Devils Lake

[WarrenMN]

With the PWT, FLW, MWC and other local tournaments coming up on Devils Lake, I wanted to thank here, every one who has purchased my Devils Lake maps and especially those who have taken the time to return input on the map imagery and the new Lowrance format files. I want every one of you to know that this is more than getting a sale, that I'll be rooting for each of you as a friend. I feel extremely lucky to have come across a medium that has allowed me to meet so many nice people.
Good luck, good hunting.

Warren Parsons

[Johnnie Candle]

Warren,

The stuff you have doen is simply incredible. All I can say is WOW!!! I am sure you will be getting a few more phone calls from the guys that have seen this stuff.

Anyone that would like more information about this can e-mail me anytime they would like. I am sure Warren would explain it much better, but I would be glad to share what I know.

[WarrenMN]

Johnnie, thanks for those kind words. Like I said before, one of the unexpected perks was the people I got to meet, even if it is only over the phone in most cases. There's a couple of locals around Devils I'd like to meet in person some day. When we're working on the phone and you get them up and running and hear the excitement in their voices as they go over the maps for the first time is only second best to being on the water fishing.
But at this point its almost too close to tournament time to do the job right. In the past I've had one or two that tried setting up the maps at the last second and I ended up feeling bad knowing they might not get every thing out of the maps in time. My hope is for those that struggle with computers, now being able now to have the contours line data like I sent you to use driectly on the Lowrances with the waypoints will help.
I want to add some thing I should have in the first post. That the biggest perk was making friends with Bruce Samson and Gary Sjomeling. Two better friends I couldn't have asked for.
WarrenMN

[I Fish GS]

Were or how can you get the map for a Lowrance?
Brian

[WarrenMN]

Doc ran across a program that lets me put what ever line data I want into a Lowrance format. That way customer using my imagery maps have some thing to use in the boats. This isn't the same contours the others are using. These were done before the lake came up. They don't have one foot contours but I think they're more accurate 5 foot increments.
I also picked out a couple hundred points of interest for waypoints to get them started. Right around 100 stock ponds, a bunch of special points on interest on the golden highway, drive ways, low points, the quarry thats under water there now. In fact there were a bunch of old quarries around the lake that I way pointed.
These were just to get them started till they picked out points of interest in the images. With so much land underwater there's unlimited points of interest, maybe too many.
Just a note for those with out the maps. North of Minnewaukan on the SW side of Pelican there use to be an old farm on the island. There is a road that was raised to the island till the farm went under and now the old drive is a dangerous shallow area. Its marked with a big red line and "Warning" on the Lowrance maps I did for those of you with my maps. I understand there's been some lower units rearranged there. The fill likely was the rocks you see for the shoulder of US 281 north of town.
WarrenMN

[Auggie264]

Warren,
You amaze me again! You are a great asset to anglers everywhere. The contour lines look great. I can't wait to try it out this weekend. I'll switch them back and forth along with the lakemaster. If anyone has any questions on this or Fugawi in general you can email me too. Warren is the man when when it comes to this, but if your running it and on Devils Lake and see me in my green warrior stop by.
Chris Augustin

[WarrenMN]

Yeah Chris, this new software is a far cry from doing the contours as trails. To bad you aren't fishing the Mississippi. I made a Lowrance file out of the Corp of Engineers ENC data and the couple of guys that tried it out are saying its right on. It had wingdams, islands and a bunch of other stuff. Darn stuff ran from here in the cities clear down to Wickliffe, KY south of St Louis. Some thing else to play with this summer.
I'm debating coming up to Devils for a bit some time this week to work with some of the guys. Its going to depend on the weather. If I do I'll likely bring the two laptops that run in the boats. Just wish I had my boat up there to do a couple weeks of mapping my way.
If you fish Sak, I got the low water imagery overlaid with the original ARMY COE 1940's contour survey of there. Fit like a glove.

WarrenMN

[CD]

Warren, keep up the awesome work for us anglers. Your maps have been great. Whenever I have a question about a spot or need to find some little piece of structure in an area I turn to your maps. They come through every time. Thanks!!!

Clint - Ed's Bait Shop - DLND

[WarrenMN]

Thanks Clint. You have no idea how much I wish I was there or Oahe. Working on these maps is like rubbing salt in a wound.

Mule Skinner. I tried to respond but it came back. Had a couple of request along the same lines so I'll post my answer here. Hope you don't mind.

