Trolling Motor Decision

[bigcreekdad]

After 13 years, I've decided to replace my bow mounted Evinrude 24v motor. It has served me well. I have heard quite a bit about the motors that can be set to a certain depth and they will automaticaly keep you there. I use the motor primarily while pike/muskie fishing on the French River. This constant depth feature at first sounds nice while fishing shoreline/structure, but I wonder if the erratic reefs of the French won't confuse the motor guidance and you end up with a very erratic movement. In other words sounds great to stay on course fishing weedlines and contours, but maybe not with wildly erratic structure. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

Also, from what I've read, Miikota sounds like the trolling motor of choice here, but I'd appreciate any further opinions.

 

As a side note, my wife got me a rather nice gift certificate to Cabelas to buy this. Plus, I work there part time in the fly fishing department so i get a bii of a discount. I've decided to keep her afterall.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Pigeontroller]

I 've never heard of that feature, I know Minn Kota has "auto pilot", which keeps a compass heading.

 

I would recomend The Universal sonar. You probably already know this since you own an electric...Make sure you get a powerful enough one with a long enough shaft, when in doubt go bigger!

[Terry]

this might be what you are thinking of

 

trolling motor

[b2kptbo]

[John Bacon]

Pinpoint motors, which have been around for awhile, are available with the feature you describe. They can also troll a specific distance from shore.

 

I haven't used one myself but I did speak to a sales rep at one of the shows. He did admit you do need the right bottom contours for their system to work effectively. A slope that is too flat or too steep will confuse the motor. Your concerns are definitely valid.

[Guest Trophymuskie]

I would go with a Minnkota auto pilot, you point it to where you want it to go and it does the work for you. All you need to do is a small adjustments now and again to keep it going where you want. I can see the depth feature been a big problem with shoals as well as flats.