Need some help picking trolling motor and options

Howdy Y'all,

I purchased a Tracker Pro Team 175 TF in January. It has the stock Minn Kota Edge 45lb, but I want to upgrade to something with spot lock and probably a little more pep. I mostly fish crappie with a single rod or two, around docks and brush, but like to keep my options open, sometimes bass, sometimes catfish, maybe I'll learn to troll a little. I will be buying a depth finder at some point, likely Humminbird Mega DI/SI and maybe with the networking, that could be a factor for me. I believe I've got it narrowed down to Minn Kota Ulterra, Ultrex, or Terrova, but could be open to alternatives if there is good advice. Here's where y'all come in:

Ulterra, Ultrex, or Terrova? I'd like to spend less if the high end options are less useful than they seem.

Foot pedal? I've never been without and am pretty sure I want one, right? If I understand correctly, there are now electric options and the old cable type. I've never liked moving the big bulky cable around, but don't know how reliable the electric would be. Thoughts?

iPilot GPS or iPilot Link GPS? I know the Link is good for networking to the Humminbird, but I question how much I'd actually use it in the long run. Additionally, when you bump up to Link, you are required to get some of the other options that push the price up many $100's. Comments?

Built-in transducer? Given the fact that I'll likely be buying the Mega SI and/or DI, that would be nice, but is it worth it, if I have a choice?

Thrust? I'm thinking 80lb, but that requires a 24V, so an extra battery and all that comes with that. Worth it?


Any advice and experience that you've had would be very helpful.

Tight lines,
olJD

FORGET THE PEDAL! As odd as it sounds the remote is the way to go. Here's why.1. You unclutter your front deck with foot pedal gone. 2/ These are electric driven steering motors, you will go mad waiting for the motor to turn. The cable steer is lightening fast compared to the electric.
3 You'll quickly develop an art for running the motor using the remote.
4. My pedal is in a bag and hasn't been used it 7 years. Keep as backup in case the remote dies. Mine never has.
Now I'll differ with the rest of folks I guess. The 12 volt Ipilot has 55# thrust. It has more that adequate power to run boat all day. Not worth adding 3 rd battery adding, weight and less rooom, plus different charger needed.
My 2¢.

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

FORGET THE PEDAL! As odd as it sounds the remote is the way to go. Here's why.1. You unclutter your front deck with foot pedal gone. 2/ These are electric driven steering motors, you will go mad waiting for the motor to turn. The cable steer is lightening fast compared to the electric.
3 You'll quickly develop an art for running the motor using the remote.
4. My pedal is in a bag and hasn't been used it 7 years. Keep as backup in case the remote dies. Mine never has.
Now I'll differ with the rest of folks I guess. The 12 volt Ipilot has 55# thrust. It has more that adequate power to run boat all day. Not worth adding 3 rd battery adding, weight and less rooom, plus different charger needed.
My 2¢.

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X2. Correct on all counts.

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Hard to throw out the foot pedal if you plan on bass fishing. Couldn’t imaging runnin a bank flipping with a remote. For crappie I agree with the other two responses. Lot of guys who do both have the terrova. Most bass guys want the ultrex.


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Originally Posted by SeaRay

FORGET THE PEDAL! As odd as it sounds the remote is the way to go. Here's why.1. You unclutter your front deck with foot pedal gone. 2/ These are electric driven steering motors, you will go mad waiting for the motor to turn. The cable steer is lightening fast compared to the electric.
3 You'll quickly develop an art for running the motor using the remote.
4. My pedal is in a bag and hasn't been used it 7 years. Keep as backup in case the remote dies. Mine never has.
Now I'll differ with the rest of folks I guess. The 12 volt Ipilot has 55# thrust. It has more that adequate power to run boat all day. Not worth adding 3 rd battery adding, weight and less rooom, plus different charger needed.
My 2¢.

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Thanks SeaRay. I had not considered that their would be lag with using the electric foot pedal. I definitely like the idea of cleaning up the front.

Much appreciated!


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Originally Posted by Skippinrocks

Hard to throw out the foot pedal if you plan on bass fishing. Couldn’t imaging runnin a bank flipping with a remote. For crappie I agree with the other two responses. Lot of guys who do both have the terrova. Most bass guys want the ultrex.


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I have the same concern with moving in and out of docks when crappie fishing.

Thanks for the input Skippinrocks.


