Getting another Humminbird unit leaning hard toward the 899c HD SI. Comes with HB's proprietary Contour XD maps. From the looks of it online, I don't see the need for the additional Navionics card. Am I missing something here? FWIW my first HB was the new Helix model, this thing blows Lowrance out of the water, I'm getting rid of all my Lowrance units now.

ContourXD is 2006 Navionics maps of 3000 locations nationwide.

That means there are thousands of locations not included.

Your particular water may or may not be covered.

You can check the maps when you get the unit or you can do a Humminbird web site search for the list of waters.

If you do get a card and your lakes are covered on Lakemaster there are a number of benefits you can get using LM over Navionics. IMO the HD coverage not only is a better looking map and the navigational and hazard markers are more profound, but the ability to shade shallow water, target water, and depth offset if your reservoir high or low makes it a better choice.

Another feature with Lakemaster is their new program called Chart Select. You can purchase individual bodies of water to download to a memory card. Check the Humminbird Lakemaster web site for that process.

If you do get a card and your lakes are covered on Lakemaster there are a number of benefits you can get using LM over Navionics. IMO the HD coverage not only is a better looking map and the navigational and hazard markers are more profound, but the ability to shade shallow water, target water, and depth offset if your reservoir high or low makes it a better choice.

 

Slone makes an excellent point.

In the past, I used to printout all my contour charts. Then I would trace specific contour lines

(based on current water level) all around the lake using different colored pens.

I did this so I could quickly isolate the broadest food shelves (areas with the widest spaced depth lines)

then pinpoint the drop-offs that adjoined the best food shelves (drop-offs appear as tightly bunched depth lines).

Lakemaster bathymetry includes independent shallow-water and deep-water shading (Navionics does not),

so the busywork is already done for you. The angler's only responsibility is to know the best depth parameters

for the food shelf, and the most favorable depth for the breaklines.

 

Lakemaster sprang from the upper midwest and the Great Lakes region.

Although they've expanded into the southeast, the accuracy of their contour lines in Florida

leaves much to be desired. They're a quality company though,

and I'm confident that they'll eventually work out the wrinkles (I can't wait).

 

Roger

Thanks for the info, I do appreciate it.

OK, gentlemen here is the deal. I found a vendor selling the 899ci HD SI for 899, that's $100 off retail. They also have the nav version which comes with Navionics+ I think but it's retail at $999. Is the card worth the extra money, can't seem to locate a Nav version on sale. Opinions please

Universal Mania $879. no tax free shipping

Thanks