Angler's Edge Mapping: a heads-up

Hi all,

The past two years have been a whirl-wind for Angler's Edge Mapping. Our digital maps compatible with Lowrance sonars launched in August 2015, but the process of converting our existing print catalog started long before that. At the same time we were preparing to launch our digital maps, we were out on the water surveying and post-processing data to expand our catalog for 2016. Nine months post-release, the feedback we have received from early adopters has been excellent! As expected, our maps are changing the way people fish.

We now have a better grasp on the business side of things (fuel, equipment, costs associated with supplies and distribution, etc.), and it has become apparent that for us to be viable long-term and continue to provide new content to anglers, our prices on digital map cards need to increase somewhat. We anticipate implementing these increases within the next few weeks, so if you have been following our products with intentions of buying as the open-water season approaches....you might want to purchase sooner rather than later to save yourself a few bucks. Consider this advance notice a thank-you for all the enthusiasm we have received, especially from this forum!

Our prices will remain competitive with the other commercially available mapping products that offer coverage within our region, and we are certain that the overall quality of our maps far exceeds the other offerings. Because of this, the value of our area specific (e.g., Whiteshell, Winnipeg River) and Complete Catalog digital cards for anglers that fish many waterbodies will remain very high. We will continue to offer anglers the ability to upgrade their cards annually for reasonable prices, essentially rewarding early adopters.

We also appreciate that if you only fish a single body of water, it doesn't make much sense to pay for a card that contains maps that you will never use. If this is your situation, you may be pleased to hear that individual lake maps produced by Angler's Edge Mapping can be downloaded from the Navico Go-Free Shop, https://www.gofreeshop.com/. This site has recently been updated with a "Google Earth" style navigation that allows you to easily find the content you’re interested in. Just like our digital map cards, our Go-Free Shop downloads are compatible with modern Lowrance units (Elite, HDS and Hook series). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
- The Angler's Edge Mapping Team

 

The only other chip that has local content with vague, inaccurate data, with what, maybe 5 bodies of water(?) is over $300 after tax.......AEM is more than reasonable for what you get. Add in an ever-expanding catalogue of lakes and rivers.

Had some negative feedback about pricing then I mentioned the above points......the one person who complained then said- "Oh, well that's a decent deal then actually"

 

^^^this^^^^

 

I don't think people actually appreciate or understand the hard work and time (on and off the water) that it takes to get a fully detailed map like one of the many AEM maps. The guys I know who do map their own would never share them or give them out for any cost!

 

AEM map chips are worth every dollar. Very happy with my purchase. Tried getting a few buddies to buy, but they all are too cheap. Gotta pay to play!

 

I've run my copy now a couple times. Very impressed, somehow have to juggle fishing the spot I'm on and finding a new one on the map. Found a few deep spots I never new existed. Hope to run up to Nopiming and try one of the lakes mapped up there.

It might not seem like a large catalogue yet, but go ahead and try fishing them all. It adds up quickly....

 

I think it would probably take a weekend warrior an entire summer to really fish all that we've mapped on Shoal alone!

Thanks for the feedback guys. Promoting our maps is certainly our current challenge. From what I've heard from people so far, those that have purchased them have very quickly come to appreciate the value they offer.

 

Promoting it before people buy a bird is the bigger thing I would say. Getting in to cabelas and having a couple of the floor guys really push lowrance just on the factor of your maps would be huge I'd think

 

That's the biggest obstacle right now is finding Lowrance units. In MB they are the equivalent as 90's Macintosh. The few that have them swear by them but we're still the 1%.

Right now Lowrance needs to (and hopefully is) work on a 9" screen with live mapping for under $1500. Otherwise the weekend warrior market will remain 99% hummingbird around here.

My 2 cents

 

Agreed. Just pointing out that if your product is tied to the success of another product (Lowrance) what Lowrance does and doesn't do makes a big impact. I'm yet to come across a dealer/retailer in Winnipeg that displays Lowrance prominently and knows about the units.

 

I bet 75% of the Helix units with live mapping will rarely if ever get used for serious mapping. There will be people that live in areas that aren't mapped but most people will be fishing waters already mapped by AEM. Common sense would say buy a Lowrance, buy AEM and fish.

 

Serious mapping probably not. Lots of 'spots' mapped but very few entire lakes. Buddy has a helix and one issue he's had already is his unit mapped a 100' hole that didn't exist. Now every time he goes over it it starts an average. Was 100', then 80' then 75'.... He could delete the sonar log and remap but when I told him that his eyes spun in his head. He wants to fish and map. Not be mapping and IT after the fact.

Now that I have AEM I'll fool around with that and maybe some insight Genesis when I'm back in The Pas. Good times!

 

Exactly, for some reason , be it pricing , display, autochart etc bird is the go to when you walk in the big stores. Also a sponsor of more of the big local guys ? Maybe they are doing more leg work on the ground.
At no fault to AEM of course.
Once more and maps are release and more word gets out I think it will take off even more

 

People evolve or we'd all still be using p-rigs. There's still hope for the hummingbird guys

 

I played with autochart pro on my old 898, same thing... Was told I could upload all my sonar logs and start a map from there, so I did, well at 50mph the depth read 75' all the time and guess what I got!!! I emailed Bird about it and was told I would have to delete each one of the logs individually and there was waaaay to many for that shit........


AEM: plug and play, extremely accurate, very reasonable price considering areas that are mapped, many places mapped that the other guys will never have mapped, LOCAL BUSINESS, easy yearly updates... Whats not to like???

Lowrance has some real ice units, I am very impressed with both of mine, considering I was a die hard bird guy until last summer... But humminbird does have the market cornered here and a local service location for fast repairs if needed... If lowrance kept the "M" series going, there would be lots of guys buy them strictly to run AEM off of, I would be all over that if they were easily obtainable...

@Inmate get that install done yet??? Your slower than molasses....... In January........ In Manitoba....... FFS

 

Yes I am slow. I've been using my dads boat and a boat at the cottage I'm at so mine hasn't been a priority. Soon grasshopper

I'd like to point out that Video refit on Portage ave is also a Lowrance certified repair center

It's not going to happen overnight but Lowrance will grow just like the AEM catalog.