Shallow water Anchors

[bulldoglizard]

Thinking about getting some Talons or Power poles put on .
I have the Ultrex with spot lock but I’m hearing anchors are better in shallow water
than using the spot lock. Asking for opinions on which brand or if I should even spend the money
on them and if so is one sufficient or do you need two ?

 

[Daz]

bulldoglizard - 12/30/2019 7:01 PM

Thinking about getting some Talons or Power poles put on .
I have the Ultrex with spot lock but I’m hearing anchors are better in shallow water
than using the spot lock. Asking for opinions on which brand or if I should even spend the money
on them and if so is one sufficient or do you need two ?

IMO, it all depends on how/where you fish most. I don't (yet) fish the waters up there, but I can tell you about how I use both down here in SWFL. I've got an iPilot TM and an 8' Powerpole on my flats boat. The "spotlock" feature on my iPilot works great when I'm casting to rolling tarpon in moving water by local bridges, but it can be a bit noisy. If there's a lot of moving water and/or significant boat traffic the fish don't seem to mind it - But, when it's calm the TM can shut things down quick. When I'm in the shallows and want to stay put, nothing beats the convenience and quiet of a Powerpole. Brand-wise, I prefer the Powerpole over the Talon because it folds down into the water rather than shooting straight down and I think the hydraulic motor on the PP is quieter than the electric drive on the Talon. Also, my Egret fits in my garage, but to get it in I have to partially lower the Powerpole to get under the door. That wouldn't be possible with a Talon. Also, you'll never find better customer service than that from the guys at Powerpole. After four years in the S. FL sun, the spike on mine was splintering a little from UV exposure and I called them to ask how I should treat it - They said the best way is to give them my serial number and address. Two days later I had a brand new one at my door.

With all that said, my next shallow water boat with probably have a remote/GPS trolling motor and a manual spike for shallow water anchoring. The push button ease of the Powerpole/Talon is really nice, but for the $$ I'm just as happy with a $65 fiberglass spike (and it's the quietest of all). If you're on the fence, I'd stick with the TM since you'll use it for general fishing and just try a stick pin or two on the cheap. Then if you find that you're doing more static anchoring with the pin(s), you can just add a Powerpole later.

Daz

 

[FishingwithRusty]

personally i went with Talons for several reasons: vertical deployment(dont have to worry about whats behind the boat or some other boat running over them), no hydraulic pumps pr lines to leak in the boat(because the will and do leak) and space in the back of the boat( i can use that space for better things than holding 2 pumps) i have personally spoken with higher ups at power pole and told them until they figure out how to run 2 poles off one pump, they are not even an option for me. tilt brackets are available for the talons of lowering them is needed. i had 12'rs before i got the ultrex but have switched to 8'rs now with the ultrex.

get 2, having one is like nailing one foot to the floor and it wont hold the boat like you need or want and you will still have to use the tm.

i have found that i use my talons a lot more than i ever thought i would, i fish alone a lot and rarely use a rope to tie up at the dock anymore. i can position the boat and use the talons to hold the boat while i get or park the truck. last saturday my trolling motor battery died with 3hrs left in the tournament, i considered going home but instead went back into an area put the talons down and fished, ended up catching 3 more decent fish and finished 2nd, could not have done that without the talons. hope this helps you with your decision.

 

[Fishindawg25]

It's really Ford vs. Chevy in my opinion. I went with Power Poles due to excellent customer service reviews. I've had mine for 5 years and have never had any issues, but I like that peace of mind knowing that if an issue arrives they will take care of me. On the other hand I think that the Talon with the straight vertical deployment anchors you in deeper water. For example my 8ft poles will anchor me if I'm in 5.5ft or less, were I've heard a 12ft Talon will anchor in 11ft. So if it's the same way with the 8ft it will anchor in 7ft. At the Classic expo in Knoxville they had a 15ft Talon turned upside down and deployed with an American flag on it and it was impressive! If we didn't have trolling motors with spot lock technology that would be the way to go. I recommend 2 and if you can't afford 2 right now, then just stick with the Ultrex because it will serve you better. But I would do your own research and decide which is better for you.

 

[31airborne]

I also use Power Poles but have fished on rigs w/ Talons. Both are superb shallow water anchors.

Dunno that I'd want to rely on spotlock when focused on a shallow water area. Daz makes a good point about the noise - it's only amplified in skinny water. You'll end up using less battery power and have a more stable platform from which to work by going with an anchoring system. If you fish grass this set-up is a must IMHO.

 

[lafae7]

I’ve tried both; however, personally own A single 10 ft power pole blade. I honestly like them both. When I get a get new boat next year I’ll probably choose whichever is cheapest at that time or whichever Matches my electronics/trolling motor.

 

[NITRO7]

Talons

 

[Ssmith]

My vote is for powerpole. If for whatever reason you need them their customer service is second to none. I have never used talons they are probably great as well. If you buy one I think you are going to want two

 

[silvertalon]

Talon! Nothing like a self contained unit with no hoses, pumps or long crab legs. Once you try one-or two, , you'll wonder how you ever lived without it! I have a single 8' on a 21' boat and it has never failed me in strong winds. It is 5 yrs strong now and hoping I can find an identical Gen 1 soon. Anchoring sideways in the wind is a hassle as you still need the TM to correct bow direction (non-spot lock), but many times I've anchored with the wind at my back and have slaughtered large schools of fish! A spot lock will hold you with 1 pole regardless but is not as stealthy as 2. They will lock you down solid and allow for stealthy bed fishing. Several times I've had my TM batteries go dead and once a broken TM cable and had to rely on my pole to finish the event and would have been screwed without it. I got my Talon 1 yr used off of ebay from a Minn Kota endorsee. It has been reliable. I built my own mount from 6061 T6 1/2" aluminum and ended up about $950 complete.

 

[bulldoglizard]

Thank you for all the opinions! I have decided to go with the power poles .
Now I’m trying to decide between the blade series or the pro series 2 which is $600.00 cheaper.

 

[drdetroit]

POWER POLES!</p>

Dr Detroit</p>

 

[jg1456]

PM SENT

 

[KT Billy goat]

I am wanting to get some anchors as well. Where is the best place around here to Purchase and get installed for either one?

 

[rippinlips2win]

PM me if you want great pricing, I know a guy that knows a guy...lol I suggest installing yourself if you are mechanically inclined at all. It really is not hard.

 

[jhold]

Whichever you prefer should use 2