# FMT in Ten Thousand Islands



## 97redz3 (Feb 28, 2021)

Anyone running Florida Marine Tracks in the Ten Thousand Islands? How much would I gain over running Navionics or CMAP?


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## Gaudy (May 10, 2020)

Yes all the time and wouldn't run about anywhere without it.


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## POIRick (9 mo ago)

Night and day. You can learn more from the satellite view in a day than you could learn in a year. Never had any problem with the tracks either


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## 97redz3 (Feb 28, 2021)

How large a screen would you suggest? Thinking SIMRAD EVO3s 9” … the 12” is $$$


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## ElHydro (May 18, 2017)

I've run mine in 10k/everglades multiple times and absolutely wouldn't run back there without it.. North and South Florida combined package is much cheaper than a lower unit. I run a Simrad Evo 9"


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## Gaudy (May 10, 2020)

97redz3 said:


> How large a screen would you suggest? Thinking SIMRAD EVO3s 9” … the 12” is $$$


I run a 12" EVO3.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

9" Lowrance HDS Carbon w/FMT


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## Redtail (May 25, 2021)

I believe ISLA recommends a minimum of a 9" screen for clarity. I had a 7" Simrad on a previous boat and it worked fine but was difficult to pick up small details while running. I ordered the 12" Simrad for my new skiff.


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## 97redz3 (Feb 28, 2021)

Are FMT tracks plotted at low tide? Or do the tracks change with water level in real time?


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## POIRick (9 mo ago)

Bass pro 12” hds carbon 1499.00. I have a 9” on my boat for the last five years. Just bought the 12”
nine will do. But as egret says ,bigger better. If are down my way,I can take you out and convince you.


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## POIRick (9 mo ago)

Low tide plot


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## Michael T (May 18, 2020)

Red tracks indicate that they can be run at all water levels, AFAIK, black tracks are high water only.


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## Gaudy (May 10, 2020)

97redz3 said:


> How large a screen would you suggest? Thinking SIMRAD EVO3s 9” … the 12” is $$$


Past discussion on this forum about the Simrad 9" vs 12" screen differences. Simrad NSS12 evo3 vs NSS9 Evo3s


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

The guy who founded FMT is on here so maybe he can elaborate but until then.... my belief is most of the tracks were made in an Egret 189 and the red tracks indicate safe routes at mean low tide (not negative tide) for a boat with a similar draft. What I don't know is they were run with a jackplate or not. Personally, I will not attempt black routes in my boat.

Most people in a skiff navigating hazards and fishing shallow water will find FMT is very useful.

As POI Rick stated, you can learn a lot by studying an image but you can also learn just as much, albeit different things, by studying topography. For example, an image shows shallow hazards and structure near the surface such as oysters and trees pretty well but it does not provide a good indication of the how the seafloor is shaped nor depressions and mounts in deeper water that may hold fish. 

I have a 12" Simrad and to tell you the truth you're better off studying an area on your computer at home than trying to do it on the boat. Go as big as you can, I'd go 16" if I could.


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## ERK (Mar 6, 2019)

I run a Lowrance Elite FS 9" with FMT and it's great


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## 97redz3 (Feb 28, 2021)

Half Shell said:


> The guy who founded FMT is on here so maybe he can elaborate but until then.... my belief is most of the tracks were made in an Egret 189 and the red tracks indicate safe routes at mean low tide (not negative tide) for a boat with a similar draft. What I don't know is they were run with a jackplate or not. Personally, I will not attempt black routes in my boat.
> 
> Most people in a skiff navigating hazards and fishing shallow water will find FMT is very useful.
> 
> ...


Good to know. I’ll be running with 8” of draft … less than the Egret 189, I think. I just checked on FMT‘s website and in their FAQ I found this:

Q: ARE ALL OF THE TRACKS SAFE TO RUN BY ALL TYPES OF WATERCRAFT?
A: No. Only boats that draft 13.5 inches and can run in a foot or less can run all of them.


