internal compass and altimeter~barometer and even a camera. Those with such extra sensors are more expensive than those without such additional features.

When considering your choices, be sure to take in to account the SUPPORT that the manufacturer offers for his units. A Support Section that offers a person to speak to about a problem is a very big “plus” when it comes to getting help on a specific problem. Speaking to a in English to a PERSON and not a machine is really a big plus in the type of support that the various companies offer.

Access the various web sites and view all of the choices you may have, then visit a stocking dealer and “feel” the unit in your hand. Sometimes the buttons on the unit are not quite right for a person with small or large hands or someone who is left handed. Check out the unit, the size of the screens and the general appearance and how it operates.

Narrow down your choices and then get back with me. I would be happy to discuss your options with you.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's Response to Davie W. ~

First the easy part of your question. Yes, almost any GPS unit can determine distances as you described the problem. Some can even do so by simply using the map screen and mark two locations. These units would allow you to determine the distances, but remember that the distances will be in a straight line. It would NOT take into consideration the elevations and additional obstructions and course alterations that may prohibit a straight line course. It is a very primitive function for a GPS unit.

Now for what unit is best for you. This is a tough question to answer. It is almost like you picking out a dress for your wife or mother. Yes the dress will cover the necessary parts, but how does it fit, where will it be used and how long do you intend to keep the outfit. You can see what I mean!

There are several units that should suit your needs WHEN LOADED with the proper accessory mapping software and an accessory or two. What ever unit you decide on, be sure to get the 12 volt remote power cable and a marine mount that can be installed on your console or dash of your auto. This arrangement will give you a hands free, unlimited operation time, when connected to the cigarette adapter on you boat or auto. It will save you money in the long run on batteries.

I would be hard pressed to recommend a specific unit. There are a lot of considerations that would affect your choice. Foremost would be the cost of the unit or rather the dollar amount you want to or can spend.

Most users who get a very basic unit usually upgrade to a color mapping unit within a few months of seeing what a GPS unit can really do. I suggest that you save the upgrade costs and get one that has more features and an internal mapping program.

So, in order to at least give you a starting point, let me express some of my findings about different GPS types and styles.

First, as I said, I have found that most GPS owners eventually upgrade to a mapping GPS unit sooner or later. So spare the cost of additional units and get a color screen mapping unit at the start.

The mapping features really bring the GPS into a realm that allows the user to take full advantage of all of the functions of a GPS unit and to have maps of the area. Remember though that a Mapping unit requires the same manufacturers mapping software. This is usually sold as an option accessory and usually runs +/- $100.

Most manufacturers have a web site that comprehensively covers their line of receivers as well as the mapping software that is available. I suggest that you begin by looking at each of these sites for an understanding of what is being offered in today’s market. There are others, but I would START with the largest companies that sell hand held GPS receivers to the consumer market.

Lowrance, Magellan, DeLorme and Garmin have a very impressive line of hand held units. These units that are available for your perusal on the same web site. Check them out at Garmin @ www.garmin.com/ , Lowrance @ www.lowrance.com/ www.Delorme.com and Magellan @ www.magellangps.com/.

Yes, It know there are others and you may want to consider them also, but start with these brands to get an idea of what is available from the top three sellers.

These units when loaded with the OPTIONAL mapping software, offer a very versatile package that will more than accommodate your needs.

Narrow down your choice and get back with me. I would be happy to discuss your choice.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Robynel ~

You have a mighty fine GPS unit that should serve you well. The GPSMAP 76CSX comes preloaded with what Garmin calls a base map. It is what the name implies, a basic map of the entire U.S. It does NOT provide more detailed images for the many bayous, creeks, lagoons, lakes and cuts that make up the Louisiana Coastal marshes. For that you will need to purchase one of several accessory mapping programs that are available for the unit.

There are THREE MAIN CHOICES for the Vermillion Bay area. All of which are loaded or can be loaded on a Secure Digital Micro SD card that is inserted in the weather proof card slot in side the battery compartment.

The first consideration would be Garmin’s Blue Chart g2 mapping software. This is ordered by areas. The area for the entire U.S. (HXUS039R - US g2) is listed as part Number: 010-C1018-20 with a Suggested Retail Price of $ 160.70 USD. It Provides detailed coastal coverage of the U.S. including the east Coast from the Canadian border to Key West, FL; the Gulf of Mexico; Alaska; the west Coast from Puget Sound to the Mexican Border; Hawaii; the Bahamas; the Aleutian and Channel Islands; and major inland rivers. Also features general coverage of Canadian waters in the Inside and Outside Passages, Puget Sound, and the Great Lakes.

It is based on existing NOAA Marine Charts for the respective areas. Most of these charts are in 1:80,000 scale marine maps. As said, it covers coastal waters and some MAJOR rivers. Vermillion Bay is covered in this product.

Another choice would be to get topographical maps of the area. I am a firm believer that topo type maps are a better choice for the Louisiana marshes. These maps, however, do not cover offshore area beyond about a 5 mile distance. They do, however, have great detail in land masses within the area of coverage.

The topo MAPPING SOFTWARE comes in two versions. One is TOPO U.S. 100K . It covers topographical maps of the entire U.S. in 1:100,000 scale. It is Available in a Download, microSD™/SD™ card and DVD format.

I prefer the DVD format as it gives the user the ability to install what ever areas he may want for a pending trip, etc.

The third choice is, I believe the best for the inshore fisherman and anyone who travels in any of the inland Louisiana areas. It is Garmin’s TOPO U.S. 24K. It is sold by regions.

The Southeast region brings you the highest level of topographic detail coverage that includes Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. It has maps comparable to 1:24,000 scale USGS maps. These highly detailed maps include terrain contours, topo elevations, summits, routable roads and trails, parks, coastlines, rivers, lakes and geographic points - and they also display 3-D terrain shading on compatible devices. TOPO maps are ideal for hiking, hunting, camping, cycling and communing with nature and fishing in the inshore waters of the state. The program is currently Available on microSD™/SD™card or download.

Make a choice and then download the FREE Garmin data transfer program called BASE CAMP or HOME PORT. The Base Camp would work for the two topographical programs, but if you decide on the Blue Chart g2 program get the HOME PORT program, as it will let you view the charts on your computer screen.

Both programs will give you the ability to transfer routes, tracks, and waypoints between your Garmin GPS unit and your computer. It is worth the added effort as this transfer ability will save you countless hours in planning your trip and archiving your waypoints.

The electronic transfer is the basis of the Captain Paul Fishing Edge of GPS Waypoints that are sold on this web site in the outdoor store.

~ CAPTAIN PAUL ~

~ Captain Paul\'s response to: ~ Wildbill 1974 ~

The map issue should NOT be a result of the underwater sand bar incident. Unless, that is, if the connecting cable to the transducer is compromised and a short has developed between the cable and possibility the water around the boat.

This short could cause internal problems in the unit. Try disconnecting the transducer cable at the unit and see if the mapping in the unit performs properly.

You failed to mention which HDS-5 you have. Is your unit one with preloaded maps in a hard drive, or is it dependant on a supplemental mapping accessory that is installed on a memory card?

If your unit has mapping on a memory card, try removing the card and carefully wipe the contact points and re-install the card in the provided slot. It may help and at least you will know that it is clean.

There is another feature that is incorporated in the unit’s operating software. It is the RESET feature.

Resetting internal software sometimes clears up such clichés as you describe. There are two ways of resetting the software in a HDS -5 unit.


The Soft Reset (Does not delete GPS Data) and the Hard Reset (Deletes stored GPS Data such as Waypoints and trails)
Soft RESET HDS 5 Reset

1. Turn unit OFF 1. Turn unit OFF. Press and hold the PAGES key

2. Press and hold the ZIN&ZOUT Keys at the same time.

3. Press and Release the PWR key

4. Release all buttons when the USA map appears

Soft Reset (Does not delete GPS Data) Hard Reset (Deletes stored GPS Data such as Waypoints and trails)

Hard Reset (Deletes stored GPS Data such as Waypoints and trails)

HDS 5 Reset

1. Turn unit OFF 1. Turn unit OFF

2. Press and hold the PAGES key. Press and hold the ZIN&ZOUT Keys at the same time

3. Press and Release the PWR key 3. Press and Release the PWR key

4. Release all buttons when the USA map appears

Other reset procedures may differ for other types of GPS units.

Check the Lowrance web site for a complete listing all Lowrance units @

http://primus.lowrance.com/support/resultDisplay.do?gotoLink=33596&docType=1002&contextId=574%3A33596.33624%2C48131.48250%2C64658.64765&clusterName=ClusterPublic&lang=english&docset=%2FDocuments%2FResets&contentId=99bd9079-109b-49ad-9727-9e06d5439849&responseId=135ccbe2cfd4f608%3Adcb03b%3A12a7ca9d012%3A-1ce7&groupId=4&answerGroup=1&score=881&page=http%3A%2F%2Fprimus.lowrance.com%2Ficr%2FResets%2FUnitResets_Lowrance.pdf&result=0&excerpt=Press+the+Hard+Reset+button.&question=reset+button&resultType=5000#Goto33596

If you attempteither of the RESET Options, BACKUP ALL OF YOUR DATA PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING THE RESET FEATURE.

Lowrance offers a FREE data transfer program for such backup transfers. Their GPS Data Manager V.6 (GDM6) allows you to upload and download GPS data from your LOWRANCE GPS unit to your computer. It lets you easily access and manipulate Waypoints, Routes, Trails and Icons. It is a great tool for planning a route and transferring waypoints and the route itself. The GPS Data Manager V.6 allows you to build a collection of route information that you can download to your unit.

It is available from their web site at http://www.lowrance.us/en-us/Downloads/GPS-Data-Manager-GDM/

The GDM-6 is the perfect tool for persons who only desire to use their unit as a plotter or those who only use preprogrammed electronic charts with their unit. There is however a caution that you should be aware of; Saving GPS data to a preprogrammed electronic chart could possibly cause the electronic chart to fail. Use a separate memory card for storing GPS data from GDM6.

Once the data is on the memory card, it is placed in the GPS unit, temporary replacing the mapping card and the user accesses the MENU feature in the GPS unit. By selecting the TRANSFER DATA option, Waypoint, Tracks and Routes are then transferred and stored in the internal memory of the unit. Waypoints on the card cannot be accessed UNLESS they are transferred to the internal memory of the unit.

You will also need a computer card reader~writer and a BLANK data card of the style necessary for your GPS unit. Again, DO NOT TRY TO USE one of the MAPPING cards. Sometimes in a download, the data is written OVER existing data. If this happens it will destroy the maps that are on the data card.

Using the GDM program you can plot waypoints and create routes then transfer them to the data card which allows you to integrate into the GPS’s internal waypoint and route memory.

This electronic data transfer is the basis for my CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS.

If these suggestions do not work in correcting your mapping problem in the unit, you will have to call the Lowrance Support section at 1-800-324-1356 for assistance.

Please let me know how you make out.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul\'s response to: ~ Beak Buster 84 ~

I am glad to hear that you got the supplemental mapping program that is available for your Lowracne HDS 7 unit. The Navionics Gold mapping system really lets you take advantage of all of the features in this fantastic GPS unit. You have a top of the line GPS mapping unit with a top flight mapping program. It should serve you well.

Yes, there is a way to have the waypoints disappear from the map screen without deleting them from the Lowrance HDS – 7 unit.

Check out pages Pages 42 to 47 in the owners manual. It covers waypoints and how to delete, edit, and place them in the HDS 7 unit.

Specifically, check out page 46 in the manual. It describes how the waypoints, tracks and routes are DISPLAYED in the MAP page. By accessing the menu feature as described in the manual, you can either have the data visible or hidden while on the map or chart page of the system.

Unfortunately, you cannon “hide” individual waypoints. You either have to show all or hide all of the entered waypoints. Using this feature will NOT DELETE the waypoint, but will not let the unit display them when you are on the chart pages in the system. They can be “turned on or off” as the need arises.

There is another way which may also help you; that is to set the RANGE of the displayed chart to a smaller scale. This will make the images on the screen appear larger but will cover less of an area. By “zooming in” on a specific map area, will give you a closer view of the map features and will also indicate the differences between the closely defined waypoints.

The unit has an AUTO RANGING feature which allows the software in the unit to select the scale of the internal maps. The size of coverage usually depends on the speed that the vessel is traveling. It would make no sense to have a map that is 300 feet from edge to edge of the screen when the vessel is traveling at 50 MPH. Such a speed would have the vessel traveling at about 73.333 feet per second. That means that the vessel would “run off“ the map in about 4 seconds. If however the scale of the map is about 2 or 5 miles from edge to edge, it allows the navigator an opportunity to make reasonable decisions as how to navigate the courses.

However, you can change the map scale that is displayed as you get close to a feature to a more zoomed in view.

Of course, simply slowing down the vessel will usually cause the unit to display the map image in a greater detailed view.

Remember, that the GPS unit along with all of its sophisticated internal mapping and position finding systems, is NOT a replacement for a hard copy map of the area where you are traveling.

Be sure to download the Lowrance GPS Data Management (GDM-6) from their web site at

http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/GPS-Data-Manager-GDM/

This data program will allow you to be able to transfer DATA such as waypoints, tracks, and routes to and from your GPS unit and your computer via a SPARE memory card.

In doing this transfer, be sure to get a spare Secure Digital (SD) card when doing the transfers. Attempting to use the Navionics SD mapping card, may corrupt it causing it to malfunction when displaying the maps in the GPS unit.

According to Lowrance,

“GPS Data Manager V.6 (GDM6) allows you to upload and download GPS data from your unit to your computer. You can easily access and manipulate Waypoints, Routes, Trails and Icons. A great tool for planning a route, the GPS Data Manager V.6 allows you to build a collection of route information that you can download to your unit.

GDM6 is the perfect tool for persons who only desire to use their unit as a plotter or those who only use preprogrammed electronic charts with their unit. GDM6 was created for these users who do not require the full mapping features of the MapCreate™ 6 software. Note: Saving GPS data to a preprogrammed electronic chart could possibly cause the electronic chart to fail - please check with the manufacturer of the electronic chart before saving GPS data from GDM6 to the memory card, or use a separate memory card for storing GPS data from GDM6.” (End Quote)

Try out my suggestions and see if they can assist you in viewing your waypoints.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Rick Lemoine ~

The Captain Paul’s Fishing Edge of GPS Waypoints for the Vermillion bay includes EDGE sites from Point Chevreuil and East Cote Blanche Bay reefs at the Gulf on the East, to the junction of the Intra Coastal Water Way (ICWW)and The Freshwater canal on the west of the areas from the Gulf of Mexico to the ICWW.

It includes locations in Vermillion Bay, Little White Lake, Belle Isle Lake, the Weeks Bay area, The Cypremort Point area, the South West Pass area of Vermillion Bay, Tete Butte and Diamond Reef areas, and numerous points in and around Marsh Island.

The Vermillion EDGE contains over 200 waypoints that are throughout this area. The Lake Calcasieu (Big Lake) EDGE has 140 waypoints. Both are only available on the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN WEB SITE’s OUTDOOR STORE.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ VANCE MISURACA ~
Wow! You have one of the flagship models of the Garmin GPS line. It certainly has the ability to accommodate data transfers to and from a computer and the unit.

