Least expensive option for spot lock

[Ogandrews]

So I just bought a new boat today and it has a tiller 12v trolling motor on it right now. The boat is a 16.5ft sylvan deep V with a 45 horse Honda 4 stroke. The boat is quite a deep V which I was looking for as I fish the Mississippi River and big water like lake pepin/vermilion/rainy/lotw. I haven’t had it out yet but I am going to put some sort of 24v bow mount motor and I would really like it to have spotlock. I don’t think I would want to keep it 12v although I know it would be cheaper. Looking online it looks like my two cheapest options would be a motorguide xi3 pinpoint or a minkota power drive with the spotlock upgrade, both were around 80lbs thrust. I know in general motorguide doesn’t have as good of a rep but I have driven friends boats with them and I was pleased. If anyone has info on these models or they have a better recommendation I’d appreciate any info

[HenryPF]

Only speaking of the Minn Kota - power drive or terrova. Note - the pricing you see on the Minn Kota site is pretty much the MAP pricing that advertisers can publish on their websites. If you don't need the foot control, it can save you around $200. They both come with the hand remote control.

 

For instance: Terrova 80/US2 Trolling Motor w/i-Pilot & Bluetooth - 24V-80lb-60" - 1358894- $1650 or so.

[Ogandrews]

Just now, HenryPF said:

Only speaking of the Minn Kota - power drive or terrova. Note - the pricing you see on the Minn Kota site is pretty much the MAP pricing that advertisers can publish on their websites. If you don't need the foot control, it can save you around $200. They both come with the hand remote control.

 

For instance: Terrova 80/US2 Trolling Motor w/i-Pilot & Bluetooth - 24V-80lb-60" - 1358894- $1650 or so.

Found a 80lbs powerdrive ipilot at my local fleet farm for 1199 today, going to come back and get it this week. Do the motors themselves not come with a foot control? Unless I’m walleye fishing and sitting down I hate using a remote because I have to take my hands off my rod

[Allen Der]

11 hours ago, Ogandrews said:

Found a 80lbs powerdrive ipilot at my local fleet farm for 1199 today, going to come back and get it this week. Do the motors themselves not come with a foot control? Unless I’m walleye fishing and sitting down I hate using a remote because I have to take my hands off my rod

power drive can only use one or the other.  the terrova, ulterra and ultrex have remote and pedal.  The terrova is worth the upgrade over a power drive, the stow and deploy is much better and you get the pedal.  get the longest shaft available 54" or longer.  

[Scott F]

If there is any way you could afford the extra money, get the Terrova. You’ll soon forget how much you paid, but for the next several years, you’ll be happy you did it. 

[Ogandrews]

I’ll keep an eye out for a terrova, wish that one was in sale but I think it’s only the powerdrive right now. I have heard a decent amount I’d not so positive reviews of the power drive

[slonezp]

There is nothing wrong with the Powerdrive motor. The issue is in the foot pedal. The Powerdrive with the ipilot does not come with a foot pedal. Therefore, you should have no problems.

[Allen Der]

6 hours ago, slonezp said:

There is nothing wrong with the Powerdrive motor. The issue is in the foot pedal. The Powerdrive with the ipilot does not come with a foot pedal. Therefore, you should have no problems.

have you owned a PD?  the stow and deploy is awful compared to the terrova.  but you're right the motor is fine

[riverbasser]

Power drive owner here. Agree with above foot pedals suck. The original I actually liked but they were prone to failure with dirt/rain intrusion. I now have to new style pedal and I hate it. Am really considering going ultrex but might go terrova to avoid having to cut my deck. I cant go back to the old captain Morgan stance. Terrova pedal looks way more user friendly with the foot pad config.

 

The pedal is annoying enough that I refuse to spend the $300 on the spot lock upgrade even though i desperately want it. I will soon be kicking the bucket and upgrading complete unit.

[slonezp]

56 minutes ago, Allen Der said:

have you owned a PD?  the stow and deploy is awful compared to the terrova.  but you're right the motor is fine

Yes, I owned an original Powerdrive and a Powerdrive 2 with Ipilot and I'm on my second Terrova. Speaking strictly money, and being the least expensive, the PD2 is a great motor for the money. I would not own one with a foot pedal.

[Ogandrews]

I have been using foot pedals for a long time now and it’s like second nature running a motor with one so I would really not like to switch to a remote. Really don’t like having to take a hand off my rod to control it because half the time I’m making adjustments in the middle of a cast. What is it about the power drive peddle that is so bad? Whichever unit I go with I will be getting spot lock, wouldn’t want to have a boat without it. Auto pilot is nice when I’m fishing expansive bays and following weed edges while musky fishing but I don’t use it nearly as much. Taking into effect that the power drive Ipilot is $300 off and me needing a foot peddle to fish comfortably, would you guys still recommend going with the terrova? Usually in situations like this i like to get quality stuff that I won’t have to upgrade, but I’m an apprentice plumber I don’t have an endless supply of money. For the last couple seasons I have spent a huge amount of time running my dads ranger with an ulterra so whatever I get is going to feel like a step down. I’m not super concerned with how it stows and deploys, I know it is a comfort thing but I can deal with it being a little worse.

