What will the next improvements for Trolling Motors be?

[BassNJake]

I saw that power pole has released the Vision which is some sort of touch screen tablet for a lot of various electric controls.

 

This all-in-one touch-screen tablet allows multiple boat accessories to be connected and controlled by one smart device. VISION is the marine industry's new Digital Dash. Anything on the boat that has ON/OFF capability can now be expanded and custom controlled with dimmers, presets and timers.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/story/1499891160790jr51xzks

 

It's not that far of a stretch to think that voice control would be able to be integrated into this type of device.

 

Getting the trolling motor companies to allow another companies device to run their controls is where the issue would be.

 

I could see the boat companies coming out with some sort of hybrid computer control system and incorporating WIFI capabilities like the newer cars/trucks

 

[12poundbass]

11 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

I saw that power pole has released the Vision which is some sort of touch screen tablet for a lot of various electric controls.

 

This all-in-one touch-screen tablet allows multiple boat accessories to be connected and controlled by one smart device. VISION is the marine industry's new Digital Dash. Anything on the boat that has ON/OFF capability can now be expanded and custom controlled with dimmers, presets and timers.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/story/1499891160790jr51xzks

 

It's not that far of a stretch to think that voice control would be able to be integrated into this type of device.

 

Getting the trolling motor companies to allow another companies device to run their controls is where the issue would be.

 

I could see the boat companies coming out with some sort of hybrid computer control system and incorporating WIFI capabilities like the newer cars/trucks

 

I do too and then the boat prices will be even further from my reach. A moderately rigged bass boat will set you back 50k easily, that's being generous. If these new things became standard boats we be like vehicles now, nobody can work on them unless you have 4 engineering degrees.

[Russ E]

I have owned the new Minn Kota Ultrex for 6 months now.

sits on a fortrex mount, runs like cable steer and has all of the advanced functions like spotlock and auto pilot.

I will never go back to a straight cable steer.

it was expensive, between $2100.00 and $2500.00. depending on what options you want.

I debated between the fortrex and power poles or just buying the Ultrex.

glad I chose the ultrex it works great.

I like being able to control it with a normal foot control, but being able to drive from anywhere in the boat with the remote. You can go back and forth between the two instantaneously.

 

 

 

[tcbass]

47 minutes ago, Weedwhacker said:

I have owned the new Minn Kota Ultrex for 6 months now.

sits on a fortrex mount, runs like cable steer and has all of the advanced functions like spotlock and auto pilot.

I will never go back to a straight cable steer.

it was expensive, between $2100.00 and $2500.00. depending on what options you want.

I debated between the fortrex and power poles or just buying the Ultrex.

glad I chose the ultrex it works great.

I like being able to control it with a normal foot control, but being able to drive from anywhere in the boat with the remote. You can go back and forth between the two instantaneously.

 

 

 

 

 

I do use my remote when stowing/deploying from the driver seat. 

 

And I can steer the boat when I have people fishing up front so that's nice too. 

[gim]

If the Ultrex had been introduced one year earlier I would have gotten that too instead of a maxxum/talon combination.  Not sure if ya'll saw this, but there's a new talon that's 15 feet deep.  It also has a light mounted to it.

 

https://www.minnkotamotors.com/NewTalon/

[tcbass]

14 minutes ago, gimruis said:

If the Ultrex had been introduced one year earlier I would have gotten that too instead of a maxxum/talon combination.  Not sure if ya'll saw this, but there's a new talon that's 15 feet deep.  It also has a light mounted to it.

 

https://www.minnkotamotors.com/NewTalon/

 

 

If I get a new boat I'll go with Talons and the Ulterra. I love my Ulterra but I fish docks a lot and the wind still moves you around some, a good way to crash into a dock. 

[slonezp]

8 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

I do too and then the boat prices will be even further from my reach. A moderately rigged bass boat will set you back 50k easily, that's being generous. If these new things became standard boats we be like vehicles now, nobody can work on them unless you have 4 engineering degrees.

[12poundbass]

10 hours ago, slonezp said:

Somebody else posted something similar a couple months back. That's crazy! I was talking to the service manager at the Tracker dealer I went to a month or 2 ago and he had a boat he had just got done installing 30k worth of electronics in. Unbelievable.

[Quarry Man]

Trolling motors that read your mind

 

trolling motors that work with the fish finders and take you to the fish

 

Motors that last longer go faster and are less frustrating to use

 

trolling motors that cost more

[Preytorien]

I just wish there was more than ONE option for a foot controlled transom-mount trolling motor. As far as my Google skills go I've only found one, the MotorGuide Bulldog. There's a product called ProControll Foot Controll Adapter, but it's gotten mixed reviews. Seems like there would be a good market for something like that. 

[Lures'n'Liberty]

Surprised that no one has said this yet and it might not be the next thing but I'm sure it's coming, I forsee a Hybrid outboard in the not too distant future that would use both gasoline and electric stepper motors in some kind of scheme to save the planet. Having an electric motor as a part of the outboard would give you the ability to troll with the outboard as well, then the next thing you know your outboard will have a pedal drive, a remote control, and all of the other bells and whistles that you can get on a trolling motor. That $98,995 boat listed above will probably be a cool $148,995 with the eco friendly my package isn't big enough package.

[J Francho]

Torqeedo has lithium powered outboards that have the equivalent thrust as a 150 hp in development.  It's coming for sure.  I think they will step over the complicated hybrid technology, though.  On a side note, my girlfriend works at lithium battery manufacturer.  They do cell phones, cars, and other stuff.  Pretty wild technology.

 

http://www.torqeedo.com/us/en-us/products/outboards/deep-blue

[tcbass]

4 hours ago, Lures'n'Liberty said:

Surprised that no one has said this yet and it might not be the next thing but I'm sure it's coming, I forsee a Hybrid outboard in the not too distant future that would use both gasoline and electric stepper motors in some kind of scheme to save the planet. Having an electric motor as a part of the outboard would give you the ability to troll with the outboard as well, then the next thing you know your outboard will have a pedal drive, a remote control, and all of the other bells and whistles that you can get on a trolling motor. That $98,995 boat listed above will probably be a cool $148,995 with the eco friendly my package isn't big enough package.

 

Does seem like a hybrid outboard would be on the way. Cars are already doing it. 

 

This is fine for deep water like Lake Superior but I believe a lot of people like bass fisherman who fish docks or shallow water would not want their big motor in the water. 

 

Whenever I fish shallow I put my big motor almost all the way out of the water because one time I was trolling around and the wind blew the big motor into a rock and scraped it up.

[scaleface]

Jet propulsion .

[J Francho]

18 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Jet propulsion .

 

I like that idea - weedless!

[Tim Kelly]

I'd be happy if they just got teleport working. It would save me a fortune in air fares and make fishing trips more frequent!

[tcbass]

2 hours ago, Tim Kelly said:

I'd be happy if they just got teleport working. It would save me a fortune in air fares and make fishing trips more frequent!

 

 

And divorces more frequent!!!!

[OCdockskipper]

I have a couple of ideas that aren't trolling motor related, but dovetail into what the future may hold according to my brain.

 

How about a "heads up" display that projects the depth finder screen to somewhere in front of the boat?   No need to keep looking down.

 

After that, how about a 360 degree projection around the boat 30 feet out that gives you a view of the bottom?  All structure is visible.