High-Tech Trolling Motor : iPilot is NOT your average NAV-Tool !!

[cmonky]

Originally Posted by WALLEYE MIKE

How bout following the same track?

mike, i think the biggest thing to consider are the variables on the river! you have current,wind speed,wind direction,and all of these things change. using your pedal gives you instant control when you need it to keep you vertical! when i am on the d r i want instantanious control and i want to be spot on on my drift. i think you know as well as i do a few feet one way or the other can mean game on or not

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Brian, I don't use a pedal now. I use my co-pilot for adjustments. From what I read, it works pretty darn good especially the spot lock feature in a lake with 20mph winds. Should be able to do quite well in the river following a previous track. Of course you wouldn't use the spot lock jigging in the river.

[cmonky]

Originally Posted by WALLEYE MIKE

Brian, I don't use a pedal now. I use my co-pilot for adjustments. From what I read, it works pretty darn good especially the spot lock feature in a lake with 20mph winds. Should be able to do quite well in the river following a previous track. Of course you wouldn't use the spot lock jigging in the river.

i dont use my co in the river,because i prefer jigging w/2 rods! like i said before it will be great in the lake! no way for the d. see ya at the flw registration!

[sfw1960]

Originally Posted by WALLEYE MIKE

Brian, I don't use a pedal now. I use my co-pilot for adjustments. From what I read, it works pretty darn good especially the spot lock feature in a lake with 20mph winds. Should be able to do quite well in the river following a previous track. Of course you wouldn't use the spot lock jigging in the river.

Thanks for the clarification Mike...

Originally Posted by cmonky

i dont use my co in the river,because i prefer jigging w/2 rods! like i said before it will be great in the lake! no way for the d. see ya at the flw registration!

It WOULD work there also - just B/C you're possibly set in your ways - doesn't mean it won't work for another person's style.


Read this page:

http://www.jasonhalfenoutdoors.com/ipilot7.html

They were on the Mississippi River during testing!

Our results from using i-Pilot's Cruise Control and Spot Lock features? Less worrying about boat control as part of our finesse live bait presentation, and as a result....more fish in the boat. Mark and I had a chance to land numerous fish from this very small area, by saturating it with live bait and keeping the boat over those fish that were willing to bite. A bunch of fish were released....

Originally Posted by sfw

ALL the same stuff applies in a river as in a lake , if you can't control your craft - you probably ain't gettin' JACK there either.

Evidently you missed what I meant ; my POINT in what I said - if you can't control your boat , you are less likely to do worth a hoot.
If you are trying to stay vertical in ONE spot , then Spot Lock would be good - but if you are trying to slip or pull upstream very slow - the Cruise Control would be great (and YES - that would be hand steered , unless you had previously recorded a track) - Muskegon lake is a drowned river mouth lake - lots of current especially in the channel out to Lake Michigan , so we contend with currents , tides , waves & wind.
Everything that I've read from the average Joe to the Pro-Staffers have all had great things to say about this...including the Lindners.


You don't really think I'd spend $400+ on something that was snake oil . sm0ke & mirrors now do you??
If anything I tend do OVER research something prior to a purchase to the point of overkill!
Guys that know me well - KNOW that I use my stuff and if it doesn't earn it's keep , up my game & add to the bottom line , it's not staying around for long!

Ask Mike if he likes his big screen Humminbirds and if they added to his bottom line , or he bought TWO just to impress clients with the big pretty color screen! (He PM'd me a TON for advice before his purchases)


Please take the time to wander around :
http://www.jasonhalfenoutdoors.com/iPilot2.html
and read up on some of the "Current i-Pilot articles"...
It just might make you think twice about your current opinion of it being 'useless' in the DR .

Originally Posted by cmonky

...great for the lake, useless for the river!...
....but if you think that it will keep you in the game w/ spot on spot boat control w/ instant control w/ the winds changing speeds and directions you are really going to be dissapointed.

It does a great job of helping the fisherman concentrate more on fishing and LESS on boat control....

I'm not disappointed at all .

