Using i-pilot to FULL advantage

[TyGuy02]

I bought a minnkota with i-pilot last spring and couldn't have been more impressed! But I was disappointed how I could never record a track since I'm too scatter-brained once I get on the water.

I was talking with MNMike yesterday and he helped answer some questions of mine regarding Hbird GPS/sonar, and a 798 is on my wishlist for this spring.

Has anyone ever tried having the trolling motor just above the water, following a weedline/depth using the GPS sonar at cruising speed and using the record a track at the same time to go back on that same path? I thought about trying it last year, but with my old technology depth finder, I never thought it would be that beneficial. In theory...this would be a great use of both the i-pilot AND the GPS/sonar(SI/DI). Your thoughts?

[fishwater]

I usually record tracks by making a pass at a much faster pace than I would while fishing. Most often I use the TM at a higher speed though and not the main motor.

We were doing precisely as you suggest with weedlines this past fall on Mille Lacs; make a high speed pass staying just off the weeds using SI, then sit back and let the ipilot troll you back through, works awesome!

[reddog]

I put my first saved trail down on Saturday afternoon when I was done fishing. I just left the Terrova in the water at the regular depth, positioned the boat wher I wanted to start, and pushed the record button. I followed the slope for about half a mile with the main engine, and then shut of the recorded track.

Sunday, when I went back to the end of the saved trail , I just hit start, and it took me right back to the startup point, only it took three hours, and about 60 spot locks inbetween! I was impressed! You can control the speed you want to go back, You can spot lock anywhere you want to. you can get off the track and work your way around, then just resume. It was a way cool feature.

[Dusty]

For me the record track over steers to much. A gust of wind catches the boat and your off course. I find myself going back to the manual functions as I can react much quicker to conditions. In other words I feel a gust of wind, I am all ready turning the motor into the wind, where as if in record track mode the wind has to blow you of course then work its way back. I fish almost exclusivly for walleye on reef edges and the fish are often at one depth, so for me I seldom use that feature. I do use the spot lock a lot and the cruse control feature to fine tune my speed.

[TyGuy02]

I agree with you Dusty on the overcompensation factor and conditions, and last year I enjoyed taking advantage of the gps cruise control and advanced autopilot. I am getting a larger boat very soon (not my purchase so I don't know precisely how much larger) but I'll be going from a 14' to a 17'-18' and was hoping that maybe the increase in size will help with the overcompensation. Obviously the record-a-track will not work in all conditions, but it just seems to slick of a feature to toss aside and not try to use it to all of it's capabilities.

If everybody keeps complaining, "why can't we link the TM with the sonar?" Doesn't cruising at 6-8 mph while following a weedline using the sonar and recording the track seem like the closest we will get at this time to doing that exact concept?

Thanks fishwater, do you notice any issues with speed? Meaning the faster you go, the more spread out the reference points are for the track and leading to issues when refollowing the track?

[reddog]

Its not gonna perform flawlessly in every application or condition.

I like the fact that I didnt have to study the depths all the time, in fact, I hardly ever had to look at the depth when I was on the trail.

[Dusty]

Tyguy, I think you may have a good idea about working the shore line with the main motor while recording the track. At least its worth a try. I have a V2 powerdrive I never use a foot petal anyway but casting a shoreline for Smallies can be a challange with out one, so the record a track may be the way.

BTW, I had to have my power head replaced on mine last year after two months of use, under warranty of course. I haven't heard of others with problems so I hope it was an isolated incident.

[TyGuy02]

Dusty, I never had a problem last year with the powerhead. I even had to use it as my main motor when my tiller was on the fritz! I fish small lakes mostly, so it never took too long to make my way to a spot that I liked. I guess I've never understood people complaining that they couldn't cast with the remote. I spent half my time casting jigs/cranks and used the remote exclusively (PD2 = no footpedal), but I've never used a footpedal ever, so I guess it wasn't trained into my brain yet.

[CaptainMusky]

I dont see how not having a remote would be a challenge to cast shorelines for smallies either. I have the copilot and just clip it to a belt loop with autopilot turned on. Works perfectly fine, those dang pedals work like 25% of the time and are completely useless because they stop working.