The GPSMAP 5012 features an unprecedented touch screen interface, along with a satellite-enhanced worldwide basemap and a 31 cm screen that makes navigation as easy as pointing your finger. By connecting to the Garmin Marine Network, you can add sonar, radar and weather. For even more advanced features, you can add the optional BlueChart® g2 Vision® card.

I sincerely hope that you also have the supplemental BLUE CHART g2 VISION chart for the unit as it is the top of the line mapping for that unit. Yes, the GPSMAP 5012 has internal maps, but unless you purchased the supplemental mapping program, these maps are only considered as BASEMAP.

The g2 VISION program really allows you to take advantage of all of the mapping and features on your unit. It is worth consideration.

In order to transfer data to and from your unit, you will need a spare memory card and card reader~ writer. The GPSMAP 5012 has a Secure Digital (SD™) memory card slot. This is the location where the maps on a memory card are inserted, as well as where a similar data card is temporarily placed for data transfers.

Basically, the data, waypoints, tracks and routes are transferred from and to the GPS unit and your computer.

To do this you need a data transfer program installed on your computer.

A companion to the unit is GARMIN’s HomePort™ .

It is listed as Garmin Part Number: 010-D0621-00, ~ Suggested Retail Price: $ 29.99 USD and is a Downloadable item from the Garmin web site.

Even if you don’t purchase one of my EDGE files, it is worth the effort to get the HOMEPORT software as it will allow you to back up all of your waypoints from your unit to a computer file.

In addition the HOME PORT program allows you to VIEW the existing maps (BlueChart g2Vision) on your computer screen. This gives you the ability to plan a trip from your computer and then transfer the data into your GPS unit. You can actually see the maps, charts and aerial views on your computer screen.

Once you have the necessary components, you can order the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS from the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN’s Web site.

I have not yet released an EDGE file for the Venice area, but I am working on one for the inshore fishing locations. My Delacroix to Pt a La Hache covers some of the Breton Sound area.

My Empire to Buras covers the inshore water area between Empire and Buras which includes Carrion Crow, Sandy Point areas. I do not have an EDGE for the WEST DELTA or any other offshore water areas.

The EDGE programs are available in the OUTDOOR store on the Sportsman web site.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Ross Bernard ~

There are two ways to transfer data to the Garmin GPSMAP 188/188C.

Let me first explain the two ways to accomplish the data transfer.

One way is to secure a Garmin Adapter cable (A/C,PC adapter, 18pin (US)
part # 010-10276-00, suggested list price $ 63.62 USD ) and connect the unit to a serial port on your computer. This adapter allows you to connect your GPS unit to AC power (U.S., 110-volt) and to your PC via a power converter and a “Y” cable.

Using this configuration, you can remove the GPS unit from your vessel and bring it into your home or camp where you have standard power and a computer, connect it to the computer via a serial port connection and power it up.

As you stated, the Garmin GPSMAP 188C takes a special GARMIN data card. (Garmin Data Card (64 MB) Part # 010-10226-12. Suggested price of $ 69.99 USD)

At one time, Garmin had these cards in various memory sizes up to 254 MB, but now the only size is the 64 MB size. This size, however is not a problem for data transfers as a 1000 waypoint file consists of only about 100 KB of memory.

This card is roughly in the shape of one half of an old style ice cream stick. It requires a GARMIN Card Programmer (Garmin Data Card Programmer part # 010-10776-00 suggested price of $ 50.00 USD) to program OR write to the data card.

The Garmin GPSMAP 188C can ONLY use these types of data cards which are a Garmin proprietary product. Although they can be found on the internet at various GARMIN suppliers, the unit can only use the Garmin specified data card.
If you have such a card in your unit, it probably has a supplemental mapping program for your unit. DO NOT USE THIS MAPPING card to transfer DATA. Doing so may overwrite some of the mapping data and as such destroy the map images. USE A SEPARATE CARD FOR YOUR DATA TRANSFERS.

Although they may be hard to find, both of these items may be still available from a stocking GARMIN DEALER, but are listed on the Garmin web site at

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=168&pID=160#accessoryTab

Once the data is on the memory card, the user must transfer the data from the card using the GPSMAP 188c menu feature to install the data into the internal memory of the unit.

After deciding on which option you wish to use, you will need a means of completing the transfers in your computer.

If you already have one of the older Garmin MAPSOURCE topo mapping programs, it has a section that allows the user to transfer data, waypoints, tracks, and routes to and from the computer and the GPS unit via the Adapter Cable or the Garmin Data Card.

Here again, you have two options. You can purchase the Garmin TRIP and WAYPOINT Manager program for about $30.00 or you can download the Garmin FREE download called BASE CAMP.

(http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/onthetrail/basecamp#fragment-2

The Base Camp and the Trip and Waypoint Manager allows you to Create waypoints and routes on your computer and transfer maps, waypoints, routes, tracks between your computer and GPS device.

Having these items will allow you the opportunity to transfer the data to and from the GPSMAP unit and your computer. Take that opportunity to first transfer all of your existing data from the GPS unit to your computer file.

This will ensure that you have a backup of all of your data in the event that the unit fails.

Make a folder under MY DOCUMENTS, something like GPS info, then a sub folder such as Waypoints. It would be wise to then make a folder for each of the different areas that you fish. It would look something like MY DOCUMENTS / GPS INFO / WAYPOINTS / CALCASIEU and other individual folders for each of your fishing areas.

The GPSMAP 188c can hold 3000 waypoints, so it is important to arrange them by areas so that you do not have scroll though 2000 or more waypoints to find the one you want. By having these files for different areas, you will have only those you need for the area where you are located.

This electronic data transfer is the basis of my CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS. It allows you to transfer over 200 waypoints in less than two minutes from your computer into the internal waypoint memory of your GPS unit.

The Captain Paul Fishing EDGE is ONLY available from the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN'S OUTDOOR STORE WEB SITE.

~ Captain Paul ~

Captain Paul's Response to ~ Ian Byrd ~

Ian, Rock piles in Louisiana waters are real rarity.

The closest thing we have to rocks are the various “BANKS” which are underwater features. These are either under water bulging salt or mud domes (lumps) or formations of basalt outcrops, shelf-edge carbonate, limestone, sandstone, clay stone and siltstones sedimentary rock that has been uplifted.

A great deal of these underwater structures has colonies of coral growing in the formations. Some are even declared a National Marine Sanctuary because of the variety of marine animals in the area.

These and several other locations are favored by Grouper in Louisiana waters. Groupers habitually eat fish, crab, octopus, and lobster. They feed by lying in wait, rather than chasing prey in the open water. Their habitat is generally around some sort of bottom feature such as reefs, shipwrecks and in Louisiana Oil and Gas platform structures. Generally the adult Grouper is found from 50 to 300 feet deep and on some occasions as deep as 500 feet. The larger of the species are generally found deeper in the water column.

I have listed some of the “Banks” plotted with a general position, but I suggest that you visit a web site called GULFBASE. The site is located at
http://www.gulfbase.org/

Select the “ Reefs, Banks and Islands” button and examine the Banks yourself.

Here are some of the 'BANKS' off of the East Texas, Louisiana and western Mississippi Gulf Coasts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sackett Bank N 28.38, W 89.33 aka as the MID NIGHT LUMP

Diaphus Bank N 28.05, W 90.42

Ewing Bank N 28.06, W 91.02

Jakkula Bank N 27.59, W 91.39

Alaminos Bank N 28.01, W 91.45

Fishnet Bank N 28.09, W 91.49

Sweet Bank N 27.51, W 91.49

Phleger Bank N 27.50, W 91.54

Alderdice Bank N 28.05, W 92.00

Parker Bank aka Flying Dutchman N 27.58, W 92.02

Antoine Bank N 27.50, W 92.18

Rezak Bank N 27.58, W 92.22


In addition the Louisiana Department of Wild Life and Fisheries is the state approving agency and keeps the official documentation of ARTIFICIAL REEFS in Louisiana waters. It publishes these “reefs” on their web site at

www.wlf.louisiana.gov/fishing/programs/habitat/

The site lists consists of a listing of all offshore artificial reefs. Most are dismantled oil and gas platforms, but some are discarded ships and military land vehicles.

The site indicates the Area, Leased Block, depth of the water, previous owner and of course the latitude ~ longitude of the sites.

It is a worth while endeavor just to review these locations, as they offer anglers an unique opportunity to fish and or dive at the sites.

And lastly, Yes, I know you said that you wanted to get away from the RIGS, but these active rigs are the PRIME location to fish for Grouper. So if you are giving up on the rigs, your quest will be harder.

Check these sites out as you note their location of current NOAA charts of the respective areas. The banks and artificial reefs and the RIGS shown on these charts are prime fishing grounds.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul\'s response to: ~David Baker~

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement's (BOEMRE), formerly the MMS, Leased Block # 69 of the MAIN PASS Area, has over 6 well heads listed in that block.

However platform MP-69-D is evidently larger than the others and is indicated as a collection point for over fifteen well heads, some of which may not be visible above the sea floor. There are several underwater pipelines running to these other sites from this platform. These pipelines look almost like a spider on the seafloor.

Using the BOEMRE NAD 27 datum, it is plotted by BOEMRE, at a position of 29.27396359° N ~ 89.02721642° W in decimal degrees (29° 16.437’N ~ 89° 01.633’ W in DDD,MM.mmm).

Most of the other visible platforms can be seen from this location.\\

It is in about 50 feet of water about 4.0 miles from the center of the mouth of Pass a Loutre at Lands End NNW at a bearing of 352° magnetic.

~ Captain Paul ~

Captain Paul\'s response to: ~ Ben ~

First, of course, you can manually enter the waypoints directly in to the unit by marking the actual position or by editing the name and position of an existing position to correspond to the name and latiltude~longitude of the position you wish to install in the GPS unit.

This certainly would do for a few locations but would be very time consuming for a number of waypoints. But, even then it is NOT an automatic procedure. Check your owners manual for details on how to enter waypoint into your unit.

To accomplish an installation via an electronic download you will need several items.

First is a computer with an approved data transfer program installed in the computer and of course a GPS unit that has the capability to accept downloads either directly into the unit or via a memory card which is inserted into the provided card slot on the unit.

Lowrance offers a FREE data transfer program for such transfers. Their GPS Data Manager V.6 (GDM6) allows you to upload and download GPS data from your LOWRANCE GPS unit to your computer. It lets you easily access and manipulate Waypoints, Routes, Trails and Icons.

It is a great tool for planning a route and transferring waypoints and the route itself. The GPS Data Manager V.6 allows you to build a collection of route information that you can download to your unit.

It is available from their web site at http://www.lowrance.us/en-us/Downloads/GPS-Data-Manager-GDM/

The GDM-6 is the perfect tool for persons who only desire to use their unit as a plotter or those who only use preprogrammed electronic charts with their unit. There is however a caution that you should be aware of; Saving GPS data to a preprogrammed electronic chart could possibly cause the electronic chart to fail. Use a separate memory card for storing GPS data from GDM6.

Once the data is on the memory card, it is placed in the GPS unit, temporary replacing the mapping card and the user accesses the MENU feature in the GPS unit. By selecting the TRANSFER DATA option, Waypoint, Tracks and Routes are then transferred and stored in the internal memory of the unit.

Waypoints on the card cannot be accessed UNLESS they are transferred to the internal memory of the unit.

You will also need a computer card reader~writer and a BLANK data card of the style necessary for your GPS unit. Again, DO NOT TRY TO USE one of the MAPPING cards. Sometimes in a download, the data is written OVER existing data. If this happens it will destroy the maps that are on the data card.

Using the GDM program you can plot waypoints and create routes then transfer them to the data card which allows you to integrate into the GPS’s internal waypoint and route memory.

This electronic data transfer is the basis for my CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS.

After purchasing the EDGE program, you open the Lowrance GDM program and then OPEN the saved EDGE file into the program. Once there you can edit or add to the file and transfer it to a data card which is placed in the GPS unit.

Then using the internal MENU feature you transfer the waypoint file into the internal memory of the unit.

~Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul\'s response to: ~ Empty Shell ~

The Eagle Fish Elite 642c iGPS comes with a waterproof card slot for one MMC/SD memory card which is not included with the unit, to allow the user to record sonar graphs and GPS data files, and to load high-detail electronic chart options for navigation displays.

It is by the means of this card that allows you download data, such as waypoints, routes and tracks to and from the GPS unit to a computer installed program. The data is transferred through a Program that is installed in your computer along with a card reader~writer.

Lowrance (LEI) the parent company of Eagle, offers a FREE download to accomplish the data transfer. Check out the LEI download on their web site. They call the program GPS DATA MANAGER -6 (GDM). It can be found on their site @
http://www.eaglesonar.com/Downloads/Software/GDM/default.htm

GPS Data Manager V.6 (GDM6) allows you to upload and download GPS data from your LOWRANCE OR EAGLE GPS unit to your computer. It lets you easily access and manipulate Waypoints, Routes, Trails and Icons. It is a great tool for planning a route and transferring waypoints and the route itself.

The GPS Data Manager V.6 allows you to build a collection of route information that you can download to your unit.

The GDM-6 is the perfect tool for persons who only desire to use their unit as a plotter or those who only use preprogrammed electronic charts with their unit. There is however a caution that you should know. Saving GPS data to a preprogrammed electronic chart could possibly cause the electronic chart to fail.

Use a separate memory card for storing GPS data from GDM6.

Once the data is on the memory card, it is placed in the GPS unit, temporary replacing the mapping card and the user accesses the MENU feature in the GPS unit. By selecting the TRANSFER DATA option, Waypoint, Tracks and Routes are then transferred and stored in the internal memory of the unit.

Waypoints on the card cannot be accessed UNLESS they are transferred to the internal memory of the unit.

As I said, you will also need a computer card reader~writer and a BLANK data card of the style necessary for your GPS unit. Again, DO NOT TRY TO USE one of the MAPPING cards. Sometimes in a download, the data is written OVER existing data. If this happens it will destroy the maps that are on the data card.

Using the GDM program you can plot waypoints and create routes then transfer them to the data card which allows you to integrate into the GPS’s internal waypoint and route memory.

This electronic data transfer is the basis for my CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS.

After purchasing the EDGE program, you open the Lowrance GDM program and then OPEN the saved EDGE file into the program. Once there you can edit or add to the file and transfer it to a data card which is placed in the GPS unit.

When ordering the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE program, specify the EDGE designed for a LOWRANCE GPS SYSTEM.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ NandDakyaw ~

I am not sure exactly what you are asking about, but I do have some information on SELECTIVE AVAILABILITY in the GPS system.

SELECTIVE AVAILABILITY was a term used to describe an intentional degrading of the GPS signals which caused the civilian version of GPS, to provide an accuracy of about 100 meters (320 feet).

The U.S. Department of Defense designed, operates and maintains the Global Positioning System. The system consists of 24 satellites active satellites with several satellites in orbit as spares. There are at least four satellites visible from any location on the surface of the earth at any time. These satellites broadcast a timed signal that is accurate to 1/40,000,000,000 of a second.

