If you’re an angler like me, you have probably heard of Minn Kota’s trolling motors. Today’s models feature GPS, the i-Pilot, which lets you control your trolling motor and anchor on a specific waypoint or spot.
I have a fishing boat, which I use often. With a push of a button on my Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra 112 Trolling Motor, I can anchor in any sea condition and not move more than a few feet. If the seas are heavy and push me off my spot, the unit will automatically move me back to the original location.
The Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra has many valuable features, but the bottom line is that I don’t have to lift an anchor, let out line, and go crazy trying to reposition the anchor if I miss my spot. Better yet, I don’t have to retrieve rode manually or use a ball to help—no chain marks on the gunnels and no lifting a 22-pound anchor into the boat.
Unfortunately, everything comes at a cost. I need three more batteries with this 36-volt trolling motor system. The company does have 12- and 24-volt systems for smaller boats. Everything cost me $5,000 installed, but it’s comparable to a conventional windlass or drum system—no back problems, lost anchors, rode, or aggravation in anchoring. Best of all, I catch more fish.
