Is non spot lock trolling motors going the way of the dinosaurs

[YoungRE2]

I am considering forking over a lot of cash to buy a new trolling motor with all the goodies on it but would like to know if it is worth the price. I have used a cable operated unit for the last two or three decades and they have been very dependable and done the job most of the time. Are the cable driven units going toward extinction and all the new non cable driven units with all the up to date options the new thing. Are they better and more reliable or they still have a ways to go to function as well as the older ones do that are a lot cheaper. It is not really a money thing for me as much as having to learn a new technology and how to operate and repair it if needed. Does the majority of fishermen still use the older units or have switched to the newer ones.

[ThomasD]

The Ultrex and the new Quest Ultrex are cable driven

[Bradrodfish]

I do not believe that they are going away. There will always be a need for a plain jane troll motors. The average fishermen really is not interested in high end tech stuff. At lease they not around my area.

[bobcoy]

I don’t think Spotlock is considered high end anymore. It does not take much learning to use it. I think for most it is a first on the list feature when buying a new motor. Once you use it, I think you are spoiled for life. JMO Bob

[Bass in the grass]

I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever buy a regular TM again, spot lock only from here on out. With that said, I don’t fish jungles of grass, lily pads, etc.

[goodman_fishing]

Newer ones are a bit more finicky but I can't spend $1 toward a non-spot lock motor after having one. Nope.

[78Staff]

It took me a while, but I finally moved to a Spot Lock. Being a shallow water fisherman mostly, I really didn't think I would use it very much, but that is not the case - once you have it, you find you use it in all sorts of situations, both for fishing and for non-fishing, like holding in a spot while retying, or fussing with getting a drink or sanmmy, taking a whizz, etc. It's a bit like remote control for tv... once you have it you can never go back lol.

I do keep my Fortrex as a backup, as the new ones do seem more prone to issues, but knock on wood I have not had any in close to a year of owning the Ghost. Plus the used market for non-spotlock TM's is a dumpster fire.

[justinp61]

I bought a Ghost late last spring and coming from a Fortrex there was a learning curve, but not bad. Like others I'll never buy another tm without anchor mode. I crappie fish out an aluminum boat and only fish through the winter. The anchor mode has taken a ton of frustration out of my fishing. There are other features that are useful too. I'm running Lowrance electronics so I can control the tm from the df, I use the "go to" feature a lot when moving from one waypoint to another if they are reasonably close. When I start the tm in "go to" and set the speed I can pour a cup of coffee, change baits or whatever I need to do, when it arrives at its destination it anchors and sits there. If I still spider rigged, I could set up a route for it to follow and let it do the driving and I could concentrate on watching the rods.

If you buy one, I highly recommend you get one that will communicate with your depth finders, if not you're paying for features that you can't take advantage of.

Edit: I didn't see this mentioned but another advantage of the new technology is that the brushless motors don't create any interference in the depth finders. Plus, with brushless motors your batteries will last much longer (at least mine do) and you get more power for the same voltage. My Fortrex was 80# @ 24v, my Ghost is 97# @ 24v.

[YoungRE2]

I took the plunge, just ordered a new Power Pole Move with built in Lowrance transducer. I have older Lowrance units (9 pin) and don't know if they will work with the transducer on the Move but if they don't I will replace them for one's that will. I very rarely use them on the lakes I fish because the water is mostly shallow but the GPS function does help when running in low visibility. Once installed and checked out I will let you guys know how it went.

[PMantle]

For how I fish, I would give up spot lock to have cable steer. Thankfully, I get both with my current TM. The direct control over my transducer is way more important to me than spot lock, but then again, I fish for crappie more often than bass.

[bbarras85]

I guess it's one of those things that you don't know what you are missing if you never had it. I fish shallow and my fortrex suits me just fine. I also have power poles though.

[MCIPinkie]

Yep !!

[ttranger]

I think most fishermen would like to have a spot-lock motor, but the prices are far too high for the average guy. I work PT at Bass Pro and we still sell plenty of cable drive motors w/o spotlock. The majority of fishermen around here can't/won't spend $3K for a trolling motor.

[troutspinner]

I’m at the point now that when I bank fish, I still tap my right toe. Lol

[bassfisher444]

Nope not at all. Even if you have a spot lock trolling motor a regular cable driven is needed for a backup when it breaks.

[CatFan]

First time out with my Ultrex, I was crappie fishing with a buddy in shallow water with a lot of wind. My son called with big news. I spot locked and gave my buddy the remote while I enjoyed a conversation with my son. Just not imaginable how much different spot lock and a remote makes fishing until you’ve used it. It genuinely is a game changer.

[bobcoy]

I was in need of a small motor. I bought a 12v MK Powerdrive for $1100 OTD with ipilot. Not for your big rig but they don’t all cost 3K.

[WisconsinF]

Best purchase I ever made related to fishing. Would never be without one.

I had my original Motorguide Xi5 get water in the lower, probably from me banging into rocks on a regular basis.
Instead of repairing I found a VERY lightly used one locally that included a gateway, a Lowrance Point One, and a bunch of extra cables for just about $1k. (included the remote and foot pedal also)
It's been flawless since I installed it. Communicates with my Lowrance MFDs
I know it's a gamble buying used but I put my cards on the table and came out just fine....this time. (Fingers Crossed)

I've since found another used one with a smoked control board...purchased this one cheap also...swapped the good lower to my original and now I have a good backup unit.

[JTN]

The spot locks trolling motors might just be regular trolling motors over time…just like the Deere ITC receivers.lol.

[mikeky]

The spot locks trolling motors might just be regular trolling motors over time…just like the Deere ITC receivers.lol.

Yep, the TM's of the future will be thrusters built into the hull.