The best toy i ever bought

[waterdog101]

I had a perfectly good trolling motor, and didn't really won't to buy one. but I got to reading about the I-pilot and bought one. and that was the best money I ever spent. I fish by myself most of the time. and lunching your boat with a friend, you can just back the rig in the water and pull out and go park the truck. and when you walk back to the ramp your friend can pull over and pick you up. but when by yourself, if the floating dock has a few other people tied up loading their stuff. you have to keep one ramp blocked while you wait for a spot at the dock, or tie to a rock or tree at the bank. and that isn't good for a fiberglass boat. here is one thing I like about the i-pilot, it works like a friend, when your lunching the boat by yourself. back the trailer in the water, unload boat and pull up to dock or bank and step out of boat. use the remote and troll the boat out from bank about 30 feet and push the little anchor button. it will keep it's self in a 5 ft. circle while your gone to park the truck. when you get back, use the remote and troll the boat to where you are standing and get in. the i-pilot will also mark a fishing trail, you can press the button to record a trail as you troll alone. but here is how I do it. a spot that I know I want to fish, I lower the trolling motor, so the GPS is in the up position. and loosen the knob that adjust how deep you want the prop to be in the water, pull the trolling motor shaft up so the prop is out of the water, and tighten the knob. then start the big motor. press the record button on the remote to start the trail. then drive the boat alone the trail you want to fish. it will mark the trail as fast or slow as you want to go. then stop and lower the trolling motor back down in the water and fish the trail from end to start or from start to end. and set the cruse control for ever how fast you want to fish, and you don't have to do a thing but fish. the i-pilot will follow the trail just as you marked it. and when you hook up with a fish, press the anchor button and the i-pilot will hold the boat in the 5 ft. circle until you land the fish. don't have to worry about drifting near the bank or drifting out into the lake while fighting the fish. you stay where you pushed the anchor button. thought this might help some of you guys that fish alone like me, and it does so much more, but I've written a book already.

[Hlleonard]

I had a perfectly good trolling motor, and didn't really won't to buy one. but I got to reading about the I-pilot and bought one. and that was the best money I ever spent. I fish by myself most of the time. and lunching your boat with a friend, you can just back the rig in the water and pull out and go park the truck. and when you walk back to the ramp your friend can pull over and pick you up. but when by yourself, if the floating dock has a few other people tied up loading their stuff. you have to keep one ramp blocked while you wait for a spot at the dock, or tie to a rock or tree at the bank. and that isn't good for a fiberglass boat. here is one thing I like about the i-pilot, it works like a friend, when your lunching the boat by yourself. back the trailer in the water, unload boat and pull up to dock or bank and step out of boat. use the remote and troll the boat out from bank about 30 feet and push the little anchor button. it will keep it's self in a 5 ft. circle while your gone to park the truck. when you get back, use the remote and troll the boat to where you are standing and get in. the i-pilot will also mark a fishing trail, you can press the button to record a trail as you troll alone. but here is how I do it. a spot that I know I want to fish, I lower the trolling motor, so the GPS is in the up position. and loosen the knob that adjust how deep you want the prop to be in the water, pull the trolling motor shaft up so the prop is out of the water, and tighten the knob. then start the big motor. press the record button on the remote to start the trail. then drive the boat alone the trail you want to fish. it will mark the trail as fast or slow as you want to go. then stop and lower the trolling motor back down in the water and fish the trail from end to start or from start to end. and set the cruse control for ever how fast you want to fish, and you don't have to do a thing but fish. the i-pilot will follow the trail just as you marked it. and when you hook up with a fish, press the anchor button and the i-pilot will hold the boat in the 5 ft. circle until you land the fish. don't have to worry about drifting near the bank or drifting out into the lake while fighting the fish. you stay where you pushed the anchor button. thought this might help some of you guys that fish alone like me, and it does so much more, but I've written a book already.

--
I am like you, I want one of those so bad I can taste it, Have a perfectly good trolling motor but if I live through the winter to fish again I am getting one in the spring... I don't bass fish anymore and mostly tightline crappie fish, like to fish bottom cover and it is tough fighting the foot control trying to stay over the cover... Is a pretty penny to spend on a trolling motor when you have a perfectly good one on the boat but I just can't go through another fishing season without this little toy.... So far I haven't read anything negative about this trolling motor.... I am hoping I can get it rigged to swap it from the bass boat to the pontoon... I just cant afford two of these toys.

[MrSplitshot]

They sound awesome...

It would be hard for me that first time to trust the motor to keep the boat off shore by itself, untied, while I was away parking the truck though...

[Hlleonard]

They sound awesome...

It would be hard for me that first time to trust the motor to keep the boat off shore by itself, untied, while I was away parking the truck though...

--
I'm not sure I could be that trusting either but I am intrigued with the idea of not having to concentrate so much on boat positioning.

[kydonky]

--
I'm not sure I could be that trusting either but I am intrigued with the idea of not having to concentrate so much on boat positioning.

I have the Terrova 80lb iPilot on my 18 footer. I put the 80lb model on this boat even thogh the 55lb would have probably worked fine.

I can fish the Ky river is very swift current and the 80 lbs handles the current with no problems, its also better on the lakes in high wind conditions.

I can set the anchor posistion feature fishing the fast current below the dam and that thing will hold you in place for hours without touching the controls.

I don't go to sleep depending on it or what I'm saying is that if you have common sense you will keep an awareness of your position and conditions around you.

The track feature is also cool, but it would take pages on here to do it justice.

