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Our
Background
We’re mapping professionals
with experience in every facet of digital map data development and
distribution. We’ve implemented cutting edge mapping
solutions for customers in the Department of Defense, Federal, State,
and Local government. We use the latest in GPS and Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) technologies to assist our customers on both
contracts large and small. But that’s in our real life.
When we have fun we go fishing. And that’s where you benefit
from our professional experience. We know mapping technology and map
data.
This makes us different from other companies and products you might
use. Traditionally, GPS companies sell the hardware to find your
location but they are not cartographers or Geographic Information
Systems technology specialists. Hard copy mapmakers are cartographers
with skill in design but not technology implementation. We cross the
bridge among a number of disciplines. We know what’s possible
and we’re going to give it to you.
A Lesson About Digital Map
Data
 Most
digital map data is free and can be found on the Internet. It has been
produced by Federal, State, or Local governments and paid for by your
taxes. This includes aerial photography, topo maps, road networks,
stream networks, elevation contours, and numerous other datasets. The
United States Geological Survey is the main producer of most base map
data. Another common data source is the U.S. Census bureau. Federal and
state natural resource departments often produce data relevant to
fisherman.
The problem with digital map data is that the public generally
doesn’t know it exists. For those who do know about it the
data can be hard to find or inefficient to access. Furthermore, very
few people have the training required to really use the data
effectively. Most commercial products selling fishing maps (or any kind
of maps for that matter) take advantage of this. Free data is often
resold inside proprietary hardware or software programs or on hard copy
maps. Sometimes this data is augmented with additional information to
make a more informative product but for the most part customers are
held hostage by their lack of knowledge. While it does cost money to
deliver data in a format that is useful, in almost all cases we believe
you are paying too much for it (after all it was free to start with)
and not getting enough in return. For example, contours help you
determine potential holding spots for fish but tell you nothing about
the surrounding terrain or the lake itself. An image of the lake
provides a lot of information you can’t get from a contour
map but supplies no information about what’s under the water.
Why look at contours or an image separately when you could look at both
at once?
 Most
people don’t know what free data is out there, where to look
for it, or what to do with it if they find it. Furthermore, it changes.
New data is constantly available while older datasets are retired.
That’s where we come in. We are service providers who find
the data for you and make it easy for you to use. Our background in
geographic technology implementation ensures you will get access to the
best available data sources in a format that is efficient to use and
most importantly, functional. Again, the combination of data sources is
what makes geographic technologies powerful and unique. Why limit
yourself to one data source if you don’t have to?
We’re committed to keeping
free data as low cost as possible to access. And there is a lot of it
out there. If we find something we think you could use, we’ll
put it in our maps. And we love suggestions. If you see something
you’d like to have or come up with an idea send it to us and
we’ll see what we can do. We have big plans and some great
ideas so stay tuned.
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