Keeping boat positioned in deep water

How does everyone keep their boat positioned in one spot when fishing a ledge, drop off etc? I would love to get an ipilot but don't have the money for that yet. Is there an effective anchor for this or do I just need to get better at working the trolling motor? Would love to be able to just concentrate on fishing, especially on really windy days. Any advice is appreciated.

Throw out a buoy where you want trolling motor to be setting. Then stay near it with the trolling motor

GPS and trolling motor does the job

Rope anchor up wind.

Triangulation.....

+1

Bouy and spot lock

Any of the above.

For those of us without the new "spot-lock" feature (which is awesome). The best way is with a buoy like mentioned above. Worst part about buoys is having to wind them up when you move spots.

And all the other boats homing in on your buoy

The technique has been around for about 30,000 yrs. It is called a big rock and a rope. Nowadays you can get a plastic covered steel, but the technique is still the same. Anchor down wind or across wind from where you want to fish

Or your partner constantly catching the rope after you've told him 100 times to stay clear of it!

lmao

I pilot and never look back.

im intigued, tell me more

Waypoints and trolling motor. I have my spot marked then I fish around it looking for the "sweet" spot once I find it I put a waypoint there so I know where to position the boat. Landmarks help too. I like using A bouy but it attracts to many people and gives away your spot.

Something that really helps all of this and makes life easy out deep is a point one antenna at the front of the boat

my Garmin 93sv's internal GPS leaves a lot to be desired with boat heading. To the point where it's hard to run back over a waypoint without making multiple passes.

This is why I have point1 on both graphs front and back

Got to go with buoys in open water

Forget the iPilot "spot lock" with a Minnkota and get an "anchor" with the Motor Guide Xi5... Lol

I dont see how having a bouy out draws more attention to a spot than just seeing someone fishing off shore.

marker buoy and standing on the trolling motor, it is a beating sometimes but nothing better than feeling that thump out in deeper water IMO

I paint my buoys black. Work fine because I know the general area they are in if I get blown off the spot, so they aren't hard to find, and it does wonders to keep the pot lickers away. They think your some goober casting at gar swirls or something.

Guess I have been lucky as far as the potlickers go... I just drop the bouys and keep the trolling motor on medium, rove between them.

Good way to use up a trolling motor battery, but hey it's what you gotta do!

Also if you can help it, point the hull in the direction the waves are coming in and it should help with drifting.

Once I get better at my electronics I might try the waypoints

+2