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Author Topic: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors  (Read 7686 times)

mcully

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #15 on: Mar 25, 2020, 08:17 AM »
My partner has the auto deploy 60" on a 21 starcraft and yes we have had a few instances where it didn't deploy or lift. If not deploying make sure everything is clear around it and pull on it. Seems to work most of the time we had an issue. Not lifting again make sure nothing is around it and check for weeds or anything else near the head. We fished three times in the past two weeks with no issues and spot lock is awesome. Anchoring front and back is still more stable on a calm day or  w light variable wind  but I'll take a little swing over anchor hauling any day.

I just ordered the salt series terova Ipilot with 72" and just lift assist after getting very frustrated with is a few times and went w the HB helix with DI figuring I like to fish deep most of the time. Putting it on a Key West 211DC

if they had a lift override option I would have gone with the auto.

Jethro

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #16 on: Mar 25, 2020, 08:24 AM »

Keep us (me  ;)) posted on this please Geoff.
I'm also considering the Ultera for my 21' Trophy, but because of the deploy/store issues they have I may decide to stick with the Terova like I had on my Lund.
I have searched the internet hard over the past month or so trying to find info on Minn Kota having fixed the problem but I cannot find anything concrete.
You like to think that they have corrected or strengthened whatever was causing the issues.
And nobody rarely complains or documents success on something.
You only hear about things like this when people have trouble.
I even tried reaching out to Minn Kota tech support but they really didn't tell me anything.

Good luck and keep us updated.
Mac

Yeah, exactly, my only point of actual reference is a guide I talked to in Maine and he said he has used his Ulterra for 2 years without any issues. He's primarily a striper fly fish guide off the coast of Maine and says it's one of the best things he's ever done. Also my local dealer/marina is a big Lund and Minn Kota dealer and they say they haven't had any issues and have sold quite a few of them. The only caveat there is they aren't a certified Minn Kota repair shop, so anything that would happen out of warranty wouldn't go through them.

I'm rolling the dice, and it's a big roll, but the only options for me were a Terrova or an Ulterra for me, and I had a hard time not spending the extra $500 based on a few negative reviews online. I have to imagine there are more happy owners than unhappy, but maybe I'm kidding myself.

if they had a lift override option I would have gone with the auto.

I know, why don't they just make that part of the system? Save a lot of worry.

fish/hunt4ever

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #17 on: Mar 25, 2020, 10:15 AM »
I bought the ipilot model and love the spot lock. Have not put it to my helix 7 yet to use other functionality but one day after I get some of the lake mapped and want the follow the contour I will link them together already have the cable and all just to lazy to get it all hooked up. But have hooked my other hummingbird color fish finder to it and it works good for that.

Mac Attack

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #18 on: Mar 25, 2020, 12:24 PM »
I'll need the 72" shaft for my Trophy for sure.

Thanks for the info Geoff.
Keep me posted on how it works out for you.
I might need to wait until next year to add mine.
I have way too much other stuff ($$$) to add this summer before I can pony up the cash for the ipilot.
But I will definitely be adding either an Ultera or a Terova.

mcully

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #19 on: Mar 25, 2020, 01:09 PM »
The other thing I don't like is not being able to turn the trolling motor on from the fob. You have to go up to it and hit the button. Only once for the day but still my 2011 riptide could be turned on with the fob.

Jethro

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #20 on: Mar 25, 2020, 02:56 PM »
Going to pick it up from work in about 15 minutes. Gonna be an expensive afternoon.

Mac, I believe they just came out with a Riptide Terrova in a 87" or something huge like that. Perfect for big, deep glass boats.

60" will be fine on my Sylvan. I currently have a 54" original PowerDrive on there that I hardly used.

Mac Attack

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #21 on: Mar 25, 2020, 03:26 PM »
Yea, I've seen videos of the 87"
That's insane!!!

72" should work on mine but I'll certainly be measuring before buying.

Mac Attack

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #22 on: Mar 25, 2020, 11:18 PM »
For your viewing pleasure -











Mac Attack

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #23 on: Mar 25, 2020, 11:18 PM »
87" long is sick.

Doubles Shooter

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #24 on: Mar 26, 2020, 05:39 AM »
I could pull a water skier with that on my boat ;D.

