Ultrex vs Xi5 Minn Kota vs MotorGuide GPS Lock

[vernon]

Last Sunday I was fishing some secondary points and the wind was out of the north. Because the water was so amazingly clear, I figured longer casts would be to my benefit so I positioned the boat on the north side of the points. 

As the boat will always pivot around the motor and face into the wind, the bow was the farthest distance from where I wanted to cast. With the Ultrex I simply engaged Spot Lock and fished from the rear deck. Spent a good thirty minutes at a time back there and the boat never moved. 

Later in the day Kathy came out and was catching fish pretty regularly from the back of the boat. Whenever she hooked up, I'd engage Spot Lock again and then could go to the back to help her land her fish while the boat remained in place for however long it took.

I know I'm making this thing sound too good to be true but in my opinion that's exactly what it is. 

I went out for an hour night before last and after backing out of the slip never started the outboard again. Operated the trolling motor with the remote control from the driver seat whenever  I wanted to move to another spot. 

I just set the heading and retied lures whereas before I'd have been standing on the trolling motor pedal the whole time. With the press of a button you can adjust the heading or speed to whatever you want while underway without so much as getting up. 

I'm not somebody that trolls but I gotta think this would be pretty cool for that too. Once you've run a route you can push a button and the motor will retrace it back to where you started.

And that's without the added benefit of linking to Humminbird electronics which would add an entirely different dimension I would imagine. 

Sales pitch over. 

[Macsimus]

Vernon, you're killin' me.  

[jeb]

3 hours ago, vernon said:

Last Sunday I was fishing some secondary points and the wind was out of the north. Because the water was so amazingly clear, I figured longer casts would be to my benefit so I positioned the boat on the north side of the points. 

As the boat will always pivot around the motor and face into the wind, the bow was the farthest distance from where I wanted to cast. With the Ultrex I simply engaged Spot Lock and fished from the rear deck. Spent a good thirty minutes at a time back there and the boat never moved. 

Later in the day Kathy came out and was catching fish pretty regularly from the back of the boat. Whenever she hooked up, I'd engage Spot Lock again and then could go to the back to help her land her fish while the boat remained in place for however long it took.

I know I'm making this thing sound too good to be true but in my opinion that's exactly what it is. 

I went out for an hour night before last and after backing out of the slip never started the outboard again. Operated the trolling motor with the remote control from the driver seat whenever  I wanted to move to another spot. 

I just set the heading and retied lures whereas before I'd have been standing on the trolling motor pedal the whole time. With the press of a button you can adjust the heading or speed to whatever you want while underway without so much as getting up. 

I'm not somebody that trolls but I gotta think this would be pretty cool for that too. Once you've run a route you can push a button and the motor will retrace it back to where you started.

And that's without the added benefit of linking to Humminbird electronics which would add an entirely different dimension I would imagine. 

Sales pitch over. 

Agreed, the Auto Pilot feature is awesome. That's how I fish, for the most part. I've never used the "learn a route" and then retrace it function. Just fish in too many places for that to be useful.

I'd think the cruise control would be a great thing for the trollers.

[vernon]

7 hours ago, jeb said:

Agreed, the Auto Pilot feature is awesome. That's how I fish, for the most part. I've never used the "learn a route" and then retrace it function. Just fish in too many places for that to be useful.

I'd think the cruise control would be a great thing for the trollers.

I've only used it playing around but was pretty impressed. In fact, I was so impressed that I ran about a half a dozen routes just because it was so crazy. 

I don't know if I'll ever use it again but it was kid fun cool. 

I can't say for sure but I'd guess I'm using the conventional method of foot pedal control less than 50% of the time now. 

This thing is that good. 

[vernon]

12 hours ago, Alex Heitman said:

I have a question. We have a Nitro Z-9 with a motor guide tour digital. Does anyone know if you have to make the recessed tray for the pedal bigger to fit the MK ultrex trolling motor? I think you do and I was just wondering if anyone has gone through this already.

Alex, I don't know anything about the Motor Guide but the Ultrex is virtually the exact same size as the Fortrex pedal. I gotta think that it would fit just fine. 

Wouldn't make much sense to design a pedal that wouldn't fit the majority of existing trays I wouldn't think. 

The difference between the Ultrex and the Fortrex (if there is any) in my Z521 tray is not even a little bit noticeable. 

[jeb]

7 hours ago, vernon said:

I can't say for sure but I'd guess I'm using the conventional method of foot pedal control less than 50% of the time now. 

This thing is that good. 

I only use the foot pedal on the Terrova to steer it 5% of the time, if that much. And then I only use the buttons, not the main part where you'd stand with your whole shoe. I use the 3 buttons on the bottom to steer instead, on the rare occasion I need to use the pedal to steer at all. But I do use the AP and constant on/off buttons on the pedal a bit. It'd be nice to have a more compact pedal, without the shoe print part. Can't remember the last time I used that.

[Ketchup]

All this talk about SpotLock while landing fish.   What happens when its adjusting itself and fish do as fish do, and pull your line under the trolling motor when your not expecting it?  Guess just the loss of fish/lure.  But tournament guys may see it as more than a lost fish/lure. 

[vernon]

1 hour ago, Ketchup said:

All this talk about SpotLock while landing fish.   What happens when its adjusting itself and fish do as fish do, and pull your line under the trolling motor when your not expecting it?  Guess just the loss of fish/lure.  But tournament guys may see it as more than a lost fish/lure. 

That could happen I guess but the motor's not usually running continuously. It just comes on intermittently as needed to hold the boat in place. 

Of course the stronger the wind, current or whatever the more the prop will be spinning. 

That being said, if a fish made a run at the motor it would only take a nanosecond to tap the Spot Lock button to disengage and then a second tap to re-engage once order was restored. 

I just don't see as a big enough deal to matter but that doesn't make me right about it either I guess. 

A first world problem for sure though!

[PTR128]

If a fish is making a run at the motor, the moment you put your foot on the pedal the Spot Lock (SL) automatically disengages to manual control.  With auto pilot (AP) on, you can manually control it but auto pilot stays on and will go where you aim it.  The latter has happened quite a bit fishing down a bank on AP and as soon as someone hooks up, I recommend tapping the SL.  This is pretty sweet because your not blowing fish out or getting pushed into the rocks while trying to bring the fish into the boat.  This also will automatically create a way point on your graph.  It's pretty cool to be able to go back later and look at where you were catching your fish.  If you want to go back over it, say the next day, you can tell it to retrace its route.  The amazing thing is, is that when you catch another fish and SL, its commonly within a few feet of where you caught them the day before.  So you find yourself watching your graph in anticipation of getting to the next way point. Its pretty fun stuff.

[jeb]

22 hours ago, vernon said:

That could happen I guess but the motor's not usually running continuously. It just comes on intermittently as needed to hold the boat in place. 

Of course the stronger the wind, current or whatever the more the prop will be spinning. 

That being said, if a fish made a run at the motor it would only take a nanosecond to tap the Spot Lock button to disengage and then a second tap to re-engage once order was restored. 

I just don't see as a big enough deal to matter but that doesn't make me right about it either I guess. 

A first world problem for sure though!

Yep, tap the SL button on the fob or the foot pedal. Or tap the prop on/off button either control. I've never lost a fish due to my iPilot system, but it has made it a lot easier to catch more fish!