Navigating At Night With GPS

**Catfish_Commando** · 05-20-2011, 03:16 AM

Was moving tonight before the moon was visible and it was pitch black.

Whats worse was was the legions of insects that where flooding me attracted to the only light on the river.

As I was moving, I realized how dependent I was on my GPS.

I have dozens of tracks plotted from daytime runs that keep me out of trouble.

Still...

At night, when you cant see squat, and you are putting trust in an instrument, it can get nerve racking.

Especially on a shallow coastal river heavy with dead heads and underwater structure.

When I was a scout you were looked down upon for using a GPS as a crutch.

No I lean on it with confidence, probably foolishly.

Anybody have any horror stories with following GPS tracks or navigating with GPS at night?

**BIG GEORGE** · 05-20-2011, 04:40 AM

It wouldn't be foolish if ya didn't have to do lite speed. LOL!

**thunderchicken** · 05-20-2011, 05:09 AM

A friend that I fish with often has a hand held gps unit and has many tracks that we use to navigate the river here. I had never seen one in action and was really impressed with it so last year I bought one to use in my boat. I got real comfortable with it once I learned how to operate it and coming in at night when you can't really see very much I got a habit of watching the little thing and not paying very much attention to what I could see. Bad mistake. I guess it kind of mesmerized me to the point I thought it was infallible. Wrong. I was looking for the turn into the entrance into the cove where we launch the boat and when it showed up on the screen I made a slow turn and watched to see if I had made the correction properly. That's when I found out that gps units are not absolute, and are a close approximation to location only. I was going slow but sure as I sit here I ran the boat right into a sand bar with toolies. Imagine my surprise when the gps tells me I am in the middle in the turn and the boat tells me we are hard aground! That's when I learned they are a tool only, not the final word as to your location. Use them for what they are intended and they are wonderful gadgets; ignore your senses and common sense and you still may lose your way.

>:X

**flatheadslayer** · 05-20-2011, 08:15 AM

I don't need no crutch.I run wide azz open,with no lights at night...No bugs,No blindness from some dumbazz shining the spotlight back at ya,and I've been told,no sense...

We goin' stump jumpin'...

Git in,sit down,and tighten them azz cheeks,We goin' on a ride...

Probably why my boat stays tore up...:O Nah thats cause its a Johnson...LOL

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**fmb** · 05-20-2011, 08:18 AM

I use GPS to mark the boat ramp on lakes I don't know blindfolded

But for any river navigation I still use spotlights, way to much trash in our rivers that don't stay in the same spot!!!

Hope your old army buddies don't read this ;) GPS can be accurate, but is still a bad crutch and gives a false sence of hope.

I use it more now to brag about where im fishing at the time!

**TOPS** · 05-20-2011, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by fmb

I use GPS to mark the boat ramp on lakes I don't know blindfolded

But for any river navigation I still use spotlights, way to much trash in our rivers that don't stay in the same spot!!!

Hope your old army buddies don't read this ;) GPS can be accurate, but is still a bad crutch and gives a false sence of hope.

I use it more now to brag about where im fishing at the time!

When I nite fish my GPS has helped me get back to the boat ramp.

**greg** · 05-20-2011, 11:21 AM

Better slow and safe with a GPS, than fast and dead without.

**Mike81** · 05-20-2011, 11:52 AM

GPS??? I always thought you were a Jedi Ranger. Are there any heros left in the world?? :?

**flatheadslayer** · 05-20-2011, 01:50 PM

And WHO really needs GPS for a river???
You got 2 choices...Is the ramp "upstream" or "downstream"?

But depending on the night...that may be a lot of info to remember...Huh,Paul...:?:?;)