Your GPS receiver interprets the signals and using internal software programs determines a position by triangulating the time that the signals take to reach the GPS receiver from four or more of these satellite transmissions. It measures the time that the signals take in route to the GPS receiver. These signals travel at the speed of light, which is about 186,282 miles per second. The more satellite signals that are received allow for a more accurate computation of the position on the earth.

The GPS constellation when used by the military and the Military Defense Mapping can discern a position to with a few centi-meters. These signals are transmitted as a similar but different frequency than the civilian versions of the GPS. At first the Defense Department did not want non-U.S. Military applications to have the super accurate determination of earth positions. So, a system was designed to INTENTIONALLY degrading the GPS civilian satellite signals.

GPS includes a (currently disabled) feature called Selective Availability (SA) that adds intentional, time varying errors of up to 100 meters (328 ft) to the publicly available navigation signals. This was intended to deny an enemy the use of civilian GPS receivers for precision weapon guidance.

This Selective Availability degradation was eliminated May of 2000.

In making the announcement, the President stated, “New technologies demonstrated by the Department of Defense enable the United States to degrade the GPS signal on a regional basis. Should a National Security issue arise, SA signals could be placed in a specific region. This region-specific action would NOT affect other worldwide users.”

However, it is possible, if the Department of Defense believes that a hostile group may use the GPS system to cause an attack on the U.S., that SA will again be activated. In the event that SA is activated, worst-case accuracy would go from under 20 meters as it is now the standard to 100 meters in all GPS civilian receivers as when SA was active.



But in the meantime the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designed and placed in orbit satellites that broadcast a CORRECTED GPS signal, that is called Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The WAAS satellites are geostationary, in that they are above the same location of the earth all of the time. WAAS satellites broadcast within the range of the standard GPS satellites, making it available to any standard civilian GPS unit that includes the WAAS radio feature. This is a common feature on most modern GPS units.

It is designed to assist commercial airline pilots in landings at commercial airports.

Using the GPS satellites and the WAAS feature, modern GPS units can discern a position to within 3 meters, about 9.8 feet and offers the casual GPS user an extreamly accurate navigation tool.

It is possible, if the Department of Defense believes that a hostile group may use the GPS system to cause an attack on the U.S., that SA or a version thereof, will again be activated. But, newer technology since 1992 when the GPS~ Selective Availability was designed, can allow the Department of Defense to disable or distort the signals for a very precise area. This can allow civilian units to be less accurate in certain areas if there is a national security issue in that area.

This capability of distorting the GPS signals has NOT occurred during the latest mid-east military action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Selective Availability should NOT be a concern to any person who may want to use a GPS. As said, a modern unit can with GPS and WAAS determine a very, very accurate position that was unheard of just a few short years ago.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ WildBill 1974 ~

The Lowrance web site (www.lowrance.com) indicates that their HDS 5 unit can accommodate the Optional Navionics® Platinum+ and Platinum chartcards with TurboView™ for worldwide coverage - as well as Navionics® HotMaps™ Platinum, Lowrance Hot Spots® PRO and LakeMaster® ProMaps (Americas).

But it can also accommodate their new NAUTIC INSIGHT for your unit. The Nautic Insight HD comes in an East and West version, so for Louisiana, you should consider the INSIGHT EAST version.
(http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Mapping/Insight-HD/Nautic-Insight-HD/)

The east version gives you ALL Gulf and Atlantic coastal mapping coverage plus 19 interior Louisiana lakes.

Lowrance describes the INSIGHT program as,

“NEW Nautic Insight™ (for HDS-51) offers a superior like-like view of coastal bottom structure with detailed coastal and offshore depth contours, plus nav aids, for the entire U.S. coastline.” (end quote)

The program can be found at most stocking dealers as well as on the intenet.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Dick Jurisich ~

Sorry Dick, I don’t have any information for a Wreck ~ Barge with a crane NORTH of the central rig in Breton Sound.

I checked all of my files as well as the NOAA Wrecks and Obstructions data base and could not locate the site even there.

I do have a location for a site called THE WRECK which was~is an old barge and rig with a tower that is WEST of the Central Rig. It is partily above the water near another platform.

If you have any other information on the barge that you asked about, please give me the info and I will try to plot the position for you.

In the meantime, here are the positions for the Central Rig and THE WRECK that I have.

THE “CENTRAL RIG” is farther to the east and is also north of the MRGO.

The Central Rig is one of about 8 platforms of the Kerr-McGee series of rigs in the area north of what was the MRGO channel. It is about 5 miles directly north of “where” RED # 22 buoy was in the MRGO channel. It is about 3.8 miles northwest of the Gosier Islands, or what is left of the islands and is about 6.5 miles NNE of North Point Island of the Breton Islands, which are south of the OLD MRGO.

The Central rig, KM-BS-SL-1998-56, is located at or about 29° 34.692’ N. Lat. ~ 89° 07.034’ W. Long. Most of the other platforms in the area can be seen from the CENTRAL RIG position.

It is about 39 to 45 miles from Breton sound Marina depending on which route you take. It is sometimes a big fish producer.

THE WRECK

“The Wreck” in Breton Sound (east of Black Bay), believe is located at or about 29° 33.633’ N. Lat. ~ 89° 28.507’ W. long. Use caution in the area. I have heard that the old rig is to be dismantled. Last time I saw it, it was dangerous to approach close in rough water. But, there is a NEW platform that is next to the old Wreck site.

It is within a stone’s throw of the old site and it and the remnants of the damaged structures and are now referred to as the Wreck Area.

This location is much closer in than the Central Rig y about 20 miles to the west.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Erich Matherne ~

I don’t stock or sell data cards. I market CAPTAIN PAUL”S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS which is an electronic data file that can be downloaded into most GPS units.

In order to download the data file you will need a data transfer program that is installed in your computer. It must be a Lowrance approved program. Lowrance offers a free download of their GPS DATA MANAGER (GDM-6) program on their web site @
http://www.lowrance.us/en-us/Downloads/GPS-Data-Manager-GDM/

The GPS Data Manager V.6 (GDM6) allows you to upload and download GPS data from your unit to your computer. You can easily access and manipulate Waypoints, Routes, Trails and Icons. A great tool for planning a route, the GPS Data Manager V.6 allows you to build a collection of route information that you can download to your unit.

The waypoint data is transferred from the program to a Secure Digital memory card which is then placed in the GPS unit.

Note: Saving GPS data to a preprogrammed map electronic chart could possibly cause the electronic chart to fail - please check with the manufacturer of the electronic chart before saving GPS data from GDM6 to the memory card, or use a separate memory card for storing GPS data from GDM6.

Once you have the program installed in your computer, you can order the Captain Paul’s Edge from the Louisiana Sportsman web site. It is found in the OUTDOOR STORE. Find the button on the home page and access the OUTDOOR store and then the EDGE files.

I have a Captain Paul’s EDGE file for the interior parts of Black Bay. The DELACROIX ~ PT A LA HACHE Edge file has over 250 waypoints that cover most of the Black Bay along with many other locations between Delacroix and Pt a la Hache.

EDGE orders are usually processed the next business day from the date of the order, but if you were to call in the order to Kirsta at the Sportsman’s office at 1-800-538-4355 and ask her to RUSH the order it would insure you getting the email as soon as possible.

~ CAPTAIN PAUL ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ VBAY2NITE ~

Wow ! You are asking for a detailed position and depth of waters for about 70 wells ~ platforms in the area.

I do not have the time or the space to adequately provide you with the specific coordinate information you need, but I can be of some help to you.

The best I can do is to steer you in a direction that you can obtain ALL of the information for yourself.

First you will need a rough idea where these different sites are located. By that I mean in which of the U.S. Dept of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) formerly known as the Mineral Management Service (MMS), Offshore LEASED BLOCKS your quest(s) located.

The location of the AREA and then the specific BLOCK number will put you in the general area were the platform is located.

The United States coastline is divide into areas that are called LEASED BLOCK AREAS. These areas are usually named for a feature along the coast or an underwater geological feature. These areas are then divided into blocks, usually rectangle in shape by latitude and longitude using NAD 27 DATUM.

The government then conducts lease sales for the right to explore and produce minerals from these lease blocks. The U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE), is the authorized agency to lease offshore areas for mineral exploration and production. All platforms are REQUIRED to be listed by MMS. They are the federal repository for the lease data and the exploration and production information in these areas.

It is like a general grid system of the areas that will at least get you close to the area of your concern.

The genesis of your search should first start with the maps or charts that show these LEASED BLOCKS. NOAA Marine Chart 1116A ~ Leased Block for Mississippi River to Galveston TX. It shows the MMS Leased Block areas and the Leased Blocks within those areas. This chart covers the entire Northern Gulf of Mexico waters in the area you specified.

After locating the LEASED BLOCK areas, you should also get a copy of the latest NOAA CHART 11341 ~ CALCASIEU PASS TO SABINE PASS. This chart will show the individual platforms in the area of coverage.

They are in their self worth while investment for the offshore navigator. When getting these charts, be sure to get the latest version by (year) that is available.

The get the full use of the chart and the information you need, you can then access the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE). BOEMRE is a renamed bureau of what was the Department of the Interior. Mineral Management Services (MMS).

It can be accessed via their web site @ http://www.gomr.mms.gov/index.html

Under the FAST FACTS ~ API List searching program, you can search by Leased Area, by Leased Block and well number or by well name. The program will then produce all the data that meet your search criteria. Search in the PLATFORM STRUCTURE topic.
(http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/fastfacts/platform/master.asp)

By noting the Leased Areas, you can select a specific area and even certain of the individual Blocks in the area for existing leases and or platforms.

The program in an invaluable tool for the offshore fisherman.

After defining the area/block you are interested in the program will display all of the platforms in that area or block. They mostly just have a number of the platform, but sometimes indicate the common or given name of the facility, i.e. BRUTUS, RAM POWELL, etc.

Note, however, that the position figures are usually stated in Decimal Degrees and were determined by using NAD 27 Datum. Once you have these positions you can then enter them manually into your GPS unit.

Remember, that the position format in your program or GPS unit, MUST agree with the MMS format or you MUST convert the decimal degrees into the format that you use in your unit or temporarily change the POSITION FORMAT in your GPS unit to Decimal Degrees and NAD 27 DATUM and enter the positions. Then change the Position Format and the DATUM back to the one that you normally use. The internal GPS software will do the conversion for you.

By selecting the specific areas you will have all of the existing platforms in that leased block.

Now that you know HOW TO, I have taken the opportunity to plot SOME of the over 60 rigs and platforms in the area you indicated.

There are basically FOUR clusters of rigs that are in the general area you described.

These clusters of rigs are located east of the Sabine River Jetties and south of Hamilton Lake and Johnson Bayou in the Gulf of Mexico and as far as Constance Beach.

They average about 5 to 8 miles from the shoreline and are in Federal waters. They are located in LEASED BLOCKS 17,18, 20, 45 and 48 of the WEST CAMERON LEASED BLOCKS AREA.

They are mostly operated by The Devon Energy Production Company, L.P. and The Chevron Oil Company.

The center of the rigs located in West Cameron (WC) Blocks 48 and 17 is at or about 29° 41.218’ ~ N. Latitude ~ 93° 43.834’ W. Longitude. There are about 20 platforms ~ rigs within 1.5 miles and can be seen from this platform(s).

Another cluster is centered around a platform that is located in Leased Block 18 at or about 29° 42.596’ N. Latitude ~ 93° 42.377’ W. Longitude. There are over 8 platforms that are within sight of this platform.

Another the center of a cluster of about 17 platforms is a platform located in Leased Block 20 and is at or about 29° 45.314’~ N. Latitude ~ 29° 41.031’ W. Longitude.

Block 45 just to the south of the above platforms has another cluster of about 7 platforms that are centered at or about 29° 38.992’~ N. Latitude ~ 93° 35.584’ W. Longitude. This platform is located about 7.5 miles due south of the Constant Beach area. Again most of the surrounding platforms can be seen from the center platform location.

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as Degrees, minutes and thousandths of minutes (DDD,MM.mmm) and were determined using WGS 84 Datum. All bearings and courses are stated in Magnetic degrees.

As stated MY plots are in DDD,MM.mmm and in WGS Datum.

~ Captain Paul ~

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON MAPPING FOR A GARMIN OREGON 450.

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Agent Trout ~

You have a very nice state of the art Touch Screen GPS unit.

It has a built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass, which shows your heading even when you’re standing still, without having to hold the unit level.

Its altimeter is also a barometer that can track changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. It even lets plot barometric pressure over time to help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions. It has a very high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix™ satellite prediction.

The Oregon 450 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. As I said it is a very nice GPS unit.

As you noted the Garmin OREGON 450 comes with an internal BASE MAP. The BaseMap is what the name implies. It is a basic map of the entire U.S.

The map depicts ONLY major features. It does not show the many creeks, bayous, rivers, bays, lagoons nor the many small roads, towns and small features in the area of coverage.

You are correct in that the Oregon 450t comes preloaded with 100k topographic maps of the entire U.S. This mapping certainly is 1000% better than the standard aforementioned BaseMap.

But don’t fret, because you can do better than the TOPO 100K. The Oregon 450 has the capability of using optional Garmin mapping by the means of MicroSD memory cards.

You can get topographical maps in either the US TOPO 100K format or the much more detailed TOPO U.S. 24K mapping software.

TOPO U.S. 100K covers the finer points of the outdoors, with topographic maps comparable to 1:100,000 scale USGS maps. TOPO U.S. 100K includes terrain contours, topo elevations, summits, parks, coastlines, rivers, lakes and geographical points. TOPO maps are ideal for hiking, hunting, camping, cycling and communing with nature. Coverage includes topographic detail of the entire United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.\

The TOPO U.S 24K of the Southeast U.S. covers the entire states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

According to Garmin, “The Southeast region brings you the highest level of topographic detail available, with maps comparable to 1:24,000 scale USGS maps. These highly detailed maps include terrain contours, topo elevations, summits, routable roads and trails, parks, coastlines, rivers, lakes and geographic points - and they also display 3-D terrain shading on compatible devices. TOPO maps are ideal for hiking, hunting, camping, cycling and communing with nature. Coverage includes topographic detail of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.” (end quote)

It can also use the Garmin BlueChart® g2 marine maps they are available as a Download (on compatible units only) or microSD™/SD™ card.

The unit can also use the Garmin series of Inland Lakes Vision maps, and it can accommodate the Garmin BirdsEye™ Satellite Imagery (Part Number: 010-D0699-00).

The BirdsEye downloads allow the user to quickly transfer high-resolution satellite imagery to your Garmin handheld device to get a true representation of your surroundings with a subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery. It is available as a yearly subscription.

Use your BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription with BaseCamp™ software to quickly transfer an unlimited amount of satellite images to your Garmin device and seamlessly integrate those images into your handheld’s maps whenever you need them.

