I will be purchasing a Humminbird 597 and was wondering if the Navionics chip is worth the extra $. Also, is the Humminbird something i can install myself, or should i take it to a professional?

Yes and if you have tools and common sense yes again there's nothing to it

Yes it is worth it.

Mike D

On the install - not a big deal in most cases. On the Navionics chip - it depends on where you fish. If you fish "big water" that has coverage on the chip, it's worth it. None of the lakes I fish (all 200 acres or smaller) have any coverage so I don't have any optional charts in my HB unit .......plus, I don't really need any nav aids in a 16 acre lake...

if the lake you fish isnt very big, does the body of water still show up on your gps so you can at least save your waypoints?

if the lake you fish isnt very big, does the body of water still show up on your gps so you can at least save your waypoints?

Yes

if the lake you fish isnt very big, does the body of water still show up on your gps so you can at least save your waypoints?

Depends - some of my lakes show on the standard map that came with my 798 - some don't. The biggest lake that I fish is 201 acres and nearly two miles long from north to south, where waypoints would be handy - is not on the map. Some of my smaller lakes ARE on the map but are small enough that waypoints are of less value. I can't say if these particular lakes show at all on the Navionics charts....

Depends - some of my lakes show on the standard map that came with my 798 - some don't. The biggest lake that I fish is 201 acres and nearly two miles long from north to south, where waypoints would be handy - is not on the map. Some of my smaller lakes ARE on the map but are small enough that waypoints are of less value. I can't say if these particular lakes show at all on the Navionics charts....

I appreciate that info, all the lakes/rivers I fish show up on my gps even if they aren't on the navionics card. I thought the gps's showed the features regardless.

The gps does show the features. The sd map card show coutours and channels. If you fish structure it is a good tool to have if your lakes are covered.

RnneB,

If you can't get at least an outline of a body of water either with the included background mapping or Navionics, you can make your own using Google Earth.

I have about 75 waypoints for a lake that has no digital maps, or paper contour maps available. I did my own outline for a reference for the waypoints.

BTW, GPS is not any mapping, that is a separate feature. Mapping is just a background on a Chart Plotter. GPS units work the same with or without any background.

additional note: no matter which one of the three Humminbird 597 units you get, they all have Uni-map background mapping which has no lake contours and a high probability there will be no lake outine of your waters.

Before you purchase the Navionics software, check their website to see if the waters you are interested in are included.

The more recent higher end models have ContourXD background mapping that does have a limited number of waters with contours.

Down load the Navionics app on your smart phone for 16$ and get a big phone with a water proof case.