Why I stopped relying on GPS depth sounders for night dredging

Used to trust my GPS depth sounder blindly in the York River, especially after dark. Two falls ago, it told me I was in 14 feet of water when I was actually sitting in 9, and I chewed up the bottom hard, tore a cable and lost half a shift. Now I cross-check with an old manual lead line every couple of hours, especially when the tide's shifting. It's slower, but I've avoided two grounding fees that would've cost way more than the time. Any of you guys still trust the electronics fully, or do you keep a backup method too?

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sarah_hart29d ago

My lead line's probably older than my GPS, but at least it never lies about my depth perception.