The BASECAMP program is available as a FREE download from the Garmin web site @ http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/onthetrail/basecamp

The BaseCamp software allows the user to view and organize your maps, waypoints, routes, and tracks and send them to your Garmin device. It is a necessary data transfer program even if you don’t purchase any of the supplemental mapping progarms.

If I had a Garmin Oregon 450 unit, I would supplement the base map first with the U.S. TOPO 24K for the SouthEast U.S., add the BirdsEye and the BaseCamp programs.

If for some other reason, I were to need additional areas of coverage, I would first select the U.S. TOPO for the additional area(s), and add if necessary the Blue Chart g2 Vision.

Keeping in mind that the unit can also accommodate an “On the Road” type of mapping called City Navigator® North America NT, that would provide up to date Road Maps for the enter U.S.

Keep in touch and let me know your decision on what maps you get.

~ CAPTAIN PAUL ~

.
~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ AGENT TROUT ~

I need a little more info on the exact unit you are speaking about. I presume that you are speaking about a Garmin unit, but is it a Dakota 10 or 20, or an OREGON 450 ?

I could NOT find any info on a DAKOTA 450.

The Dakota 10 and 20 come with a BaseMap but can accommodate the Garmin TOPO U.S. 100K and the newer TOPO U.S. 24K of most regions.

The GARMIN OREGON 450 is available in several models which come with different types of pre-installed mapping software.

Depending on exactly which unit you have, the supplemental mapping options may be different.

Get back with me and let me know what unit you have and I will be glad to try and give you a hand in selecting the BEST type of optional mapping software you may need.

I presently do NOT have any CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE files for the Chauvin area. It is, however, one of my “To Do” items.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul s response to: ~ SAINTSMAN ~

Presently, I do NOT have a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS for the Cocodrie~ Dulac area.

It is in the works, but I am having trouble getting out on the water in that area to verify some of the EDGE hotspots.

Hopefully, I will be able to finalize the EDGE for the Cocodrie area sometime later this year. Keep checking this site as it is the ONLY place that you can get the EDGE products.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul\\\'s response to: ~ Captain RON S ~

GulfTerra Energy Partners and Cal Dive International reported in January 22, 2004, that the Marco Polo Tension Leg Platform (TLP) was successfully installed in Green Canyon Block 608.

The platform was installed in 4,300 feet of water approximately 160 miles south of New Orleans, and is now owned by the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

Using WGS 84 Datum, it is at or about 27°21.749’~ N. Latitude ~90° 10.871’~ W. Longitude and is almost dead center of the Green Canyon Leased Block 608.

It is about 115.4 miles at a bearing of 204° (Mag) from the Green # 1 light at the beginning of the Southwest Pass (Miss. River) marked channel. It can be found on NOAA charts 11340 MS River to Galveston as well as Chart 1116 Leased Blocks ~ Miss. River to Galveston.

As the “Crow flies,” if it could get out that far, it is about 145.5 miles from Leased Block 252 of the Miss. Canyon, the Horizon well site spill at a bearing of 231° (Mag).

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as Degrees, minutes and thousandths of minutes (DDD,MM.mmm) and were determined using WGS 84 Datum. All bearings and courses are stated in Magnetic degrees and statute miles.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Clyde Bass ~

By areas of the GULF OF MEXICO, I presume that mean the offshore Federal waters of he Gulf.

I am sorry Clyde, the Gulf is so large of an area that it is almost impossible to design an EDGE file for the different needed areas of coverage.

There is however a program from COASTAL MAPPING COMPANY that has a lot of the information that they sell on a DVD disk. As a suggestion I recommend that you contact Coastal Mapping Company. There soft ware computer program includes most if not all of the oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

The program is called FISH MAPPPER Chart Plotter Program. You can reach the company by calling 251-653-6898 or on the web at www.coastalsoftwarecorp.com

If you are phoning in the order, tell Mark that Captain Paul suggested that you call him.

Although you can’t download the data into your GPS unit, the program does allow you to configure a route to and from the various wrecks and platforms in the Gulf. These features are shown on the software and by clicking on the icon you can access the data for that site.

It is a ready made data base for offshore well and reefs.

~ Captain Paul ~

Captain Paul's response to: ~ GARY KROUSE ~

You are absolutely correct in performing the changes as you stated to enter the unfamiliar DATUM that was used in the published GPS positions.

You will find that your GPS unit has over 200 different DATUM settings. Some of these settings should be used when you are in that part of the world or when you are plotting positions that were determined using these different Datum.

Using the wrong datum can result of a position shift in some cases of a distance of 5 miles or more miles between WGS 84 and some of the more odd, to us, DATAUM settings.

Improper DATUM between the new radar determined WGS 84 and older datum used in the United States such as North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27), NAD 79 and NAD 83 can result in a position error of over 200 feet.

In the days of using the sextant as the prime navigation this error was not of great consequence as most sextants could only deliver accuracy by highly-skilled and experienced navigator can determine position to an accuracy of about 0.25-nautical-mile about 1500 feet. So a position shift of 400 or 500 feet was not of great concern. Why, even the U.S. Coast Guard designed LORAN is only accurate to about 1200 feet.

But today a consumer GPS with the WAAS Differential option can discern a position to within 3 meters, about 9.8 feet. This technology has enabled fisherman to mark their honey holes, oyster reefs, tree stands, deer scrapes and of course underwater artificial reefs with the accuracy consistent with modern GPS units.

Being off position by 200-500 feet can cause the user to completely miss his deer stand or an underwater reef.

If you EVER find GPS coordinates published or obtained from a friend, etc., in any DATUM other than the one you normally use, change the DATUM setting in your GPS unit to the other datum, enter the positions, then change the DATUM setting back to the DATUM that you normally use.

The GPS unit will do the converting for you.

Of course that is another way, there always is, and that is for you to convert the datum to the one you are using by means of one of several conversion programs.

Some of the available sites on the use of DATUM can be found on the web.

The most used program is that offered by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on their web site called Corpscon 6.

It can be found @
http://crunch.tec.army.mil/software/corpscon/corpscon.html

You can download the program and place it in your computer with a desk top link. It is an interesting tool that you should at least have.

Other info on DATUM can be found at the following web sites:

http://www.nps.gov/gis/gps/gps4gis/how2s_byCatagories/6-GPSPostProcessing/datum_advise_NPS-AKSO.doc
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/datum/datum_f.html

By the way you should ALSO check the POSITION FORMAT settings. Sometimes positions are shown as Degrees, Minutes, Seconds and tenths of seconds (DDD,MM,SS.s) and sometimes they are shown as Degrees, minutes and thousandths of a minute. (DD,MM.mmm). Be sure to use the correct format when entering the positions as well as the datum.

About the Lake Pontchartrain Artificial reefs, I have a program that I call CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS.

The Lake Pontchartrain ~ Maurepas Edge file has over 280 waypoints which of course includes all of the Lake Pontchartrain artificial reefs.

THE CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ON THIS WEB SITE. ( www.louisianasportsman.com)

Check out the OUTDOOR STORE button near the left top of HOME page in the dark banner. Click on that button, then when the Outdoor Store page appears, click on the “ FISHING EDGE” button.

When ordering the areas you want you MUST indicate what type of GPS system you have as different brands write their data files in different protocols. Simply select which EDGE program(s) you want and click on that box. Follow the directions and the EDGE will be delivered to you via email as an attachment.

I call the Programs, CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE,” because I believe that they will give the fisher an advantage in getting to, finding fishing spots, moving around, and getting back from some of the more favorite fishing areas in the state.

The “CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE” is a very unique ELECTRONIC MEDIA Program that can be downloaded directly into various GPS units from their manufacturer’s Mapping program or via several of Maptech’s mapping software programs.

This technology saves countless hours of having to manually enter each separate waypoint value into the GPS receiver. The entire procedure of loading over 200 odd waypoints from a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE file takes less than three minutes from the time you view the email file to the time that they are loaded in the GPS receiver.

Presently I have NINETEEN Captain Paul’s Fishing Edge Files. They include Barataria Bay, Lake Borgne, HOPEDALE MRGO to the Miss Sound, Hopedale to Bayou Terre Boeufs, DELACROIX to Point a la Hache, Bayou Bienvenue, Port Sulphur, Lake Calcasieu, Lake Pontchartrain, Myrtle Grove-Lake Hermitage, Empire to Buras, Leeville-West, Leeville-East, Lafitte, the Pearl River WMA, Vermillion Bay, The Rigolets, Big Branch NWR, and Bayou Sauvage NWR.

To download The CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE program(s) in your GPS, you MUST have FIVE items.

FIRST, a GPS Receiver; SECOND, that manufacturers Mapping Program or its Waypoint Manager software; THIRD, a computer with a connecting cable to the GPS unit or data card; FOURTH, a valid E-Mail Address that accepts attachments, and FIFTH, a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILE.

Separate Program Files are designed for GARMIN, DeLORME, HUMMINBIRD, MAGELLAN, RAY MARINE, LOWRANCE and other GPS receivers and their mapping programs that use a GPX data protocol as well as for MYTOPO TERRAIN NAVIGATOR.

These Edge files are NOT interchangeable.

ALL of the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS are ONLY available at the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN'S 'OUTDOOR STORE.'

The OUTDOOR STORE link button may be found in dark banner at the top of the SPORTSMAN’s HOME PAGE. From the OUTDOOR site, simply follow the instructions for ordering from the Louisiana Sportsman’s Shopping Cart.

The Lake Pontchartrain Reefs (in WGS 84 Datum) that are included in the EDGE file are as follows:

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN ARTIFICIAL REEFS

Orleans Parish Reefs

The first and oldest artificial reef in Lake Pontchartrain is located along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, about two miles east of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The reef according to my readings, is a random placement of rocks, believed to be limestone, that total a distance of about 341 feet from the buoy at a bearing of 342º (Mag).

The “reef” is NOT a continuous reef, but looked like several piles of rocks placed from a point just south of the official marker buoy extending to the North-northwest. I have been told that Katrina “moved” the buoy, but that the reefs are still in the stated positions.

Marker Buoy 30º 03.521’ N. lat ~ 89º 59.608’ W. long.

Center of the reef 30º 03.518’ N. ~ 89º 59.618’ W. long.

Another reef is located in Orleans Parish East of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, about 7 miles north (15° Mag) of the Municipal Yacht Harbor at West End.

The reef is made of two different size dome shaped reef balls, or rather one half of a hollow ball. The hollow concrete structures have random sized holes through out the surface of the half sphere. They look like half of a “Wiffle” baseball and are placed in 13 to 15 feet of water.

It is designated as “Orleans site Reef Ball Lake Pontchartrain” and is at or about 30° 07.441’~ N. Latitude ~ 90° 04.695’ ~ W. Longitude
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jefferson Parish Reefs

These reefs are located about 7.5 miles west of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge and about 5 miles north east (58° Mag) of the Kenner boat launch at the lake front. The reefs form a triangle around existing shell oil-field pads and are made of over 600 reef balls. It too has two different sized reef balls. Each reef is separate and is marked with a yellow buoy.

These “Reef Balls” are at or about:

Reef # H-1. 30° 05.028’ N. Latitude ~ 90° 12.096’ W. Longitude

Reef # H-3 30° 05.034’ N. Latitude ~ 90° 12.582’ W. Longitude

Reef # H-4 30° 05.274’ N. Latitude ~ 90° 12.336’ W. Longitude

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

St. Tammany Parish Reef

St. Tammany at this time has three different reef locations.

One of them, the oldest is located near the north shore between the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and Goose point. A friend of mine investigated the reef in mid January of 2007. He indicated that there is a small yellow marker buoy over the site and that there are several cane flags marking the general area. The location is about 2.8 miles due east (90°Mag) from the causeway, 3.8 miles SSW (199° Mag) of Green Point and about 4.4 miles west northwest (275°) of Goose Point and about 6.5 miles SSE( 164° Mag) from the entrance to Mandeville harbor at the Causeway by the north shore. It is designated as N1 Reef Ball LP.

He advised that the reef is a rather small area and that it is located at or about:

30° 16.298’ N. Latitude ~ 90° 03.753’ W. Longitude.

The newer St. Tammany reefs are in an eastern and western direction from the N1 Mandeville Reef.

St. Tammany EAST, Reef Ball LP is at or about 30° 13.455’ ~ N. Latitude ~ 89° 56.854’~ W. Longitude .

It is about 2.5 miles south (170° Mag) from the mouth of Bayou Lacombe.

The St. Tammany WEST, Reef Ball LP, is located at or about 30° 18.348’~ N. Latitude ~ 90° 09.000’ ~ W. Longitude. It is about 5 miles south, southeast ( 71° Mag) from the mouth of the Tchefuncta River at Lake Pontchartrain and about 2.7 miles west of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

All of these reefs are made of the concrete balls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St. Charles Parish Reef

The St. Charles Parish Reef ~ Reef Balls are located about 6.6 miles at a bearing of 72° (mag) from the PEUINE Road Boat Launch at Feinier Beach and about 6 miles at a bearing of 29° (mag) from the Bonnet Carre Spillway launch at Lake Pontchartrain. This is also constructed out of the hollow concrete balls.

It is at or about : 30° 08.085’~ N. Latitude ~ 90° 19.038’~ W. Longitude.

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as H,DDD,MM.mmm and were determined using WGS 84 DATUM. All Headings / bearings / courses are stated in Magnetic Degrees and statute miles.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ RODNEY ~

I need you to give me a little more detail at the exact ELETE 5 model you have.

There are presently ten different models in the Lowrance ELETE 5 lineup. They are offered with a variety of configurations AND DIFFERENT MAPPING programs.

Get back with me on which model you have and I will certainly try to give you some mapping information for the Dularge area.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Rodney ~

The Lowrance Elite 5m is a different unit from the standard Elite 5 Fishfinder~GPS. Do you have BOTH units? If so then you may need two separate optional Mapping cards in the MICROSD format.

The Lowrance Elite 5m (U.S. models) comes with over 3,000 enhanced lake maps with depth contour and shoreline detail, plus coastal depth contours/shoreline detail and spot depth soundings to 1,000 ft./305 m. These internal LAKE MAPS do not cover the Louisiana coastal marshes as well as do some of the other mapping software that is available.

The Elite 5M also has a waterproof MicroSD memory card slot that is fully compatible with Navionics® Gold chartcards, as well as Fishing Hot Spots® and LakeMaster® mapcards in the micro SD format for U.S. anglers. Built-in memory allows for up to 3,000 waypoints, 100 routes/100 waypoints per route and 100 retraceable plot trails/up to 10,000 points per trail. Remember that it accommodates a MICRO SD card format, and NOT the standard Secure Digital (SD) memory cards.

The Custom Mapping optional mapping software as previously stated are the Optional Navionics® Gold chartcards (U.S. & worldwide) and Fishing Hot Spots® and LakeMaster® mapcards (U.S.) in MicroSD format. The LAKEMASTER mapcards are basically what is already installed in the Elite 5m unit.

When ordering supplemental mapping programs, REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST ORDER THOSE MAPPING CARDS THAT ARE IN THE MICRO SD FORMAT.