Kevin
It's part of the map set I sell. I have elevations the guys use to back figure the current lake level to have depth maps. This way as the lake fluctuates the maps don't have lines with wrong numbers on them. Bruce Samson passed along a program the lets me convert out of one program data into it and it turns them into line data that Lowrance can use. I put the contours, hiways ( even the ones under water now ), the old shore line stuff on it. One of the interesting things is how different the shore line looks now.
But the elevation contours are only part of the map set. My maps have old topo maps from 1950 when the lake was extremely low. Also there are Infra Red imagery from the 80's and B/W imagery from the 90's before the lake started to rise. To get an idea of what this is like. Look out out side where ever your at. Now picture 1 to 35 feet of water on top of it. You know exactly where the roads at, fence lines, wind rows. Then I have 1997 imagery so you can see where the shore line was when the water came part way up. That's where I knew the elevation contours couldn't be beat. They matched the shore line great. The fit around the tree lines was like a glove too.
On top of that I have a lower resolution satilite image from 2000 that lets you look at the whole of the lake so you can see a big picture of it all. And last, 2003 imagery that lets you get a real good idea of where the current shore line is with good enough detail you can pick up on things that are partially submerged, like that drive way I mentioned earlier. This isn't perfect but Doc tried showing the general gist here. http://www.hightechfishing.com/hightechmaps.html You could use just the Lowrance files and waypoints but you're missing a ton of stuff if you don't run the maps.
I also went thru picking out obivous points of interest for way points and quit after I must have found a couple hundred. My count on stock ponds was close to a hundred right there for the whole lake and I'm sure I didn't get them all.
The Lowrance file and the waypoint file don't need any thing run but a Lowrance. The maps need a map software like Fugawi to run on a laptop or desktop. Bruce Samson and a couple of others run their laptops right in the boat so they can see exactly what it use to look like before the water rose. If you click around Bruce's web site you'll run into pictures.
Feel free to give me a call today if you have guestions. After today I'm debating running up to Devils Lake to prefish and work with the guys on their computers so it'll be hit and miss later.
The maps and Lowrance files are $100.

Warren Parsons
651-982-1401

[luveyes]

Warren and others,

I fish DL alot and am interested in this map. Does it come in chip form like the Lakemaster chips? Is it something that I have to download into the GPS units permanently? What is the cost? How much for the Sakakawea Map?

I am a pretty illiterate when it comes to computers and I am a novice when it comes to GPS. Any help would be appreciated. Any other ? I cant think of that you guys could advise me on would be awesome. Like I said I appreciate any info that is given out.

Aaron Johnson (luveyes)
West Fargo ND

[WarrenMN]

Aaron, I sell the map set for Devils for $100, but I cringe at selling maps at the last moment for a tournament to any one unless they are computer savy. The files that run on the Lowrance now are part of the map set and can be emailed with the waypoints as far as that goes. All you do is copy to an SD or MMC card and pop it into the machine and off it goes. Just don't have another card of the same area in the unit or it might not show up. I figure every one has old small cards that aren't much good for any thing else any more and this way I can update every one as new goodies come to mind. Maybe one of the guys will jump in on what they think of the Lowrance file.
I'm trying to get some stuff done so I can run up to Devils in the next day or two, but no promises. Feel free to call, day or evening, if you have questions with any thing I can help you with.

Warren Parsons
651-982-1401

[luveyes]

Warren,

Although I am going to get into tourney fishing I am unable to do so this year. Right now I am just a normal guy that loves to fish and DL is my main lake to fish (family in town means free room and board). Even though I am just a weekend angler I love to C&R big fish and I love to try new areas and tactics. Your map sounds like it would fit the bill just right. I have seen old arial photos and have no knowledge how to overlay the data into a usable form. I applaud you for having the knowledge and forethought to do this for the rest of the anglers in the world.

As far as computer knowledge, I do know enough people close to me that could help me get that part of things done and done right. I am a quick learner and with the new knowledge I may feel more comfortable trying these things in the future.

Would I need to purchase Fugawa or would the stuff you send be able to be downloaded into a computer with basic Microsoft XP and then transfered onto a map card to plug into a GPS, or can the info go onto the GPS harddrive and still plug a Lakemaster chip? Thank you and I hope to get clearance from the tower (wife) to upgrade what I have currently.

