Mapping Lake Blackshear With Autochart Live

Is anyone else using Autochart Live on your Humminbird to map Lake Blackshear and/or Autochart Pro PC to create a Map Overlay & Base Layer for the Helix units?

I've got about 70% of the Lake mapped.

I've got the entire river channel from the RR trusses over by 280 bridge to the power dam mapped.

All of Swift Creek to the trusses

All of Boy Scout Slough

All Of Pecan Slough

All Of Lincoln Pinch

Most of Cedar Creek. I can't get back all the way (past the buoys) in my pontoon boat and unfortunately my jet ski is down.

Not much of Gum Creek yet. Mainly because a lot of it is shallow and the trees (again my pontoon is just to big) Jet Ski would be ideal for this.

I've almost got both sides of the channel completely mapped up to Cedar Creek. Did most of the Stump Zone today (01-09-20).


A good bit of of the rest all the way to the power dam is filled in. It's taken 2 months (200+ hours so far) but I hope to complete mapping the entire lake 100% by March. Just got to get another ski or my lil aluminum boat back in commission.

I've got the Navionics chip that has the lake but it doesn't compare to the detail you get with Autochart and the 1' contours. Not to mention the 3D modeling if pretty neat.

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Looks good. Lot of time spent but should be worth it in the long run.


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You are draining the Lake with this Technology BUT what do you really gain with this? How did we ever catch fish with a Zebco 33, 10 pound line, corks, and minnows?

Man that’s a lot of work! Looks great!


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Man, thats awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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Originally Posted by Danbo

You are draining the Lake with this Technology BUT what do you really gain with this? How did we ever catch fish with a Zebco 33, 10 pound line, corks, and minnows?

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that is what my wife said but she still climes in the boat with me .

That's a pretty neat tool.

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Originally Posted by Danbo

You are draining the Lake with this Technology BUT what do you really gain with this? How did we ever catch fish with a Zebco 33, 10 pound line, corks, and minnows?

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To me it's just good therapy. It keeps me on the water when the weather is no good for fishing and in the end I'll have the most detailed contour map of Lake Blackshear you can get. My favorite part is that it really highlights the the deeper pools and small ponds off the channel and it's really good at detailing where there's tapering ledges as opposed to straight dropoffs.

I have Zebco 33's, corks & minnows also. They work good for nostolgia & fishing off the dock. [emoji16]

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Originally Posted by papasage

that is what my wife said but she still climes in the boat with me .

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I love this site my friend. Thanks for pointing me this way.

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Originally Posted by Danbo

You are draining the Lake with this Technology BUT what do you really gain with this? How did we ever catch fish with a Zebco 33, 10 pound line, corks, and minnows?

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Oh & having a 3D model of any section of the lake or channel has proven to be a very useful tool when plotting areas at night that you may want to fish on the morrow.

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I've used autochart here on Jackson but don't know how to get the 3-d view? Scott

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Originally Posted by ultraslab

I've used autochart here on Jackson but don't know how to get the 3-d view? Scott

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Scott this is the short explanation, lol:

You have to have the Autochart PC program to make 3D models & custom map overlays.


Scott this is the long one, lol:

Autochart Live is on the Humminbird units. That's what creates the charts with depth and contour lines you see on your unit as it records sonar data to the Zerolines card.

What most people miss is that this is intended to take the sonar data and create a custom map on your PC for lakes like mine that aren't on LakeMaster chips. It's on Navionics but the converted Autochart Custom map overlay is much more detailed.

You can just use the recorded sonar charts on the HB unit but you've probably already noticed that they lag as your boat moves along the water. You have to reach the end of the grid your in before it populates the next grid with recorded chart data. This is because HB uses outdated cpu's in the Helix units so they can get them very cheap. So the unit can't render graphics in color fast enough to keep up with your boat moving at 3mph.

To create the custom map overlays & 3D models of recorded sonar data you need to import & convert those files in Autochart PC or Autochart Pro DVD. These are the computer counterparts that create the Custom Map, Side Imaging & Base Overlays and send it back to your ZL card so you can select them as your map on the Helix unit. There are lots of videos on YouTube that shows how to do this.

The only difference between the 2 is with the Pro version you can import recorded Side Imaging files (SON002) Bottom Harness (SON003) & Vegetation (SON004) from the Record folder on the ZL cards to create a Side Imaging Mosaic overlay (this is literally looking at the lake bottom on the Helix) as well as the Map Overlay & Base Overlay. Both PC versions will create the 3D models.

You can see in the pictures below that the color chart data only goes so far but the custom map overlay (in Gray) populates the entire map. So you can scan the entire lake for fishing spots & waypoints without the lag of it loading chart data grid by grid.