The Lowrance Elite 5 is a combo Fish Finder and GPS chart Plotter.
It comes with a World reference basemap or (U.S. models) over 3,000 enhanced lake maps with depth contour and shoreline detail, plus coastal depth contours/shoreline detail and spot depth soundings as its internal mapping program.

It too, can accept the optional Navionics Gold ChartCards, Fishing Hot Spots and LakeMaster memory cards in a MICRO SD format.

Either of the units will accept the Navionics GOLD series chart cards.

According to the Navionics web site (http://www.navionics.com/MarineFeatures_Gold.asp ), “The GOLD MARINE CHARTS are 2-dimensional NOAA marine type charts. They are the navigation standard for serious mariners and fishermen offering the largest coverage areas for the widest range of today's most popular chartplotters.

They feature tides, currents, wrecks, port plans, marsh areas, marine services, coastal roads, and much more. Whether you are on the water or planning a trip, Navionics Gold charts can take you there.
Choose from regions throughout the world on a media card compatible with your chartplotter. CF and MicroSD media cards are pre-programmed and ready to use with today's leading chartplotters… just plug-and-play! ” (end quote)

The Navionics GOLD CHART, CODE: 1XG covers the USA.
The program includes charts of the GULF OF MEXICO FROM BROWNSVILLE TO VENICE, FL. And for the entire US WEST COAST AND BAJA TO CABO SAN LUCAS, HAWAII AND ALASKA -From Dixon Entrance to northern Alaska including Dutch Harbor and the Pribilof Islands, Includes US portion only of the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, Finger Lakes, Ohio River, Cumberland River, Kanawha River, Allegheny River, Green River, Illinois River, Missouri River, Tennessee River, Mississippi River, Arkansas River, Green River, Tennessee-Tombigee Waterway. Including Martha's Vinyard, Nantucket, Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, Block Island, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Northern Bahamas to Long Island, Cay Sal Bank, Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, Fort Myers and Tampa Bay.


The GOLD Series, Region Code 1XG has a List Price of $199.00. I have seen some locations on the internet that indicated a price of $171.99.

Yes, some of the other optional mapping programs will also work in the unit, but I don't believe that they will give you the coverage in the area you specificed.

So, before laying down the better part of $200, visit a stocking Lowrance ~ Navionics dealer and ask to see the Navionics GOLD charts in an Elite 5 GPS unit.

Go armed with your normal map of the DULARGE area and compare the Navionics images with those on the maps you normally use as well as what is displayed in your Elite 5 GPS unit. This will give you the necessary information to make a first hand competent decision.

Whatever optional mapping you choose, be sure to download the FREE Lowrance GPS DATA MANGER program from their web site at http://www.lowrance.us/en-us/Downloads/GPS-Data-Manager-GDM/

Lowrance says, “ The GPS Data Manager V.6 (GDM6) allows you to upload and download GPS data from your unit to your computer. You can easily access and manipulate Waypoints, Routes, Trails and Icons. A great tool for planning a route, the GPS Data Manager V.6 allows you to build a collection of route information that you can download to your unit.
GDM6 is the perfect tool for persons who only desire to use their unit as a plotter or those who only use preprogrammed electronic charts with their unit. GDM6 was created for these users who do not require the full mapping features of the MapCreate™ 6 software. Note: Saving GPS data to a preprogrammed electronic chart could possibly cause the electronic chart to fail - please check with the manufacturer of the electronic chart before saving GPS data from GDM6 to the memory card, or use a separate memory card for storing GPS data from GDM6.' (end quote)


You will also need, as per the above statement, a spare MICRO SD card and a card reader~writer that can accommodate the MicroSD format. When looking for the spare card, get one that comes with a Secure Digital conversion holder. It allows you to plug the MicroSD card into the holder and place it in a standard SD card reader on your computer. The data, waypoints, routes and tracks are loaded onto the MicroSD card and transfered to and from the GPS unit and your computer.


Check these out and let me know your final decision on the mapping issue.

~ Captain Paul~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Blake Armand ~

The Superior Rigs are not listed by a common name but the Superior Energy Services, Inc has numerous wells, well holes and rig platforms in the WEST CAMERON (WC) and EAST CAMERON (EC) Leased Block Areas which both are in the state waters of Cameron parish area around Calcasieu Pass and the Mermentau River. Because of the amount of the many “Superior Rigs” that are in the area, I am not exactly sure which rig(s) you are interested in.

I can say that the Superior Oil Company has several wells in state waters two of the more prominent are listed in the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources “SONRIS” (http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us/www_root/sonris_portal_1.htm ) reporting system

at or about a position of 29° 45.102’ N. Latitude ~ 93° 11.400’ ~ W. Longitude and 29° 44.610’ N. Latitude ~ ~ 93° 10.624’~ W. Longitude.

There are several smaller platforms also in the that are the property of other companies. These other wells can be seen from either of the above listed locations. These wells are no farther than a distance of about 1.25 miles from the shoreline. These wells are in a water depth of 9 to 15 feet.

There is also several platforms in the Cameron West Area Block # 28. These rigs are in Federal waters. The closest is about 6.2 miles East at a bearing of 91° magnetic, from the Calcasieu Pass and River channel Red Nun # 40. These platforms are in water that varies from 22 to 25 feet deep.

The larger of those are located at or about 29°43.195’ N. Latitude ~ 93°14.129’ W. Longitude, 29°42.966’ N. Latitude ~ 93°13.176’ W. Longitude and 29°42.412’ N. Latitude ~ 93°13.681’ W. Longitude.

I am NOT sure that these are your “Superior Rigs,” but they are in the general area stated in your questioned area.
There are also several OFFSHORE RIGS owned by the Superior Oil Company. Two of the more prominent rigs are in WC Block 280. There are five rigs total in an oval cluster which are about 69 miles at a bearing of 162° Magnetic from the mouth of the Calcasieu pass.

The larger rig near the rough center of these rigs is at or about 28° 47.375’ N. Latitude ~ 93° 15.828’ W. Longitude.

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as H,DDD,MM.mmm and were determined using WGS 84 DATUM. All Headings/bearings/courses are stated in Magnetic Degrees.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Greg Meier ~

The easiest way is to buy the Times Picayune each Friday. Seriously though, I realize that you may want them for future dates other than the one week period published in the Times Picayune. The Picayune pays for a service that provides the Solunar Tables to them for publication. They do not resell the tables.

Although there is a copyright on the term SOLUNAR name, there are other sources for such tables.

For instance such a set of tables are published by the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE as well as on the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN web site as ASTRO TABLES. (http://www.louisianasportsman.com/astro_tables.php)

Accroding to this ASTRO TABLES link,

“The Astro Tables is far more effective than 'moon tables,' because it takes into account critical solar energies as well as lunar.

The 'Best Days' column is based on the ever-changing positions of the sun and the moon, rating each day on a scale of 0 to 100. The higher the number, the more solar/lunar influence that day is experiencing (see 'Value' column or corresponding black bars).

The 'Lunar Periods' section lists the times the moon is overhead and underfoot each day. The length of a lunar period can range from one hour to three-and-one-half hours, depending on a number of important lunar cycles, such as how close the moon is to the earth that day and how high its orbit is. Also, this section uses solar symbols (see key at bottom of each month) to alert you to when a lunar period is occurring at the same time as a major solar period (eg: dawn, high-noon, and dusk).

PrimeTimes data are based on solar/lunar research at a leading college of astrophysics and our own research pond/wildlife area. Annual data is supplied by the U.S. Naval Observatory. All lunar times are adjusted to the center of your time zone and for Daylight Saving Time.”
(end quote)

These ASTRO TABLES can be viewed for a month at a time by clicking on the link marked as, “Click here for a sample of PrimeTimes.”

Full details can be found at: http://www.louisianasportsman.com/astro_tables.php in the advent that you may wish order your own copy of these tables.

They are available in several forms from RICK TAYLOR’S PRIME TIMES at http://www.primetimes2.com/pages/02-catalog.html
By the way, most GPS units now include a moon~sun program in their basic software. They are sometimes called SUN~MOON or BEST TIMES, or something similar in their Calendar feature that depicts these times. The GPS programs usually have the times available for years in the future.

There are other such programs that can be found on the internet by using a search engine and searching for SOLAR FISHING CALENDAR or LUNAR FISHING CALENDAR.

Again, the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN has such a link in the banner on the left side of the ASTRO TABLES page.

Any of these sources should provide you with the information you will need for years in advance.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul\'s response to: ~ Kerry ~


Many of brush tops are no longer visible in the Toledo Bend Reservoir, as they have deteriorated below the water surface, so if you find some be sure to give them a try.

For summer time fishing, fish the shallow waters in the early morning and late evening and the deeper waters when these shallows heat up during the heat of the day.

For some more info, I suggest that you check some of the more common web sites for information on fishing the lake.

Try these as a starter:

http://www.toledo-bend.com/

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/toledo_bend/

http://www.texs.com/gps/toledo_north.htm

http://www.texs.com/gps/toledo_south.htm

http://www.toledo-bend.com/toledo_bend/index.asp?request=lakemap

http://www.toledo-bend.com/toledo_bend/index.asp?request=buoys

In addition there are several locations where the Dept of Wild Life and Fisheries have constructed artificial reefs.

These reefs are located at various locations in the Reservior.

TOLEDO BEND ARTIFICIAL REEFS


Clyde’s Crossing Reef
~ N 31° 37.937’ Lat ~ W 93° 40.036’ Long ~
23 yards of pea gravel placed around fishing pier. Bottom coverage = aprox. 1/10th acre.
Near Rebecca’s Landing

North Toledo Bend State Park Reef #1
~ N 31° 32.730’ Lat ~ W 93° 43.767’ long
100 feed pallet trees located along side slope of underwater ridge. Depth at 172’>MSL = 14-20 ft. Bottom coverage = aprox. ¼ acre.
Near North Toledo Bend State Park

North Toledo Bend State Park Reef #2
~ N 31° 32.660’ Lat ~ W 93° 43.723’ Long
68 feed pallet trees located along side slope of underwater ridge. Depth at 172’>MSL = 14-24 ft. Bottom coverage = aprox. ¼ acre.
Near North Toledo Bend State Park

Louisiana end of Pendleton Bridge LA Highway 6 ~ (Piling numbers 2 - 12)
~ N 31° 29.190’ Lat ~ W 93° 42.755’ Long
20 feed pallet trees clustered around base of each set of pilings. Depth at 172’>MSL = 14-24 ft. Bottom coverage = aprox. 800 sq. ft. at each set of pilings
Near Pendleton Bridge Resort or Bridge Bay Resort

South Toledo Bend State Park Reef #1
~ N 31° 12.202’ Lat ~ W 93° 34.842’ Long
50 feed pallet trees located on sloping point. Depth at 172’>MSL = 10-20 ft. Bottom coverage = aprox. 1/10th acre
Near South Toledo Bend State Park

South Toledo Bend State Park Reef #2
~ N 31° 12.408’ Lat ~ W 93° 35.102’Long
50 feed pallet trees located in middle of cove. Depth at 172’>MSL = 10-22 ft. Bottom coverage = aprox. 1/10th acre.
Near South Toledo Bend State Park

Eagle Scout Reef
~ N 31° 16.246’ Lat ~ W 93° 34.858’ Long
50 feed pallet trees located on sloping point. Depth at 172’>MSL = 12-20 ft. Bottom coverage = aprox. 1/20th acre.
Near Pirate’s Cove Marina

Megastructure #1 Reef
~ N 31° 11.895’ Lat ~ W 93° 34.505’ Long
A large one piece structure made from 1 ¼ inch PVC pipe 16 ft. long 11 ft. wide and 8 feet tall. The structure holds 400 plastic feed pallets.
Near South Toledo Bend State Park

Spillway Experimental Reef
~ N 31° 11.681’ Lat ~ W 93° 34.520’Long
40 feed pallet trees located on underwater hump along south side of spillway channel. Depth at 172’>MSL = 10-12 ft. Bottom coverage = aprox. 1/10th acre.
Near South Toledo Bend State Park

After you get these locations logged in check out the AUGUST 2010 issue of the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE.

There is a fantastic story starting on page 67 by Chris Ginn entitled ” Smoking Piles of Crappie” at Toledo Bend.

The story highlights Crappie fishing at the “Bend” and offers some outstanding suggestions on how to fish the reservoir.

Ginn explains how to fish the UNDERWATER brush piles as well as the type of baits that are best for the late summer months at the lake.

Good luck on your trip.

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as Degrees, minutes and thousandths of minutes (DDD,MM.mmm) and were determined using WGS 84 Datum. All bearings and courses are stated in Magnetic degrees.


~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Noodle Boy ~

MAD DOG

The MAD DOG Spar is located in the extreme southern part of the Offshore GREEN CANYON LEASED Block 782.

It is a British Petroleum SPAR rig in about 4400 feet of water at or about 27°11.302’ N. Latitude ~ 90° 16.123’W. Longitude. It is about 74.7 statue miles at a bearing of 138°Magnetic from the RED # 2 bell~ light at the beginning of the SOUTH PASS of the Mississippi River.

That course would cause you to pass within 24 miles of the infamous B.P. Horizon rig site, which is in Leased Block 252 of the Mississippi Canyon area so use caution as you may encounter some “CLOSED WATERS” as well as numerous other vessels working on the Horizon oil spill.

The MAD DOG site was plotted by the Mineral Management Services of the US Department of the Interior now renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) using NAD 27 Datum at a position of 27.18836886 ° ~ -90.26871119° (Decimal Degrees ~ DDD.dddddddd).

You can find it on their web site by searching the FAST FACTS ~ / ~ PLATFORM STRUCTURES at http://www.gomr.mms.gov/index2.html

Or by entering the following URL to get directly to the search site at :

http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/fastfacts/platform/master.asp

Click on the AREA and BLOCK and put in the GREEN CANYON Block and Block 782 for all of the data about the MAD DOG platform.

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as Degrees, minutes and thousandths of minutes (DDD,MM.mmm) and were determined using WGS 84 Datum. All bearings and courses are stated in Magnetic degrees.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Brian Andre ~

First, the CAPTAIN PAUL’s FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS are NOT waypoint cards. They are electronic files that allow the user to download the edge waypoints into a variety of different GPS units. The EDGE files are brand specific. A file for Lowrance will not work in other GPS brand units and the reverse of course is true.

The EDGE program also comes with the waypoints shown in a spreadsheet program (Excel) and an Acrobat .pdf that is a GENERAL map of the area showing where the EDGE waypoints are located along with an actual latitude ~ longitude and in some cases how to fish the locations. These two files CANNOT be downloaded. They are designed to act as a hard copy backup for the electronic file.

Any of the various Lowrance approved mapping programs that are compatible with your LMS 332C will be an improvement over the existing BASE MAP that came in your unit.

I prefer topographical based mapping programs such as the Lowrance MapCreate USA TOPO Series 7 software as I believe that it depicts the coastal Louisiana marshes better than other maps that are based on NOAA Marine Charts.

However, you should be aware that both your unit and the MapCreate USA TOPO 6 and USA TOPO 7 are all discontinued products. You may have a problem locating these mapping programs for your unit.

