• Making a Good Product Better – The Minn Kota Terrova with i-Pilot Link GPS By Bernard Williams

    I’m like a lot of fishermen, I’m slow to change. If it’s working why change it, it’s the philosophy I use in
    selecting my boating and fishing accessories. I purchased an electric-steer trolling motor back in 2006, a
    Minn Kota Power Drive. My primary techniques for crappie fishing are Longline Trolling and Pulling
    Crankbaits.

    I will Spider-Rig when it becomes necessary (Grenada Lake in the Spring), it’s too slow
    for me, I like to cover lots of water. I feel the more fish I present my bait to, the more
    chances I have of catching fish.

    An electric-steer trolling motor with Auto-Pilot is a necessary requirement. Longline
    Trolling and Pulling Crankbaits can be done with a foot control cable steer trolling motor
    but you are stuck with guiding the boat.

    I upgraded to a Minn Kota Terrova when I purchased my BassCat in 2008. It was a bigger
    boat and it required more trolling motor horsepower. The Terrova was my only choice
    at that time. I loved the Power Drive with Auto-Pilot but it only came in a 70lb thrust
    version. I needed the power that 101lb Terrova provided.

    Fast-forward to today, my 101 Terrova finally died so to speak. It had been
    through the ringer, it was so noisy you could hear it underneath the water. I
    bit the bullet and ordered the 112 Terrova with i-Pilot Link GPS. I had heard
    some complaints about the remote going dead after about 5 or 6 hours; I still
    decided to give the i-Pilot Link GPS a try.

    I’m glad I did; this trolling motor is the bomb. First of all, it’s so quiet at its top
    speed you can’t hear it running in or out of the water. 112 Terrova with i-Pilot Link has a ton of new
    features that are almost too numerous to mention.

    I’ll go through a few new and improved features that I’ve discovered:
    • “New” Bluetooth Connectivity: Bluetooth® connectivity gives you a fast, secure connection and
    allows for easy software updates via your Apple® or AndoirdTM device to add new features to
    your system.
    • “New” Humminbird Virtual Remote: With i-Pilot Link, you can control your
    motor from a virtual remote on your Humminbird screen. Take command
    of speed, steering, Spot-Lock and Advanced AutoPilot, directly from your
    fish finder.
    • “New” Spot-Lock: The game-changing GPS anchor holds you on your fishing spot like never
    before - with state-of-the-art algorithms for the most accurate hold on the water, plus, Spot-
    Lock Jog which lets you move your Spot-Lock five feet in any direction.
    • “New” Circle Mode: Cast to a spot while orbiting in a circle around it with Circle
    Mode. Just choose the spot and how far from it you want to be, and your boat
    will circle the spot while you while you fish. Ideal for fishing a brush-top or stake
    bed.
    • “New” Follow Mode: i-Pilot Link navigates you automatically on any depth contour,
    bottom hardness or vegetation line you choose. Use Follow Offset to choose how far away
    you want to be from a depth contour, shoreline, bottom hardness or vegetation line.
    Follow Offset will automatically keep you that distance away while you troll.
    • “New” BackTrack Mode: Turn your Humminbird current track into an
    iTrack. i-Pilot Link will automatically retrace it up to 2 miles. You can dial-in your
    BackTrack travel distance in 0.1-mile increments.
    • “New” iTracks & iTracks Offset: Create, store, retrace and return to your most
    productive trolling paths. Adjust the location and position of saved iTracks to fit the way
    you fish. Create a new iTrack that mirrors one of your existing iTracks from a set distance
    away, so you can troll it.
    • “New” Lift-Assist: A spring-loaded assembly on the Terrova mount makes
    stowing the trolling motor effortless, every time. This attachment scared me
    when I first saw it, I had no idea what the purpose was. Guess if I had read
    the manual before installing it would have help.
    • “New” i-Pilot Mobile App: Control Terrova directly from your Apple or
    Android device with Minn Kota i-Pilot Mobile App. Everything you can do
    with the remote, you can do with the mobile app — plus the ability to update i-Pilot software. If
    your remote battery dies, use the mobile app.

    The quietness and the extended battery life will help you stay on the water longer and catch more fish.
    The Auto-Pilot is much more precise on the new Terrova. My old Terrova would run my batteries
    completely down during a full day of fishing. Not so with the new models, they’re equipped with a
    Digital Maximizer; it Provides up to 5 times longer run time on a single battery charge.

    I could go on and on with all the new features offered on the new Terrova, these are just a few I found
    new or improved. I must mention that most of these features are offered in the Ulterra and Ultrex
    Trolling Motors.

    It’s your choice, Minn Kota has a motor that fits all your needs. If you’re running one of the older model
    Terrova’s, it’s time to upgrade. Bless someone with your older Terrova and upgrade to the latest and
    greatest model. I promise you’ll be glad you made the leap. Bernard
    Comments 5 Comments
    1. BAMA S's Avatar
      BAMA S -
      Good read. I agree
    1. ET Fish's Avatar
      ET Fish -
      Thanks for the detailed report. It is quite timely for my situation.
    1. "G"'s Avatar
      "G" -
      Good info
    1. flintcreek's Avatar
      flintcreek -
      Great article and great timing as I am struggling with what to do about my older trolling motor.
    1. scrat's Avatar
      scrat -
      Nice read. Thanks for sharing the minn kota trolling motor information.
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