First remote launch, how many of you try this

[FurFlyin]

just remember that remote has a limited range

Yep and I’ve lost “contact” with my boat before too but when I got back to where I could see it, it was still spot locked exactly where I left it. I whistled to it and it headed towards the pier.

[Lloakley930]

It’s waterproof so you don’t have to swim all the way to the boat

[Matthew J]

If I’m alone or if we are both leaving the boat (to run in somewhere to get a bite to eat) I will use spot lock. I don’t want the gel coat to get scratched by the dock. I always take the remote with me and have yet to have an issue. I’ve test it in my yard and it picks up with no issues about 100 yards away.

[MThook]

I'll be the 1st to admitt I've had a launch failure. Backed the boat in fast enough for it to float off the trailer. It floated back, Inuit deploy nothing. I had forgotten to turn the troller on. MY failure.
I've also walked away and hit a control button and the boat drifted away.
It's still fun to hear the comments from people that see the boat in unmaned. "Ghost boat" seems most popular

[Atimm693]

I think you guys just like to show off your fancy motors.

[Bossier_Rob]

I remote launch with my Ulterra every time. Twice, out of countless launches, I had a deploy issue. Once it went halfway and stopped, but I hit stow and it did. Then it successfully deployed. The second time, the cable snagged my spider rig and stalled it. Could not unfoul it. It floated right up to the dock and worked after untangling then cycling power. I'm ok with those odds. Spot Lock has never failed. Even once out of range, she stays put. During the winter, I don't tempt fate. I drive it off the trailer then. I don't mind swimming for it most months if it should fail, but I ain't stupid.

[sinkermaker]

Fate plays a major role in deploying a ulterra trolling motor. Last Saturday I attempted to fish high rock in NC. You always check your motor before you launch by deploying the motor and stowing it. I backed the boat in and when it floated free I deployed the motor and hit spot lock. Went and parked truck and brought boat to dock got in and started away from dock, cranked the big motor and hit the stow button, nothing happened so I tried it again, nothing happened. Checked trolling motor and it had no power it had blown the main board when I tried to stow it. 400.00 and a wasted fishing trip it is fixed and back on the boat. Still love my ulterra and want have anything else on my boat.

[Bossier_Rob]

For all of us that do remote launch, there's those who have swam for their boat, and those that will. This thread reminds me that I haven't put my throw rope with my grapple hook in my truck yet.

[Clint]

I watched a bass guy launch that way at Buckhorn Bay on Kentucky Lake and while I can see some of the concerns noted, I have to admit it sure was neat to watch. He did it just like the commercial, where he ran the boat past the dock and just stepped on as it slowly went by, and off he went.

[Dutch552]

My Terrova lost connection with the remote when parking the truck. The bot was still Spot Locked in the same place I left it, but the motor would not respond to the remote whatsoever. Had to swim in 50 degree Green River Lake water to get the boat. Remote was not functional on the boat until I unhooked the power to the TM and restarted it. Best I could figure is that I parked too far away, the head lost signal with the remote and then wouldn’t connect with it for some reason when it was back in range. I’ll never do it again.