The MapSource DVD was usually sold as a package with a Lowrance (LEI) card programmer which is needed to install the maps on a memory care for use in a Lowrance GPS unit. The LEI card programmer imparts a code to the data that allows the GPS unit to recognize the data as a Lowrance product. Without the LEI programmer, the maps will not work in the GPS unit.

Your other option is to go with the Navionics mapping cards which are approved maps that can be used in your unit. Be sure to check which product will work in your unit as all Navionics programs will NOT work in all units.

In order to transfer the EDGE file that is written in the Lowrance protocol you will either need one of the MapCreate mapping programs OR their free GPS DATA MANAGER (GDM) from their web site at

http://www.lowrance.us/en-us/Downloads/GPS-Data-Manager-GDM/

The MapCreate programs have the GDM as part of mapping program. Either of the programs will allow you to download data, such as waypoints, routes, and tracks into the program then onto a Secure Digital (SD) memory card which is then placed into the GPS unit.

If you are NOT transferring MAPS onto the SD card, but area only loading DATA, any card reader~writer will do, including the LEI programmer.

The GDM program is definitely needed if you get the Navionics map cards as there is no data transfer program on the map cards.

As for the EDGE, the Lake Borgne EDGE has over 160 waypoints. The Hopedale area is broken in to two EDGE files. One covers Hopedale MRGO to MS Sound which has over 300 waypoints and Hopedale MRGO to Bayou Terre Boeufs which has over 270 waypoints.

Either of these EDGE files will give you a very big head start to fishing locations in the respective areas.

The CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS is available exclusively from the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN web site’s OUTDOOR STORE.

Select the OUTDOOR STORE button in the dark banner on the HOME page and follow the directions to the EDGE files.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Orville Capps ~


GPS chart plotters come in a variety of designs and screen sizes that vary from three to fifteen inches. Generally the cost of these units vary with the size of the screens.

Some of the largest manufacturers of fixed mounted units for the general consumer market are GARMIN (www.gramin.com) and Lowrance (www.lowrance.com).

Both have learned from past experiences and have designed their operating software to be a lot more user friendly than some of their earlier units. But only you can determine which unit will suit your experience level and if the operating software is compatible to the way you will use the unit.

I suggest that you first check out the features you want in a GPS unit on their respective manufacturer’s web sites. Give yourself several options and narrow your choices down to a couple of units in both brands. Use the features of the units along with the COST, screen sizes and weather or not they preloaded maps to get down to your short list.

Then, visit a stocking dealer and physically inspect these units. Sometimes the operating buttons or the configuration of the screen may not be suited for your particular use or for the location where the unit will be installed on your boat.

After you get a general idea of what is available and what you need or want, get back with me and I will be happy to discuss your options.

~ Captian Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ BEAKBUSTER84 ~

The LOWRACNE HDS-7 is a superb GPS unit. It comes with an “Expanded U.S. BaseMap or Insight USA™ (Americas) or Worldwide background map (non-Americas)”

The BASE MAP is what the name implies, a basic map of the entire U.S. coast line. Because of the digital space requirement for maps of the entire U.S. the BASEMAP is generally a computer drawn map taken from NOAA Marine Charts that are above 1:150000 scale. Such NOAA Marine charts depict only MAJOR features. Sometimes, they may use a chart that has somewhat more features of the waterways detailed more than others for making the Basemap.

This is especially true if in those charts that encompass a COMMERCIAL marine channel or canal that has Aids to Navigation (NAVAID). The buoys, cans, nuns, day markers and lights shown on these charts are usually shown with great accuracy. In doing so, they indicate the channel and the surrounding topography around such channels.

Those areas where there are no COMMERCIAL marine channels, or where there are no NAVAIDS usually are depicted with less of a concern than other channel areas.

The current NOAA marine chart for Black Bay, Chart 11364 Miss River Venice to N.O., encompasses the Mississippi River with all of its NAVAIDS and river water depths from Venice to New Orleans. It includes the Buras area and that chart has a “decent” rendition of the actual topographical features as well as the NAVAIDS in the area.

But the most recent chart, one issued in 2008, still shows Snake Island as an island. Snake Island hasn’t been an actual island for at least 30 years that I know of. I noted that the Bay Laneaux, Grand Bayou, and now even the Sulphur Canal no longer have any NAVAIDS. Yes, there are some around Empire and Lake Grand Ecaille, but for the most part that part of the coverage does not have such markers. The Black Bay area, has numerous NAVAIDS as does the area around the the east side of the river by Buras.

I suspect that is why some of your BASEMAP areas show the topography in some areas in greater detail than in other areas.

Your Lowrance HDS-7 can, however, use several optional accessory mapping programs. It can use
Optional Navionics® Platinum+ and Platinum chartcards with TurboView™ for worldwide coverage - as well as Navionics® HotMaps™ Platinum, Lowrance Hot Spots® PRO and LakeMaster® ProMaps (Americas).

Some of these are not suited for that areas that you describe, but they all will offer a much more detailed rendition of the maps that they produce in the HDS-7 unit.

Check out the different mapping programs that are available on the Lowrance web site at www.lowrance.com

As none of these mapping program are cheap, determine which is best for you and THEN visit a stocking Lowrance Dealer and ask to actually View the maps on one of their HDS units.

If that map assists you in navigating the areas you are asking about, then you have a real dilemma, which is weather to purchase the program or to “make do” with the Basemap.

Please let me know what you finally decide to do.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Joe Totolo ~

First you should know that there is NOT a mapping program that is completely up to date by any of the different manufacturers. Many if not most are based on pre Katrina topographic data.

Please take that into consideration whenever using any GPS unit for navigation purposes. ALWAYS bring the latest hard copy map or chart with you when navigating any area.

Although the LMS 520C is considered as discontinued product on the Lowrance web site, it is a very capable GPS receiver. The replacement for it is the Lowracne HDS-5.

The unit comes with what Lowrance calls a BASEMAP. The name is exactly what the name implies a basic map of the entire U.S. coastal waters. As you noted the basemap does not always show all of the topographical features in the areas of coverage. I am not surprised that the base map did not have some of the smaller cuts, lagoons, canals and bayous in the area.

For improved coverage you will need one of the supplemental mapping programs that are available for use in that unit.

The one that I suggest, if you can find it, is the Lowrance MapCreate USA Topo Series 7 mapping software. You will need the Lowrance (LEI) card reader along with the mapping software, in order to download the maps onto a memory card that the unit will recognize, but it will allow you to use any of the included topographical maps for the entire U.S. that you may need. The mapping program and the LEI card reader are sold as a package. I believe that GPS maps based on topographical maps offer a better rendition of the Louisiana coastal marshes than do others that are based on NOAA marine Charts. The MapCreate USA TOPO DVD, covers all of the U.S.

Another product available is the Lowrance FreedomMaps USA FHSP-S ~ Part # 108-207. It is sold by regions.

The Southern region of the United States map card Includes KS, OK, NM, TX, MO, AR, LA, MS, AZ, CO.

It is a convenient plug-&-play maps include all features found on MapCreate USA Topo mapping software without the necessity of using a computer. The preloaded memory card contains high-detail data for one of five specific regions of the United States and includes topographical information such as contour lines and elevations. Included is a floatable, waterproof card holder.

As stated they are sold by regions. I believe that the above mentioned SOUTHERN region will suit your needs, however my first choice would be the MapCreate USA TOPO Series 7 software.

Before spending your money of a product that you may not use, check out the Lowrance web site at www.lowrance.com and research the available products. Then, armed with the info you need, visit a stocking Lowrance dealer and ask to see the map of your choice.

A hands on view of the map should insure that you are getting the exact product you need. Check them out before laying out the better part of $100 for the program.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Charlie Marable ~

THANKS FOR BEING ONE OF THE LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN LOYAL READERS.

Sorry to hear about your Garmin 192C no longer working. When first introduced, it was an impressive unit. However, when you get into your selection process, you will be amazed at the advancements that newer GPS units now have.

As you stated the 192C can accept supplemental map program downloads. As you stated, the Garmin MapSource U.S. TOPO is generally the first choice for those who venture into the coastal Louisiana marshes AND who need mapping images for inland lakes and rivers, etc. The U.S. TOPO (2008) and the newer TOPO U.S. 100K and their more detailed TOPO U.S. 24K mapping software.

The TOPO U.S.24K is sold by regions, but the other 100k version includes topo type maps for the entire U.S.
As a replacement, I suggest that you consider another user friendly Garmin unit as it will save you hours of relearning the instruction nomenclature.

Either the GPSMAP 431 or 521 series of units should supply you with a reasonably priced GPS unit with most of the “Whistles and Bells” that most users want.

Unfortunately, these units cannot accept your older US TOPO mapping software, so you will have to include the price of one of the newer mapping programs to get the most out of whatever unit you finally decide to purchase.

The GPSMAP 431 comes ready to go with preloaded U.S. Inland Lake map data. This option when used with a supplemental mapping program such as the BlueChart® g2 or the BlueChart® g2 Vision® will give you the inland and coastal coverage that you need.

Other units come preloaded with a variety of different mapping programs that may also suit your needs.

Check these suggestions out on the Garmin web site at www.garmin.com and or call the Garmin Support Section a 1-800-800-1020 and narrow down your selection considering price and features THEN visit a stocking Garmin dealer to get a “hands on” feeling about your selection.

There are other Garmin fixed mounted units that will also suit you needs, but these will generally fall into a more expensive option bracket.

By the way, I prefer to have the Garmin DVD version of the mapping programs when ever possible and not a download as a means of obtaining the software.

Narrow down your choice(s) and get back with me and I will be happy to discuss your options.

~ Captain Paul ~

..
~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ CHRIS THORNE ~

Both

SEA TRAC Marine Electronics - 114 Hickory Ave. Harahan (New Orleans), LA 70123 -504-737-0591
http://www.seatracoffshore.com/

and

Bayou Marine Electronics, 5125 Paris Rd, Chalmette, LA 70043 ~ 504-279-0967 ~ http://www.bayoumarine.com

should be able to accommodate your needs.

They should both be able to do a professional installation job of almost all brands of GPS units.

If you already have your GPS unit, to be sure contact them about the installation giving them the make model of your GPS unit AND the make model of your boat.

Be sure to get a cost extimate for the installation service before making your choice.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ James ~

Your Garmin GPSMAP 60cx is a very fine unit. It should serve you well with the proper mapping program.

The Garmin TOPO U.S. 100K is their latest topographical mapping software that is based on U.S.G.S. 100,000 scale topo maps. It is available as a DVD or SD~Micro SD for loading into a PC or MAC computer.

According to Garmin,

“TOPO U.S. 100K covers the finer points of the outdoors, with topographic maps comparable to 1:100,000 scale USGS maps. TOPO U.S. 100K includes terrain contours, topo elevations, summits, parks, coastlines, rivers, lakes and geographical points. TOPO maps are ideal for hiking, hunting, camping, cycling and communing with nature. Coverage includes topographic detail of the entire United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.”

The program includes 100,000 scale topo type maps of ALL of the United States.

You can view the mapping program and even access a portion of the map itself, from the Garmin web site @

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=28229&pvID=29597#coverageTab

The Garmin U.S. TOPO 2008 is now considered a “Discontinued” product by the Garmin Web site. It was, however, a 100,000 (100K) scale topo rendition of official U.S.G.S. Topographical maps. The U.S. TOPO 100K is Garmin newest release and replaces the older US TOPO 2008.

Garmin also offers a topographical based mapping program that is based on 24,000 scale topo maps. This program is called TOPO U.S. 24K.

Garmin describes the program as,

“ TOPO U.S. 24K - Southeast brings you the highest level of topographic detail available, with maps comparable to 1:24,000 scale USGS maps. These highly detailed maps include terrain contours, topo elevations, summits, routable roads and trails, parks, coastlines, rivers, lakes and geographic points - and they also display 3-D terrain shading on compatible devices. TOPO maps are ideal for hiking, hunting, camping, cycling and communing with nature. Coverage includes topographic detail of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. It is Available on microSD™/SD™ card or downloadable from the Web site. I suggest that you purchase the SD or Micor SD card configuration as with the program on the disk it will work in ANY Garmin device that can accept this type of mapping software. That means if you later upgrade your Garmin unit, the maps will work in that unit. The DOWNLOAD version will ONLY work in the unit that is first connected to the program in your computer.

This program is sold by regions and the US TOPO 24K ~SOUTHEAST~ one includes 24,000 topographic coverage of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

You can view the particulars of the program by accessing it on their web site @

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=30154#overviewTab

I believe that the greater detail 24,000 scale mapping software was first offered in 2010.

I could NOT locate a US TOPO 2008 24K.

As stated, the 24,000 scale map generally offers greater detail than does a map drawn in 100,000 scale, but sometimes certain areas, especially over water areas are not represented with as much detail when the initial USGS topo is not available for the area.

Either of the two new programs will require you to download the FREE Garmin data transfer program they call BASE CAMP from their web site.

The BASE CAMP program allows the user to transfer data to a Garmin GPS unit or its SD ~MicroSD memory card and a computer.
The BASE CAMP can be found on the Garmin web site @

http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/onthetrail/basecamp

Or you can also use the Garmin MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager to accomplish your data transfers. I believe that the BASE CAMP is a newer, more user friendly program than the Trip and Waypoint Manager program.

These programs allow you to transfer waypoints, tracks and routes to and from your computer and a Garmin device. You can compile a route, place waypoints and even view your tracks on your computer screen.

The older, now discontinued, Garmin U.S. TOPO 2008 is in 100,000 scale and comes with an internal DATA Transfer program very similar to the Trip and Waypoint Manager program.

But, I would go with the newer mapping software as is has the latest map images as well as the latest operating software for the program.

Before you decide on which program to go with, visit a stocking GARMIN dealer and view both the 100K and 24K versions of their TOPO mapping programs.

Either of the two new programs will set you back the better part of $100.

Keep in touch and let me know how you make out.


~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ TOMMY ~

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has a web site that list all past and present oil, gas and water wells in the state. The Site is called SONRIS.

It has a data base of the sites that allow you to access the information in a variety of ways which includes via a general map of the area, by parish, by gas or oil field name, well number and or name and by operator to name a few of the many ways to access the data.

You can access the site by going to http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us/www_root/sonris_portal_1.htm

Note that the positions provided are stated in Decimal Degrees (h, DDD.ddddddd) and were determined using NAD 27 Datum.

The removed wells are generally listed as a “well hole ~ not operating.”

It is a very useful program to find the shell or gravel pads that were once installed around the well sites. As you know, these “pads” offer ideal fishing habitat.

By the way, I offer a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS that has included a number of these sites in the Lake Borgne area. My Lake Borgne Edge file has over 160 waypoints in and around the lake, many of which are the present and past well sites in the lake.

The EDGE files are designed to be electronically loaded into various GPS units via your computer.

THE CAPTAIN PAUL’s FISHING EDGE FILES ARE AVAILABLE ONLY ON THE LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN WEB SITE.

The “CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE” is a very unique ELECTRONIC MEDIA program that can be downloaded directly into various GPS units from their manufacturer’s Mapping program or via several of Maptech’s mapping software programs. This technology saves countless hours of having to manually enter each separate waypoint values into GPS receivers.

