re: iPilot worth the money?
My previous boat had a bow mount Motorguide with foot pedal that I thought worked great and was very reliable. Then I bought my new (bigger) boat and needed a new trolling motor as the one on my previous boat was under powered for the new boat. I did a bunch of research and chose the Minn Kota Terrova 80lb/iPilot/US2/60" shaft. I can't believe the difference, technology wise.
I just posted a response that deals with this great technology on another thread. I'm going to copy it so you can read it. It gives you a brief idea of the advantages and how I use the technology:
"To be clear on the advanced technology's main advantage is that it gives you more time "FISHING" rather than constant "maneuvering" to compensate for forces you have no control over (like wind and wave activity). Being able to set a course to follow the shoreline and have the technology compensate along the way blew me away the first time I used it. The other VERY helpful feature is "Spot Lock". This feature electronically anchors the boat. Great for when you hit a hotspot, get snagged, fightin' a big one (fish that is!) or if you need to simply stop the boat to do something while close to shore and not have to throw an anchor out. I use this more frequently than I ever though I would. Also having the ability to control the motor anywhere you are on the boat, using the remote, is also a huge advantage. This is just a short list of things that I'm sure others can add on to. Yeah, I'm hooked!
I haven't taken advantage of the Universal Sonar (US2) yet because I've just started looking at a fishfinder for the bow since I have two fishing seats up there. I had dual fishfinders on my previous boat and appreciated the convenience."
Hope this helps!
