Power Poles vs Talons

[buster502]

I fish lots of shallow water and use my Talons constantly. My only complaint is you cannot glance back and see the blue lights in bright sun to know if they retracted or not - you have to turn and really look. If one Talon gets bound - lots of pressure against it, I have had it not retract without relieving the pressure which I understand. It would be much easier to glance back and see two Power Poles up or down instead of trying to see little blue lights...

I really use my shallow water anchors and will always have them from now on but not sure if next set will be Talon or PP..

why not just hook the the alarm up, the wire is there and i think minn kota says to hook it up, then add a led light ?????

[Champ2005]

I've recently (March) had two 12' Talons added to my boat. I will say I like the way they hold the boat, like the looks, and the light RMP sold me for the top of my talon for night time. However, one is in the shop already because it stopped deploying all the way. I think it's a stage 2 failure. It's under warranty, but now I'm without a brand new talon.

[Maine-Basser]

I have two 10' Talons and love them. One was in the shop for 3 days, but it was under warranty. Best thing about them is they deploy in tight quarters as they go straight down. No need to make sure I have nothing behind my boat before deploying.

[FlFedAngler]

I have no experience with Talons. But here is an example of PP customer service. I sent them both of my pumps / motors (2 years old). They received them on a Monday, rebuilt both of them (no charge) and I had them back the next day. They even sent (at no charge) fluid for both. Good luck with your decision.

[opaleski]

Lot of good advice here!! Hard decision to make!!

[Bassman25]

We sell Talons and sell a lot of them. I personally use them as well. I have no experience with Power Poles other than I have seen them. Guys around my area use Talons so I see them more. I really like the Talons because you just deploy them by pushing a button, no pumps, just electricity. they are super easy to install, which is a huge plus. The only negative I have seen with them is in fact the poles sticking up in the back, they could get the back boat fisherman tangled up, I fish alone a lot and it doesn't bother me a bit. The biggest advantage to them is the fact I can unload the boat, drop the talons down and come back to the boat, never have to mess with the docks. good luck on your research. Both companies make great products....In my opinion its a personal preference.

[smp005]

why not just hook the the alarm up, the wire is there and i think minn kota says to hook it up, then add a led light ?????

I have the alarm - that is for when you turn the ignition key. I'm referring to for example, when you drop them to fish a specific dock or spot, then raise them to move down to the next spot using the trolling motor.. I have to look back from the front of the boat at the blue lights - 20ft away and terrible eyesight :-)

[Loomis88]

Sound is deceiving cause noise of power poles are inside the boat where the pumps are...do they spook fish more is the question?

[Fishysam]

I think power pole blades are louder in the water, but where I fish it isn't always a big deal, just when its calm and skinny with high sky's...

[smp005]

I see Minn Kota has announced 15ft Talons now...

[Steve@BMS]

I have always run power poles and always will, great brand, excellent customer service, etc.

As mentioned above now Talons do have a 15' option which is cool if you fish areas that deep, but in FL, I have never needed more than my 8' blades.

Also, many reports that Power poles boats are faster than talons due to weight placement and aerodynamics.

[hunter991]

I have a single talon and love it. Others mentioned why they like them and it's a true. Just like the fact I can pull up on a spot and drop it straight down. No worries behind the boat. I have the 12' model. Holds my 18' nitro just fine.

[slipknobber bot]

I've ran blades, and 12ft talons. I will never go back to blades. Nothing "wrong" with them, i just love everything about the talons. Hold deeper, will actually hold in waves, and are faster.

[alli ss]

How big are the wires coming in to the boat from a talon?

[cfm56doc]

Wont help you, but I went with PP because the dealer threw it in if I closed the deal by a certain date.

[barbarian]

How big are the wires coming in to the boat from a talon?

I'm going to guess 12-14g. - 3 wires that for the most part the same size as your running light wires.