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

97redz3 said:


> Good to know. I’ll be running with 8” of draft … less than the Egret 189, I think. I just checked on FMT‘s website and in their FAQ I found this:
> 
> Q: ARE ALL OF THE TRACKS SAFE TO RUN BY ALL TYPES OF WATERCRAFT?
> A: No. Only boats that draft 13.5 inches and can run in a foot or less can run all of them.


I'm guessing he was using a jackplate then because a 14" prop and with a little bit of skeg below it won't run in 12" of water without one.


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## ISLA Mapping (Jan 12, 2020)

189 Egrets were not designed to run properly with jack plates and we don't run one. Some people have one on their 189 but the boats act squirrely with them at many speeds. With a 20" shaft and a typical prop and skeg and the proper engine mount height the boats are able to run on plane in less than a foot with no problem if properly trimmed. Trimmed up and with some benefit from the tabs the boats can run remarkably shallow. I did it hundreds if not thousands of times developing the tracks. They hold up to 56 gallons of gas and a ton of gear. With a typical load, the boat drafts a true 12" floating similar to what say an old Master Angler would draft. My Egret is old and it's a heavy glass boat and rides like a dream vs. all of the other 18" rigs I have ever been on including all of the new modern super expensive modern skiffs costing into six figures. Now there is a second similar 189 glass rig we use out there that drafts about a foot but also does not have a jack plate. I would not want to pole a glass 189 long but I would rather ride in one vs any other 18' rig. Its the best riding most stable 18" rig out there. I think mine was somehow made with extra glass and is extra heavy. It is an original Miami built boat. Quite different from the ones they make today. The others I have been in seem to feel lighter when running. It was a perfect boat to develop the charts with as it drafts more than any typical skiffs and about the same as a typical modern bay boat. Its crazy how dry it is and how it rides in nasty weather. It's definitely not a micro skiff. Any true micro skiff could run any red track with no issue.

Red tracks are good in a typical skiff at mean low tide or higher. Black tracks are good for a typical skiff at high tide or for many rigs the upper half of a typical incoming tide, As always, running them is shallow areas assumes the boater is reasonably adept at maneuvering the boat and knows how to properly trim the engine underway for different conditions.


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

Isla Mapping,

Either you have bigger balls or your lower unit is smaller than mine (that came out different than I intended!) or my depth reading is off, or all of the above, because although my Egret will float with the motor up in 11" it will not run on plane in 11".


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## ISLA Mapping (Jan 12, 2020)

I can stand at the back of my rig and look down at the transom mount transducer while the boat is on plane. The face of the transducer sits about 1/2" below the plane of the bottom of the boat. At about 30 mph speed the hull is pretty much right at the surface of the water, the transducer is skimming and the only thing below that in the water is the lower unit. If you trim your motor way up and use the tabs a little it is possible if you inadvertently get yourself in trouble but I don't recommend it as a matter of practice. It has happened to me more times than I care to remember.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Not to de-rail… but if I suddenly got wealthy - a standard Miami built old Egret would be my dream boat for running the backcountry…


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## Gaudy (May 10, 2020)

lemaymiami said:


> Not to de-rail… but if I suddenly got wealthy - a standard Miami built old Egret would be my dream boat for running the backcountry…


I'll do a little bit of bartering with you captain, I'll hand over the helm of my older (not Miami built) Egret for some of your ENP experience and fish mojo anytime!


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

I would highly recommend the chip for 10K. Kind of like my AMEX card... don't leave home without it.


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## ISLA Mapping (Jan 12, 2020)

lemaymiami said:


> Not to de-rail… but if I suddenly got wealthy - a standard Miami built old Egret would be my dream boat for running the backcountry…


Most Miami built Egrets would now cost probably high twentys or into the 30's depending on condition and motor. A bargain vs. most any new skiff today and it would still ride better in any weather.
It would also have bone dry hatches with the more desirable original cap/deck design.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

--- just add money... the story of my life...


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