Thank You
Aaron Johnson

[WarrenMN]

Aaron, yeah you need Fugawi or another map software that will read ECW format files to use the map imagery. I found this format has the best compression so the files are smaller which means less used hard disk space and supposedly faster disk reads. I like Fugawi for the fact they are a basic program that upgrades to meet new demands. In fact they contacted me about some request I had and said there will be an upgrade before to long. It is one of the easest programs out there, especially for doing work on waypoints.
On the high end is Global Mapper. Its more expensive and more demanding of knowing mapping, but the tech support is next to none and I think as powerfull a map program as there is out there for this, but not a newbie program. With out Global Mapper I couldn't have done more than the basic map like I started with. Just so every one knows, there are other map softwares out there. These are just the ones that took the time and effort to work with me, which tells me alot about them. Bruce sells both programs
As for the the file to use on the Lowrances, its as simple as dragging the file from an email to a card. I should mention too that those who took Docs class and did some mapping of there own, I could put their contour lines for a custom file.
As far as help, I tell my customers as long as they call on their dime, we'll sit down on the phone and get them understanding every thing. That was the one big reason I wanted to go up there. It'd be nice to sit down face to face in one place and work with them. I'm still working on it.
I got an alterior motive for going to Devils Lake also. I got some hand made lures from a friend, Roger Gruvsjö - you can tell he's swedish by all the meat balls over the letters, I've been dying to try. You can ask Bruce on that. I'd do it in Forest Lake but its infested with northerns and muskies and these would be $30 a piece fish lolli-pops. No way. http://groups.msn.com/HomemadeFishingLures

Go to Bruce's site to check out Fugawi www.hightechfishing.com He may have some Fugawi's with him when he goes up there.

Warren Parsons

[WarrenMN]

A quick heads up for the guys using my maps. Johnnie let me know there is an area that isn't part of the lake. It appears they built a dike on the south end of Penny bay. Why, I'm not sure. It sounds like the area behind the dike is cattails, but here's the coordinates of the center of the area if you want to familiarize yourselfs, I think its too late to do any more updates.

48 01.55' N
98 50.57' W

Warren Parsons
651-982-1401

[Brian B]

Warren,
I'm interested in learning more about your maps and possibly purchasing a set. How can I find out more about them and possibly see images of them?

[WarrenMN]

Bruce Samson has done a couple articles for Walleye Insider and North American Fisherman, think I got the right ones, that touched on my maps. One of the best articles was by Brad Dokkens for the Grand Forks Herald back in May of 2004 that even ended up in the USAToday enews. Altough the pictures that went with the original news paper article didn't get posted, Bruce pasted a couple samples.

http://www.hightechfishing.com/hightechmaps.html

I put some stuff up on http://groups.msn.com/Walleyemaps/shoebox.msnw to go with it.

The 1970, 1980, 1990, 1997, 2003 and 2005 are of the same area of a bay on the SW corner of Devils Lake, with very reduced resolution to save size here. I used a bigger area for the 1950 topo so you get an idea of just how dry that lake once was.
The driveway and stock ponds are actual resolution so you can see the detail in them. Check out the stock ponds, you can see where they pilled the dirt. If you look close you'll find a bunch of other interesting stuff in the picture.

You need to have a map software, like Fugawi or Global Mapper, before you can use the maps. I'd have to say if you don't already have one of them there isn't enough time before the PWT and it would be a close call, if you were computer savy, for the FLW. The stuff I have for a card on the Lowrance could be done any time but a person would've been better off if they had used it prefishing first. So even thats cutting it close.
I don't want to run any one off, but.

Warren Parsons
651-982-1401

[WarrenMN]

Last note before the PWT to the guys using my stuff. The latest version of the Devils Lake for Lowrance is DL May18. If you don't have the one with that name, which from now on I'll use the date as a version, let me know so I can get you updated.
As much as I was wanting to go up there, a bunged up shoulder said no. You guys don't need anymore distraction from me so
Good luck, good hunting.
Warren

[WarrenMN]

Well, guys you gave it a good try and being the first season for a couple of ya, you got some good experience. I just hope you enjoyed. I understand Doc tossed a fish back yesterday he's kicking himself for. If you look you'll see he only weighed 4. It didn't sound small and the bite died so he was left short. Guess it was likely over 2 pounds. This is exactly why I don't fish tournaments.
With a little luck I might run into you over at Mobridge before the tournament. Any time you guys are in the Forest Lake area, know your always invited to stop by.
Warren

[CD-DL]

Warren, do you have any aerial maps for East Bay (Penny Bay) area? I have the plot maps from you, but no old aerial photos.

Thanks

Clint

[WarrenMN]

I have the whole lake. 2005 or 2003 Email me or give me a call to see if you need the whole lake, I'll send out a CD, or if your in a hurry let me know how much of the area you need.
Warren

651-982-1401

accueview@mywdo.com