Trolling Motor Opinions

[Blll]

Well my 10 year old Maxxum is done. Loved it but really considering a Terrova w/ I-pilot. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[LarryC]

If all I did was sit in the front and fish for bass I would get a conventional cable unit. I don't...I'm all over my 21' boat striper fishing. Sometimes I'll have 6 or even more rods out by myself. Other times I'll run two downriggers. I love my Terrova with wireless. I'm on my second one, the first was on a smaller boat but no wireless. I've never had any problems with either. I'm not sure if I want to spend the money to upgrade to I-pilot. I do think the I-pilot might be able to maintain course better in a side wind.

My present Terrova came with the unversial sonar which worked fine. But than side scan came down in price so I added one on the bow. I used West System epoxy to glue in my transducer cable to the track and after a year no problems. It does look a little hokey but so long as it works...

[Robert Haynes]

I agree also, I have a 21 foot center console I wouldn't be caught with a remote. I have the ipilot and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have never had the remote fail, keep extra batteries just in case. I have a foot control cable ready to plug-in just in case something ever happen with the remote.

[Robert Haynes]

It's all about the size of the boat and how much money you're willing to spend. I prefer to find exactly what I want and to save up and buy one time.

[kjackson]

While I'd like a remote set-up, I won't have a remote-only unit because there is always the chance of battery failure, lost remote, and so on. The soft cable instead of the traditional cable steer versions is great. If I stuck to the front deck and didn't troll, I'd have the conventional motor.

[fishinwrench]

Speaking of wireless....

Has any owners of Motorguide wireless models ever experienced phantom turning or activation ?

I have one that is haunted and in need of an excorsism.

[Bird Watcher]

Speaking of wireless....

Has any owners of Motorguide wireless models ever experienced phantom turning or activation ?

I have one that is haunted and in need of an excorsism.

One time while on anchor, mine kept spinning in a CCW rotation until the coiled cord was completely wrapped tight. I unplugged it, let it sit for 30 seconds, plugged it back in and never had a problem again. I researched it and found on a walleye message board some guys discussing the problem. I guess on some units It can be a lasting problem, but that if you contact motorguide they will ship you the necessary equipment to perform a software upgrade that fixes it. This is on a Xi5.

[fishinwrench]

At first I thought it was picking up stray rf from home security systems, but I've been far from any houses and it still does it fairly often.

I refreshed the battery's (has two controllers), still does it.

My next step is to run without the LCR on and see if it still happens. If it does I'll call MG again.....the first time I called they acted like they'd never heard that complaint before.

[kjackson]

Had just that problem with a flasher running off the same battery being the culprit. Maybe isolation is the solution. Of course, my electrical knowledge is limited to, "Electricity runs down hill and payday is on Friday."

[Robert Haynes]

Not sure they even make a remote only unit. If my remote goes out or I drop in water I just plug my foot control pedal in and work by foot. My remote operated minnkotta came with pigtail to plug foot control into.