Navionics vs Lakemaster

[2ski]

Anyone have any experience with both? I've always used Navionics on my phone but now we have a hummingbird fish finder. And just wondering if i should continue from my phone with the Navionics subscription or buy the Lakemaster subscription.

Anyone have any opinion on either? I figured there must be some guys on here with boats and experience.

 

[Yooper]

Great Lakes guy here so take that for what it's worth, but I prefer Lakemaster on my Humminbird units. There's certain features like depth zone tracking on Lakemaster that's not available on my Navionics chips. I still carry them both in the unit but opt for Lakemaster more. This is primarily on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan though so YMMV based on where you're at.

 

[fulldraw1972]

In my opinion lakemaster is the best mapping out there.
Navionics isn’t even in the same league.
I run birds with lakemaster and my dad runs Garmin with Navionics.
The difference in detail is easily seen.

I fish MN and SD primarily. With as fast as the lakes have grown in NE SD the lakemaster napping has done a decent job of keeping up to date.
One boat network app for your phone will run you $25 a year but you have access to every body of water that has been mapped for the entire country.
What humminbird unit did you buy?
I am not familiar with what the new Explorer Solix or Apex units are comparable with but if you bought a helix unit you will have to buy a state chip for it.

 

[KurtR]

With the bird i would use lake master . The Doctor sonar in lowrance is the best of all them. Garmin

 

[06 SB]

If you are running HB graphs, the only choice is Lakemaster as long as it covers your desired lakes.

 

[wapitibob]

Depends on the lakes you fish, Lakemaster has only 1 that I fish, Navionics has them all. I use the Navionics in my Helix's.

 

[spur60]

I run both. Both apps on my phone, and both chips in my boat. All of my fishing is in SD and MN.
I also autochart a ton because even with both chips there's lakes & sloughs here in SD that aren't mapped very well or not at all.

 

[fulldraw1972]

Here is a tip when using Lakemaster mapping. If you notice a small circle on a flat pay attention to it. There is something going on there.
This screen shot is of a sand flat on a Mn lake. When I scanned that small circle it had some scattered rocks in the location.
I have now discovered this on multiple lakes in both MN and SD.