GPS recommendations

[jake8484]

I am looking for help with the purchase of a handheld GPS.
What i would like is a unit that i could take on the lake and mark spots for ice fishing and then also for open water.
I would like the unit to be able to tell me speed so that i could accurately know how fast I was trolling.
And then mark spots.
It would be nice to have the capability to show the lake as well. (Contour map- not so much a depth finder)
Maybe use it for hunting in larger sections of woods.
Is there such a unit that is worth the price?
Maybe there is a feature that i have overlooked that you would recommend.
Any recommendations would be greatly welcomed.

[dewey]

i have a DeLorme pn 40.  Gives speed, has maps, "tracks" where you so so you can troll...or travel the exact path you have traveled. mark sports with the push of a button. has direction also can load maps with depths. city street/highways etc. It does everything i need it to do.

[Dabluz]

For any GPS, you will have to buy the maps that download into your GPS.  Yes, all mappable gps units sold today have a basic map of the world.  The details on this basic map varies from one country to another.  As you can imagine, N.America's basic map has a bit more detail however not near enough to satisfy your needs.

For looking at these maps, you need a gps that can show them on their screen.  Now a days, almost all gps units can show detailled maps.  The best bang for the buck is still the Garmin Legend for about 100 to 150 dollars.  If you want a colour screen, it will cost you a good 50 dollars more.

Now...for the Garmin, I'm not sure at what speed it actually starts to show the speed you are moving because there was a while where anything under 2 mph was not shown or was not reliable.  I have an old Lowrance and it shows speeds at under 1 km/h.  Yes....showing speed is very important for fishermen because speed is so important for trolling.

[tonebea]

I have a DeLorme pn 60 and love it. Street maps and I believe topo maps were loaded. It included free download which enabled me to to get arial photos of the places I hunt. I bought and loaded lake depth maps. It gives speed and direction and saves travel trails on land or water. It also includes software for your pc that syncs with the GPS. The lake maps also load on your pc. You can find and save spots on your pc based on the topo map or lake contour maps, transfer them to the GPS and go right to them. It's got everything.

[bass on]

i have a garmin dakota with topo maps and marine mapping in it and i can do anything with the gps i want...only drawback is the screen is a little small.

[jake8484]

Thank you all for your time responding. I am going to have to go to the store to see the size of the units as i don't want to buy one that is too bulky to carry on the ice or in the woods. Not sure what the Delorme units look like. I'd like to see them. I have used an old etrex but it did not have mapping capabilities. I really think that would help for fishing in Onedia or Cayuga lake here in New York.

[threeten]

i have a garmin dakota with topo maps and marine mapping in it and i can do anything with the gps i want...only drawback is the screen is a little small.

garmin 60csx/lakemaster.love it and use it for same thing your gonna do. small screen is my only complaint,but still useable.

[Roccus]

hard to beat anything by Garmin... maps and updates are easily downloaded ( on most models) from their web site once you create an account.. which usualy is done when you register your warrenty..

[trackerg]

Garmin Etrex Vista HCX. pretty happy with it even though I know I dont use it to its potential. I like the electronic compass and use the speedometer on the boat to monitor my trolling speed. It has elevation feature and quite a few other bells and whistles. I intend to use it more this year to set waypoints for fishing locations. For the money, its a nice GPS.