Late fall Smallmouth action on the P.O. river

[Fish-N-Fool]

Very cool!!! This will be on my wish list for my next purchase. Sounds like one of the most useful tools I could get for only $65

[Fish-N-Fool]

If you can get autochart for $65 that is terrific and I wouldn't think twice about it. I got Autochart pro on ebay for around $200 which I couldn't be sure would be worth it.

Autochart pro let's you map your SI data, but I haven't found it to be that useful so I use mainly the normal Autochart features.

I would double check that Autochart is compatible with your fishfinder because it isn't with all models (it can use depth data from any humminbird fishfinder, but to be able to view it when you are in your boat and not just on the computer, you need the compatible fish finder). I know it will work with a 700 series HD SI but not the non HD (so it doesn't work with my 798 SI). It has to do with what software version the fishfinder uses, it has to be compatible with more recent versions to read an autochart card. These issues are probably the reason why not many people seem to use autochart.

My 600 series HD DI unit is a 2014 model so that is why it works.

So I picked up the AutoChart chip tonite for $65.11 and $7.95 shipping so basically $73 bucks. Cant wait to try it out and see how it works. Could I use my old laptop on the water to convert the data over. It runs XP and is not real fast, so how much speed and ram does this thing need to run?

[rwl]

I could see how it could be useful to look at the data on the water because a lot of times when I look at the tracks after coming home I realize I wasn't getting good depth data or something, so it is possible to waste time on the water cruising in grids patterns thinking you are getting useful information then not have anything later.

I don't think it takes a really fast or up to date computer, but I've only used it on a fairly fast computer running windows 7. My biggest problem trying to use a laptop on the boat is that the screen is not bright enough.

That is a pretty amazing price for the software and card!

[rwl]

I looked at the autochart manual:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2IE_4 ... AtU2s/view" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This didn't come with Autochart when I bought it, so the link (from the BBC forum) was really useful

Minimum PC Requirements: Microsoft® Windows® operating system (XP, VISTA, 7, 8, or greater), 1 GHz Pentium 4 or Athlon CPU*,

512 MB RAM*, 10 GB free hard drive, DVD-ROM Drive.

*(recommended: 2 GHz, 1024 MB RAM)

[Fish-N-Fool]

I looked at the autochart manual:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2IE_4 ... AtU2s/view" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This didn't come with Autochart when I bought it, so the link (from the BBC forum) was really useful

Minimum PC Requirements: Microsoft® Windows® operating system (XP, VISTA, 7, 8, or greater), 1 GHz Pentium 4 or Athlon CPU*,

512 MB RAM*, 10 GB free hard drive, DVD-ROM Drive.

*(recommended: 2 GHz, 1024 MB RAM)

Hey Rwl tnx for the info. I've been reading it and did you know that you can hook up a laptop to your control head via a ethernet cable you have to buy and chart lakes in real time? So it would convert data into a map as you drive your boat around. This is the "Autochart live" feature and it could be very useful on the water. It supposedly works with any of the models that you can chart with if you have the ethernet cable and a computer to hook it up to. The 600 series cable ( http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-PC3/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) is $60 from Humminbird, but I bet I could find it cheaper elsewhere. Then all I would need is a DC power supply for my laptop to map things like crazy. lol I plan to just leave my old laptop as part of my boat to map with from now on and I have a good dry compartment I can store it in.
I watched a Youtube video of a guy making a map and he was driving his boat on plane! Not super fast, but faster then I thought you could to be able to map. How fast can you go and still get it to make good maps? I currently have my transducer mounted on the trolling motor but it screws up the side imaging very time you steer so I plan to move it to the transom before next spring. I'm very excited to get this all put together and start mapping my favorite fishing holes.

[rwl]

I knew that you could do the real time mapping with the new onyx fishfinders. But that is cool that you can upgrade to do it with the other units. I think that laptop screens are generally not bright enough to view outside. If they could make it work with a tablet or smart phone, I think that would be a huge improvement since I've heard that those screens work better with full sunlight, but I don't have a smartphone... With the real time mapping, I suppose the next step is to use a drone for lure presentation.

I get data when I am on plane, but my boat only goes up to 20 mph. I think you are supposed to be able to control how many data points per second it takes and I set mine for the fastest rate of data collection but it seems like it isn't as fast as it should be but I decided I didn't feel like figuring out what the problem was. At high speed I am not getting as good a coverage as at slow, and definitely not as good as what I see on the screen. But yeah you basically keep it recording all the time, hit save at the end, and you have the data. I have found that there is more of a tendency to get weird data points at high speed, but those can be edited out later.

[rwl]

Just curious where you were finding Autochart for $65, I was looking online and I could find the card by itself for that price, but that doesn't come with the software. Thought I'd check in case you are going to end up with card that you won't have a way of programming.

[Fish-N-Fool]

Just curious where you were finding Autochart for $65, I was looking online and I could find the card by itself for that price, but that doesn't come with the software. Thought I'd check in case you are going to end up with card that you won't have a way of programming.

I got mine here
http://www.ceshowroom.com/ProductDetail ... oCrXfw_wcB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I didn't even think they would sell it without the software so not sure about it now . It doesn't say whether it has it or not. If not Can you get it off the net? I hope. Maybe I can just barrow yours.
Before I spend any more money I plan to get on the humminbird live chat and ask some questions and make sure it works like I think it does. I think once everything is on and running you wouldn't need to watch the laptop at all and I could just have it stored in the compartment running the program .

[rwl]

Did you get the card? I sent you a PM with a suggestion about the software

[cumminsbassguy]

I should have messaged you before I took my trip up there Fish n fool.. read my report for pendorille.. you'll see the struggles we faced. I am also going to have to look into this auto chart thing

[Fish-N-Fool]

I should have messaged you before I took my trip up there Fish n fool.. read my report for pendorille.. you'll see the struggles we faced. I am also going to have to look into this auto chart thing

I couldn't find any report by you on the Pend Oreille river, were you fishing in Wash. or Idaho?

[cumminsbassguy]

It should be in the recent report section...It was for lake P.O. because that's where we started. We ended up in the river by 11 am until 340 pm then headed back. Furthest we made it was the Morton slough area

[Fish-N-Fool]

It should be in the recent report section...It was for lake P.O. because that's where we started. We ended up in the river by 11 am until 340 pm then headed back. Furthest we made it was the Morton slough area

That time of year you want to either fish the main lake out by Hope and down into the C.F. delta area or in the river near Priest river, both have some good smallie action in the late fall. The area you fished not so much, lol.
This is what I was catching down river, Fat 20 inchers!!

[cumminsbassguy]

I knew we should have ran up more haha