Noticed I had a trail runing that basically had been recording for a few trips it looks like. Stopped and deleted it, and turned of trails for now, but who's using this feature and what are the benefits of using it?
Noticed I had a trail runing that basically had been recording for a few trips it looks like. Stopped and deleted it, and turned of trails for now, but who's using this feature and what are the benefits of using it?
I like using trails. When fishing new water it allows me to keep a record of how I entered say a small creek from the main river for example. I can easily retrace my previous track line to find that creek mouth early one morning when its not quite light enough to see well. Its also useful for navigating through say flooded trees or a stump field so you can return to safe water over a known/proven path. I'm sure you could use it for many other things as well.
Phillip "Wade" Norris
2015 Ranger Z520C
250 Merc Optimax Pro XS (S# 2B113454)
25P Fury - 4 blade all holes open
I once used a trail to retrace my path and find a center seat that blew out on the other side of the lake! Always use them on the Delta as it is easy to get turned around and get lost trying to find the launch ramp
NoCAL
2004TR-21X/2015 250 ProXS
2B112175
I couldn't live without my trails. Not only for safely navigating rock piles etc. but also so you know exactly how you fished an area. For example, you fish an off shore spot catch a few good fish, maybe you leave and let it rest. Then you can go right back following the trail and how you set up on it later!
I guess I need to start using them. Off the top of my head it would help me find the ramp, as I always seem to blow past it when coming back in lol...
The path though stumps/trees would be handy as well for a certain stump factory... er lake we have here (Rodman Resevior) if it is that accurate?
Originally Posted by 78Staff
It is that accurate. I rely on the trail to stay in the channel when running up to the Hanford Reach on the Columbia. Without it I would lose my lower unit or worse.
I also use it for mapping to ensure good map coverage. Lots of use for trails, including using different colors for different days of tournaments.
ciao,
Marc
Oh, forgot, we used the trail this last spring to find one of my gloves that blew out too! Trails are plenty accurate IMO
2004TR-21X/2015 250 ProXS
2B112175
Last winter I followed my trail to find my $500 fishing rod and reel in 32 feet of water on a very windy day out in the middle of the lake. If you doubt me, read my upcoming article about underwater cameras in a few months on WesternBass.com magazine and see the video of it on the bottom of the lake (with bass swimming around my rod and reel).
ciao,
Marc
Great for new water so I can find my way back easier. Also I will set a new trail when I begin fishing so I know where I have fished on that day, then I can go back to more productive areas and drop waypoints.
We launched a tournament one time and was not real foggy at the launch ramp but went a few miles and hit some thicker fog and used my trail at a real slow speed to stay on track.
Invaluable.....wait until you go to a "new to you" stump factory. A good friend, who really knows the lake, is kind enough to show you how to run the lake......or lead you to a honey hole or two...😉
Heck i use the trails to review where i fished the previous day, sometimes I think I'm in a different cove than what I was actually.
Bryan McDonough
2023 Nitro Z21 XL
Nitro Team
We use the Trails when a boat has a GPS/Sonar machine to find where a boating or an on the water accident/incident may have occurred. The Trails can give search and rescue at least a starting point. This have been successful so please, do a new trail every time the vessel is launched. It can be an invaluable tool.
I turn my trails into "safety" routes on body of waters that i frequent that are either tough to navigate or to my morning spots that could be fogged in so i can find them. I save those for future use and use the regular trails just for fishing reference. Each day i go out for a tournament i change colors to know where i have been each day. The fog routes have saved my bacon more than once.
2004 Ranger 521VX with 2019 Evinrude G2 250 H.O.
Use them all the time,have different map pages of different lakes different on trails pages you can only lay down so many points of trail and the beginning of the trail will start eraseing.Night trolling walleyed I them use a lot.
I learned many years ago to always look back at the slough you were entering on the Delta. Even gps will get you confused at times.
As I have been fishing all over the country the last couple of years, I honestly believe utilizing trails is the most important part of my unit.
As soon as I put in at the ramp, I place a waypoint with large ramp icon, pick a color for my trail for that day and start navigating.
Every day would have a different color for practice or if I go down a different arm of the lake.
I would be completely lost without trails and can use them years later also. Easy to delete any trail or rename trails also.
I'd be lost navigating back as many lakes look exactly the same.
One other very valuable benefit on a new lake, when you're on your way back in a hurry whether tournament ending, rain or storm,
I just follow my return route at speed without worrying about shallow water, stumps, etc.
If I safely got to my destination, I know it will be safe to return utilizing the same trail.
On Santee I make those long safe runs and then stop recording but keep displaying them(in red) as part of my map. I have alot of different trails saved and displayed for future navigation. I also run a current trail in black on my dash unit and just delete it and start a new one each trip. I have trails turned off on my front unit.
This also works well on new water.
Has saved me from getting lost more than once................
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