I call the Programs, CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE,” because I believe that they will give the fisher and hunter an advantage in getting to, finding fishing spots, moving around, and getting back from some of the more favorite fishing and hunting areas in the state.

The entire procedure of loading over 150 odd waypoints from a typical CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE file takes less than three minutes from the time you view the email file to the time that they are loaded in the GPS receiver.

Presently I have NINETEEN Captain Paul’s Fishing Edge Files. They include Barataria Bay, Hopedale ~MRGO to the MISSISSIPPI SOUND, Hopedale to Bayou Terre Boeufs, Delacroix to Point a la Hache, Bayou Bienvenue, Port Sulphur, Lake Calcasieu, Lafitte, Leeville ~ East, Lake Pontchartrain, Myrtle Grove-Lake Hermitage, Empire to Buras, Leeville-West, the Pearl River WMA, Vermillion Bay, The Rigolets, Bayou Sauvage NWR and Big Branch NWR and the LAKE BORGNE areas.

To download The CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE program(s) in your GPS, you MUST have FIVE items. FIRST, a GPS Receiver that can accept a computer download; SECOND, your GPS manufacturers Mapping Program or its Waypoint Manager software; THIRD, a computer with a connecting cable to the GPS unit or data card; FOURTH, a valid E-Mail Address that accepts attachments, and FIFTH, a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILE.

Separate Program Files are designed for GARMIN, MAGELLAN, LOWRANCE, DELORME, RayMarine, Humminbird and others that require a GPX data exchange protocol and their mapping programs as well as for MAPTECH TERRAIN NAVIGATOR.

These Edge files are NOT interchangeable.

ALL of the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS are ONLY available at the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN'S 'OUTDOOR STORE'

The OUTDOOR STORE link button may be found in DARK banner on the top of SPORTSMAN’s HOME PAGE.

The Captain Paul's FISHING EDGE button also flashes across the top banner of the ”REPORTS” pages on this web site. \

And, of course, you may also go direct to the Captain Paul Fishing EDGE site by entering
http://www.askcaptainpaul.com/fishingedge in the address bar of your browser.

From either site, simply follow the instructions for ordering from the Louisiana Sportsman’s Shopping Cart.

The EDGE files are available exclusively on the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN web site in the OUTDOOR STORE. Look them over, I am sure that you will find that the EDGE waypoints give you a quantum leap head in navigating to and fishing or hunting the area locations.

Some of the many Lake Borgne well sites as listed in the EDGE program are as follows:

I have DESIGNATED these positions in my EDGE file as waypoint numbers that begin with “BOIL” (representing LAKE BORGNE OIL sites). I believe that some of the many, many platforms you are looking for may be found as indicated below.

BIOL # 27 =29°59.045’ N. Latitude ~ 89°37.252’W. Longitude;

BOIL # 28 = 29°57.723’ N. Latitude ~ 89°35.150’ W. Longitude;

BOIL # 38 = 30°00.709’ N. Latitude ~ 89°43.055’ W. Longitude;

BOIL # 39 = 29°56.545’ N. Latitude ~ 89°42.475’ W. Longitude;

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as Degrees, minutes and thousandths of minutes (DDD,MM.mmm) and were determined using WGS 84 Datum. All bearings and courses are stated in Magnetic degrees.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ DAVIDX ~

First, a word of caution about the
difference between state and federal waters!

Although some maps and charts indicate the division as a line, warnings on these maps and charts indicate that the depicted line on these charts and maps are an APPROXIMATE rendition of the actual line.

The line is actually defined in federal and state law. In addition, this boundary is NOT the same as the Louisiana Inshore~Offshore Shrimping boundaries.

This shrimping boundary is stated in R.S. 56:495 of the Louisiana code. You can find the law in the state internet site @

http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=105349

This shrimp boundary is sometimes used in determining the OPEN and CLOSED waters related to the recent BP oil spill. It is usually from a point of land along the shoreline to another point whereas the state~federal boundary is about three miles off shore from any state land formation.

Please note and understand the differences between the two different boundary lines.

Now back to your question. The OFFICIAL NOAA MARINE CHART OF that area, Isles Dernieres to Point au Fer, Chart No. 11356 and its companion chart to the East, Timbalier and Terrebonne Bays Chart no. 11357 show the State~Federal demarcation line as a light grey on both of the charts.

I suggest that you obtain these charts as they are the official listing of where the demarcation line is located.

This line is NOT available on the Lowrance Basemap that comes as a standard map in most Lowrance units, but is shown on various supplemental mapping programs.

If your Lowrance unit has the capability of viewing the older MapCreate Series 7 mapping software, you will find that the map of that area has the same demarcation line.

In the MapCreate software it is depicted as a dashed white line. Check the MapCreate software for a visual of the dividing line.

If your unit is one of the newer HDS series line, and you have the INSIGHT HD mapping card, the demarcation line is also visible on the chart for that area.

In order to assist you, I plotted a LOWRANCE route along the state~federal demarcation line. My plots begin on the demarcation line offshore from Oyster Bayou and continues eastward to a position offshore of Timbalier Bay,which is east of the Isles Dernieres chain of islands.

They are written in a Lowrance data protocol (.usr) which I will send to you as an email attachment.

Please use this route only as a guide for the demarcation line. Consult all official sources to refine the official position of the line.

You can use your MapCreate USA TOPO software OR the FREE Lowrance GPS DATA MANAGER (GDM). The GDM can be download from the Lowrance web site @

http://www.lowrance.us/en-us/Downloads/GPS-Data-Manager-GDM/

GPS Data Manager V.6 (GDM6)allows you to upload and download GPS data from your unit to your computer. You can easily access and manipulate Waypoints, Routes, Trails and Icons. A great tool for planning a route, the GPS Data Manager V.6 allows you to build a collection of route information that you can download to your unit.

Open the Lowrance MapCreate or GDM software then open the .usr file marked as STATE FEDERAL WATERS CAILLOU BAY.usr in Lowrance program then SAVE it to your memory card which is then placed in your GPS unit.

Using the internal MENU of the GPS unit, transfer the USR data file into the existing route memory of the unit.

When activated, the ROUTE line will show up on the existing maps you have in your GPS unit.
You can even change the route to a TRACK which will also show on any of the internal maps.

Call me if you have any difficulties.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul’s Response to RON MATHEWS ~

Your LMS-522C iGPS is considered a discontinued product by the LOWRANCE WEB site, but it is a very decent GPS unit. It should serve you well into the future.

Yes, the file probably is something like DATA 001 .usr.

Naturally you can rename the file to a name of your choice.

The data, in your case, the waypoints, MUST be transferred into OR from the internal waypoint memory of your 522 unit.

The Owners manual on pages 131 to 134 describes how to accomplish the transfer. The manual describes it as follows:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Insert the MMC into your unit. Press MENU / MENU|; to SYSTEM SETUP/ ENT|; to TRANSFER MY DATA / ENT and the screen below appears.

The Transfer My Data menu includes a message which tells you if an MMC is present or not. If no MMC is present, you must first insert the card into the unit in order to activate the Load or Save commands.

To transfer data from the unit to the MMC: press ENT (for SAVE.)

To transfer data from the MMC to the unit: press enter; to LOAD|ENT

Loading to unit memory: There may be more than one GPS Data File (*.USR) on the card. To select a file, press ENT to activate the selection box, use ↓ or ↑ to highlight the file, then press ENT to accept the selection.

Next, press enter; to LOAD DATA / ENT. The unit will display a completion message when the data transfer is finished. To return to the Page view, press EXIT repeatedly.

~ ~ ~ ~

If you don’t have a copy of the manual, you can down a free copy of the manual from the Lowrance web site @

http://www.lowrance.us/upload/Lowrance/Documents/Manuals/LMS527-522_0152-181_120406.pdf

Even if you have a manual, it is a good idea to download the free one and keep it in a computer file.

To transfer the DATA from the data card into your MapCreate mapping program in your computer, you should place the card in the card programmer then OPEN the MapCreate program.

In the MapCreate program select the OPEN button at the top of the page. Then select the OPEN GPS DATA FILE. In the LOOK IN box find the drive that the computer designated as the card reader and click on that lettered drive.

You should see the drive with the MMC or SD card and the files that are on the memory card. Find the DATA (001) .USR file and click on it to open it in the MapCreate or GDM program.

The waypoints should all appear on the map and in the WAYPOINT LIST which is usually at the bottom of the page.

You can either highlight the waypoint in the table at the bottom of the page, or left click on it and then select the DELETE button.

You can also ADD waypoints in the program by selecting the ADD WAYPOINTS button at the top of the page, place the cursor where you want the waypoint and click the mouse.

Of course, you can also create a ROUTE by selecting the CREATE A ROUTE tool and mark and save the route you created. The edited waypoints and routes can be then transferred to the MMC card and installed in your GPS unit.

It is a very good idea to back up all of the waypoints and routes in the unit. You can transfer the data to your computer program and saved in a safe archive.

Even if you don’t later buy another Lowrance system, I can transfer the data to another manufacturers data protocol that can be installed in the different brand GPS unit.

Backing up your DATA is very sound advice.

Please let me know how you make out.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ BeakBuster84 ~

You have one of Lowrance’s top of the line units. It is a fantastic unit that should serve you well into the future.

The LOWRANCE HDS-7 comes with either the Lowrance Expanded U.S. BaseMap or Insight USA™ (Americas) or Worldwide background map (non-Americas).

I am not sure which of these preloaded mapping files your unit has, but they are all considered a BASEMAP. A basemap is what the name implies. It is a basic map that shows MAJOR roads, cities and bodies of water. They usually do not depict the many small lakes, bayous, creeks, lagoons, bays and canals that make up the coastal Louisiana marshes.

The Lowrance HDS 7, however, can accept supplemental mapping programs which are usually provided on a SD type memory card.

Some of the Custom Mapping includes the optional Navionics® Platinum+ and Platinum chartcards with TurboView™ for worldwide coverage - as well as Navionics® HotMaps™ Platinum, Lowrance Hot Spots® PRO and LakeMaster® ProMaps (Americas).

For full details, see the Navionics line on their web site @

http://www.navionics.com/MarineFeatures_PlatinumPlus.asp

Most of these programs offer top quality mapping of the various area that the product covers.

They are sold by Regions. There is a Region that covers from Sabine Pass to Mobile Bay which would cover all of coastal Louisiana.

None of these products are offered in an aerial photo version as the amount of memory for such mapping is quite large and normally would not fit on a SD type memory card without having you “run off of the map” when you travel in an area where the aerials are located.

I suggest that you visit a stocking Lowrance dealer and actually view the maps that are available for your unit before making a purchase of any the additional mapping programs.

~ Captain Paul ~

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~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Lance ~

First, I have a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS for HOPEDALE MRGO ~ MS SOUND that includes all of the area between the old MRGO and the Mississippi Sound, Shell Beach and the Chandeleur Island chain. The Biloxi Marsh is located within that area.

That EDGE file has over 300 waypoints in the area of coverage. HOWEVER, The Captain Paul’s Fishing EDGE files are NOT marketed on memory or SD cards. They are transmitted as EMAIL attachments.

These attachments are unloaded by you and saved in your computer and then either downloaded via a brand specific Data Transfer Program into YOUR SD or memory card then into your GPS unit, or in some GPS units directly into your GPS unit.

To download The CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE program(s) in your GPS, you MUST have FIVE items.

FIRST, a GPS Receiver; SECOND, that GPS manufacturers Mapping Program or its Waypoint Manager software; THIRD, a computer with a connecting cable to the GPS unit or data card with a card reader writer; FOURTH, a valid E-Mail Address that accepts attachments, and FIFTH, a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILE.

Separate Program Files are designed for GARMIN, DeLORME, HUMMINBIRD, MAGELLAN, RAY MARINE, LOWRANCE and other GPS receivers and their mapping programs that use a GPX data protocol as well as for MYTOPO TERRAIN NAVIGATOR.

These Edge files are NOT interchangeable.

ALL of the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS are ONLY available at the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN'S 'OUTDOOR STORE.' The OUTDOOR STORE link button may be found in dark banner at the top of the SPORTSMAN’s HOME PAGE.

Call me if you need addition information on the installation process.

Captain Paul
985-847-0536

.
~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ WAYNE JUNEAU ~

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has the responsibility of keeping track of all of the oil and gas wells and production platforms that are located in the STATE. Naturally it includes all STATE waters.

They have a web site for all such locations that can be searched via many different ways.

For STATE WATERS (Louisiana) documents concerning the well and platforms in State waters, go to the “SONRIS LITE” button and access that feature.

http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us/www_root/sonris_portal_1.htm

On that page select the “ALL WELLS BY PARISH” button in the WELL INFORMATION category. You may have to Search both St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes as the area you are inquiring about is located in both parishes.

When prompted, select the location by parish and submit the query. In the “FIELD NAME” column highlight and copy all that indicates a gas/oil field in the area of your concern.

By later clicking on the “WELL SERIAL NUMBER” the program will display all of the information concerning the well. Included will be the Lat-long usually listed as DDD.dddddddd in NAD 27 datum.

You can also access the wells by going to GIS data and the INTERACTIVE MAPS button. Then select the Oil and gas, mineral leasing, boundaries, and coastal boxes and activate all of the options in that category.

Then click on the parish that you need to continually Zoom in to the area. The map will show the Leased tracks, wells by serial number and a lat long for their location. You may find that this is easier than the written data for each well.

To view these locations on a map, get the latest NOAA chart for the area of your interest.

In addition, using a NOAA marine chart for the area you are interested, access the NOAA Office of Coast Survey's Automated Wreck and Obstruction Information System (AWOIS).

You can reach the site at

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsd/awois.html

The free AWOIS contains information covers over 10,000 submerged wrecks and obstructions in the coastal waters of the United States. Information includes latitude and longitude of each feature along with brief historic and descriptive details.

You can down load the information as a document or as a Microsoft ACCESS format.

If you have a general idea of the Latitude and Longitude, you can search for and find all wrecks and obstructions within your described search area. Or you can search those sites located within a designated chart.

It is then easy to then copy the positions of the described wreck sites and then enter them into your GPS unit.

If you need any specific locations get back with me. Let me know how you make out! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oh, by the way I have a program that lists quite a few of the platforms, wrecks and other fishing points of interest in that area.

My Delacroix to Pt. a la Hache and my HOPEDALE MRGO to Bayou Terre Boeufs together have over 500 waypoints in the areas of coverage.

THE CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ON THIS WEB SITE. ( www.louisianasportsman.com)

Check out the OUTDOOR STORE button near the left top of HOME page in the dark banner. Click on that button, then when the Outdoor Store page appears, click on the “ FISHING EDGE” button.

When ordering the areas you want you MUST indicate what type of GPS system you have as different brands write their data files in different protocols.

Simply select which EDGE program(s) you want and click on that box. Follow the directions and the EDGE will be delivered to you via email as an attachment.

I call the Programs, CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE,” because I believe that they will give the fisher an advantage in getting to, finding fishing spots, moving around, and getting back from some of the more favorite fishing areas in the state.

