How crucial is your trolling motor to Striper Fishing?

Just daydreaming of a new boat here.. nothing new...

Was checking out some boats that are more versatile / "family friendly", like some of the dual-consoles or fish n ski type boats. Now, I've always been a center console guy, but I saw a really nice Robalo dual console on social media... let the daydreaming begin... If it were up to me, there would be minimal (at best) consideration for comfort and pleasure, and all efforts would go into fish-ability. Since it's NOT all up to me, as I'm sure most can appreciate, I have to consider these things.

Not sure some of these multi-use, dual-console type boats would properly house a trolling motor. That said, how essential do you consider your trolling motor for fishing for Striper/Hybrids/Sandies?

I have a trolling motor on my boat now, but I mostly use it when I fish for LMB, but I do also use it sometimes when I'm keying on structure at Texoma or Lewisville, when the wind isn't too bad.

What do you think - get by without it okay or it's a must have?

What’s the level above “must have”

Whatever level that is that’s how important it is, lol

I would consider it a "must have", I would not fish without one with ipilot ever again.

I asked guide Bob Maindelle that and he said he would stay home and take up gardening if he didn’t have his smart trolling motor.

Must have... definite gamechanger

Not must have as we all guided for MANY years without them and caught lots and lots of fish but I will also admit I do love having it and like a cell phone it’s hard to imagine how we made it without it

Open water fish. You gotta have an ipilot

Before I had a trolling motor, I caught lots of fish by drifting or anchoring.

Caught even more once I got a TM!

Must have a smart trolling motor! When I find them schooling on top the last thing I want to do is mess with the big motor to keep up with them or the trolling motor when the wind blows me off of them...spot lock and cruise FTW!

You just need a quick disconnect mount.

Agreed to the nth degree. If and when I fish with someone without an I-Pilot and spot lock. Never again !

Define "properly house" a trolling motor.

There are a lot of boats out there these days that are not traditionally set up with trolling motor that are getting them. I have heard of monster 26' catamaran offshore boats using them at oil rigs to spot lock. Where there is a will there is a way. As a matter of fact I just saw a Robalo dual console (206 or 207 maybe?) this weekend with a trolling motor.

Have caught a ton of fish with the trolling motor that I have. Have always had trouble with getting back to a certain spot after catching a fish or fighting the wind when fishing around docks. Just upgraded to an I pilot and spot lock. Can't not wait to use it. Everyone that I know that has one swears by them. They say it's a game changer.

I bought a Motorguide Xi5 this fall and networked it to my Lowrance HDS Gen 3. It is a game changer for sure. Make sure you connect it to your graph, if not you will be missing out 1/2 of the functionality of the smart trolling motor.

The difference between Texoma and lakes on the Brazos and Tawok are the amount of trees. I fished a lot at Texoma and always enjoyed drifting without getting hung up. If you fish the Brazos lakes you better have plenty of hooks, sinkers, and a good trolling motor.
Drifting nilly Willy across the lake on the Brazos will only cause you frustration.

In my 24 cc we use gps to find rocks and wrecks offshore. When we get close to the under water structer we put the trolling motor all the way down. Using the Yamaha we bump in and out of gear until we mark the rock/wreck on the Simrad. We then hit spotlock on the trolling motor and catch them up!

Getting an iPilot trolling motor was a paradigm shift every bit
as potent as when I got side scan/downscan sonar.

It's one of those things that when you are considering getting
you balk a bit at the price. Then after fishing with it a few times
you say to yourself, quietly, "Dang. I would have gladly paid more".

.

You can still catch fish without GPS trolling motor. But once you get one, you'll never fish without it again. It's hard to explain, you'll have to experience it. My brother took my advice, and has caught many many big fish since. He attributes his newly found success to the Xi5, because he can now sit on a point or hump and work an area thoroughly, whereas he couldn't before. Before, he'd catch 1 or 2, then lose his position; now, he catches 5 or 6 or more on the same point.

complete game changer. with XI5 i spend my days fishing now and not foolin with the dang trolling motor.
see fish on fishfinder touch finger on screen and trolling motor parks on top of fish.

I have a regular MinnKota Foot Control trolling motor. It is helpful but a pain in the Arse to stay on something.

So.... how much am I looking at spending for an iPilot?

I just got quoted a new 112lb saltwater riptide Terrova with a 60” shaft for $2019.00. If you can get by with a 70lb, the Power Drive is quite a bit cheaper. I had one, and I can tell you it will move a 22’ CC bay boat 2.6 mph and it will hold spot lock in 20 mph wind with no issues.

Good to know. Thank you

Well I got to use my new ipilot, spot lock trolling motor this weekend at PK. Anyone who was out fishing there this weekend knew how bad the wind was blowing. I can not believe how much of a difference it makes. I was able to spot lock on a particular spot and never move. Caught fish all weekend long. Would have never been able to do that if not for the new trolling motor. Worth every penny I spent!!

That’s awesome! It is a game changer for sure! I’ve been so surprised how good of a job it does with some strong winds! The “go to” function is priceless as well! I have a recent YouTube video over hybrids/white bass on sonar and in it you’ll see where I put crosshairs over large schools and was able to have successful trip after trip because of this ability to go to them, spot lock, present shad to them within a few minutes.

What did you end up getting?

I was fishing at night using the spot lock trolling motor. Me and my son caught over 60 sand bass after dark in less than a few hours fishing each night. Had to teach him how to fish at night and what to expect when they bite. We would have caught more but spent my time teaching him how to do it. Was more enjoyable watching my son catch fish than it was about catching numbers. Would have been up till 5 am cleaning fish if we had kept our limit on sandbass and striper. Other striper were caught during the day downrigging on buck tail jigs that I pour, paint and tie myself. Would post pics but not sure how to go about doing it. Old guy here and computers are hard......lol

I have an I-pilot trolling motor and guide for stripers on Whitney. I have used my trolling motor one time in 4 years when I hit some rocks and messed up my prop. Trolling motors don't catch fish; experience and technique do. If you are shopping on a budget and have to choose between imaging electronics or a trolling motor go with a quality down scan/side scan/gps/sonar unit.