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If your gona bass fish much at all you NEED the foot pedal, That said Terrova foot pedal SUCKS,, and I mean REALLY SUCKS.You will spend more time looking at motor head because you have NO feedback as to the motor direction like with a true foot pedal.Go Ultrex.I crappie 99percent of the time with a Terrova,I don't use the remote or Ipilot,I use the foot pedal,Works great for how I Crappie fish.I have considered the Ipilot and remotes many times,I may one day,may not,I have enough things to do with my hands

I have the new Garmin Force and I love it!!! It is a beast and the quietest trolling motor I have ever owned. I Crappie fish mostly but still Bass fish to and it works great for both. The wireless foot pedal is awesome you push the pedal and the motor turns with little or no delay what I don’t like is the switch on the left side of the foot still trying to get used to that. Also comes with a waterproof remote that floats. Plenty of videos on YouTube about trolling motors I would suggest watching a few before purchasing, it was what helped me decide what to buy. Depending on your budget it my or may not be for you but it is a great trolling motor in my opinion. Hope this helps.


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I have the i-pilot since 2015. So many times, i had my hands full and wished I had a foot pedal. Well, my family got me one for my birthday, and it has worked great. It actually integrates pretty seamlessly with the remote. I'm glad I have both.
TW

I think the remote shines for trolling, but fishing around docks I think you’ll like the foot pedal. Also like was said above if you plan to bass fish at all, you’ve almost got to have a foot pedal, and the Terrova foot pedal is terrible IMO. I hate it. That leaves the Ulterra and the Ultrex, and the Ultrex has the pedal. I haven’t used the Garmin Force, but have heard great things about it too, albeit from a small sample size so far. I don’t have link so can’t speak to that, but I’d probably go non link in 80 lb 24v thrust.

I have the terrova with remote but I mostly troll. for docks you might want the ultrex would be easier to get around and save your hand for pitching jigs.

They say going to big is bad. Think about spot lock, it's nice but runs full speed to the left and over corrects. Then runs full speed to the right and over corrects. The spins again, you guessed it, it over corrects.
A high thrust and a light boat will nearly throw you out of the boat when it does this.
I have a 19ftx8ft deck boat, catches wind like crazy, the 55lb moves it just fine. Spot lock is not so violent either.
I still have 4 batteries though.
Mine is a gen1 ipilot, everyone says gen2 is better though.
If you get in a pickle and need to all stop or full speed the foot pedal is great. It's also nice to have a second driver in the boat.

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Originally Posted by Baitwaster

They say going to big is bad. Think about spot lock, it's nice but runs full speed to the left and over corrects. Then runs full speed to the right and over corrects. The spins again, you guessed it, it over corrects.
A high thrust and a light boat will nearly throw you out of the boat when it does this.
I have a 19ftx8ft deck boat, catches wind like crazy, the 55lb moves it just fine. Spot lock is not so violent either.
I still have 4 batteries though.
Mine is a gen1 ipilot, everyone says gen2 is better though.
If you get in a pickle and need to all stop or full speed the foot pedal is great. It's also nice to have a second driver in the boat.

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I’m not sure about other trolling motors but I’ve never had the Garmin to run at full speed when in spot lock mode it will automatically adjust speed according to the wind and hard it is blowing...its nice and smooth.


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Originally Posted by Jet Jockey

I have the terrova with remote but I mostly troll. for docks you might want the ultrex would be easier to get around and save your hand for pitching jigs.

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This is the reason I bought the Ultrex. Although I have learned to tight-line and troll jigs and cranks off the back since my purchase, I still love the option of the old-school foot pedal. I use the remote far more than I ever thought but there are times when the pedal application is better. Smooth as butter, instant response and I don't have to look at the direction arrow to change direction.

As for the thrust, after talking to Brian at BBG marine, I went with the 80# 24v and very glad I did. Our 16.5 foot Alumacraft had a 55# when we bought it and it pulled our boat around fine. After getting the I-pilot and learning how to troll it is nice to have enough power to troll at a lesser setting to achieve the same speed. If there is any wind or current at all the extra power is a must IMO.

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Originally Posted by Baitwaster

They say going to big is bad. Think about spot lock, it's nice but runs full speed to the left and over corrects. Then runs full speed to the right and over corrects. The spins again, you guessed it, it over corrects.
A high thrust and a light boat will nearly throw you out of the boat when it does this.
I have a 19ftx8ft deck boat, catches wind like crazy, the 55lb moves it just fine. Spot lock is not so violent either.
I still have 4 batteries though.
Mine is a gen1 ipilot, everyone says gen2 is better though.
If you get in a pickle and need to all stop or full speed the foot pedal is great. It's also nice to have a second driver in the boat.

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Adjusting boat scale on link version will help that. Mine is non link and has never ran at full speed to correct. I can’t recall ever wishing that I had a less powerful trolling motor.

