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Revealed Oct 20, 2022 12:14 PM
The very best spot lock trolling motors appear to show the thought of “greatest” on its ear. In any case, producers competed for years to see which trolling motor would hold going, whether or not by way of waves, by way of submerged aquatic vegetation, or on the finish of a protracted day when battery energy is carrying down. Now we’re asking those self same instruments to sit down put, and to do it exactly, till we ask it to maneuver.
Spot-Lock revolutionized the sport for offshore anglers who wish to make the identical solid repeatedly, notably when there aren’t any landmarks or visible cues to tell your positioning. That’s not the one state of affairs the place they’ll excel, nonetheless. Spot-Lock trolling motors can be utilized to carry a ship in opposition to a raging present or to forestall you from blowing into rocks or different obstacles as you land a fish or retie your line. To really be one of the best, nonetheless, they want to do that flawlessly and nonetheless ship on the guarantees of yesteryear—most energy, most sturdiness, and relative silence. Listed below are 4 of one of the best spot-lock trolling motors.
Why It Made the Reduce
The primary entrant within the Spot-Lock sport—certainly, the corporate that coined the phrase—continues to steer the cost in its integration with Humminbird Electronics.
Key Options
- Shaft Lengths: 45, 52, 60 inches
- Constructed-in Sonar: MEGA Down Imaging, Common Sonar 2, MEGA Down/Facet Imaging
- Voltage/Thrust: 36v/112 kilos or 24v/80 kilos
Execs
- Nice in aquatic vegetation
- Raise help makes it simple to deploy and retrieve
- Very responsive foot pedal
Cons
- Typically robust to supply because of provide chain points
Product Description
Minn Kota modified the trolling motor panorama after they launched the Ultrex, for the primary time harnessing the facility of GPS into exact positioning mechanisms for anglers all over the place. Not was it essential to guess the placement of a ledge, brush pile, or rock pile. As an alternative, anglers might command the troller to take them there and hold them there for solid after productive solid.
They’ve improved their sport considerably since then, in lockstep with enhancements to their paired Humminbird electronics. Now you should buy an Ultrex with a built-in MEGA Imaging transducer to get crystal clear photos.
You may also pair it to your Apple or Android system and function it remotely or from one other a part of the boat. What I like most about mine is that I’ve plowed it by way of acres of grass thick sufficient to plow, and it comes out the opposite facet clear and nearly instantly prepared to interact in its spot-holding job. Whereas expertise is nice, if it doesn’t work within the rigors that anglers usually expose it to, the advances aren’t value a lot. Minn Kota has this one down pat, even should you resolve to make use of a unique model of electronics.
Why It Made the Reduce
This super-quiet brushless motor has a customizable foot pedal and handy options.
Key Options
- Shaft Lengths: 47, 52, 60 inches
- Constructed-in Sonar: Hdi Sonar Nosecone
- Voltage/Thrust: 36v/120 kilos or 24v/97 kilos
Execs
- Interference-free sonar image
- Configurable foot pedal
- Quiet, brushless motor
Cons
Product Description
When Lowrance entered the spot lock sport, they constructed upon their pioneering position within the sonar world to offer an angler-friendly but technologically-advanced product. It was instantly embraced as top-of-the-line spot-lock trolling motors, because of its brushless design.
This brushless motor is super-quiet and offers probably the most kilos of thrust per volt in its class. What I like concerning the Ghost is that the foot pedal is customizable. Years in the past, after I first switched from MotorGuide—which had the button on the appropriate facet of the pedal—to Minn Kota—which had it on the left—a number of instances a day, I’d mash down on the pedal and get no response for causes that have been nearly immediately apparent. This easy characteristic permits anglers to place the button the place they prefer it. It additionally features a battery stage indicator and programmable easy-access keys that enable the person to rapidly drop a waypoint reasonably than bending over and fascinating the paired sonar unit by hand. That’s a time-saver and an enormous technique of including effectivity.
Why It Made the Reduce
The innovator in forward-facing sonar techniques takes expertise and innovation to a different stage.
Key Options
- Shaft Lengths: 50 and 57 inches
- In-built Sonar: Transducer for CHIRP conventional and Extremely Excessive-Definition ClearVü and SideVü scanning sonars.
- Voltage/Thrust: 36v/100 kilos or 24v/80 kilos
Execs
- Extraordinarily quiet
- Waterproof, floating distant management
- Twin gasoline springs make retraction and deployment quiet and simple in your again
Cons
- Most costly of the motors surveyed
Product Description
Regardless of successful the ICAST New Product Showcase Better of Present award three years in the past, Garmin continues to innovate. They have been the primary firm to extensively popularize and innovate within the forward-facing sonar house—making one of many greatest fish finders— which gave them a leg up when it got here to integrating their Drive trolling motors with their paired electronics. Refined transducers present a clearer or extra interference-free image than ever, however this trolling motor is a beast even with out the good thing about their main GPS expertise. The foot deal is wi-fi and extremely responsive, requiring AA batteries, though it may be hard-wired. You possibly can level the floating, waterproof distant within the route you wish to go, and the Drive will take you there. If tech is your factor, and also you worth it in your fishing, contemplate this superior mannequin.