[Olebiker]

I went with a Talon because every time this discussion comes up the Power Pole users seem to have to use customer service a lot. The Talon is heavier, but it is definitely quieter than the Power Poles on my friends' boats.

[alpine4x4]

I have 8' Blades and fished for a week in my friends boat with two 12' Talons and an Ultrex. Of the three, the Ultrex is the best for deeper water hands down. The only thing I didnt like about the Ultrex is how the boat spun in the wind. The Talons were nice as they held deeper and he doesnt have awesome leaking pumps under his rear hatch, but they were big, bulky, and loud. I like my poles for dragging behind the boat in the wind to slow me down, but they really only hold in 6-6.5ft and for me that isn't deep enough most of the time. That and one of my poles is bleeding off now and both pumps leak, time for a trip to the dealer. Next investment for me will be the Ultrex for sure, no need to replace the poles. We used my buddies Ultrex 10:1 over his Talons and really only used the Talons in water where my poles would have reached anyways.

[liquid medication]

I own two of the older 8' talons. The only CONs I can think of is they are a little more noisy than the PPs and may weigh 1-2lbs more. The newer models are quieter than mine but still noticeable as I found out when I fished with Matt Herren in a BASS open on the Alabama river. I’ve had them for over 3 years now. PROs are, if they get stuck down you can retract them using a ratchet/socket or wrench. I marshalled an Elite series tx several years ago and ended up with a veteran BASS elite pro. One of his PP’s stuck down three times on him. The third and last time (because he refused to use them anymore) it stuck he cussed it and tried for 30 minutes to get it retracted while fishing for a prize of $100k. I asked him what now, he said we are going to let that 250 SHO rip the sum ***ch off, f’ing POS. Other PRO’s are with the tilt bracket you can lower them to clear your garage door, or anywhere else while fishing you need low clearance such as a low bridge. You can lay them on the boat while fishing if not deploying and you have a partner that is challenged when it comes to casting…..; The brackets make an excellent bathroom step to prevent dribbles on your boat; They don’t extend 3-4’ behind your boat when in shallow water. On three occasions when pulling away from a tight dock area for a tournament launch I just about chopped off someone’s PPs because they were just under the surface yet extending 3-4’ out from the rear of their boat; Talons are electrical and everything is contained in the head of the unit; There is no hydraulic fluid or extra lines/hoses you have to use to feed the unit; there is no additional units in your bilge, everything is self-contained; Low maintenance, all you have to do is wd40 a pulley near the bottom of the unit occasionally; Easy to remove, loosen 4 nuts to remove the unit and purchase the quick disconnects to allow removal without removing the entire power wire. On the type of brackets I have (sandwiched between transom and jack plate) I can remove two bolts and also remove 95% of the bracket.

I’ve had two issues and I’ll tell you Minn Kota’s customer support is second to none! First issue. I purchased the original tilt brackets when they came out. After about 1.5 years use the holes in the aluminum were elongating causing more and more excessive talon movement and additional hole elongation. I emailed Minn Kota customer support expressed my concerns and they sent me two new model brackets that had bushings in the holes which prevent elongation and other upgraded features. They also provided me with two UPS pre-paid shipping labels for me to return my worn brackets. No cost to me other than some tape for the box and fuel to drop off the brackets at a UPS pick up location. After 1.5 years use on the new brackets and there is absolutely no wear and they are solid as a rock. Second issue. Just last weekend I trailered my boat after fishing and during my walk around I noticed my driver side Talon was extended 8-10”. I determined that some time before I returned to the ramp the fiberglass spike must have stayed stuck in the ground as it was missing. When I got home I emailed Minn Kota’s customer support and told them that I knew the spikes had a lifetime warranty but did that warranty cover them when they fall out? I also told them there was no mention in the owners manual about any maintenance required to the spike attach points. No questions asked, they didn’t even request photos, they sent me a new spike and I received it 5 days after contacting them. If I ever have to replace them I’ll replace with Talons!