trolling motors with anchor or spot lock modes

These have to be hooked to a mapping/sonar unit right?

You cant just buy the trolling motor, install it, and hit anchor and itll hold?

yes you can just buy the motor and install it and have spot lock, with minn kota all you would need is a ipilot model. Don't need a graph just a boat to put it on. The same with the xi5 with motorguide. You would only need a graph if you want to follow the contour and several other things but not for just spot lock

MotorGuide is to Lowrance as Minn Kota is to Humminbird.

You will find Humminbird to be more cost effective over Lowrance and MotorGuide to be more cost effective over Minn Kota.

Minn Kota (Terrova, PowerDrive, Ulterra or Ultrex) i-Pilot has the anchor feature and will save 8 manual wayoint and track. Go with the i-Pilot Link and link to your compatible Humminbird graph with Lake Master Charts and follow contour and go to said waypoint and have the anchor feature.

MotorGuide Xi5 SNR/GPS will have the anchor feature and will save 8 manual waypoint and track. Get the MotorGuide Gateway kit and MotorGuide NMEA 2000 starter kit you can link the MotorGuide SNR/GPS to your compatible Lowrance graph and go to said waypoint and follow contour and have the anchor feature.

If all you are looking for is the anchor feature "spot lock" then you can mix and match and get best package for your budget and get the Humminbird graph and MotorGuide Xi5

I have garmin graphs at the moment. I mostly was interested in spot lock feature.

Do any of these units have cable steering and also electronic spot lock or anchor as well?

The MotorGuide Xi5 is electric steer and the Minn Kota Terrova, PowerDrive and Ulterra are all electric steer.

Each unit mentioned above will have the spot lock anchor feature.

Go with a Minn Kota Ultrex.

MinnKota Ultrex w/i-pilot. Electric/Cable steer. When you find a place you want to Waypoint save it into your Garmin unit. The Ultrex with i pilot can save only 8 waypoints in the i pilot. Good luck & be safe.

I am thinking of buying a xi5 Motorguide. I have an X3 on my boat in a 45" shaft. When its windy the tm prop sometimes comes out of the water as the boat goes over a wave. Do I need to go with the 54" shaft? I have a 2001 Skeeter fish and ski and worry the longer shaft will get in the way when have family on the boat to ski etc.

I would go with longer if you need it to fish. In the stored position it isn't really going to take up much more room. You might have to drill new holes as these trolling motors, atleast the MK, have to be mounted a little more forward. If so you can adjust it so the head will be out of the way when stored. Get a tape measure out and check.

Just add the quick release base and take the TM off when not in use.

The MinnKota Ultrex has cable over electric steer. The response is as good as a cable steer, but with the electric steer there is no feedback. This motor also has spotlock or anchor mode as well as some other features. It will not "talk" to the Garmins but you can set a limited number of trails and waypoints in the remote. Let me know if I can help.
John

So how cheap can you get into a Minnkota with spotlock?

The Quick Release is a game changer. I use my boat for work as well as fishing and would not have a boat without it. They are less than $100 and some of the best money you will spend.

Go to MK website and find the lowest motor that has I-Pilot and start searching Google. If you pay full retail for one, you didn't look very hard.

Does the Pinpoint Gateway come with the XI5 Lowrance or is it purchased separately?

To connect the MotorGuide Xi5 to your compatible Lowrance graph you will need to purchase the MOTORGUIDE NMEA2000® STARTER KIT 8M0107522 and the MOTORGUIDE PINPOINT GPS GATEWAY KIT 8M0092085.

Mygreenoutdoors has remanufactured Minn Kotas (the new models) for good prices. I just upgraded from a Terrova to an Ulterra and couldn't be happier on botht he price and the improvement in the newer spotlock.

Does anyone else have experience buying from mygreenoutdoors.com? Are they legitimate? Do they have good customer service?

The Gateway kit is purchased separately

Is the response from the pedal to the xi5 unit quick? For instance is it almost real time it turning as I tilt the pedal?

The response time on the foot pedal is not near as quick as your traditional cable steer foot pedal.

I just bought a reconditioned ulterra from them. Got it in about 4 or 5 days. Yeah they are legit. Only customer service experience that I have is from placing the order over the phone. I'll use them again because it was hard to find anyone who could even match their price.

Mine is almost too quick. Takes some getting used to in order to not over correct. For sure it is different than the cable foot control. For that reason I use the handheld remote mostly. I bought mine mainly for the anchor function anyway so it's not a big deal to me. I don't fish for ditch pickles and don't need to follow the banks or a bunch of waypoints. Love that jog feature when working the bird roosts. I can anchor with pinpoint and then jog all around in and out among a bunch of trees to work jigs on every stump.
The only kicker is you must have the bow pointed into the wind at all times so you have to start off on the downwind side of where you are fishing and work into the wind.

I have a Tracker 175. What would be the ideal trolling motor with spot lock/anchor feature? I currently have a Minn Kota Power Drive 12V 55lb. There is definitely room for more power.

If you have room for the 24V system, since some of the Trackers have very limited space in the bilge area, look at the 70 Powerdrive IPilot. It doesn't have a footpedal, but it will give you the spotlock capability.