I-Pilot spotlock spooking shallow fish?

I'm going with an 80lb Terrova when I get my new boat and I'm between two MinnKota deckhands, or two powerpoles. Obviously there is a massive price difference but I was first looking at the poles for shallow and if I needed to anchor deep use the spotlock. I night fish quite abit and often have fish on clearwater days that I can see circling around my lights. I am just wondering if you think the TM kicking on and off to stay in a spot would bother the fish/shad schools enough to worry. If thats the case I might be better served with the deckhands. Money aside what do you guys think?

I say it dpends on how far away your lights are. I have had bass, crappie, red fish, speckled trout, cat fish, and flounder hit baits right near the boat while on spot lock. The trout, red fish, and flounder were in less than 4' of water. One thing is for sure an achor sitting on the bottom is quiter than any trolling motor.

Here's another option you have.
The BRAKE, ANCHOR BRACKET SYSTEM

Many moonshots ago when I wus in Fla, I had two 10ft wood closet poles I used as anchor poles. Had pvc bracketed to side of boat and just dropped poles thru the pvc. Used them on the same side of the boat, not front and back though. Very similar to that bracket system in operation. Man power poles of the 60's.

I know those are cheaper alternatives but I'm more concerned with deeper water applications. Say one of the channels under a bridge I fish where I would only have either deckhands or use spotlock

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wood_Duck

under a bridge I fish

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Don't count on SpotLock to work under a bridge. It depends on line-of-sight GPS signals from several satellites which may be blocked by the bridge structure.

Have to be a short bridge, I get 2 bars on the I Pilot GPS in my garage with the garage door (2 side aluminum) only 1' foot above it.

numerous comments also indicate the spot lock does not keep you "on the spot" just close to it, maybe a 20' radius per comments, not the 5' radius as advertised. I have the spot lock but don't fish your style, so I have no 1st hand experience with holding a tight spot like you indicate you need/want. Just comments I have read. check out the IPilot thread in the electronics forum.

For a short quick anchor up I use more chain than I really need it get down to bottom quick and sets with less rope,I use chain with rubber coating to keep deck noise down and let the chain and rope slide through my hands and not against rubrail.