A-Jay

Yup - Although the Talons seem to 'slow the roll' a little, my rig reacts to any wake or wave the same as it would without the Talons deployed, but when they are, the boat will stay pinned down. Also these units have three User-Selectable Anchoring Modes: Separate anchoring modes for Rough Water (heavy wind and chop), Soft Bottom (muddy or silted bottom), and standard (normal anchoring). Plays a role in both keeping a rig pinned down AND adjusting the spike penetration depth into the bottom type which helps keep the spikes from getting stuck in a soft bottom. This is a real thing that can and does happen occasionally. Once the spikes sink so far into a very soft bottom, to where the unit is unable to 'pull' them out, Minn Kota has a ratchet system incorporated into the top of each unit that effectively allows for the spikes to be cranked up by hand. Frankly it's a bit of a PIA but it's the only way to free the units without damaging them. **** Unless you have the TILT BRACKETS installed. Then it's just a matter of depressing the tilt release and moving the boat forward and the spikes will SLIDE right out ! None of this is explained by anything I've read, kind of an A-Jay Alt. But it works well. Not enough to even come close to causing any buyers remorse either, at least for me. I did happen to video this one . . As I was getting ready to head to the ramp, I hit the 'up' button on the console, and the Unit beeped at me to tell me it was stuck in the bottom and unable to overcome it. You'll see the corrective action taken. A-Jay

Can't speak as to how the Power Poles react to the Rise & Fall of wave surges, but the Minn Kota Talons have what they call Water Absorption. Basically, the spikes are not locked in place within the unit. Instead they allow floating suspension which enables the boat to 'ride' up and down on the anchored spikes without affecting the anchoring. Unless the spikes are fully extented, the boat will adjust itself up and down and even side to side on the Talons to hold position. Very important, effective and useful. A-Jay

Is this in conjunction with the Fish Stocking Business or will you running these in separate locations ? Perhaps you could test your tackle on the stocked fish. A-Jay

There ya go ~ I'm pulling for you @FryDog62 A-Jay

Resurrected ~ My goal is to fish like I'm going to live forever and die tomorrow, both at the same time. A-Jay

This is a valid point and something I deal with; although with a the 25 inch transom on the Pro-V Bass, it may take a little bigger sea state. Either way, the Talons will HOLD the boat best with the stern facing the wind. Inevitably, this means water is going to come over the back and into the boat. I've had some occasions where it was blowing so hard the stern splash back was carrying all the way up to the bow and getting me wet. The important part of that is, I was still able to fish and present a bait effectively enough to get bit. I don't have any video of this, but when the next opportunity presents itself, I will be sure to get it. Is it open water yet ? A-Jay

I've had them since day one, so I have nothing to compare my rig with out them on it. While I do believe a pair of Talons trumps a single unit, if a one Talon deal is used along with the trolling motor, one may find that the TM needs to work less to hold the rig in place. However the advantage of two Talons is that the TM doesn't need to operate at all. Might not benefit from all the advantages of that with a single unit. Clearly there is some weight with the Talons installed but I don't think it's excessive by any means. What I consider more of a 'factor' than weight is wind resistance; both down the high way and across the lake. For reference, travel 50 plus mph in either your boat or your truck and stick your arm straight out the vehicle window or out from behind the console of your boat. Seems like a considerable amount of drag - now double that. Minn Kota says it's not a good idea to travel with them tilted down on the deck - but I'm Always very tempted to do so although I've not yet. All that said, I feel like I could easily run my rig all day with No Side, No Down Imaging and even No 360 Imaging, and still feel somewhat confident in my ability to get a few bites. But without the Talons, I'd feel like I was fishing with one Arm tied behind my back. I'll not own a rig without them. They are that important to the way I fish. Finally, spot-lock was not introduced until After I purchased the Pro-V Bass in 2016. If it had been available, I'd had gotten it - sort of a no brainer. Bassheads in my situation who have either the Talons or the Spot Lock, all seem to make do and do quite well making their set ups work to help get them bites. It's hard to chose which is 'better', don't think either actually is - just different. A-Jay

This winter has been underwhelming for sure. Mostly mild air temps and well below average snow fall amounts have both contributed to a very tolerable past few months locally. Really hope this trend continues. No sense getting all Old Man Winter on us at this point. Give it up, melt the little that's here and let's get to fishing some open water. And it's only January, I might need to calm down a little here. A-Jay

Can't speak as to the effectiveness of Pole Poles - don't have them - never did. "Are Talons 'worth It ?" ~ After 3 seasons with twin 12 ft Talons - I say Yes - Most Definitely. Being able to hold up in most situation in 10 ft or less, stop on a dime & stay there quietly, has helped me put more plus size fish in the net. And while spot lock is a very effective feature (one I do not have, but may have sooner rather than later) it may not be the best method of holding position in shallower water, silty bottoms, in weedy or shallow water cover or any situation where running that trolling motor may burn a spot & spook your fish. One Talon may me better than none but you'll spin around on it in some windy or current conditions. Bottom Line, Talons are a tool that suits the way I fish and they do come in handy launching & recovering my rig solo. YMMV A-Jay

