Many anglers have heard and use some of the following terms to describe their electronic units. Terms such as fish finder, depth finder, sonar unit and Liquid Crystal Graph have been used for a number of years to tell the angler that they have eyes that see into the water.

Electronics unlock invisible doors to walleyes, bass and crappie fishing. They provide the angler with a vision of structure that may not be apparent to them especially when they leave the visual structure of the shoreline. Almost every angler today has an electronic unit in the boat that they use to locate fish, bait, bottom, and depth. But, they also use the electronic units to find other subtle things like temperature breaks, or side finding capabilities that until recently hadn't been available to the angler. The latest to come along with the electronic units is GPS. What is GPS? How does GPS work? Are just a couple of questions that you will hear from many fisherman and outdoor enthusiasts.

The Global Positioning System is a constellation of satellites which orbit the earth twice a day, transmitting precise time and position (latitude, longitude and altitude) information. Something I could have used when I was sitting in those geography classes. I wished they could have broadcasted the understanding to me then. Seriously, with a GPS receiver, users can determine their location anywhere on earth.

When fully operational the complete system will consist of 21 satellites orbiting the earth and giving information back to receivers 24-hours-a-day. The basis of GPS technology is precise time and position information. Using atomic clocks ( accurate to within one second every 70,00 years) and location data, each satellite continuously broadcasts the time and its position. A GPS receiver receives these signals, listening to three or more satellites at once, to determine the user's position on earth.

What is really unique about these units is that they are compact. In fact, most of the manufacturers of electronic units have a unit that has GPS. The one that I like the best is the Lowrance LMS 350 A unit. With the introduction of the Global Positioning System receiver, Lowrance has changed navigation in the great outdoors forever. Weather, terrain or darkness no longer prevent fisherman from knowing where they are or getting where they want to go.

While GPS positioning and navigation have been commercially available for several years, the size and cost of most receivers have kept GPS beyond the reach of most outdoorsmen.

When navigating, the GPS reports such information as bearing and distance to destination, speed, heading, cross track error, estimated time of arrival, time to go and other vital navigational data.

Rigging and using electronics properly is crucial for successful fishing. Reading depth, fish, and baitfish at scanning speeds eliminates dead water quickly, and using GPS to navigate while you're fishing guarantees that factors like wind, current, and big fish won't throw you off course.

You might still be a little scared of this technology, and I will admit that I was hesitant to try this, because I was taught to use the stars and a compass to find my way around. I have also been on a busy river when fog has left me blind for hours. And I have missed my favorite fishing spot in Canada because I thought it was directly across from the big tree and the flat rock, only to discover there are many big trees and flat rocks in Canada.