Reef questions!

sammy2189

Okay so is there any website that I can locate reefs,wrecks, structure etc from public numbers. I want something like some kind of chart so I know which one are close to me . In example I live in north beach . And like most of you know I just purchased a kayak so I wanna see if there are any public number reefs close by that I can just launch my yak in the water and I can peddle to . I live on 80ish and Collins. And I'll like some kind of wreck that less then a mile out. Also maybe any kind on the bay side that are public . Also how do you read them number to locate them. Sorry I know I'm a noob to all this and I plan on buying a gps just not right this second. For now I'm gonna just buy navionics on my iPhone

uno--mas

google your county and 'reefs'. each county has an artificial reef program, and there are websites with the public numbers.
most all the numbers are going to be lat/lon, so without a GPS its going to be dead-reckoning, and could be a challenge.
if you find a wreck you want to check out in the area you are looking at, you can go on a saturday and there 'might' be a boat or two already fishing it, and then you'll know right where it is.
FYI, you certainly don't have to be right on a wreck to find fish. ask any diver and they will tell you that 75% of the fish are 'near' the wreck, but not 'on' the wreck. even groupers, which everyone thinks live deep in holes, like to get out and swim around in their front yard instead of being stuck in the house all the time.
another option is just heading out to the tackle shop and 'studying' the paper charts they have there.

cheers
drew

sammy2189

Hmm that's the problem I don't know how to read lat/Lon just yet. So I found a website that tell me the numbers . But how would I know if there close or not. There no website that has like some kinda chart to point more or less where it should be at ?

sammy2189

Like I found this site. How do I know which one is closer to me. Or is there somewhere I can check them !

http://www.thiswaytothe.net/reefs/floridasatlanticreefs.shtml

sammy2189

Does anyone know if the navionics app works like a gps? Like if I put a reefs lat/Lon would it give me direction to get to it ?

mjrudd1

Try this site - http://www.charts.noaa.gov/PDFs/PDFs.shtml - find your area & you can print it for free. I zoom in on the specific areas I want, print & laminate them, and use them as general guides when I'm on the water. As long as you don't loose them, they'll last for years and help you know the general layout (remember if you are an old geezer like me). You can add in any wrecks you find numbers for (before you laminate), if they are not marked already. The longitude/latitude are the grid numbers on the sides - just find the 2 numbers you are given for a location, run a ruler sideways & up/down and where they intersect is your exact spot. Have fun - planning / scouting / researching keeps me in the game between trips and adds to satisfaction of a successful day on the water.

mjrudd1

Also, you can do same thing with GoogleEarth. Especially in shallow water, you can see sandbars, channels, potholes, etc. Print & laminate & keep them handy in your yak. I slip them under my seat to keep them from blowing away & pull one out when I want to check it. I've caught lots of fish by fishing places I found sitting in my recliner. Another option is buy a chart online or in a bait shop, like at http://nauticalcharts.com/ . I cut them up to make them manageable in size, laminate and take the right piece of the chart.

krash

Why not go to a local Sports Auth, ****, or BPS and purchase a Hot-Spots map of your targeted area... you can also use Google earth on your PC, enter Lat & Lon numbers in the search area then zoom in/out or around, you'll soon recognize Lat & Lon numbers near you.

sammy2189

Oh boy this gonna be tuffer then I thought I have no idea how to read those maps all I see is numbers !

sammy2189

How do you even look for latitude and longitude on a map. For example I'm trying to find the Julia Tuttle reef on google earth and nothing comes up on those number I'm sure I'm doing something wrong
Lat 25.81388333
Lon 80.17

FLATS BROKE

Just go fishing.

mjrudd1

This guy is dry but teaches it clearly - invest 4 minutes here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUMlmRzkuuY ... and then go fishing.

Android77

The hotspots suck compared to Florida Sportsman charts and can be ordered right of this web site.

sammy2189

Android77 wrote: »

The hotspots suck compared to Florida Sportsman charts and can be ordered right of this web site.

Didn't even know they had one here gonna have to check me out.

sammy2189

FLATS BROKE wrote: »

Just go fishing.

Wanna take me fishing I have my own yak:)

sammy2189

mjrudd1 wrote: »

This guy is dry but teaches it clearly - invest 4 minutes here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUMlmRzkuuY ... and then go fishing.

Will watch it when I get home from work.

uno--mas

remember geography in elementary school? you thought you'd never use it. well, GPS is what that's all about. GPS--Global Positioning System, is all about those lines drawn up and down and side to side all over the globe.

lat, or latitude are the lines on the globe, or a map, that run left and right (or east to west). they measure how far north or south something is. the numbers get bigger as you go north. the equator is 0.00000, and the north pole is 90.0000 N
so if you find a wreck at LAT 25.1111111, and one that is at lat 25.1111112, the larger number is farther north.

lon, or longitude are the lines that run up and down on the globe, or a map. they measure east and west. the farther east you go, the numbers get smaller. so, if you find a wreck at LON 80.170, and one at 80.175, the one that has the larger number is closer to the beach (in our area, in this example). the farther out you go, the smaller the numbers get.

also, you will find people referring to the numbers as "the top number", and "the bottom number". in almost all cases, the lat is the top, and the lon is the bottom.

to find these numbers on a map or chart, there will be numbers shown in degrees along the top, which will be the same as the bottom. and numbers along the left, and right. all these are in degrees (latitude and longitude are degrees--like an angle, not a temperature).
in between those degrees there will be smaller numbers--these are the decimals.
if you look at a chart from your area, you should see along the top, 79……80…..81. or something like that.
along the left side there should be 24…..25…..26. all with a degrees symbol. there are most likely numbers in-between that are those decimals.

at least i hope those numbers are decimals. lord have mercy if you need me to explain degrees, minutes and seconds.

cheers
drew

sammy2189

Now I have a understanding how to make it work. Yea I'm gonna need a gps there no way I can find any wrecks with out one. Does any one have navionics I'm wondering if I can use that as a gps? I do know degrees, min ,sec thanks for you time .......