Ghost First Impressions

[jrhea]

Got my new ghost out on the water today. Overall, I really liked it and it exceeded my expectations. I am coming from a 36v Fortrex 112. A few thoughts -

Good Stuff:
1. Uses less deck space. It is more compact and the cable is much smaller. I didn't expect it and it may not seem like a big deal, but it was immediately apparent.

2. The speed "ramps" ever so slightly, which makes it so much smoother when it is engaged. If you are at a higher rate of speed (60%+ on the dial), the fortrex would instantly be there and jerk the boat and sometimes almost make you feel like you would fall off the boat, the ghost ramps over a second or so, which feels *SO* much better. I had no idea it did this and I love it.

3. The top speed increased significantly for my boat. My fortrex was 3.1MPH, the Ghost is 3.8MPH. I have a Nitro Z21 and there were two of us in the boat with a full tank of gas and all my gear.

4. I have not had spotlock like capability before. It is cool and it works.

5. While it may sound stupid, I really like the gas shock for deploying and bringing back up. Additionally, I love the way the unit automatically puts the propeller to the side and lays the head flat so I don't have to mess with the pedal or hit the front of my boat when stowing. Cooler feature than I expected.

6. Engineering and build quality seems exceptional for a trolling motor. Seriously nice little piece of kit.

7. The built in Sonar and downscan is crystal clear. I had the HDI transducer on my Fortrex and while it just may be my imagination, this looks crisper. It is certainly every bit as good for 100% sure - downscan is *very* clean.

Not so good:

1. It comes in several pieces and takes longer to install than I would expect. Read the directions carefully, they matter. I probably spent 2-3 hours installing the thing.

2. The current live, TI, and carbon units can't connect to it and control it. There is supposed to be a software update this month. If you roll out a trolling motor with this kind of capability, the software integration should be there at launch. Disappointed in Lowrance for this and there is zero information on their site or in the manuals about this software update being required. I wasted a lot of time thinking I was doing something dumb.

3. The head doesn't move with the lower unit. As a result, there is noise associated with the motor in the head moving the lower unit. On my trolling motor it is noticeable. Sounds like R2D2 on my front deck when I move the pedal. I have a habit of just keeping my foot on the pedal and moving a bit here and there. It was so annoying I had to stop doing that. When the head is not having to move the lower unit and it is just running, the thing is dead freaking silent though.

4. I can't get Bluetooth to work on mine. Not sure what the deal is with that. Wouldn't connect to my phone or the app no matter what I did.


I would absolutely recommend buying this trolling motor if you are in the market. I have zero regrets.

Now to find a good deal on a livescope and I will be all set.

John

[grout-scout]

Did you follow the configuration into Bluetooth? Mine connected and even downloaded my info to the lowrance site, so it does work.

[jrhea]

I put it into config mode, held the battery button down until it started flashing and searched for bluetooth devices on my phone.. Nothing ever showed up as a device to connect to..

[rbarrow]

You need to download and use the Lowrance free app to pair it. It shows up when you use the app but not if you just attempt to pair it like a "normal" BT device.

Agreed on the release of 19.2/3...should have already been out but they have a LOT of things to address with this update...not just Ghost

[grout-scout]

Did you download the Lowrance app?

edit: Wacky posted at the same time.

[Fishton]

You need to download and use the Lowrance free app to pair it. It shows up when you use the app but not if you just attempt to pair it like a "normal" BT device.

Agreed on the release of 19.2/3...should have already been out but they have a LOT of things to address with this update...not just Ghost

+1

[krindgen]

Good info. Was wondering how the noise compares to an Ultrex which seems loud.

[Boogerman]

Thanks for this

[jrhea]

I took my son out today. He regularly fishes with his partner that has an ultrex. He said the ghost makes *much* less noise (specifically for the head movement) and said the motion is much smoother on the pedal. He said acceleration seemed similar.

John

[Fishton]

I took my son out today. He regularly fishes with his partner that has an ultrex. He said the ghost makes *much* less noise (specifically for the head movement) and said the motion is much smoother on the pedal. He said acceleration seemed similar.

John

Good info, thank you

[McGinnis_Fishing16]

I took my son out today. He regularly fishes with his partner that has an ultrex. He said the ghost makes *much* less noise (specifically for the head movement) and said the motion is much smoother on the pedal. He said acceleration seemed similar.

John

I have not seen the Ghost in person yet but that was the first thing I noticed on the Ultrex is how loud it is when turning.

[zachmeredith]

[dean c]

Did the bracket require new holes or did it line up with the minn Kota holes?

[zachmeredith]

Did the bracket require new holes or did it line up with the minn Kota holes?

The Ghost has two sets of mounting holes. One that fits Motorguide motors and one that fits MinnKota. I had a Motorguide Tour Pro and I used the same holes to mount my Ghost.

[dean c]

The Ghost has two sets of mounting holes. One that fits Motorguide motors and one that fits MinnKota. I had a Motorguide Tour Pro and I used the same holes to mount my Ghost.

Thank you sir