Gps trolling motor

[Foul-mouthedBass]

I'm looking for a GPS trolling motor for my 2024 bass Tracker classic XL. I have a Garmin fish finder looking for something that's compatible if any. I know about the Garmin force and maybe one day but right now I just can't afford 3600 bucks. So I wanted to know what are my other options if any. 

[MN Fisher]

If you're talking sonar only - certain Minnkota units with built in sonar will connect to Garmin Echomaps.

 

If you're talking remote control of the TM from the Echomap - you're limited to the Force or Kraken TMs from Garmin.

[Jig Man]

You can go to the Minn Kota site and see what Garmins will work with the US2 transducer.  While there you can research the trolling motors to see which ones do what you want to do.

[gimruis]

The previous generation of bow mounts that Minnkota made with Universal Sonar (US2) will work with an adaptor cord using any graph, such as your Garmin. The only feature you will be able to access is the 2D sonar though.

 

The newest versions are Quest models and they are not compatible with anything except Humminbirds.

[Junger]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

The newest versions are Quest models and they are not compatible with anything except Humminbirds.

 

I think the Quests are supposed to work with Lowrance and Garmin with CHIRP: https://minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/support/compatibility/dual-spectrum-chirp

 

I was debating going with a Garmin livescope unit at the bow with the Ultrex Quest, but ultimately decided to just wait for the next generation of MegaLive.

[gimruis]

I would personally want a bow mount that integrated with my graphs these days if I was able to make that happen.

 

All threee of the major brands make their own bow mounts and graphs so you might as well just select the one that they go with.

[Foul-mouthedBass]

What about motor guides xi5???

[MN Fisher]

36 minutes ago, Foul-mouthedBass said:

What about motor guides xi5???

Transducer is compatible with some Echomap units - but the Echomaps can't control the motor.

[Foul-mouthedBass]

4 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Transducer is compatible with some Echomap units - but the Echomaps can't control the motor.

I mean at this point all I'm really looking for is spot lock I mean do I care about routes. Not really unless there's something else that I'm missing

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, Foul-mouthedBass said:

I mean at this point all I'm really looking for is spot lock

Spot Lock would be under 'motor control' - so nope...would have to engage that from the motor control, not the Echomap...but yes, the Spot Lock GPS in the motor would hold your position as well as other TMs.

[Woody B]

I may be in the minority here, but transducer technology changes quicker than trolling motor technology.  I'd recommend any scissor lift GPS motor without a built in transducer.  You can clamp a transducer to the motor, then easily change it when technology evolves.  

[gimruis]

45 minutes ago, Foul-mouthedBass said:

I mean at this point all I'm really looking for is spot lock I mean do I care about routes. Not really unless there's something else that I'm missing

 

You can select almost any bow mount and use spot lock on its own because the GPS is built right into the head of the unit.  Most of the higher end models come standard with it now.  Some with a pedal, some with a remote, some with both.

 

You will be limited to just utilizing that feature for the most part though.  There are a lot of other features you will not be able to use if you do not link up your graphs and motor.  If you don't care about using any of those other features, then just select a unit with spot lock.  Motorguide Xi5 has it but it's compatible with Lowrance, not Garmin, for other features.

[Foul-mouthedBass]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

 

You can select almost any bow mount and use spot lock on its own because the GPS is built right into the head of the unit.  Most of the higher end models come standard with it now.  Some with a pedal, some with a remote, some with both.

 

You will be limited to just utilizing that feature for the most part though.  There are a lot of other features you will not be able to use if you do not link up your graphs and motor.  If you don't care about using any of those other features, then just select a unit with spot lock.  Motorguide Xi5 has it but it's compatible with Lowrance, not Garmin, for other features.

What other features are we talking that you find is a must-have? And would I have to get another head unit to utilize the transducer since my fish finder already has a transducer?

[gimruis]

Here are the links for the features that each bow mount has.  You'll have to decide which is most important to you.

Minnkota

https://minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/learn/featured

 

Garmin

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/610414

 

Motorguide

https://shop.motorguide.com/products/motors/freshwater.html

 

Lowrance

https://www.lowrance.com/ghost-trolling-motor/

 

 

 

 

[Scherbacj]

I am new to this, but the Motorguide Tour Pro has spot lock and has a universal sonar that will provide 2D and Down Imaging with any graphs. I have no idea on the quality of the sonar imaging, but if you mostly want spot lock, and maybe heading lock, it would be a good fit and you also get some sonar features and possibly more depending on your graph. 
 

I am trying to decide between the Tour Pro and the Ghost. I know the Ghost is a much better TM, and will integrate with my HDS Pro’s a lot more, but I don’t know how much I will use many of those features so being able to get the Tour Pro for $1,500 less is pretty appealing. 
 