Hope the pics help. First 6 are changing to the Custom Map Overlay. The rest I did a step by step from importing sonar data from card to converting to custom map and updating the ZL card with your new Lake Master and then the 3D imaging. Attachment 363689Attachment 363691Attachment 363693Attachment 363694Attachment 363695Attachment 363696Attachment 363697Attachment 363698Attachment 363699Attachment 363700Attachment 363701Attachment 363702Attachment 363703Attachment 363704Attachment 363705

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Originally Posted by BlackshearAddic

Oh & having a 3D model of any section of the lake or channel has proven to be a very useful tool when plotting areas at night that you may want to fish on the morrow.

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Great job. Wish I could use it with my Garman. I live at the end of Cedar Creek. You can make it with your pontoon. I do it all the time.


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Originally Posted by Alumuga

Great job. Wish I could use it with my Garman. I live at the end of Cedar Creek. You can make it with your pontoon. I do it all the time.


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Good to know, I was worried about going past the buoys, I've been down that far on the ski and I see the pontoons but I hit a log on the ski so I just haven't ventured that far down yet in the pontoon but I will. Mapping the stump graveyard yesterday & around all the trees was tedious .. lol .. but I got it done. It was shallow as 3' in some spots.

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Good JOB!!!

Thank you

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Originally Posted by hammerhead 50

Good JOB!!!

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How do you make the 3D modeling?

I am having a couple of Solix units installed on my Tri-toon a week from tomorrow along with an Ultera. Taking the rig down to central FL for 2 weeks on Feb 1st to try and learn to use it and find/catch crappie.

I have seen people do the 3D modeling but don't know how.

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Originally Posted by fltcrew21

How do you make the 3D modeling?

I am having a couple of Solix units installed on my Tri-toon a week from tomorrow along with an Ultera. Taking the rig down to central FL for 2 weeks on Feb 1st to try and learn to use it and find/catch crappie.

I have seen people do the 3D modeling but don't know how.

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See post #12 from Jan 10.

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I'm about to purchase the card today. I found it on sale last night. Are you willing to share what you have already?

OK maybe showing my ignorance But, if I'm able to figure out how to create a 3-D map on my computer using the app can I then save it to the card and view that 3-D map on my helix's in the boat. Scott

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Originally Posted by ultraslab

OK maybe showing my ignorance But, if I'm able to figure out how to create a 3-D map on my computer using the app can I then save it to the card and view that 3-D map on my helix's in the boat. Scott

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No, you can only view the 3D modeling on a PC but you can take a laptop on the boat. I don't see how it would help. If you're set to 1' contours on the Helix the depth levels are spot on. Ledges and ponds are found easier on the Helix chart data.

I did it the hard way. I downloaded the card first and then had to purchase it again to obtain the software. That lead to having to figure out how to get around the encryption in order to duplicate the cards.

Tweaking the settings in Autochart PC is key for good 3D modeling because the default depth levels is Min 0ft to Max 40ft. so anything under 15' (which is most of Lake Blackshear)is just gonna show up as red on a 3D model. I change the defaults to -10' min - 50' max. Gives a lot more color variation from 3-15ft.


I like having the software because without it you just have chart data on the HB and not the actual Base Map & Overlays that the card was designed to generate. That being said if you can live without it you can live without it.

I like being able to sit inside and be comfortable and map out a fishing plan for the next day or weekend. I also have a basic Helix 7 GPS/Sonar only mounted inside to a battery because I got tied of running back and forth, inside & outside to the boat to see if the end product was working.


I haven't found any advantage to live mapping (mapping with the Humminbird connected to a laptop to create the maps in real-time) but it may prove useful in the future for side imaging and Mapping the floor of the lake (which is a whole different project in itself, but it would reveal all man made fish attractors [emoji16] and anything else laying down there). They say it can be done simultaneously on the Onix units but I've seen the results and they are less than what I'd want. The side image recordings overlap each other and they don't feather real well.

On your other question about sharing what I have now, it's not that easy. The cards are all encrypted to prevent you from copying data from one to another. It can be done, I've got 3 identical ones now, but it's a process that involves a PC & some time & some serious researching. If you do it wrong the unit just reboots when you try to set a map overlay.

*Be careful with that original file structure.

Hope all this helps somebody [emoji1783]

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P.S.

I'd go ahead and get the PC version also, used if possible off FB marketplace. The only difference between the Pro Version and the Basic PC version it that for $40 more you get SI Mosaics with Bottom Hardness + Vegetation data on the screen. Marketed towards tournament anglers.. You can do 3D models on either.

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Also the Pro Version let's you create the Side Imaging Overlay that can be sent back to the HB and used.

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BlackshearAddic,
Would you start a post describing how you transferred the Autochart Live data from one ZL card to another ZL card? I not smart enough to figure it out and could use some expert help. TIA
Rollcaster