For example, on the ocean side of
Islamorada in the Florida Keys, you
can fi nd the outline of Alligator Reef
Sanctuary Preservation Area on the
Navionics chart viewer. As you zoom in,
the outline of the area becomes clear,
as do the underwater features with-
in. This is a no-take zone, but you can
catch-and-release fi sh by trolling only.
Te x t u a l D a t a
Online and mobile resources also
provide critical information about the
angling regulations within an MPA.
“On the Navionics chart viewer, if you
place the cursor over an outlined area
and tap, it will bring up an icon con-
taining a question mark,” Ruge points
out. “Tap on the icon to bring up tex-
tual data such as the name of the area,
the applicable regulations and other
information.”
The info will let you know whether
a particular MPA is off limits entirely
to fi shing. In California’s Farnsworth
Off shore State Marine Conservation
Area, which surrounds the productive
Farnsworth Bank on the backside
of Santa Catalina Island, anglers are
allowed to fi sh for pelagic species such
as California yellowtail and Pacifi c
bonito, but not for bottomfi sh such as
lingcod and rockfi sh.
These pop-up text boxes also tell you
that, within the adjacent Farnsworth
Onshore State Marine Conservation
Area, hook-and-line fi shing is prohib-
ited, with the exception of trolling for
mahi, marlin and tuna.Charting Your Way
Computers and mobile apps work
well when you have internet or cell
service. But many MPAs lie outside
such coverage areas, and this is where
a chart plotter equipped with the most
up-to-date electronic cartography
becomes indispensable.
Just as with online and mobile
chart viewers, electronic charts from
C-Map, Navionics and Garmin fea-
ture boundaries of MPAs, and other
conservation areas and sanctuaries.
Equipped with GPS, your chart plotter
portrays accurate graphic representa-
tion of your boat’s position relative to a
nearby MPA.
With the Garmin BlueChart g3
Vision charts, you can also select the
recreational fi shing mode in the menu
of a compatible Garmin model with
current software to highlight MPA
boundaries and create shading of the
area inside so these areas stand out
better on the screen.
Like the online and mobile charts,
the C-Map, Garmin and Navionics elec-
tronic cartography for chart plotters
contains textual information that, at
the tap of the touchscreen, brings up a
description of an area. Thus, if you’renot already familiar or need to brush
up on the regs, you can do so from your
chart plotter.Fishing the Edges
Electronic charts also help you catch
fi sh on the outside edges of MPAs, plac-
es where species might migrate in and
out of the area. In California’s Channel
Islands, for example, some captains
drift for rockfi sh along the edges of the
Scorpion State Marine Reserve on
the northeast corner of Santa Cruz
Island. Chart plotters and cartography
keep the anglers legal as they work the
rich bottomfi shing areas adjacent to this
no-take zone.
Along the coast of Southern
California, anglers also face depth re-
strictions when bottomfi shing. For
years, the maximum allowable depth
was 350 feet, except for Cowcod
Conservation Areas, where the max
depth was 120 feet. For the 2019-20
season, however, the state Department
of Fish and Wildlife has increased
the depths to 450 feet and 240 feet,
respectively.
But it’s not as simple as it seems.
In actuality, the margin is defi ned
by a series of coordinates connected by
straight lines. It is illegal to bottomfi sh
seaward of these lines, even if you are in
less than the maximum depth. To help
ensure they remain legal, many anglers
create waypoints for each of these
coordinates, and then connect them in a
route line that stands out from the bot-
tom contour lines.
It’s just one more way to use your
chart plotter and electronic cartography
to identify and avoid no-fi shing zones.STAY CLEAR: C-Map charts outline and
describe no-take zones such as Florida’s
Looe Key Sanctuary Preservation Area.MPA INTEL: Navionics offers graphic
and textual data about MPAs such as
California’s South La Jolla Reserve.
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