Great Pic @Bluebasser86 Looks like you could not Possibly be any happier right there. Your sister (I'm guessing) maybe not do much . . . Good Times. A-Jay

Fishing the spawn were ya ? A-Jay

Me too ~ It's a conspiracy I tell ya. A real life conspiracy. A-Jay

Ya ~ I grew you and went to High School in Everett, just north of Boston. Never really went to the Cape much. Preferred the woods so I went north every chance I get. May explain where I currently live & retired to. I really like this thread - it's fun remembering those days & times. A-Jay

I think Cora's toast waiting to happen. Don't think there be any vacate action at all. But we might see a league wide batting average take a trip down below the Mendoza Line . . . Perhaps the Season Long MLB HR Derby and Launch angle BS will level off. Ball might not seem as 'juiced' in 2020 when the batters are back to guessing what's coming at them. #bushleague A-Jay

Growing up in New England in the 60's & 70's offered some decent bass fishing opportunities. My parents rented a place at the northern end of Lake Winnipesaukee in NH every summer, and I was all about it. Met a like minded bass fishing boy early on and we spent most every waking hour tooling all over that lake looking for green & brown bass. This fish choked a Fred Arbogast Mudbug crankbait presented on a Garcia Mitchell 300 spinning rod & reel and 10 lb Golden Stren. Might have been 4 lbs I guess but at the time (circa June 1974, I was 14) she was my personal best. I was really proud of that one. Still have the rod & reel and the bait (pictured) as well. Miss those days for sure and most all of that hair too. A-Jay

Biggest Green Bass totally destroyed a 6 in Storm Wild Eye Swim Shad. She was a gorgeous Mexican Bass and went 9.67 lbs. Biggest Brown Bass ate a Neg Rig, Green Pumpkin Big TRD. She was a goby turd shy of 7 lbs. (Don't tell David Dudley though). A-Jay

The heart break of losing a Giant is one of the ties that binds all us Bassheads. And there is nothing more sudden & final, than broken line. A-Jay

I was striped bass fishing with a couple of buds off a rock pile several falls ago at the mouth of a river at night in northern New England and hooked into 'something'. It was heavy & mostly dead weight but in the current it was super hard to get it. The moonless Night made it impossible to see what the heck it was until it was right at our feet. Dead Deer carcass - nasty ! I earned a new nickname that lasted a while that night. Initially it was "Deer Hunter" later shortend to "MV" which stood for Mike Vronsky - Robert De Niro's character in the movie Deer Hunter - which had recently come out. A-Jay LOL ~ I've heard that. A-Jay

No Doubt ~ Similar deal happened to me the season before I caught my PB Smallie - right in the same area. So you never know . . . . However, there's plenty of non-bass mutants up here to make it a big time guessing game until I see it. (all caught while bass fishing) #spoolplentyofbacking A-Jay

LOL ~ And they're all discontinued models - (you know Quantum) So if they need parts, I might be kind of hosed. #fingerscrossed This may be the last time the Q's make the trip to DVT. I'm already doing the R&D for the replacements. It's a daunting task. A-Jay

While I'm playing a 'big one', first I'm hoping it's actually a bass, then I always say, "Just let me see you". But once I do, if I lose her, regardless of how, I'm usually just a little more bummed out. Mostly because I had visual verification of what it was and it's approximate size. So Jumping off's a bummer and a hook pull is not the greatest. But when line breaks- THAT'S the worse, because I'll always feel like that's something I have control over. So when it fails, I either; was using gear insufficient for the task, Tied a bad knot, did not re-tie in a timely manner, did not check for frays or nicks, applied too much pressure / or had drag set incorrectly, did not present the bait & set up my rig in a position to fight the fish away from anything that could part my line or perhaps the biggest mistake of all - Purchased Bad Line to start with. So there's that. A-Jay

Thanks, You too ~ My wife has Chemo every 24 days. Does some good, does some bad. Stay Strong. A-Jay

That's Awesome ~ Getting in shape offers all kinds of challenges. Staying in shape long term, once we get there, can be a life long journey loaded with hurdles. It's a race worth winning though for sure. Thank you for the support, I certainly appreciate it. Here's to a the best version of you ever for 2020. A-Jay

No doubt ~ The Titans may only have to have 4 scoring drives the entire game to win. But each one might need to chew up 14:30 of game clock; and that might still not be enough. KC Scores Fast ! Gonna be fun to watch . . . A-Jay

Mr Lawson at DVT is working his magic on these as we speak ~ A-Jay