We have the Ulterra. The feature that you can deploy and stow the trolling motor is great. My wife loves that feature. Also, being able to record a track and then follow it from the start to finish or reverse is great. We can start a track and then set back and enjoy fishing. that is until we get hung up.

All,

Thanks for the great info. Much appreciated so far. I’m still monitoring and look forward to more experience and advice.

Thanks again,
oljd


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If money was no object I believe I’d get the garmin, but to fit your needs and best bang for your buck I think you’d be very happy with the ultrex

I've had a Terrova for about 18 months and have been very happy with it. I use the foot pedal for bank fishing in the spring, it frees up both hands for that kind of fishing. Otherwise, I use the remote. I must say it's been the best money I've spent on fishing in a long long time. It's like taking a buddy fishing but all he wants to do is drive the boat while you fish. I fish from the back of the boat, middle of the boat, front of the boat. Doesn't matter cause you can control the boat with the remote. It's such a huge game changer!

I live the eastern part of nc and fish river systems so mostly confined fishing spots so what do you guys recommend? I'm thinking that a remote would work a man to death.

Rumor has it that powerpole is supposed to come out with a new trolling motor this summer thats supposed to blow the competition out of the water. All hearsay. Details unknown. If money is no issue with buying one (im sure it wont be cheap), then hold off until ya know!

I left my boat down at Lake Norman Sunday evening. My wife just informed me I have the remote in her car. Odds are 50/50 that for whatever reason, I'll be backing the boat into the water at the ramp and realize I didn't grab the remote when I left (it usually stays in the boat). The good news is that I have the new foot control I just got for my birthday. Again, another reason I like having both the remote and the foot control (for banks, docks, or when I'm fishing a jig vertically with both hands).
TW

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Originally Posted by need2befishin

This is the reason I bought the Ultrex. Although I have learned to tight-line and troll jigs and cranks off the back since my purchase, I still love the option of the old-school foot pedal. I use the remote far more than I ever thought but there are times when the pedal application is better. Smooth as butter, instant response and I don't have to look at the direction arrow to change direction.

As for the thrust, after talking to Brian at BBG marine, I went with the 80# 24v and very glad I did. Our 16.5 foot Alumacraft had a 55# when we bought it and it pulled our boat around fine. After getting the I-pilot and learning how to troll it is nice to have enough power to troll at a lesser setting to achieve the same speed. If there is any wind or current at all the extra power is a must IMO.

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I purchased the ultrex si 2 weeks ago, haven't got to use it yet I also purchased from Brian online at BBG Marine and got a great deal the only downside is I had to install myself, the install turned out great once I got the the angle right. I used a quick release that I didn't need, I thought I would need it(my mistake) there is only 1 bolt that holds the motor to the mount anyway. If you're buying local and need it installed if you're anywhere close to Cherryville NC I don't think you can beat Jason at The Great Outdoors and he will pretty much match or beat anyone's prices on a helix mega si g3n with transducer because I checked pricing through several dealers including Ebay, you may have to haggle a little with him but hard to get a better deal. I plan on being on the water tomorrow and giving mine a try. I also went with the link I thought being able to follow contour with the helix and lake master would be very helpful trolling or staying at a certain depth. Just my two cents worth, probably not worth a penny. Y'all have a good one, Mark Q

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Originally Posted by la angler

I live the eastern part of nc and fish river systems so mostly confined fishing spots so what do you guys recommend? I'm thinking that a remote would work a man to death.

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conventional foot control is what I think you need

Once you get used to it it's so easy. You are not constantly mashing buttons. For example if I was to fish a 30 foot deep ridge that 59 feet long I hit record and zoom down to other end and hit end . Then I hit follow trail, set speed low and I'm done until I reach other end. Try that with a pedal with 15 MPH wind. If we hit a hot spot I hit anchor lock. It holds you in the spot or close if the wind is going nuts.
If the spot cools down you hit resume and continue fishing. I seldom am using the remote when actually fishing.
I had an old type cable steer for 25 years and loved it. But we would drift into a school of fish and by the time we got fish in boat , rerigged and ready we could have drifted
50-100 feet away. Good luck getting back in spot!
I was pretty effective using the old motorguide but this will do everything it would and a ton more.
I think either they are biased or not taken the time to learn how to use all the features.

