Thread: Best TM With Anchor Option

I'm not offended. I just find it humorous that someone is so stuck on the product that he likes that he thinks that's the product everyone should have and is the only good choice. There are many ways to crappie fish and not everyone does it the same. I've used both brands of trolling motors for many, many years. i have had good and bad experiences with each brand. I agree that $2000 is a lot to spend on anything but that's almost $750 more than my Xi5 cost me after shopping around. And, btw....this thread is called "Best TM with Anchor Option."

Originally Posted by IkenI

I'm not offended. I just find it humorous that someone is so stuck on the product that he likes that he thinks that's the product everyone should have and is the only good choice. There are many ways to crappie fish and not everyone does it the same. I've used both brands of trolling motors for many, many years. i have had good and bad experiences with each brand. I agree that $2000 is a lot to spend on anything but that's almost $750 more than my Xi5 cost me after shopping around. And, btw....this thread is called "Best TM with Anchor Option."

I dont get that opinion from any other post here. Everyone else stated why they thought which trolling motor was the best for anchoring and then highlighted on other aspects of the TM and your the only one that seems unhappy with the replies. Ive read the MG best feature is the anchoring and I think most everyone here agreed with that, but thinks it lacks alot in other areas compared to MK

Originally Posted by clfarms1

I dont get that opinion from any other post here. Everyone else stated why they thought which trolling motor was the best for anchoring and then highlighted on other aspects of the TM and your the only one that seems unhappy with the replies. Ive read the MG best feature is the anchoring and I think most everyone here agreed with that, but thinks it lacks alot in other areas compared to MK

I get that opinion, and concur with Iken1. Crappielimits really likes MK's, his reasoning is subjective. I have owned multiple MK's and now 2 MG's in a row. The anchor lock works very well on the Xi5, the battery life seems very good, the heading lock works well, and it goes to the waypoints with the Pinpoint function; all that it is supposed to do. Does it lack a lot compared to a MK, it is all subjective, but I doubt it.

it's like, I have a Chevy Equinox, but I drive Fords all the time both good products, but I'll keep my Equinox thank you.

I fish Pickwick a lot...which is just down the river from Kentucky Lake and pretty similar in terms of offering big expanses of wind-swept water. I've had an 80 lb thrust terrova with iPilot on my bow for the past three years and I absolutely love it.

I upgraded to that model because on those big, open, windy waters like you're talking about, my old 45 lb thrust motor wasn't cutting it. Too many times it was overpowered by the wind and my fishing trips turned into exercises in boat control rather than fishing.

The iPilot fixed that problem immediately. It has plenty of power for a boat my size and it has a very good set of features to that augment my fishing style. Sometimes I'm bass fishing and want to stay on one spot to cast at a particular rock. I hit the spot lock and it keeps me there. If I catch a fish I no longer get blown off the spot while I'm fighting him, then find myself wondering which rock I was casting to when he hit me...the spot lock keeps me right there.

Other times I'm spider rigging and want to go one particular direction at a particular speed. I can dial in my speed and hit the auto-pilot and it does the rest. If it's a heavy wind the speed and course can be tough to hold but that's no different from any other trolling motor. When the wind is 5 to 10 MPH and gusting to 15 or 20 you're not going to keep a steady speed with any trolling motor on the planet...nor will any of them be able to keep you exactly on a spot in those conditions.

I haven't priced any models recently, but I can tell you that as a hard core user of the features on the terrova, it's a very robust and versatile machine. I can't imagine you won't be able to use it's features to augment whatever you're doing on the water.

Another really nice benefit of the spot lock is that when I'm out in the middle of the lake fishing structure and the wind is blowing and rollers and pushing down the lake, and the current is whipping through from the dam...I can use the spot lock to hold me in place while I walk to the back of the boat and re-tie. I don't have to fool with a foot pedal, or drop an anchor...I just hit the button and it holds me in the area (it won't hold you right on a small spot under those conditions...it has a 'range' of maybe five yards it tries to keep you in). I just sit in the back of the boat, take my sweet time to make sure it's all done right...then get back to fishing.

Still other times, based on the way the wind is blowing the boat, it may be better to fish from the back of the boat. Here again all I have to do is hit spot lock, then walk to the back. If i decide to change position a little I can just use the remote and do it from the rear...I don't have to walk up front and mess with the pedal.

when I'm fishing with the kids I'll have them on the front deck and use the remote from somewhere else to give them room. I'll just sit at the console and run the trolling motor from there.

Another option you have is to "double anchor" by using a regular anchor on one end and your iPilot spot-lock on the other. i always have a regular anchor on board anyway, and this allows me to get even more precision...but only having to fool with pulling up one anchor. You can simply drop one, then use the iPilot to pull you into place and hold you there.

It's an incredibly powerful and versatile piece of gear. I won't ever own another fishing boat without these types of features in a trolling motor.

Again, I'm not up to date on brands and prices, all I can tell you is that for the past three years I've run my Terrova hard on lakes like you're talking about and it's performed perfectly.