For the guys who have matching Trolling Motors and Graphs, what features do you use the most besides Spot-Lock and Heading Lock? I guess being able to setup a course and let the motor run it while you fish is cool, but aside from your “home lake”, how often do you take the time to chart a course and run it? I’m still new so to me it seems like you would spend a lot of time creating the course and less time fishing. 

Also, I like that the Tour Pro is still a cable steer unit. So even if the spot lock/steering motor goes out, you still have a usable trolling motor. Most other motors can’t be steered manually once the steering motor goes out. 

[gimruis]

@Scherbacj I did some research on the exact same two models you indicated, the Tour Pro and the Ghost.  I am pretty much set on the Tour Pro when the time comes, mostly because its the only true cable steer model out there with modern spot lock.

 

@Woody B has a Tour Pro on his boat.  He answered some of my questions about it this summer.  He might be able to help you.

 

Also, @Glenn did an on-the-water test of the Tour Pro, Ghost, and Kraken with features and noise.  The Ghost was by far the loudest underwater.  Kinda ironic given the name of it.

[DaubsNU1]

@Scherbacj, I had an old Minn Kota cable steer 40lb trolling motor and really loved it. Quick to change directions, easy to operate. Mounted transducer of my Garmin Echomap to the bottom and it worked really well for me. Down and side imaging was good.

 

I was really set on a Garmin Force mated with Garmin fish-finders for the new boat.

 

Then my brother got a new boat, and went Ulterra | Helix.

 

I fished with him a lot, and even borrowed his boat for a trip with the wife to South Dakota. Game over...I went Ulterra networked to Helix 9's on my boat.

 

What I really like:

• Auto deploy and stow is very nice. Yes, it's something that may break down in the future...but is super easy to use, very convenient.
• If I'm brave, and there are other boaters around...I'll launch the boat and never leave the truck...using the remote to deploy the TM and spot lock...while I park the truck and walk back to the ramp. Oh, i've had to swim once when the TM cable got caught and stopped the auto deploy. If I'm alone...use a rope and "old-school" my boat launch.
• I actually like the low profile foot control pedal.
• The handheld remote works well
• Mark a way-point on the console Helix...deploy the Ulterra (from the Helix), and select "go to way-point..." The Ulterra automatically navigates to the way-point, and spot-locks when you get there.  Very cool!
• Humminbird side imaging seems much better / more detail vs. the Garmin
• Spot-Lock is great
• I don't use "follow contour" feature. I do use auto-pilot a lot. Very good.

What I don't like:

• Cable steer is much quicker to turn and move the boat. But I am adapting to the Ulterra
• Can't add live-view or 360 view to the Ulterra...would need a separate pole for those traducers
• At some point in time, the auto deploy and stow is going to break down...more electronics, more points of failure.
• Sometimes the Helix's don't connect to the Ulterra...random. Strange.

 

[Scherbacj]

29 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

@Scherbacj, I had an old Minn Kota cable steer 40lb trolling motor and really loved it. Quick to change directions, easy to operate. Mounted transducer of my Garmin Echomap to the bottom and it worked really well for me. Down and side imaging was good.

 

I was really set on a Garmin Force mated with Garmin fish-finders for the new boat.

 

Then my brother got a new boat, and went Ulterra | Helix.

 

I fished with him a lot, and even borrowed his boat for a trip with the wife to South Dakota. Game over...I went Ulterra networked to Helix 9's on my boat.

 

What I really like:

• Auto deploy and stow is very nice. Yes, it's something that may break down in the future...but is super easy to use, very convenient.
• If I'm brave, and there are other boaters around...I'll launch the boat and never leave the truck...using the remote to deploy the TM and spot lock...while I park the truck and walk back to the ramp. Oh, i've had to swim once when the TM cable got caught and stopped the auto deploy. If I'm alone...use a rope and "old-school" my boat launch.
• I actually like the low profile foot control pedal.
• The handheld remote works well
• Mark a way-point on the console Helix...deploy the Ulterra (from the Helix), and select "go to way-point..." The Ulterra automatically navigates to the way-point, and spot-locks when you get there.  Very cool!
• Humminbird side imaging seems much better / more detail vs. the Garmin
• Spot-Lock is great
• I don't use "follow contour" feature. I do use auto-pilot a lot. Very good.

What I don't like:

• Cable steer is much quicker to turn and move the boat. But I am adapting to the Ulterra
• Can't add live-view or 360 view to the Ulterra...would need a separate pole for those traducers
• At some point in time, the auto deploy and stow is going to break down...more electronics, more points of failure.
• Sometimes the Helix's don't connect to the Ulterra...random. Strange.