[Dusty]

I guess the auto pilot would work if your on a staight shore line but the lake I fish is rocky with a lot of irregular shore line. I find myself steering around points, boulders, downed trees ect. I think the record a track would be a better way to go for me. I so seldom fish for Smallies or pike that its not that big of a deal anyway.

[CaptainMusky]

I guess the auto pilot would work if your on a staight shore line but the lake I fish is rocky with a lot of irregular shore line. I find myself steering around points, boulders, downed trees ect. I think the record a track would be a better way to go for me. I so seldom fish for Smallies or pike that its not that big of a deal anyway.

True, but using autopilot doesnt mean you just point it in a direction and leave it there. Hence the reason I keep the remote at close reach. I have the autopilot on to compensate for wind and current mostly. I am constantly adjusting for changing depth, etc. The non-autopilot models would work for this too, but once you point in a direction it just stays there doesnt adjust for anything.

The record a track would definitely be the best option overall. But using a remote to steer the motor while casting is quite easy.

[Covey]

I found last year that the advanced auto pilot was one of my favorite features. You just point in a direction and it automatically adjust for wind and current. Made it really easy to stay on course while casting, netting a fish or tying a line. Loved the i-pilot.

Has anyone heard of it not working in Canada?

[Dusty]

I fish the Canadian side of Namakan lake all summer and it works fine there but that is just inside of Canada.

[yaggie]

No reason it would not work the same everywhere since there is full coverage with GPS satilights. The record track feature is excellent. If it over compensates it will work back to the track and you may find the fish are a few feet off your original track. In do not know why they do not make it available to record your track on a sd chip so you could reload it weeks later if you return to the same lake.

[Jarrod32]

When I got mine, I went out for an afternoon just to run the i-Pilot and my new Humminbird 597. I spent a few hours just toying around with them, and never put a line in the water. The i-Pilot coupled with a Humminbird GPS and Lakemaster chip is a very powerful combination.

The spot lock feature is great...I don't think I put my anchor in the water once last year. I still have a particularly productive path saved in the i-Pilot for future use on one of my favorite lakes.

[gregg52]

i looked at the minn kota site just for a sec i believe i can hook it up to my terrova

you said you didnt anchor much with the spot lock feature

my terrova is a 80lb...do you think it will hold me in like a 20-25mph wind

on winnie ??????

[PerchJerker]

For me, I have not really found any situations where I would rather use the Record A Track function over manually steering the boat. I think it's due to the way I fish ....... lots of different bodies of water, lots of differnet spots on those bodies of water, almost always using artificial baits and covering water, and I like to use my electronics a lot to look for fish or spots ...... so I do a lot of moving between outside weedline, inside weedline, over the weeds, out away from the weeds, up and down the breakline, etc. It's to the point now where I almost never use the Record A Track function. I love the i-Pilot and use the other functions a lot, just not the Record A Track.

[Can'tFishEnuf]

I like using the record a track when drifting an area. I will record my drift downwind and then let the record a track take me back to the beginning. It seems to stay on track a little better when going directly into the wind. The spot-lock is also awesome for hunting suspended fish in deep water. All the features are great they just all have a time or place.

[adamr]

I put the i-pilot on my terrova 80 pound it takes less than two minutes.

[remington 300]

gregg52, 20-25 mph winds? it doesnt respond fast enough to keep you exactly on the spot,in wind that strong a real anchor would work better,

mike,

[gregg52]

well it wouldnt have to keep on the exact spot

just the general area

when i anchor the boat probably swings back and forth 50 ft any way

[tlures]

Greg, Last fall fishing walleyes, shoreline point, solid 20-25 mph winds. Fishing in 18.5 ft glass boat, big windshield. I was really impressed w/ performance of spot lock in those conditions. The wind might blow me off my spot 15-20 yards but spot lock always pulled me back to original spot. In reality it allowed me to continue to jig fish various depths to and from original locked on spot, which worked out real well. That wind was brutal, maybe even up to 30 mph, but all things considered the i-pilot's performance was awesome. It sure beat trying to handle boat and fish at same time in those conditions. More positives than negs.

[gregg52]

TLURES

Thanks thats the kinda of info i'm looking for