|
Overview
Our goal is to
provide you with the
most
useful mapping content possible. We're constantly researching the web
to find new or interesting information to include in our
interactive map. What we're presenting in this page is an overview of
the types of information currently available in our map. The
information provided in our map is for
your recreational use only to assist with planning your fishing trips.
It should never be used for navigation and we cannot guarantee accuracy
of any kind.
At a minimum we offer imagery and a
topo map
for all bodies of water nationwide. As we find more specific
information, such as contours, we add them to the map. Because our
service is web-based we can offer data you might not get elsewhere. For
example, we provide the location of gulf pipelines and platforms which
provide the main source of structure in the Gulf of Mexico. We also
allow our
registered users to supply information to the map as well by placing
fishing spots, fishing reports, or points of interest. The information
we offer is always growing and changing so keep checking the map to see
what might be new!
When you use the
map you will find
that some of the information does not always line up. The reason for
this is
how the information was created. There are many factors that go into
creating map information, including funding. Generally speaking, the
more funds an
agency has at its disposal the more accurate development methods it can
use.
For example, you may notice that some contours cross onto land. If the
agency creating the contours performed on the water surveys the
contours the positional accuracy would have been much better.
However,
that method is pretty expensive. It is much cheaper to draw the
contours
in a computer-based environment using other sources such as older hard
copy maps. When this process is used it can introduce positional error
to the data.
Other factors such as coordinate systems and data transformation play a
role as well. We are not going to go into detail here as it is pretty
boring and technical and we can’t imagine you really want to
know it. But in brief, there are many mathematical computations to
determine location on the globe. When different computations are
applied to the data slight variations in position can occur.
Locations in the map are therefore generalized. The planning you do
here will get you close to the area you need to fish. We cannot
guarantee the absolute accuracy but we can bet you'll be within 10-15
feet. Generally speaking the imagery provides your most accurate base
layer to mark positions with.
The thing to
keep in mind with all
information is that it can and often does change. New map information
is produced
and old information is retired. We monitor
government production
initiatives and sites where map information is available to ensure we
have the
latest available information for you to use. Therefore you need to keep
checking back with us.
Also, since we are acquiring information from available public sources
you
might find that not all information is complete. As government agencies
create information they sometimes release it in pieces or begin a
project and then
discontinue it leaving an unfinished product. An example of this is the
lake contours. You might find that contours are only partially
available for a lake. We are committed to building out this unfinished
information so you have a complete picture but keep in mind that takes
time. We are open to special requests. If you see something you need or
think others can use let us know and we’ll see what we can do.
Map Information For ALL 48 Contiguous
States
 Digital
Ortho Quarter Quads (Imagery)
This image data is produced by a
consortium of federal and state agencies with the lead being the United
States Geological Survey (USGS). It can exist as color or black and
white photography. The images are refreshed across the country on a 5-7
year cycle so how current the images are varies.
 Digital Raster
Graphics (Topo Maps)
These are also produced by the USGS. DRG's are digital representations
of hard copy USGS Standard Series Topo maps. DRG's are commonly created
by scanning the original hard copy map and then georeferencing the
image so that it has positional coordinates and can be used in mapping
applications. DRG's are refreshed on an annual basis.
 Google
Base Layers
Google publishes color satelite imagery, terrain surfaces, and
road/city networks. This information is compiled from commercial
mapping companies.
Map Information For Specific
Locations
 Points
of Interest
Points of Interest are contributed by our registered users. These can
be any piece of location based information they feel like sharing - a
good place to eat, a nice place to take a picture, or perhaps a
reputable local business.
 Fishing Spots
Fishing spots are also contributed by our registered users. These are
locations to fish. Our registered users can add a fishing report to a
fishing spot to provide you with more detail about the location. You
can access fishing reports (if available) by clicking on the
Identify Tool and then clicking on a fishing spot.
 Depth
Contours
This information is derived from USGS Digital Line Graphics (DLG),
state data sources, or the Army Corp of Engineers. Most fishing maps
you find on the marketplace get their contour information from a
combination of these sources. We have to do some processing of the data
to make it useful for our customers. Due to the way the contours are
produced and the variety of sources used to produce them, depth
contours should be considered approximate values and do not necessarily
represent depths at normal pool.
We do not supply contours for all
water bodies and some water bodies only have partial contours. We are
constantly researching the web to find new sources of contour data and
add them to the map.
 Depth
Profile
This image is something we build for our customers. It involves
processing contour data to provide an image backdrop of how the lake
bottom changes. When combined with imagery it provides another method
for determining depths and structure. It should be used as a visual
identifier to pinpoint potential areas where fish might hold. Like the
contours this dataset is not available for all water bodies. We are
providing this dataset as we can for popular fishing lakes and rivers.
 Gulf Platforms and Pipelines
This information shows the location of oil platforms and pipelines in
the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is essentially flat and platforms and
pipelines provide structure for gamefish. This information covers much
of the Gulf but is potentially dated. We will be updating this
information as we can.
 NOAA Charts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) publishes a
variety of information useful to anglers. One such form is fishing
charts. These images are available for select coastal locations in the
Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The charts illustrate
structure like reefs, wrecks, and water depths.
|