These might be stupid questions but looking at the power drive Ipilot online is there any way you can attach a peddle to it or can you only use it with the remote?

[slonezp]

First off, a mechanical steer trolling motor foot pedal operates different than an electric steer trolling motor. The Terrova pedal works more like a mechanical pedal, but it is still completely different. When you push your foot forward or back on a mechanical pedal you are physically turning the motor. With an electric steer, you are merely pushing buttons. If you currently have a recessed tray for a mechanical pedal, the pedals for both the PD and Terrova will not fit in the tray.

 

Im pretty sure there is a YouTube video that has instructions on how to connect and use the pedal and remote on a PD but that will require you to purchase a foot pedal since the PD Ipilot does not come with a pedal. It will also void your warranty. 

 

Since you are familiar with the Ulterra, the Terrova will be the most similar 

[gim]

My Father has had an original Power Drive (24 volt) on his 17.5 foot Crestliner Fish Hawk since he bought the boat in 2001.  As slonezp has already mentioned, its not the motor itself, its the pedal.  The contact points are notorious for wearing out after a few years and you will be required to purchase a new one which can range from 75-100 bucks last I checked.

 

If you want something with the control of a cable drive and the features of an electric steer, go with the Ultrex.  The pedal on the Ultrex operates like a traditional cable steer but it will sit up pretty high on a deck unless you are able to recess it, however.

 

I would also be hesitant to take a 16.5 foot aluminum boat on large bodies of water like Rainy, Vermillion, or LOTW in certain conditions.  Just my 2 cents

[Dogface]

Go to here and put your numbers in. You may not need an 80 lb thrust motor.

 

 

 https://www.minnkotamotors.com/learn/buying-guide/trolling-motors

[WRB]

Just trying to get my head around this topic.

The OP has a deep V 16.5' aluminum boat with 45 hp OB. 

My question is how is the front fishing /TM operating platform configured? 

Do you have a front pedistal seat and room to stand?

Tom

[Ogandrews]

7 hours ago, WRB said:

Just trying to get my head around this topic.

The OP has a deep V 16.5' aluminum boat with 45 hp OB. 

My question is how is the front fishing /TM operating platform configured? 

Do you have a front pedistal seat and room to stand?

Tom

Not really sure how to explain it but it has a platform level to the rim of the boat that has plenty of room to mount a trolling motor on the front tip of the boat, and then has a moderate sized casting deck about a 8”-12” lower than that platform. I took the pedestal seat off of the casting deck to make more room because I rarely sit down in the front. There is plenty of room for me to fish out of the front as well as having a bow mount hooked up as the previous owner had some sort of bow mount motorguide hooked onto it before. Already is all wired to have one mounted in the bow.

 

11 hours ago, gimruis said:

I would also be hesitant to take a 16.5 foot aluminum boat on large bodies of water like Rainy, Vermillion, or LOTW in certain conditions.  Just my 2 cents

I grew up fishing vermilion in a 14ft johnboat that my dad got my brother and I so I’m not too worried about my boat. Thinking back on it that probably wasn’t the safest thing in the world but it definitely taught me to be cautious of weather. Obviously I’m not going to take it out in storms or serious wind, but it is a very deep V and the previous owner fished exclusively on pepin with it which has some of the worst waves in the entire state. If I take it to either rainy or LOTW I won’t be going out in main basins I’ll just stick to smaller bays and creeks. I wish I could afford an ultrex, if I could I wouldn’t be considering anything else.

 

8 hours ago, Dogface said:

Go to here and put your numbers in. You may not need an 80 lb thrust motor.

 

 

 https://www.minnkotamotors.com/learn/buying-guide/trolling-motors

By their standards my boat probably doesn’t need a 80lbs but I would way rather have more power than I need than not have enough. Majority of my fishing will be on the Mississippi River which has super strong currents that would drain a 12v really quick trying to keep up with them.

[WRB]

The stability of a V bow boat isn't anywhere near as stabile as bass boat that has wider longer plateform to stand on and the pedestal seat to lean on for support in unexpected boat wakes waves. 

I can comprehend how the TM is mounted and a foot pedal, just having a problem operating the TM standing in the bow without enough space to have a pedestal post/seat.

Good luck,

Tom

[gim]

1 hour ago, Ogandrews said:

I wish I could afford an ultrex, if I could I wouldn’t be considering anything else.

if there is a fleet farm near you they are having a sale on minn kota power drive models this week. Both 12 and 24 volt systems in various shaft lengths and thrust pounds. 

[Ogandrews]

18 minutes ago, WRB said:

The stability of a V bow boat isn't anywhere near as stabile as bass boat that has wider longer plateform to stand on and the pedestal seat to lean on for support in unexpected boat wakes waves. 

I can comprehend how the TM is mounted and a foot pedal, just having a problem operating the TM standing in the bow without enough space to have a pedestal post/seat.

