Comparing the New Lakemaster VX Mapping for Humminbird
Humminbird has released their new Lakemaster VX series mapping and there's a few things to note about it.
The two different versions moving forward are Lakemaster VX and Lakemaster VX Premium. Maps prior to October 2022 are considered "Legacy".
| Lakemaster (Legacy) | Lakemaster VX | Lakemaster VX Premium | |
| 1ft Contours | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Depth Highlighting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shallow Water Highlighting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smartstrike | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water Level Offset | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2D Shaded Relief | - | - | ✓ |
| Aerial Imagery | - | - | ✓ |
If you are one of those guys/gals that can only get out on the water a few times a month, enjoy your time fishing, but usually have a hard time coming up with spots to fish then you should really consider checking out Smartstrike- now included on with Lakemaster VX.
It allows you to enter your body of water, time of day, weather, species you want to fish, and your Humminbird will automatically populate fishing spots over your map.
The technology itself is pretty dang cool. As for how well it works for targeting fish at the locations it chooses-- if you find out let me know!
Here's a few comparison photos of Lakemaster Legacy vs. Lakemaster VX Premium
Lakemaster Legacy- Stromme's Addition, Devils Lake, North Dakota
Lakemaster VX Premium with 2D Shaded Relief
Lakemaster VX Premium- Zoomed In, Tighter Contour Lines
The shaded relief makes the depth and bottom details much more defined- giving an overall better perspective how the lake is laid out.
I find it much easier to look at over a typical contour line map, but I can also see how guys that have been looking at regular ole contour lines for years might not care for it much.
Important Info for Devils Lake Users...
As far as the aerial imagery on the new Lakemaster VX Premium goes, if you fish Devils Lake and you're hoping the Devils Lake 1990 Aerial is included- the only map on the Premium card is from 2014. So it really doesn't give you an kind of advantage.
The Devils Lake 1990 aerial that worked in the past for Humminbird users was offered through Humminbird's ChartSelect.
Unfortunately with the changeover from Lakemaster Legacy to the new Lakemaster VX mapping, Humminbird completely got rid of their platform where users were able to download individual aerials.
Devils Lake 1990 Aerial for Humminbird vs Lakemaster VX Premium
*if you click here there's still a way you can get the 1990 map*
Overall, there's only a few key differences between the Lakemaster Legacy and new VX versions.
If you've been using a Legacy card for years and it suits you just fine it's probably not worth upgrading as the contour definition is similar. But if you want the benefits of Smartstrike or the 2D shaded relief for a better visual of the lake you are fishing than you should consider the Lakemaster VX and VX Premium.
Have a question or need more specific information on which map is right for you? shoot me a message here.
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