Wireless Trolling Motor - Should I get One Or Not?

[Gunny]

Thinking about a remote controlled TM on my next glass bass boat.

If you have/had one your opinion will help a lot.

Also...MotorGuide or MinKota?

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[Liveliner]

I have a Minn-kota Riptide with autopilot and i love that setup. The Minn-kota Saltwater Riptide and the freshwater version the Powerdrive, has a 20'+ wired remote that you can run from anywhere in the boat. I had the Co-pilot for a while and determined that it was a waste of money. I set my Autopilot and tweek it with the remote.. Troble free and in control. I set a direction and the speed and forget the trolling. It does it all for you and stays on course.

To me the wireless remote is just a novelity that you can play with but will soon get tired of. You can loose your remotes and you must keep up with batteries in it.

 

[smalljawz]

i have a motorguide W55 wireless unit on my 18 foot aluminum boat and it pulls pretty good. you would probably want more thrust than that on a glass boat due to the weight difference. i chose a wireless unit because i cant stand a lot of clutter and more junk to trip over on the front deck. there are advantages and disadvantages to having one just like anything else. the biggest disadvantage i have come across is the responsiveness of the unit. they dont move as quick as a conventional tm but you cant have everything i guess. also like Liveliner said you need to keep some spare batteries and a screwdriver around just in case. the wireless pedal takes some getting used to as well. i would suggest going out with someone that has one and try it out before you buy one since they arent the cheapest purchase you can make. just my 2 cents worth.

 

[finbully]

I had one on my last boat. I like foot control better. I could not figure out how to press the wireless control buttons without stopping my fishing.

 

[finbully]

Oh yea - MinKota for me!