Why It Made the Reduce
Venerable chief in trolling motor advances was late to the spot lock sport, however constructed a reliable device based mostly on its heritage.
Key Options
- Shaft Lengths: 45 inches
- Constructed-in Sonar: Pinpoint GPS and non-obligatory HD+ Common Sonar
- Voltage/Thrust: 36v/109 lbs. or 24v/82 lbs.
Execs
- Works equally effectively with all main sonar manufacturers
- Easy true cable steering
- 360 diploma breakaway mount
Cons
- Not constructed for one explicit model of sonar
Product Description
Not like the three trolling motor producers above, MotorGuide will not be partnered immediately with an electronics producer. Moderately than seeing that as a destructive, nonetheless, they view it as a constructive, that means which you could combine and match your techniques (even utilizing two or extra completely different manufacturers of sonar) with out dropping effectiveness or precision. They didn’t must reinvent the wheel with years of heritage within the trolling motor sport in comparison with a few of their opponents. As an alternative, they matched sturdiness with flexibility. The shaft consists of an outsized steel outer column paired with an unbreakable internal composite piece. I do know anglers who’re past tough on their gear, who grind them into riprap and big stumps, and nonetheless, the MotorGuide retains on ticking. The steel foot pedal can also be bulletproof, which suggests it’s all the time the place you count on it to be and gained’t get beat to dying by both huge waves or hard-stomping event companions.
Issues to Think about
Necessity
Spot lock expertise will be an absolute game-changer for anglers who want to stay in a single place indefinitely, however every new characteristic that you just add will increase worth and complexity. All 4 of the greatest trolling motor producers have upped the reliability of their merchandise, however at this stage within the sport, most of us ought to admit that if one thing goes improper, we’ll be unable to repair it ourselves.
Battery Energy
Do you want a 36-volt system, or are you able to get away with 24 volts? Does your boat have room for 3 batteries? Are you able to justify the expense of lithium batteries? Trendy electronics drain batteries faster than ever earlier than, which is probably not a difficulty when you’ve got one of many greatest trolling motor batteries, however they don’t come inexpensively.
Most well-liked Sonar Model
Normally, however not all the time, trolling motors that come from the manufacturing unit able to be paired with a accomplice model of electronics work greatest with these electronics. When you’re going to make use of a number of graphs, which may not be an element, however a constant company nameplate might in some instances, ease setup and troubleshooting practices.
Rumors of Different Manufacturers
Whereas the 4 manufacturers listed above are the leaders on this house, there have lengthy been rumors that there will probably be different entrants to the market. Must you wait should you choose a kind of?
FAQs
Q: How a lot do spot lock trolling motors price?
The added expertise crucial to construct motors with spot lock functionality has raised most items’ costs effectively above $2,000, and a few are priced nearer to $4,000. This will depend on the variety of options integrated, together with the size of the shaft and integrated energy. In fact, electronics and batteries are usually not included on this pricing.
Q: How do I cease my trolling motor from being stolen?
It’s pretty simple to take away a trolling motor from an unattended boat, however it’s possible not possible to retailer it for safekeeping every time you retailer it. Accordingly, in case you are nervous about your costly trolling motor being stolen, it would pay to put money into a lock like these from DuraSafe. They’re not 100% foolproof, however they could act as a deterrent.
Q: What’s the least expensive spot lock trolling motor?
The MotorGuide Tour fashions appear to be on the low finish of the spot lock trolling motor worth spectrum, though they’re certainly not “low-cost.” A number of of the others are effectively over $3,000, in some instances approaching $4,000.
Methodology
I’ve run all 4 of those manufacturers on all the things from shallow, grassy tidal rivers to the ledges of the large TVA impoundments to the Nice Lakes, and I’ve realized that a lot of what makes a trolling motor good is a matter of private desire. Do you want a free pedal or one with extra rigidity? Do you worth relative silence over energy? How necessary is the model of sonar that you just use? I do know that whereas I exploit Spot-Lock regularly, my Energy Poles additionally usurp a few of their position. I hardly ever use the autopilot or the distant, however I demand the clearest image potential. I’m additionally tough on tools—as they get extra feature-packed, that’s simply extra issues that would break or fall sufferer to the weather. I would like my trolling motor to carry in place each time I inform it, however an important factor is that it runs effectively each time I step on the button.
Remaining Ideas
As our fisheries get extra extremely pressured, and our fish turn into extra educated, precision boat positioning is more and more necessary. Having the ability to make that “cash solid” over and over and over requires one of the best use of your trolling motor and your GPS, and most often that requires top-of-the-line spot-lock trolling motors. Are they strictly crucial? Not all the time, however the expertise makes life quite a bit simpler and quite a bit fishier. Relying in your electronics wants, a selected model could also be higher than the others for you, however all 4 main gamers produce a top quality product.