Jethro

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #25 on: Mar 26, 2020, 07:30 AM »
Got the motor itself mounted up last night. Not like that was hard, I already had the quick release plate on the boat so just swapped the plate. This weekend I will install the batteries and wiring. I need to order my on board battery charger today. This thing is huge, a lot bigger than my previous 12v Powerdrive. I think with the batteries and motor difference I am adding at least 250lbs to my boat.

mcully

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #26 on: Mar 26, 2020, 08:30 AM »
Great videos. Last week in a stiff north wind on finger lake we spot locked for half a day perch fishing and I could see a log under the boat the entire time we were locked on my buddy's boat.
I've complained about anchors for years to my wife and it's only costing me about 50K but I hope to never pull an anchor again any time soon. I'll be able to effectively target the lakers in 1-200' feet of water with light line too and perch beware. SOOO NICE to pull up on a spot and just hit a button. We killed Oneida walleyes last summer on several occasions when we were drifting and saw a wad of fish and just hit the brakes and dropped on them.

Mac Attack

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #27 on: Mar 26, 2020, 08:48 AM »
Great videos. Last week in a stiff north wind on finger lake we spot locked for half a day perch fishing and I could see a log under the boat the entire time we were locked on my buddy's boat.
I've complained about anchors for years to my wife and it's only costing me about 50K but I hope to never pull an anchor again any time soon. I'll be able to effectively target the lakers in 1-200' feet of water with light line too and perch beware. SOOO NICE to pull up on a spot and just hit a button. We killed Oneida walleyes last summer on several occasions when we were drifting and saw a wad of fish and just hit the brakes and dropped on them.

We fish for perch occasionally out in Lake Erie.
Typically in water depths between 60-80 FOW.
I hear what your selling on hauling an anchor up!!!
With an anchor chain it is recommended by the USCG a rode length ratio of 5:1
(I always use a chain BTW - but that's another topic)
Anyway, at 80 FOW, that works out to 400' of rode out.   :o
Yea, we never use that much, but you get the point.

But here is something else to consider.

Let's do say I put out 200' of rode.
That is the hypotenuse with the 80' being the vertical leg of a 90 degree triangle.
That works out to a circle radius of 183'
Double that for a circle diameter of 366 feet.
So your wandering around a circle of 366' - that's your accuracy.
More than the length of a football field.
I cannot find what the circle size it with Spot Lock, but like you said, it's stupid small.

366' is plenty to be drifting off the school of fish.

And of course hauling an anchor every time you want to change spots because the school of perch moved 50' off to your left...……..

I considered other autopilots for my new Trophy.
But they are all over $3500 and won't give me Spot Lock for perch fishing.
When I retire and move to Florida my pontoon boat down there will have a Minn Kota Terova with ipilot on it also.

Mac Attack

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #28 on: Mar 26, 2020, 08:52 AM »
Got the motor itself mounted up last night. Not like that was hard, I already had the quick release plate on the boat so just swapped the plate. This weekend I will install the batteries and wiring. I need to order my on board battery charger today. This thing is huge, a lot bigger than my previous 12v Powerdrive. I think with the batteries and motor difference I am adding at least 250lbs to my boat.

Get a good on board Geoff.
Minn Kota units are very reliable.

Also consider amperage.
My old 3-bank only had 6 amps per bank.
OK for overnight charging, unless I drained the batteries then I needed more time.
Meaning fishing both Saturday AND Sunday often was compromised.
And forget going back out Saturday night after dinner for the night bite.
And when I took the boat to Canada, and REALLY used the Minn Kota, I grabbed a recharge each time we went back to the dock.
So being there for only 2 hrs to grab lunch or dinner didn't give too much of a recharge before heading back out.
The cost to get the best charger is peanuts when we compare it to what we spend on our boats.

fish/hunt4ever

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Re: New Lowrance and Garmin trolling motors
« Reply #29 on: Mar 26, 2020, 04:17 PM »
Spot lock is supposed to keep you with in 10 feet of the spot and from what I have seen with mine it does that until it gets to turn so far that it binds and shuts the spot lock off but this only happens on calm days when the kids are swimming and pushing the boat around.

 



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