I Pilot

[Fish Taxi]

Just wanted to give an in-the-field report that the I-Pilot is freaking SWEET! The wind was howling the last two days and and the spot-lock feature kept me right on the fish.

Occasionally a big gust of wind would really push the boat, or the wind would die and it would overcorrect slightly, but overall I am so impressed with it. Honestly, if I was on the foot pedal I would have been twice as screwed up by the wind and I would have needed to throw a marker buoy and keep my foot on the pedal at all times. It really shined the couple of times I broke my line and had to re-rig or when I went back to the cooler to get water and didn't have to rush.

Even better endorsement? I marked that brush pile with it two weeks ago and hit it this weekend just by getting in the general vicinity and hitting the memory button.

Anyway, if you're on the fence about whether or not to buy into this technology, I'm telling you it's the real deal! I've liked the TM ever since I got it, but I hadn't used it in such high wind before this past weekend. I was thoroughly impressed with it and I've got ragged thumbs to prove it.

[HaleDamage]

With my 18.5' deep "V", the I-Pilot works well.:D.
Must likely would work even better if I had a bass type boat without so much of the boat out of the water.:D
I'm still on the learning courve..Coming from the manual steering to the elect. steer is tough for an old guy like me:o:D
Need to read the manual some more--lots of things I have not tiried out yet.
The nice thing -- You do have time to re-rig / grab a coke / take a ___
Without getting blowen into shore / trees.

Rick

[HairyVetch]

I fished with the powerdrive with autopilot since the day they came out. We used to talk about how great it would be once they incorporated GPS into the unit. Even then I never though about the spot lock feature. This unit lets you fish in ways effortlessly that would be almost impossible or a least very difficult without a lot of effort. I am very impressed with the I-Pilot and have I have experienced success taking advantage of its features. Its very simple. See fish, spot lock, catch fish. Does not always work that simple but it has on most occassions.

[Kansasoutdoorsman]

I will never fish without my IPILOT again...

[Blackdog40]

Put a Terrova 55 with I pilot on my Lowe 165 tried it Sunday in the wind. The spot lock kept it within a boat length. Was not friendly to the rear set guy.

Found it special when I needed to get off the pedal it kept us within a catching raidius with no problem. The way the wind was blowing, without it we would have been 60 yards away with a standard motor.

I am learning so will hope to improve my performance with the motor, so far just great. Love it.

[Fish Taxi]

I've got an 18' Deep V also, with a full windshield so the boat catches a lotta wind. The only time it would get outside it's advertised radius was when the cord wrapped around the shaft and it would take a "break" to spin itself back around and regroup.

I thought I was passing along a good fishing tip, but I guess the secret's out.

I guess the next logical step is for them to combine your locator and trolling motor electronics so you can mark a spot on your fish finder and your trolling motor will take care of the rest. Or maybe it can already do that, and I just need a new locator...:D