I just got a (free) Garmin ETREX Handheld GPS (the yellow one). Anyone have one, and do you have any tips as to using it for boat-based fishing.

Thanks

You may be allowed to download map source on it with more detailed watereays. I have a WAAS Legend with built in bouys but its only good enought to be a backup. I have not downloaded Mapsource onto it yet. I'm actually probably going to sell it to get some dough.... KICK ASS for beach fishing! Accurate to 1-3 meters!

Im your ticket!:laughs:

I would recomend getting the Blue Chart Software. I have it loaded on my iQue and they are just as detailed as my 182C

The Etrex doesn't accept any type of software especially Bluechart. You need to either mark your waypoints as you visit each location, or you need latitude/longitude coordinates beforehand. It's easiest to mark each waypoint starting from your launch point, then at major directional changes. After each mark is entered, you then rename that waypoint as something significant to you that you'll remember. It's also a good idea to have a handwritten log of all these waypoints along with the corresponding L/L's. The Etrex is capable of giving you a track line of your day's travels. Then when it's time to head back to harbor, use the track back feature.
GPS units that use cartographic chartplotting are the best way to go, but something like that unit is certainly better than nothing and always good for a backup when you do upgrade. It'll get you back if a fog rolls in.
The best suggestion I can make is to use it often. Even when you're not in a boat. Use it a lot in daylight hours. The point is to get very familiar with it then when mother nature doesn't play fair, you're not fumbling with it and guessing how it should or shouldn't work.
Best of luck.

Extra batteries on hand.

Bigobo is right, use it every trip out. You need to set this thing up just the way want and will have to play with it a while (with the manual) to get the most use out of it. Once you have it down you can do a lot with it. This winter you should take it with you on every road trip to better get aquainted with it. I am not familiar with the etrex but I think it is at the lower end of the handheld spcectrum. You really need to get a chart in there if you want to navigate with it.

My "back-up" gps is a magellan maridian marine. It has pre-loaded marine data. It is pretty good but not as detailed as the big unit. Basic boating data. You can definetly navigate with it. I use it along with my 10" unit. Get a stationary mount for it and supply boat DC power to it. (At night the back light eats batteries really fast) I mainly use the highway screen on the little guy and the full chart on the the big guy while running but the chart mode is not that bad (just small) with this thing. The tracking features are really good on the little unit. It is a great compliment to the big unit. I find myself looking at the little gps just as much as the big gps. It is amazing what you can get for a few hundred bucks now. This thing actually has every gps feature of my 10" raymaine unit costing 10X more (excpet a big color screen.)

I see now they offer something called "blue nav" for it. I hope to get this as an Xmas gift. It should increase the charting features for marine use quite a bit (for the handheld).

I am thinking of getting another "back up" to use truely as a back up. My magellan crapped out one day and I had to rely on the big unit alone...no problem but I really liked having two if them up and running different screens.

IMO these hand held GPS's are a MUST for EVERY boater. Even more important then a life vest IMO. I hate to say it but I never even looked at my chart on board this year at all, not once. They make nice wall decor in my office now. (I do keep a waterproof fold up chart on boat however)

Below is a part of a pic that shows part of my dash and you can see the setup..(handhelp in upper left) it is not ideal by any means but it works ok. I am still playing with an on-board CC computer in my basement but it is not ready for sea trials yet....another story.

BTW, I took a very informative course last spring given by an author of a popular GPS book at woods hole called advanced marine GPS for boaters. It was the best 35 bucks I ever spent. This guy new every feature of every machine and all the current software, much of it he demoed in the class...very worhwhile. If you see the course next year, take it.

Gents:

Thanks for all the replies :)