All this being said I would not recomend it for anyone (but me). I want to catch the ones that you guys miss finding that foot switch.

[Hlleonard]

I have the Terrova 80lb iPilot on my 18 footer. I put the 80lb model on this boat even thogh the 55lb would have probably worked fine.

I can fish the Ky river is very swift current and the 80 lbs handles the current with no problems, its also better on the lakes in high wind conditions.

I can set the anchor posistion feature fishing the fast current below the dam and that thing will hold you in place for hours without touching the controls.

I don't go to sleep depending on it or what I'm saying is that if you have common sense you will keep an awareness of your position and conditions around you.

The track feature is also cool, but it would take pages on here to do it justice.

All this being said I would not recomend it for anyone (but me). I want to catch the ones that you guys miss finding that foot switch.

--
I want to catch the ones that you guys miss finding that foot switch

LOL...I have been looking at this motor for about 2 months and so far nobody that has bought it has any regrets... Some say the spot lock feature is a bit over advertised as far as keeping you in the 5 foot range.... I'm gong with the 55 terova simply because I'm just not comfortable with not having a foot switch, I have a 46 pound motor now, never have a need for the high position unless it's just moving from here to there, if the wind is that strong I usually stay home that day, another perk of being retired, it's always the weekend... 1200 dollars is stiff for a trolling motor for a 17 foot boat though.

[DJD]

They sound awesome...

It would be hard for me that first time to trust the motor to keep the boat off shore by itself, untied, while I was away parking the truck though...

Same here. I work with alot of different technologies and one thing for certain is that they all fail!

[RoadToad]

I'd have trouble trusting the thing too, at least at first. But I'd also want to check and make sure there's no obscure law that some overzealous ranger could ticket you for if he happens to come by and see your boat on the water, un-anchored, with nobody aboard.

[waterdog101]

--
I am like you, I want one of those so bad I can taste it, Have a perfectly good trolling motor but if I live through the winter to fish again I am getting one in the spring... I don't bass fish anymore and mostly tightline crappie fish, like to fish bottom cover and it is tough fighting the foot control trying to stay over the cover... Is a pretty penny to spend on a trolling motor when you have a perfectly good one on the boat but I just can't go through another fishing season without this little toy.... So far I haven't read anything negative about this trolling motor.... I am hoping I can get it rigged to swap it from the bass boat to the pontoon... I just cant afford two of these toys.

I think this will be what you need, to use the same trolling motor on 2 different boats. Quick Release Bracket http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QceAXN0-qpg

[Fishin is life]

One of my friends fished with one and absolutely loved it for keeping the boat positioned, BUT he also said if you're fishing along a bank the trolling motor is REALLY slow to turn....This isn't a huge factor if you're fishing a clean bank, but if you're in standing timber it's a nightmare....He said you absolutely can't navigate through the standing timber without hitting everything....As far as striper fishing, crappie fishing, or wanting to set up on a brushpile bass fishing I can see where they'd be extremely beneficial, but they do have their drawbacks

[GeoFisher]

One of my friends fished with one and absolutely loved it for keeping the boat positioned, BUT he also said if you're fishing along a bank the trolling motor is REALLY slow to turn....This isn't a huge factor if you're fishing a clean bank, but if you're in standing timber it's a nightmare....He said you absolutely can't navigate through the standing timber without hitting everything....As far as striper fishing, crappie fishing, or wanting to set up on a brushpile bass fishing I can see where they'd be extremely beneficial, but they do have their drawbacks

Man, that is EXACTLY why I got rid of the AutoPilot that I had on my boat when I first purchased it. It was a seriously expensive motor, but all that expense was built into useless technology. I sold it for less than 1/2 what it was worth to a guy on here.............THEN I added a few bucks to the money I received and purchased a Minn Kota 70 / 24v system with cable drive.

My biggest issue was turning the dang thing. AND it's horrible method could be heard half way across the lake, so I guarantee the purty brownfish in my vicinity could hear it.

Yep, dropped that product as quickly as I could.

Now, don't get me wrong........it was FANTASTIC for pointing and forgetting and fishing. GREAT. But if I needed to navigate as fishin stated, it was very hard.

Later,

Geo

[Hlleonard]

Man, that is EXACTLY why I got rid of the AutoPilot that I had on my boat when I first purchased it. It was a seriously expensive motor, but all that expense was built into useless technology. I sold it for less than 1/2 what it was worth to a guy on here.............THEN I added a few bucks to the money I received and purchased a Minn Kota 70 / 24v system with cable drive.

My biggest issue was turning the dang thing. AND it's horrible method could be heard half way across the lake, so I guarantee the purty brownfish in my vicinity could hear it.

Yep, dropped that product as quickly as I could.

Now, don't get me wrong........it was FANTASTIC for pointing and forgetting and fishing. GREAT. But if I needed to navigate as fishin stated, it was very hard.

Later,

Geo

--
I bought one of the power drives a good many years ago, I guess the gps wasn't an option then, I took it to the lake one time and returned it and got a cable model... The problem I had with it was I couldn't tell what direction it was pointed in without looking at the thing and would end up with the wire wrapped around the shaft of the thing so it didn't work for me at that time but now I'm a totally different fisherman than at that time, I spend a lot of time fishing bottom cover and it is tough keeping the boat located... I'm up in the air as to whether or not to get the model with a foot pedal also as I do a fair amount of moving through standing timber looking for fish with the depth finder.... It's amazing how different crappie fishing is than bass fishing.