"Wherever you like to fish—lakes, reservoirs, rivers or streams, you'll never have a fishing buddy who can spot fish as easy and as fast as a Bottom Line Fishing Buddy™."

If you are fishing primarily in lakes I recommend Bottom Line Fishing Buddy 2255 highly - it's a reasonably priced, good quality fish finder.

It's very compact - ideal if you don't have a lot of space in a canoe or float tube, or in my case, a 15-foot fiberglass boat. It weighs just five pounds so its portable if you need to carry it, and its separate bracket clamp means it can be attached to side of your boat, or to dock if you are not using a boat. It doesn't matter to Bottom Line Fishing Buddy - it just keeps finding fish.

If you want a GPS for both hiking and driving use, then a handheld unit would be way to go. Some handhelds even have accessories to allow them to be installed in an automobile. But don't rule out a PDA. More on that in a moment. For driving only, there are GPS receivers made just for vehicle use.

Handheld GPS receivers are either mapping or non--mapping. A basic, non--mapping unit can often cost less than $100 US and usually has/displays following:

• Location
• Compass heading
• Elevation above sea level
• Accurate time
• Satellite location and signal strength
• The ability to calculate distance traveled
• The ability to record your path as a set of waypoints
• The ability to navigate routes
• The ability to retrace your steps

Handheld mapping receivers do all above plus have ability to display maps. The maps are either pre--loaded or uploaded from your PC. Prices are reasonable for mapping units, starting at around $150 US.

Paper maps are strongly recommended whether you're using a mapping receiver or not. Paper maps do not require batteries and probably won't go defective. Also, a paper map gives you a "big picture" view of your situation -- something lacking on small screen of a GPS.