Florida Marine Tracks

[Srbenda]

Yet another charting option- has anyone tried this, and it is as truly accurate as they claim? Does it show *every* rock on the east flats?
Also, like many 3rd party options, it is not functional on Garmin

AND it's $449 for N Florida


https://floridamarinetracks.com/product/north-florida/

[Salty Gator]

It will not show every rock. It will have a safe track for you to follow, but not many tracks for our are( I don’t think any of the creeks have tracks) .It does have sat overlay. I’m still considering fmt

[eightwt]

You might want to check out microskiff.com. Several threads with a lot of discussion.

[silverking]

Lengthy thread on FMT on Microskiff.com. Lot of favorable reviews. Haven't used it myself but don't care for the marketing approach.

Apparent pros:
Very detailed routes through areas
Reduces chance of grounding or damage to the bottom
Peace of mind when operating in unfamiliar areas
Cuts down on learning curve

Obvious cons:
Expensive
Depends on someone else establishing tracks
Only compatible with certain brands of plotters
Displays need to be larger to get full effect
Limited coverage for many areas
Tracks allow access and more pressure on fish sanctuaries
Minimizes navigation skills

[Salty Gator]

Fish w Chris has fmt on a 9’ simrad go. Let’s see what he has to say

[Salty Gator]

Lengthy thread on FMT on Microskiff.com. Lot of favorable reviews. Haven't used it myself but don't care for the marketing approach.

Apparent pros:
Very detailed routes through areas
Reduces chance of grounding or damage to the bottom
Peace of mind when operating in unfamiliar areas
Cuts down on learning curve

Obvious cons:
Expensive
Depends on someone else establishing tracks
Only compatible with certain brands of plotters
Displays need to be larger to get full effect
Limited coverage for many areas
Tracks allow access and more pressure on fish sanctuaries
Minimizes navigation skills

I’m not sure about the last few cons Dave, the limited coverage ( tracks) is still just as good sat overlay as navionics. Not sure about access fish sanctuaries, and wbat does minimizes nav skills mean? They all minimize our nav skill don’t they?
You can tell who the garmin man is

[silverking]

Yes, Garmin user now because of functions and user-friendly interface. But I've owned Humminbird and Lowrance in the past and have used Simrad and Raymarine. Had several issues with Humminbird and Lowrance before making the switch. Lowrance is one of the brands compatible with FMT, but tons of complaints about customer service and support now with them. Simrad is also compatible but the same parent company as Lowrance. Garmin Bluechart are not as accurate but they work for me.

You said yourself North Florida is not as detailed with creek tracks, etc. That's what I meant about limited coverage. Central and South Florida is a different story, apparently.

Detailed plotting and tracks will give more boaters the confidence to go into areas that typically don't get as much fishing pressure. More boat traffic and bigger boats in shallow areas disrupts patterns and soaking live bait can wipe out a school or reds in a hurry. Kind of like web surfers looking for spots east of the Lighthouse without putting in the effort themselves or using a drone to spot fish. Too much technology, too much laziness.

I mainly use my plotter to show general reference points. Depth and water temperature are more important to me. I've also spent many long hours on the water at idle, learning the hazards and where the fish congregate on different tidal cycles. You can't buy local knowledge or acquire instant navigation skills although some products seem to market otherwise.

[Rainman]

I fish with Chris all the time. The FMT is the shit! Hands down best option I have seen but it is pricey and you have to have a machine with enough processing power to run it well. He rides around the rock garden on plane and just follows the tracks, had zero issues with rocks so far. I wish I had the money. On my boat I have a humminbird helix 7 with the Navionics Platinum chip and satellite photos. It works good but that FMT is just so many steps ahead. Ask Chris to take you out sometime and let you see what its all about.

[dudewheresmyplug]

Yes, Garmin user now because of functions and user-friendly interface. But I've owned Humminbird and Lowrance in the past and have used Simrad and Raymarine. Had several issues with Humminbird and Lowrance before making the switch. Lowrance is one of the brands compatible with FMT, but tons of complaints about customer service and support now with them. Simrad is also compatible but the same parent company as Lowrance. Garmin Bluechart are not as accurate but they work for me.

You said yourself North Florida is not as detailed with creek tracks, etc. That's what I meant about limited coverage. Central and South Florida is a different story, apparently.