The “CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE” is a very unique ELECTRONIC MEDIA Program that can be downloaded directly into various GPS units from their manufacturer’s Mapping program or via several of Maptech’s mapping software programs.

This technology saves countless hours of having to manually enter each separate waypoint value into the GPS receiver. The entire procedure of loading over 200 odd waypoints from a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE file takes less than three minutes from the time you view the email file to the time that they are loaded in the GPS receiver.

Presently I have NINETEEN Captain Paul’s Fishing Edge Files. They include Barataria Bay, Lake Borgne, HOPEDALE MRGO to the Miss Sound, Hopedale to Bayou Terre Boeufs, DELACROIX to Point a la Hache, Bayou Bienvenue, Port Sulphur, Lake Calcasieu, Lake Pontchartrain, Myrtle Grove-Lake Hermitage, Empire to Buras, Leeville-West, Leeville-East, Lafitte, the Pearl River WMA, Vermillion Bay, The Rigolets, Big Branch NWR, and Bayou Sauvage NWR.

To download The CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE program(s) in your GPS, you MUST have FIVE items.

FIRST, a GPS Receiver; SECOND, that manufacturers Mapping Program or its Waypoint Manager software; THIRD, a computer with a connecting cable to the GPS unit or data card; FOURTH, a valid E-Mail Address that accepts attachments, and FIFTH, a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILE.

Separate Program Files are designed for GARMIN, DeLORME, HUMMINBIRD, MAGELLAN, RAY MARINE, LOWRANCE and other GPS receivers and their mapping programs that use a GPX data protocol as well as for MYTOPO TERRAIN NAVIGATOR.

These Edge files are NOT INTERchangeable.

ALL of the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS are ONLY available at the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN'S 'OUTDOOR STORE.'

The OUTDOOR STORE link button may be found in dark banner at the top of the SPORTSMAN’s HOME PAGE.

From the OUTDOOR site, simply follow the instructions for ordering from the Louisiana Sportsman’s Shopping Cart.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ RON MATHEWS ~

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has the responsibility of keeping track of all of the oil and gas wells and production platforms that are located in the STATE. Naturally it includes all STATE waters.

They have a web site for all such locations that can be searched via many different ways.

For LOUISIANA STATE WATERS concerning the well and platforms in these waters, go to the “SONRIS LITE” button and access that feature.

http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us/www_root/sonris_portal_1.htm

Once on that page select the “ALL WELLS BY PARISH” button in the WELL INFORMATION category. When prompted, select the location by parish and submit the query. In the “FIELD NAME” column highlight and copy all that indicates a gas/oil field in the area of your concern.

By later clicking on the “WELL SERIAL NUMBER” the program will display all of the information concerning the well. Included will be the Lat-long usually listed as DDD.dddddddd in NAD 27 datum.

You can also access the wells by going to GIS data and the INTERACTIVE MAPS button. Then select the Oil and gas, mineral leasing, boundaries, and coastal boxes and activate all of the options in that category.

Then click on the parish that you need to continually Zoom in to the area. The map will show the Leased tracks, wells by serial number and a lat long for their location. You may find that this is easier than the written data for each well.

To view these locations on a map, get the latest NOAA chart for the area of your interest.

By the way, I have a program that I call CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE OF GPS WAYPOINTS. The HOPEDALE MRGO~TO MS SOUND has over 300 waypoint in that area of coverage. The EDGE for that area has about 15 EDGE waypoint in the LAKE and BAY Eloi area. As well as several rigs in the Breton Sound area such as The Concrete Rigs and the Central Rig.

THE CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ON THIS WEB SITE. ( www.louisianasportsman.com)

Check out the OUTDOOR STORE button near the left top of HOME page in the dark banner. Click on that button, then when the Outdoor Store page appears, click on the “ FISHING EDGE” button.

When ordering the areas you want you MUST indicate what type of GPS system you have as different brands write their data files in different protocols.

Simply select which EDGE program(s) you want and click on that box. Follow the directions and the EDGE will be delivered to you via email as an attachment.

I call the Programs, CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE,” because I believe that they will give the fisher an advantage in getting to, finding fishing spots, moving around, and getting back from some of the more favorite fishing areas in the state.

The “CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE” is a very unique ELECTRONIC MEDIA Program that can be downloaded directly into various GPS units from their manufacturer’s Mapping program or via several of Maptech’s mapping software programs.

This technology saves countless hours of having to manually enter each separate waypoint value into the GPS receiver. The entire procedure of loading over 200 odd waypoints from a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE file takes less than three minutes from the time you view the email file to the time that they are loaded in the GPS receiver.

Presently I have NINETEEN Captain Paul’s Fishing Edge Files. They include Barataria Bay, Lake Borgne, HOPEDALE MRGO to the Miss Sound, Hopedale to Bayou Terre Boeufs, Delacroix to Point a la Hache, Bayou Bienvenue, Port Sulphur, Lake Calcasieu, Lake Pontchartrain, Myrtle Grove-Lake Hermitage, Empire to Buras, Leeville-West, Leeville-East, Lafitte, the Pearl River WMA, Vermillion Bay, The Rigolets, Big Branch NWR, and Bayou Sauvage NWR.

To download The CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE program(s) in your GPS, you MUST have FIVE items.

FIRST, a GPS Receiver; SECOND, that manufacturers Mapping Program or its Waypoint Manager software; THIRD, a computer with a connecting cable to the GPS unit or data card; FOURTH, a valid E-Mail Address that accepts attachments, and FIFTH, a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILE.

Separate Program Files are designed for GARMIN, DeLORME, HUMMINBIRD, MAGELLAN, RAY MARINE, LOWRANCE and other GPS receivers and their mapping programs that use a GPX data protocol as well as for MYTOPO TERRAIN NAVIGATOR.

These Edge files are NOT interchangeable.

ALL of the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS are ONLY available at the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN'S 'OUTDOOR STORE.'

The OUTDOOR STORE link button may be found in dark banner at the top of the SPORTSMAN’s HOME PAGE.

From the OUTDOOR site, simply follow the instructions for ordering from the Louisiana Sportsman’s Shopping Cart.

If you need any specific locations get back with me. Let me know how you make out!

Keep Safe!

~ Captain Paul ~

.
~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Jack Uhle, Sr. ~

Jack, several things may be causing the position to be different from the one indicated on the internal maps in your unit.

FIRST, is the WAAS feature in your unit ACTIVE or ENABLED? It is the WAAS feature that enables a position that is within the 3 meter (9.8 feet) accuracy. If not the positions generated will be within the accepted 20 Meter (65.6 ft) accuracy radius.

Second, if you are using the internal maps in the unit, you should know that they are basically the Blue Chart g2 software that is based on NOAA Marine Charts, and some times the land masses away from an established marine channel that is marked with Aids to Navigation buoys, lights, cans and nuns are not depicted as accurately as they should be. It is the nature of that type of chart. The government just does not put a lot of effort in correcting the marine charts away from established navigation channels.

With that understood, next, check the DATUM selection. The Blue Chart software is drawn using WGS 84 datum. If your GPS unit is not set to the WGS 84 Datum selection, it could project your current position to a different position on that map as related to your actual position.

I suggest that you double check your map datum and position format. Usually, the map datum is set to WGS84 and the position format is set to hdddmm.mmm'.

If you are using another datum than WGS 84 as the maps are you should change the DATUM to the WGS 84 setting.

To adjust this information, please follow the instructions below:

From the Home screen select Configure
2. Select Preferences

Select Units

On the Units screen, you will have the ability to change the position format and map datum.

Then double check the indicated position on the map to see if it indicates an position on the map where the GPS unit is actually located.

If after making these checks, you find that the position is still indicating a position on the map that is not where the unit is actually located, you should contact the Garmin Support Section at 1-800-800-1020 for guidance.

Keep in touch and let me know how you make out.

~ Captain Paul ~

.
~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Boogie ~

Lucky you! What a treat is right, the GARMIN GPSMAP 76csx is a really nice GPS unit. I am sure that it will serve you well.

I am a firm believer that those maps based on U.S. Topographical maps offers Louisiana anglers the best rendition of the coastal marshes and of course, these type maps are the best available for areas away from the coast.

I suggest that you first consider the Garmin U.S. TOPO 100k on a DVD disk. And, then download the free BASE CAMP program from the Garmin web site at:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=64242#requirementsTab

According to Garmin,

“Outdoor enthusiasts: we've mapped every hill and valley for your next great adventure. Now with more detail than ever, TOPO U.S. 100K covers the finer points of the outdoors, with topographic maps comparable to 1:100,000 scale USGS maps. TOPO U.S. 100K includes terrain contours, topo elevations, summits, parks, coastlines, rivers, lakes and geographical points.

TOPO maps are ideal for hiking, hunting, camping, cycling and communing with nature. Coverage includes topographic detail of the entire United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.”

Having this product and the free BASE CAMP program will allow you to transfer maps and waypoint, tracks and route data to and from your GPS unit and your computer.

Go to the Garmin web site at
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=28229

and click on the VIEW MAP tab then zoom in on the map for the area of your concern. You can view the map down to a 200 foot scale.

U.S. TOPO 100k with the BASE CAMP will allow you to load the maps of your choice onto a memory card that is placed in your GPSMAP 76csx.

Captain Paul

.
~ CAPTAIN PAUL’S RESPONSE TO: Bennie Benoit ~

Bennie, email my your email address and I will be happy to send you a map of the area of coverage that the EDGE program offers. This map is included with the EDGE order and is in the form of an ACROBAT pdf file that can be viewed by using an Acrobat Reader file that is available as a free download on the internet.

The map of the entire area is in a 8.5 x 11” format so you can’t really use the map for navigation, but it will give you an idea of where the Edge waypoints are located.

Captain Paul

.
~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ TP ~

The Mineral Management Services of the Department of the Interior designs the Leased Areas in Federal Waters. These areas are designated by a name that is usually near the area where they are located.

They then divide the Areas into BLOCKS which are assigned numbers.

The Vermillion Bay offshore area is designated as VR. Blocks # 46 and 31 are about 9 to 10 miles south of the mouth of Freshwater Bayou Canal.

There are several rigs in Block # 46. They all would have the designation of VR46-(x?x) but the most pronounced one is located at or about 29° 24.114’ N. Latitude ~ 92° 22.408’ W. Longitude.

The others are within a mile of this platform. It is about 9.9 miles at a bearing of 202° magnetic from the mouth of Freshwater Bayou Canal at the Gulf of Mexico and is in about 30 feet of water.

Block 31 has over fifteen platforms that are designated as VR31-(x?x), but the most pronounced one is at or about 29° 26.845’ N. Latitude ~ 92° 11.584’ N. Latitude. It is about 9 miles at a bearing of 130° magnetic from the mouth of Freshwater Bayou Canal at the Gulf. It is in about 18 feet of water.

Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as Degrees, minutes and thousandths of minutes (DDD,MM.mmm) and were determined using WGS 84 Datum. All bearings and courses are stated in Magnetic degrees.

~ Captain Paul ~

~ Captain Paul's response to: Phillip Jackson ~

The BULK PLANT is located on the north side of the INTRA COASTAL WATER WAY (ICWW) between the INNER HARBOR NAVIGATION CANAL, commonly known as The Industrial Canal, and the High Bridge of La Highway 47 over the ICWW.

It is about 3 miles WEST from the center of the bridge and the waterway. The position is at or about 29° 59.994 N. Latitude ~ 89° 59.627’ W. Longitude. I say “ABOUT,” because the BULK PLANT is actually a dock that is parallel to the shoreline and the canal that is over 1800 feet.

The most favored location is at the Eastern End of the dock at the south east corner. Most successful anglers fish a live bait suspended on a sliding cork at a depth of about 15 to 17 feet.

Live shrimp is the bait of choice, but minnows, or if you can find them croakers, can be used.

Anchor at or near the east end of the dock and throw the sliding cork rig out into the ICWW at a 45° angle from the east corner. Then take another pole rigged up with your favorite jig head and plastic lure or a silver Rattle Trap and throw around both sides of the cork line AND to the shoreline area between the dock and the shoreline.

A moving tide is best in this area. Be sure to have a large net on board as the fish you will catch will generally be above the average size.

You won’t catch you limit at this location, but those you catch generally will be quite nice. I have landed trout, reds and flounders at that spot. As a matter of fact, the trout that I am holding at the top of this posting response was caught at the Bulk Plant.

By the way, I have a program that I call CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS.\

I presently have NINETEEN areas of EDGE files of which one is the BAYOU BIENVENUE area. My EDGE for Bayou Bienvenue has over 110 GPS waypoint in the area.

It includes the area from Bait, Inc. to Lake Borgne at Proctor Point to the ICWW from the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal the Chef Pass. It includes the shore along the western shore of Lake Borgne.

I call the Programs, CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE,” because I believe that they will give the fisher an advantage in getting to, finding fishing spots, moving around, and getting back from some of the more favorite fishing areas in the state.

The “CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE” is a very unique ELECTRONIC MEDIA program that can be downloaded directly into various GPS units from their manufacturer’s Mapping program or via several of Maptech’s mapping software programs. This technology saves countless hours of having to manually enter each separate waypoint value into the GPS receiver.

The entire procedure of loading over 150 odd waypoints from a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE file takes less than three minutes from the time you view the email file to the time that they are loaded in the GPS receiver.

Presently I have NINETEEN Captain Paul’s Fishing Edge Files. They include Barataria Bay, Lake Borgne, Hopedale ~MRGO to MS. Sound, Hopedale to Bayou Terre Boeufs, Delacroix to Point a la Hache, Bayou Bienvenue, Port Sulphur, Calcasieu Lake, Lake Pontchartrain, Myrtle Grove- Lake Hermitage, Empire to Buras, Leeville West, Leeville-EAST, Lafitte, The Pearl River WMA, Big Branch NWR, Bayou Sauvage NWR, The Rigolets and the Vermillion Bay area. \

To download The CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE program(s) in your GPS, you MUST have FIVE items.

FIRST, a GPS Receiver; SECOND, that manufacturers Mapping Program or its Waypoint Manager transfer software; THIRD, a computer with a connecting cable to the GPS unit or to a data card; FOURTH, a valid E-Mail Address that accepts attachments, and FIFTH, a CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE FILE.

Separate Program Files are designed for GARMIN, MAGELLAN, LOWRANCE, RAYMARINE, DELORME, HUMMINBIRD, and other GPS units that use a GPX Data protocol and their mapping programs as well as for MAPTECH TERRAIN NAVIGATOR. These Edge files are NOT interchangeable.

ALL of the CAPTAIN PAUL’S FISHING EDGE of GPS WAYPOINTS are ONLY available at the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN'S 'OUTDOOR STORE'

The OUTDOOR STORE link button may be found in dark banner near top of the SPORTSMAN’s HOME PAGE.

The Captain Paul's FISHING EDGE button is also located on HOME page in the dark banner near the top of the page.

From the site, simply follow the instructions for ordering from the Louisiana Sportsman’s Shopping Cart.

Be SURE TO INDICATE THE AREA YOU WANT AND THE TYPE OF GPS SYSTEM YOU HAVE.

~ Captain Paul ~