I will be in the position to buy another(new)boat in December. I currently drive a 2009 Skeeter 190SX. I have been bass fishing all my life(40+ years)and currently fish Media Bass. I say all this because I need input as to whether or not to include Shallow Water anchors on my next purchase. I have known for a year that I would be having to make this decision. With that in mind I made a note everytime I wished I had the anchor system this past tourney tour. Counting pre-fish, tourney days and fun fishing I only experienced a handful of times I wish I had them. Even the times I wished I had them I was still able to produce bites. The internal debate I keep having " Are they worth the cost". "Am I paying a fairly large amount for something that I really have never needed? Would I rather spend a couple thousand dollars on fishing gear/tackle/repairs or the anchors?" Of course never having owned/used the anchors my opinion is one sided.
Input?

They definitely seem like a huge advantage to me. However I don't own a boat so I will leave this to other more qualified personnel.

I have had Power Pole 8 fts. Sportsman II on my last 2 boats and would not buy a boat without them. I do a lot of shallow water fishing and I use them almost as much as my trolling motor. Power down when boating a fish in the wind. Power down to change baits. Power down to thoroughly fish a brush line when the wind is blowing. Power down when pulling up to the bank. Power down when launching the boat by myself. Power down to fan cast a spawning flat in the spring. On and on.

You can argue the pros and cons of 8ft over 10ft Power Poles, and Power Pole over Talon. They both have their goods and bads. I can speak for the Power Pole warranty as being one of the best I have ever encountered. They can trouble shoot your Hydraulic motor using a smart phone. My son done it and they sent him a new pump without any calls or emails. Not sure if Talon has this feature.

My advice. Get the Shallow water anchors.

They do seem like a good thing to me, but I like fishing shallow. I do not currently own a boat, so my vote is moot.

After fishing as a co-angler for the last few years and recently getting another boat this spring with a power pole, I won't have a boat without 1 or 2. I would buy a boat without them but would add them as soon as I could afford them. On my list they would be added/upgraded 2nd after upgrading a graph if needed. 3rd is trolling motor if needed. Coach

I have a smaller boat (17ft Mako Proskiff) so this may not be pertinent but I opted NOT to add a power pole. Partly due to the cost and partly because of the added weight for this small boat. What I did instead was add a Minn Kota Terrova iPilot which is an incredible piece of equipment. I use the Spot Lock feature to hold the boat in position but if I am in very shallow water I sometimes use an 8' stickit anchor. Both work well. I have been in boats with power poles and have to admit they are impressive but for the price my solution is better for me and my style of fishing.
Minn Kota just announced the release of an improved Spot Lock available this Fall which should make this feature even more useful. Couple that with the newly announced Ultrex trolling motor (combines best features of the Fortrex with the iPilot) and one might not need the Power Poles.

So what is the added weight if you install 2 power poles?

I would not want to have a boat without them after having them on my last 2 boats. Being able to stop the boat in up to 12 foot of water is a great advantage...love my Talons worth every penny.

+1 (only wish I had the room to add the wanted 2nd one)
BTW: my rig is only an 18' Stratos....yes, they/it works great in a smaller rig - love my 12' Talon !!!
JMO

God Bless

I have the 8' Talons(Trackers don't have space for hydro pumps) and don't think I would want to fish without them!! Granted most of my fishing is done in <6' FOW so I am constantly using them. Retie, fight a fish, hit a particular area better, loading/unloading the boat, waiting to go on tourney day, etc. I had 1 at first and you get the side to side swinging affect so I got my 2nd rather quickly and now love being able to "sit" somewhere. I like to fish fast and having the Talon's has taught me a lot as when I catch a fish say off a stump I now instinctively Talon down and then fish that stump with something else and have been able to catch multiple fish where as before I would have just kept on going.

If you can get a boat with them- Talons or Powerpoles- Great! if not that would be the first thing I would upgrade! Of course if you fish more than 15' deep a lot they won't be as useful.

In my opinion they are definitely worth the money. I have two 8' Power Pole Blades and I use them every single trip. I'm a shallow water fisherman so they're a necessity to me. I use them at the ramp, I use them for bedding fish, I use them to slow my boat down in the wind, I use them to stop my boat from beating against rocks after a ski boat goes by, I use them for just about anything. I can't describe you how durable they are but I've run into docks, anchors, rocks, banks, steel pipes, anything you can think of and the only thing that's wrong with them is that they have a couple scratches. I've also attempted to take off with them down and barely went anywhere, and they were fine. They're incredibly durable. They're basically maintenance free too. Whenever I take my boat in to get serviced I have them check the fluid in the pumps and just look for anything out of the ordinary. I love em' and I'll always have em' on my boat.

Thanks for all the replies. I am a shallow water guy myself and y'all have brought up many good points. Lots of info to think over. Appreciate it, stay safe, hydrate, wear your PFD's and tight lines!

They are a must. I have the Power Poles and it's so nice not having to fight the trolling motor in heavy winds.

I have 2 12 ft Talons and I would not have a boat without them. They just make it so much easier to fish and do thing.

When you don't have them you take note of times when you think you use them. However, when you have them you use them more than you realize.

Weight, Power Pole I would guesstimate 15-30 lbs per pole. The pumps do take up some space in the rigging compartment.

Yep, I am right on, just checked the weights from the brochures on PP site!!!