Good luck,

Tom

There is plenty of room for a seat I just prefer not to use one, I fish pike and musky more than bass and can’t imagine trying to figure 8 baits while sitting down. I like having as much room as I can, which is a big part of the reason I went with a tiller instead of a console. If I take it out to walleye fish I’ll probably throw the seat back in the bow. I’m not going to pretend it’s more stable than a true fiberglass bass boat, but I can guarantee it will handle bigger waves a lot better than if I had gone with the 16.5 ft tracker classic XL I was looking at. A big fiberglass bass boat is great in big water but a boat with a deeper hull like a ranger g22 or a skeeter wx2200 you see pro musky and walleye guys in is better for true big water like we have here in the north. Not that my boat is anything in comparison to those but i feel a lot more comfortable in bigger waves in something with a deeper hull.

15 minutes ago, gimruis said:

if there is a fleet farm near you they are having a sale on minn kota power drive models this week. Both 12 and 24 volt systems in various shaft lengths and thrust pounds. 

I started this thread right after I got out of my local fleet farm when I saw that sale, I talked about it in an earlier post the 80lbs ipilot powerdrive is on a great sale.

[WRB]

It's about understanding CG above the waterline, the higher you are the less stable you will be. The pedestal bicycle seat is used to lean on not sit on. All I can do is make suggestions.

Tom

[Ogandrews]

20 minutes ago, WRB said:

It's about understanding CG above the waterline, the higher you are the less stable you will be. The pedestal bicycle seat is used to lead on not sit on. All I can do is make suggestions.

Tom

Yea I kinda misunderstood you when I originally read what you said. I get what your talking about, I guess growing up here I’ve been in deeper hull boats my whole life so that’s what I’m more comfortable with

[slonezp]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

It's about understanding CG above the waterline, the higher you are the less stable you will be. The pedestal bicycle seat is used to lean on not sit on. All I can do is make suggestions.

Tom

Tom, you make some valid points. Stability has a lot to do with hull design and the width and shape of the hull below the water line. Sylvan made both fiberglass and aluminum hulls and I don't believe we know what this one is. I'm going to guess it's an aluminum because it's a tiller. A 16ft tiller could have 10ft of deck and plenty of room for a pedal. A 16ft single or dual console barely has enough room for 1 person to fish off the bow. I'm not familiar with Sylvans hull designs and they no longer make fishing or pleasure boats, only pontoons. (I had a neighbor 2 blocks north of me that had a Sylvan that never moved from his driveway for over 10 years. Had a tree growing inside of it)

I owned a 17 ft fiberglass boat that, if somebody sneezed, the other guy would end up in the water. My 20ft Lund could have Ike break dancing on the deck and it would barely make a ripple in the water. Just because a hull is a V hull doesn't mean it's less stable.

On top of it, he's fishing glacial lakes of MN Rocks and fiberglass don't mix

[WRB]

My response is based on the limited information available. All anyone can do is make assumptions based on what is known, 16.5' deep V boat. Deep V  boat doesn't seem like it's a low waterline model when the OP is asking about 60" TM shaft lengths.

Lets assume it's aluminum and the deck is about 5' long and 4" wide triangle shape. In that space the angler needs to add a trolling motor with bracket and he wants a foot control that needs to be somewhere behind the TM bracket. The space for the angler is reduced to about a 3' long X 4" wide tapering to 3' wide area to operate the TM that is 3' above the water surface. Add waves and the angler ends up overboard if standing on a raised deck. 

This is why I made the statement it's hard to get my mind around.

Tom

[Ogandrews]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

My response is based on the limited information available. All anyone can do is make assumptions based on what is known, 16.5' deep V boat. Deep V  boat doesn't seem like it's a low waterline model when the OP is asking about 60" TM shaft lengths.

Lets assume it's aluminum and the deck is about 5' long and 4" wide triangle shape. In that space the angler needs to add a trolling motor with bracket and he wants a foot control that needs to be somewhere behind the TM bracket. The space for the angler is reduced to about a 3' long X 4" wide tapering to 3' wide area to operate the TM that is 3' above the water surface. Add waves and the angler ends up overboard if standing on a raised deck. 

This is why I made the statement it's hard to get my mind around.

Tom

Here is a picture of a newer version of a sylvan that is set up similar to mine, although mine has a little bigger casting deck and a little less of an area in the back. Looking at it you can see there are 3 different tiers of platforms. The small platform at the very front tip of the boat that is level to the rim will be where the TM is mounted. When it is stowed it will sit close to parallel with one of the sides of the boat which won’t take up a bunch of room. With the motor being mounted on a different platform than the casting deck I don’t see how it will take up too much room. The peddle will take up about 1x1 foot of space but there is still plenty for me to fish from. Most likely I will be the only one fishing out of the front anyway. I’m not trying to come off as arguing with you, hopefully this gives you a better idea of what I am talking about. You can see the hole in the casting deck of the boat pictured where you can put a seat in the bow, mine was set up pretty much the same although the proportions are a little different. 

[nmatthes]

13 hours ago, Ogandrews said:

I wish I could afford an ultrex, if I could I wouldn’t be considering anything else.

 

 

If you want an ultrex take the money you were going to spend and save it for another half a season. No sense spending money on something you wont be happy with and trying to sell it used, and buying an ultrex anyway.