Detailed plotting and tracks will give more boaters the confidence to go into areas that typically don't get as much fishing pressure. More boat traffic and bigger boats in shallow areas disrupts patterns and soaking live bait can wipe out a school or reds in a hurry. Kind of like web surfers looking for spots east of the Lighthouse without putting in the effort themselves or using a drone to spot fish. Too much technology, too much laziness.

I mainly use my plotter to show general reference points. Depth and water temperature are more important to me. I've also spent many long hours on the water at idle, learning the hazards and where the fish congregate on different tidal cycles. You can't buy local knowledge or acquire instant navigation skills although some products seem to market otherwise.

I'm with Dave on this one. I know several people who fish Homassassa / Crystal River where FMT has been putting in a bunch of time lately. Now there are more and more people in prime fishing spots that took guys years to learn. It's all well and good till you pull up to your favorite spot and there are 3 other boats there.

[REDFISHxSLAYER54]

the Big bend area of Fmt is being worked on right now from chazz to panama city, Alot of new rocks and dangers have been found during these past winter negative tides and the chips are every changing. Reasons why fmt wont run on other units is because those other manufactures will not allow access to the chips. aka Garmin. Also fmt is more then just a over lay images. they are images that where taken at a special time so you can see the bottom during low tide so you can see the bars and flats and holes. I run fmt and i travel all over fl and i swear by it. Also the tracks laid down are helpful when you are in new waters or even trying to get around your own waters and want another path to go. I highly recommend it. is it pricey yes but what you get and the time it took to do all the work that you would have to do far exceeds the price they charge i feel. Plus the have a referral program that you get your full money back making the chip free. Tell me about another company that offers that.

[zload]

What happens when the rocks move at night

[mpa_72001]

What happens when the rocks move at night

Like those aucilla river rocks.

[silverking]

the Big bend area of Fmt is being worked on right now from chazz to panama city, Alot of new rocks and dangers have been found during these past winter negative tides and the chips are every changing. Reasons why fmt wont run on other units is because those other manufactures will not allow access to the chips. aka Garmin. Also fmt is more then just a over lay images. they are images that where taken at a special time so you can see the bottom during low tide so you can see the bars and flats and holes. I run fmt and i travel all over fl and i swear by it. Also the tracks laid down are helpful when you are in new waters or even trying to get around your own waters and want another path to go. I highly recommend it. is it pricey yes but what you get and the time it took to do all the work that you would have to do far exceeds the price they charge i feel. Plus the have a referral program that you get your full money back making the chip free. Tell me about another company that offers that.

Coincidental first post. Or are you a Isla Marine BOT?

[REDFISHxSLAYER54]

Definitely not a bot lol. Also I just happen to come across this post and make a account just so I could confirm
Some information about FMT. After a few buddy’s told me that you guys had questions about FMT and few other things. Just a man full of
Local knowledge that’s all.

[FishWithChris]

I run FMT on my Simrad Go 9. I love it, and the ROI has been evident. They take me to the same areas I already fish, just more confidently and with faster routes. No, it doesn't map into the creeks like central/south Florida... But those zones are more frequently navigated/higher volume of traffic. We have a few dozen creeks vs their hundreds. There A LOT of rocks, bars, sand humps, etc... already marked. But as Aman mentioned, those rocks that move around on a full-moon night near Aucilla are hard to keep track of. It is a great solution to get you NEAR a zone; all of course at your own risk.

For those complaining about the use of tech getting in the way of skill? Sure, you may have learned the waters and mapped routes over the years, and your in-depth knowledge of historical trends and how they apply today will be unmatched for years... But that doesn't mean those with FMT aren't doing and learning the same. Am I a lesser sportsman because of it or less skilled? Nahhhhh;

I would not run anything less than the Go 9. Not because of screen size, but because of processing power. FMT provides A TON of detailed information, overlays, etc... that you can option on/off.. I have about viewable options turned off. I plan on upgrading to the NSS Evo 12, likely end of next year, for the added visual real estate and faster response times

If you like to tow-and-go, adventuring and fishing diff parts of the state, FMT is worth every penny. If you will only ever fish St Marks to Eco? Probably not.

Want to see it in action? Find Santa's Sleigh this week on the water and give me a holler.

Sent from the KetchupPacket