Frequently Asked Questions
About the numbers
Where do these numbers come from?
Every spot comes from the logbooks of Captain Gilbert Mathis, who fished commercially for snapper and grouper for more than 25 years from North Carolina to Florida. He logged each trip, first as Loran numbers and later as GPS waypoints, with notes on what was caught, the bottom, and the depth.
Are these public reef numbers?
No. They aren't copied from state artificial reef lists or picked off a satellite map. They're the spots one commercial captain actually fished and wrote down.
Are the numbers kept up to date?
Yes. We still fish these waters, update numbers when the bottom changes, and add new spots when we find them.
Who runs Fishin' Not Lookin' now?
I'm Mike. I run offshore charters out of the St. Augustine, Jacksonville and Fernandina area. Captain Mathis's wife, Kathy, started selling his numbers about seven years ago, and I've taken it over from her. Read the full story.
Buying and downloading
What do I get when I buy an area?
One ZIP file with 5 files inside:
- PDF to print your numbers
- JPG chart to print or keep on your phone
- KML to look the spots over in Google Earth
- GPX and userimg.bin to load into your GPS
When do I get my download?
Right after checkout. You'll get a download link on the order confirmation page and by email.
Do I get a printed book or SD card?
No. The areas used to ship as a printed book with an SD card. Now that most anglers just want the files, every area is a download, and the prices came down to match.
How do I pick the right area?
Start with the inlet you run out of. Single-stretch packs cover the water between two inlets. Longer packs cover more coastline in one download. Browse by state: Florida, Florida to Georgia / South Carolina, North Carolina, North Carolina to South Carolina.
What's the difference between offshore and nearshore packs?
Nearshore packs only include spots within 40 miles of shore, for smaller boats or days when you can't run far. Offshore packs cover the full range of each area.
Loading your waypoints
Will this work with my GPS?
The GPX file is the standard waypoint format that most chartplotters and fishing apps can import. The userimg.bin file is for units that use that format. The KML opens in Google Earth on any computer. Not sure about your unit? Send us your make and model through our contact page and we'll tell you before you buy.
How do I load the waypoints?
Unzip the file on your computer. Copy the GPX file (or userimg.bin, if your unit uses it) to your chartplotter's SD card. Put the card in your unit and import waypoints from the card in its menu.
A file won't load. What do I do?
Reach out through our contact page with your GPS make and model and the area you bought. I'll walk you through it.
Still have a question?
Use our contact page and I'll get back to you.
Tight lines,
Mike