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

Once you get used to it it's so easy. You are not constantly mashing buttons. For example if I was to fish a 30 foot deep ridge that 59 feet long I hit record and zoom down to other end and hit end . Then I hit follow trail, set speed low and I'm done until I reach other end. Try that with a pedal with 15 MPH wind. If we hit a hot spot I hit anchor lock. It holds you in the spot or close if the wind is going nuts.
If the spot cools down you hit resume and continue fishing. I seldom am using the remote when actually fishing.
I had an old type cable steer for 25 years and loved it. But we would drift into a school of fish and by the time we got fish in boat , rerigged and ready we could have drifted
50-100 feet away. Good luck getting back in spot!
I was pretty effective using the old motorguide but this will do everything it would and a ton more.
I think either they are biased or not taken the time to learn how to use all the features.

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Just to be clear, my Ultrex does everything you described AND allows me to go old-school and use the foot control if I want to. Best of both worlds.

Good deal. I'm not familiar with all the improvements they've made. I sure like your retrieval and deploy better than mine. Mines about 10 years old but it's been flawless but I need to put the pedal in the boat. I'm on borrowed time for the remote to fail.

I have a brand new 80lb fortrex I’m taking off my new boat if you are interested

I have a brand new 80lb fortrex I’m taking off my new boat if you are interested

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Originally Posted by Jsmile1472

I have a brand new 80lb fortrex I’m taking off my new boat if you are interested

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Thanks for the offer, but I’m really interested in something with spot lock and I-pilot. Fortrex doesn’t have that, right ?


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Howdy,

I thought it was time to update the thread with my results. Thanks to all who contributed and my apologies for this lengthy post, but was hoping that someone else would find it useful. Recall that I was looking for a trolling motor for my 2013 Bass Tracker 175 Pro Team. After too much study and some guilt swallowing, I decided to go "bigger" than I originally thought. I'm pretty happy with the results so far and have put a few keepers in the boat that I would not have without this setup. I went with:

- Minn Kota 52"/24V/80lb Ultrex with iPilot Link with Mega Down Imaging: I didn't really know how I would like it, but so far, I like it a lot. I wanted something with a foot pedal, had to have spot lock, and wanted to connect it to a fish finder. That is working GREAT! I'm glad I didn't go with 36V anything because I had a tough time just getting the batteries in for the 24V. The previous owner had 2 red tops, both cranking type, 1 for the engine and 1 for the trolling motor - not a good thing. So, I replaced 1 of the red tops with 2 29 series from Wally World. I considered stepping up 1 more size, but am very glad I did not do that or I could not have fit them in my compartment, without some major rework.
The previous owner had already installed a Humminbird 7" Mega Down Imaging unit at the bow. I decided to avoid the Mega Side Imaging for the trolling motor, because the transducer on the motor is so big. I thought if I ever had trouble with the MDI, I could fit an external transducer on there without issue. The one thing I would likely do different is drop back to the 45" shaft. I read all the comments about the different situations that 52" would be handy, but ultimately, in my opinion, it is too long for my boat. I have to push it all the way down when loading on the trailer or it clips my guide pipes on the trailer. If I leave it all the way down, it is more than 20" below the water surface. My opinion is that for 95% of my fishing 45" would have been perfect. Spot lock works very well so far, better than I was expecting, but my bar wasn't set too high considering the stories I heard about the 1st gen models. The motor guidance system is a little louder than I expected, but I couldn't justify jumping up big time to the new ones that are out that are apparently much quieter. It's not bad. I use the remote alot more than I thought I would. Very convenient to allow me to go anywhere on the boat and still have control over the motor. Additionally, it is very useful to easily use the features of the motor.

- Humminbird 10" Mega Side Imaging: The bottom line is that bigger is better in my opinion, absolutely no doubt! I couldn't justify going any higher in $$$ to go bigger than 10" though. I love the networking between the Ultrex, the 7" at the bow, and the 10" at the seat. I live about 1 hour from High Rock, Lake Norman, and Randleman, so when I go, I want to make the most of the trip. The Mega Side Imaging allows me to do a wide sweep, mark "stuff" then come back later to that exact spot with the trolling motor - Go to Marker, Go to Spot Lock, or several other options. This is AWESOME! I'm still learning to identify objects on the side imaging and hope to get to the point I can actually see fish under docks and such. Time will tell.

One small warning: The cables, adapters, and switch for networking the units together are extremely pricey for what they are. Humminbird is definitely ripping people off on the accessories, but I knew that going in, because I had done the homework.

I ended up with ~$4500 invested for everything (Ultrex, 10", 2 batteries, cables, adapters, switch), plus a few evenings of sweat equity, taking my time during COVID lock down. I shopped for deals, got some price matching, and did the full install myself.

Hope this helps. Thanks again for the advice. If you see me out there - holla!

olJD


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