Hand Held, or not to be Hand Held

[MAKAI]

Night time flats fishing in the fog you would absolutely need one. It's not always a straight line back. Last week one night in very dense fog, a long way out, no wind reference without the garmin only bad things would have happened.

[numbskull]

Buy lots of life insurance before you entrust your life to an electronic device while fishing. Good electronics make you feel more secure than you really are, and take risks you shouldn't take. Ask yourself first what you will do when it fails....because eventually it will. Count on it.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Ask yourself first what you will do when it fails....because eventually it will. Count on it.

Isn't that why you carry two? Good thing it worked last summer...

[BassDawg]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Isn't that why you carry two? Good thing it worked last summer...

what say you, Mike? do you own one/two, and
are they worthwhile for anywheres else besides a
Back Beaches application??? thanks in advance~~~

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by BassDawg

what say you, Mike? do you own one/two, and
are they worthwhile for anywheres else besides a
Back Beaches application??? thanks in advance~~~

I don't have one, but I know a lot of boaters utilize both a dash mount and also a hand held just in case one or the other fails.

I did have one on my 17' center console for navigating the back side holes via boat at night, fog, and otherwise. Got into some real hairy situations even with the unit working properly.

Like Numbskull stated, when someone entrusts you with their safety you don't want it to end badly. I used to take many unnecessary risks at the expense of catching a few more bass. I put friends, loved ones, and myself in danger countless times simply due to my own recklessness and need to catch fish at any cost.

In fact, I probably took elevated risk every time my boat went into the water simply due to the fact I was either running out of Nauset inlet or launching directly off the beach. Problem was most people did it by day while I was doing it almost strictly at night....

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Buy lots of life insurance before you entrust your life to an electronic device while fishing. Good electronics make you feel more secure than you really are, and take risks you shouldn't take. Ask yourself first what you will do when it fails....because eventually it will. Count on it.

This is why when I do any kind of fishing that has me walking a ways into the water (or out kayaking), I have a reliable compass on me. I have an older GPS (very generous hand down) - always bring spare batteries - but if the unit fails, I know roughly the heading I need to get towards shore safely. At the very least, I won't be heading further into the ocean.

With navigation systems for cars, it's interesting how inept many people have become at simply reading a map. Electronics make our lives easier, but I can't bring myself to completely depend on them since they all fail eventually.

[MAKAI]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Buy lots of life insurance before you entrust your life to an electronic device while fishing. Good electronics make you feel more secure than you really are, and take risks you shouldn't take. Ask yourself first what you will do when it fails....because eventually it will. Count on it.

Wearing a wetsuit, a compass, and carrying a submersible handheld that also has gps numbers takes some of the angst away.
But last year one of our group decides to leave early without telling anyone. We were in a panic looking for him. Get to the beach his truck is empty, I am ripping the kayak off my truck to go look for him as he stumbles up the beach. He got disoriented and came in a mile up the beach. Now no one goes in the water without strict rules, compass,red LED clip on lights, constant chirping between everybody, no pre drinking. Constant accountability, I always keep telling anyone without gps the the compass direction back in as we move around. . . . . still not perfect.

[likwid]

I use a lead line and drop peas in my path.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by MAKAI

Now no one goes in the water without strict rules, compass,red LED clip on lights, constant chirping between everybody, no pre drinking. Constant accountability, I always keep telling anyone without gps the the compass direction back in as we move around. . . . . still not perfect.

Without the Shepherd, the flock would be lost.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by MAKAI

Night time flats fishing in the fog you would absolutely need one. It's not always a straight line back. Last week one night in very dense fog, a long way out, no wind reference without the garmin only bad things would have happened.

My fishing partner invested in one back in 94 for fishing the Back beaches. Run in the dark on a moonless night, with fog and try and find the hole between the Mission Bell and Laura's*. Not without having marked that hole on the GPS during the day.

* I don't thnk anyone on this board would know where laura's was except Makai and Back Beach.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by piemma

My fishing partner invested in one back in 94 for fishing the Back beaches. Run in the dark on a moonless night, with fog and try and find the hole between the Mission Bell and Laura's*. Not without having marked that hole on the GPS during the day.
.

Hopefully you mean by beach buggy. Running a boat in the dark AND dense fog by GPS is a big risk. I've done it more than I'd like to admit, but only to get back when caught somewhere unexpectedly. Making a decision to head out into those conditions without radar (which also can fail you) is a big gamble. Hitting a bouy or other boat is a real possibility, and losing someone (who has trusted you with their safety) overboard at night in fog isn't likely to end well.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Hopefully you mean by beach buggy. Running a boat in the dark AND dense fog by GPS is a big risk. I've done it more than I'd like to admit, but only to get back when caught somewhere unexpectedly. Making a decision to head out into those conditions without radar (which also can fail you) is a big gamble. Hitting a bouy or other boat is a real possibility, and losing someone (who has trusted you with their safety) overboard at night in fog isn't likely to end well.

yes, beach buggy!!! I don't even run in my boat in the daylight in fog. Too many nitwits who run without GPS, Radar, radio, compass but with a cooler full of beer.