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Using a Chart Plotter to Catch More Fish

Tips for using a chart plotter for fishing.

Your boat’s chart plotter can be a valuable fishing tool — particularly if you take advantage of the latest cartography, like C-MAP high resolution bathymetry (HRB) charts.

Go Deep
HRB charts help you understand what’s under your boat, even beyond the operational limits of the fish finder. This is useful in ocean canyons, because structure thousands of feet deep helps form currents and upwellings that concentrate game fish.

Mark Your Success
Smart anglers mark where hookups occur. By getting a picture of where strikes happen in relation to deep-sea pinnacles, ledges and structure, you’ll soon figure out the “where” and “why” of fishing.

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Pinpoint Positioning
By tracking your boat’s movement over several drifts and viewing these tracks over detailed contour charts, you can maximize your boat positioning and bait presentation.

Self Kelp
Kelp paddies and weed lines are fish magnets. Their position is relative to the currents caused by bottom contour. Mark each kelp paddy you find and you’ll soon pick up patterns that can guide you to more.

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