Sorry if this topic has already been covered, I tried to find an answer before posting this so if I missed it I apologize.

I have several reservoirs around me that are not graphed out on my Lakemaster card. I would eventually like to invest in the autochart pro software, but for now, I have a decent system for graphing. I use google earth and use the waypoints they provide during low water years to plot out the inlet channel.

The only problem with this, is that when the channel swings the display is just a massive cluster of waypoints and is almost impossible to quickly decipher what the heck is going on on the screen. Is there any way to graph a line, that is, can I have something on the screen permanently that traces the inlet channel instead of using waypoints?
 

Draw a Path with Google Earth were the waypoints are and save it as a KML file. Then convert it to  a GPX file with Ride Leader software. Then load that file to HumminbirdPC so it becomes a Track and then to a memory card to load it to your unit's memory, then delete all those waypoints.

If you have a Side Imaging unit, you can do a recording along the creek channel that shows the creek channel on SI. Play back the recording on HumViewer and draw a Track in the channel with that software and save it. Copy it to HumminbirdPC to load to your unit's memory.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

 

If you can see the actual creeks channels at low water, just trace the channels with Google Earth Path without the waypoints displayed.

You can use the Google Earth time slider to chose a time that does show low water for that process.

Thanks!! I have lots to learn. I was using the time slider but I didn't know my side imager had a recorder haha. I'll look into both thank you.

You record directly to a memory card just like when you take screen snapshots and it writes picture files to a memory card.

I am going to spend more time on this thank you Wayne.

 

I save all my recordings on a USB thumb drive for viewing with computer viewers, and contour map creation. I stopped counting after 200.

Wayne, to add on to this question, I fish a lot of small private lakes and ponds as well as at a local conservation areas where the ponds range from around four to fifty acres.  I want to use my Helix 5 DI to begin to chart some of these bodies of water.  Is Autochart the way to go and then follow some of the suggestions given above?  Thanks 

You can do that with Humminbird Autochart, Humminbird Autochart Pro computer software, and Navionics Sonar Charts. Auto Chart, when processed, functions just like Lakemaster mapping.

Sonar Charts is a free service by Navionics, but is shared data. When Navionics processes the sonar logs, the contour mapping is shared on their website's Web App, Mobile App, and downloadable to a Navionics card that is Sonar Charts compatible.

 

 

Thanks for the info Wayne. I am very new to this and Sonar Chart sounds like a great place to dive in.  The price is right. Feel free to keep sharing any tips and tricks to lessen the learning curve.