Preferred landing net and GPS chip

[Zedonis]

I am relatively new to the tournament fishing and am wondering what you guys prefer for nets (length and styles). I am thinking about purchasing a 6 foot collapsable style net from Cabelas as the reviews were quite good.

Also would be interested in your preference for map chips. Which digital map set for a LMS 520 will show Cear Lake the best. Are their refesh rate issues with the 520 series to worry about?

Thanks

Paul
Legend Boats

[Jason Milligan]

For the net you can't go wrong with a Frabil. I would suggest their competition series. It's got a telescopic handle. You can get it in various sizes. As for the chip I'm using the Navionics premium WEST. I've got it in the LMS 520 and it works great.

[StogieMan]

Look at Hibernet, long handle, stows easy, sits next to your rods in a tournament

[Nick_Barr]

If you are looking for a high quality Landing Net, take a long, hard look at the STOWMASTER Nets, they are built to last and collapsible.
Also, they have a lifetime warranty. I use the Tournament bass and walleye 84, which has a medium to large net with an extendable handle.

http://www.stowmaster.net
As for a GPS Chip, you cannot go wrong with a Navionics Hotmaps.
http://www.navionics.com

[mark poulson]

Just be sure whichever net you pick has tangle free netting, that won't grab hooks.

[BIG DADDY BLUE RANGER]

Frabill makes most of the nets for Bass Pro and Cabelas..... whatever you choose, avoid nets with knots,, bad for the fish and a lot more tangles

I had a 20X23" mag rubber basspro net (Frabill) w 4-8' cam telescopic handle........ rubber is great cuz its very fish friendly and the most tangle free you can get..... the bad is it's heavy (espiecially the larger hoop sizes) and slow in the water, so it can be hard to use by yerself........... also I would not recommend the cam handle,, plastic on plastic threads get stuck and hard to loosen over time...

I now use a 23X26" micro mesh flat bottom net from Cabelas (Frabil again) with a 3' (want the 4') one piece power lock aluminum slide handle........ no knots & flat bottom is fish friendly plus it's lighter weight and quicker in the water,,,, slightly more prone to tangles w small hooks though

Get the largest hoop size you can deal w in your boat.... I've fished w way too many guys in pro-am tourney's that come to the Delta and Clear Lake w these tiny litle trout nets..... oh sure they swear up and down the've had 8lbrs in there and under perfect condition they might...... but how often do you have perfect conditions w a hot big fish in a tourney.......... I don't care how they store cuz mine is out all the time ready ta go



as for chips,, I'm using the Navionics Premium West chip which has all western lakes and the Delta... the newer ones even show tide tables and have awesome high def map of select lakes

[Jason C.]

This isnt the EXACT net that I use but it has the same concept. Its a rubber mesh that cant and wont get your hooks tangled up in it. And when using Spooks, Rat-L-Traps or Ripbaits or anything with alot of treble hooks it just makes it SO much easier, expecially in a tournament situation! The one I have looks really shallow but when a fish lands in it it stretches. It can EASILY hold a 10lb fish! I can stretch it up past my knees. Here is the link to it!

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageDLA-DLSMRN.html

I hope this helps!!

[Zedonis]

Thanks gents!

I was looking hard at the Stowmaster and I think I will give one a try.

As for chips you confirmed my suspicion and will pick up the Navionics Hotmaps for the West.

Paul

[Brian D.]

on the stowmaster.

[bassindon69]

Get the largest hoop size you can deal w in your boat....

2nd that.

Don.

[Johnny C]

Before buying a chip you need to check out this page http://navionics.com/Premium08LakeList.asp?RegionID=4

If your lake is not in "red" on this page you will be dissapointed.

As for the net I am with Big Daddy and Bassindon.

[Zedonis]

Also wondering about refresh rates with a 520C. How severely will this chip bog the hardware of this unit. Are 2007 and 2007 Hot maps (Premium) signficantly different? HOping a rep from Navionics will be able to chime in here.

My main interest is Clear Lake, Berryessa, and Shasta. Seems dangerous to run Shasta at this time of the year without a chip and this is the impetus (along with the need for more detail) for purchasing.

Thanks for your opinions.

[Johnny C]

I have a 522 on my console and use the chip at Clear Lake and it does refresh pretty slow. But at Clear Lake it does show a lot of good stuff.

[Nick_Barr]

Zedonis, I am on the Navionics Pro-Staff and can help you with what you need on your Navionics choice.

The Lowrance LMS series should not bog with the Premium 07 or 08. Berryesa and Clear lake are HD lakes, Shasta is not yet marked as a High Def lake.

here is no difference between the 07 and 08 chips, except that there are 160 more HD lakes on the 08 and the 08 comes with corrections from the 07 edition, if there were any.

If you are looking into getting the Platinum, you may need to receive the update from Lowrance to run the 2GB chip that is the PLATINUM, with 3D, panoramic pictures and sattelite images.

The refresh rates should not be slow at all, unless you are running the Platinum without the new Lowrance update.

[Zedonis]

Nick,

Thanks for the information. I think I will go ahead and pick up an 08 premium chip.

Gotta love the Legend Boats....awesome.

Paul

[Brian D.]

being offered by Navionics. Check the web site for details.