 

Being able to stow/deploy and auto pilot like you mention does sound pretty useful. I might have to look into that. I don’t know if the Ghost can do any of that, but switching to Hummingbirds and Minn Kota isn’t an option at the moment because I would have to replace EVERYTHING to do it. If the Ghost is able to do some of that, I might consider the extra cost, if it doesn’t have similar functions then I don’t see any reason to go that route over the Tour Pro. 
 

Thanks for your input! 

[Junger]

12 hours ago, Scherbacj said:

For the guys who have matching Trolling Motors and Graphs, what features do you use the most besides Spot-Lock and Heading Lock? I guess being able to setup a course and let the motor run it while you fish is cool, but aside from your “home lake”, how often do you take the time to chart a course and run it? I’m still new so to me it seems like you would spend a lot of time creating the course and less time fishing. 

 

I use go to waypoint, follow iTrack, and follow contour on my Ultrex/Helix combo frequently. I mapped my home lake a couple years ago in the late fall on a warm day. I didn't map the entire lake, just certain areas and it didn't take long, maybe 2 hours at most.

[Rockhopper]

If you map a lake that the water level fluctuates throughout the year, do any of these units compensate for that? Does the technology exist to tell the unit to stay 5 or 10 feet inside or outside of the line if you know the water has gone up or down?  What about if it is following a route, and the water gets shallow on the route.  Can you program it to default to stay in water above say 2 or 3 feet or whatever the case may be?  What if it is following a route and the motor contacts the bottom?  Will it shut off? Will it back itself out of that spot?

[gimruis]

It is my understanding that some units can adjust to fluctuating water levels when you do a software update.  Obviously if you're mapping it yourself, its going to conduct that based on the current depths at the time.

 

We've had drought here 3 out of the past 4 years and I have noticed some of my depths being a little off in recent seasons.  It would say 10 feet when it was closer to about 8.  When I did a software update, it changed to the most recent depths.

 

Of course this year, we had a really wet year (which was welcomed) and now the depth is showing slightly shallow than what it actually is.

[Junger]

3 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

If you map a lake that the water level fluctuates throughout the year, do any of these units compensate for that? Does the technology exist to tell the unit to stay 5 or 10 feet inside or outside of the line if you know the water has gone up or down?  What about if it is following a route, and the water gets shallow on the route.  Can you program it to default to stay in water above say 2 or 3 feet or whatever the case may be?  What if it is following a route and the motor contacts the bottom?  Will it shut off? Will it back itself out of that spot?

 

My Helix has the option to adjust the water level. No, but you can shade certain depths, like anything under 2 feet, shade it red. I make and follow custom iTracks, where I know it's deep enough for the TM, and no objects. It will follow the iTrack, and nothing else unless you tell it to otherwise. Following the contours is pretty much the same thing, except the contours are already pre-programmed. I find iTracks work better for custom paths in shallows (dodge stumps, logs, etc), and Follow Contours works better on offshore drop offs. That's how I use them.

[Scherbacj]

Has anyone tried the Motorguide Universal Sonar? How is the image quality? It doesn’t look like the Ghost has many extra features I would like, so I am probably going with the Motorguide, but you can get it with or without the Universal Sonar and since I already have a transducer for my graphs I don’t see a reason to spend the extra $300 for the universal sonar unless it is “better” or somehow offers something a external transducer doesn’t? 

Has anyone tried the Motorguide Universal Sonar? How is the image quality? It doesn’t look like the Ghost has many extra features I would like, so I am probably going with the Motorguide, but you can get it with or without the Universal Sonar and since I already have a transducer for my graphs I don’t see a reason to spend the extra $300 for the universal sonar unless it is “better” or somehow offers something a external transducer doesn’t? 

Has anyone tried the Motorguide Universal Sonar? How is the image quality? It doesn’t look like the Ghost has many extra features I would like, so I am probably going with the Motorguide, but you can get it with or without the Universal Sonar and since I already have a transducer for my graphs I don’t see a reason to spend the extra $300 for the universal sonar unless it is “better” or somehow offers something a external transducer doesn’t? 

Has anyone tried the Motorguide Universal Sonar? How is the image quality? It doesn’t look like the Ghost has many extra features I would like, so I am probably going with the Motorguide, but you can get it with or without the Universal Sonar and since I already have a transducer for my graphs I don’t see a reason to spend the extra $300 for the universal sonar unless it is “better” or somehow offers something a external transducer doesn’t? 

[Woody B]

I've got a Motorguide Tour Pro on my Tracker but it doesn't have built in sonar.  

[WRB]

Your sonar is via the transducer mounted on the TM shaft. Your TM can’t follow specific sonar depth contour automatically unless you have Pin Point spot lock feature.

Tom