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Originally Posted by cmonky

i dont use my co in the river,because i prefer jigging w/2 rods! like i said before it will be great in the lake! no way for the d. see ya at the flw registration!

Yeah, I'll see you there.

I usually jig with one rod in the middle of the boat.

[ESOX]

I wonder if the I-pilot is smart enough for a bow mount to stay on course for a controlled back slip, when it would have to adjust the power uptream to keep the boat heading the "wrong way"and on course going backwards. I doubt they gave the option in the origonal software, but it shouldn't be hard for them to give you the option...

I don;t care, I will have one anyhow.

[sfw1960]

Originally Posted by ESOX

I wonder if the I-pilot is smart enough for a bow mount to stay on course for a controlled back slip, when it would have to adjust the power uptream to keep the boat heading the "wrong way"and on course going backwards. I doubt they gave the option in the origonal software, but it shouldn't be hard for them to give you the option...

I don;t care, I will have one anyhow.

This thing has the GPS and a compass in it too - but I don't think it will be able to "slip the current" , but if enough guys ask , they might release a firmware for it!


My 'old' 787c used to be IF you turned off the digital depth you had to shut down & restart for the changes to take effect - about 2-3 months after I emailed GW @ H'Bird and told him I didn't like that , they released a firmware to make the change immediate W/O a reboot.
JOI is a great company!


I'll tell you what Paul - the response is as immediate as the wired pedal and the manual says IF you don't have at least ONE bar of the signal meter it won't enable the auto features... I had 4 bars (MAX) inside the garage with the garage door up over the head.
After I installed it , (I have 10 acres here and a fairly long driveway) I started walking toward the road , turning the prop on & off (has beep verification) I started towards the end of the drive way.... I made it out to the road and I was still able to control the motor from a good distance away!
I can see some smart@$zs guys playing tricks on their buddies at the ramp , during load/unload times with "escaped" boats , guys frEEk!N' out as their dream rig floats away unmanned - only to see their buddy fire up the remote and bring it back to dock after the cardiac arrest has taken place!

[ESOX]

OHHH thats evil.
I love it.

[Mister ED]

Argh ... Still kicking myself for buying a PD w/AP and Co-pilot last spring, that I only used 3 or 4 times. I could buy the PD with Ipilot for cheaper than I paid.

Robert - Will the Ipilot head to a compass heading like the AP? That was one feature I liked with the AP ... Point the head in the direction you want to go and push the button. This was very handy while fishing alone on the big lake. Lock the kicker to run straight and use the torlling motor for steering. After a strike set the AP to a clear direction (no traffic) and fight the fish.

Not sure of pricing around, but Anchor Express has the Ipilot for $339

[ESOX]

Spring has sprung. I expect to be on the water chasing walter in three weeks if not next weekend. (two weeks will be steeheading).

Time for the annual festival of B O A T preparation.
(Bust out what????)

I ordered the I-Pilot today. Really had a hard time deciding if I wanted the I-pilot or get a new motor with I-Pilot and US2. Seeing how I already have two autopilot w/ copilot motors to sell, I opted for just the I-pilot. I am sure I will live to regret that seemingly (at this moment) prudent decision.

I ordered more Berts stuff from The Fishdog Company.

Ordered a new OEM ladder for the transom, just to torture the kids with dreams of tubing between the dawn and dusk bites for a few months.

Now if I can make it through the year without getting on Ramlundmans boat even once, I may just get through the year convinced I can live without a 987 C SI.

Need to get a seat post and have my planer mast welded to it.

Oh, and I Also Ordered a new XF ML Daiwa Zillion rod to put an ugly red reel on.

I told my wife it's all Roberts fault, but I have thus far managed to resist him and that 987C SI She believes me.

When I get one, it will be Roberts Fault, of course.

[sfw1960]

Glad I could be a SCAPEGOAT for you Paul!

[ESOX]

Got mine installed last night. Took longer to get the cover off and back on than to install the I-pilot. Boat has gotten all blinged out the past two weeks. New 4 blade SS prop in an attempt to improve mid range performance, New 4" trees with more holders to bring the rod capacity to 10 (2 salties & 3 tubes a side).....thats more than enough. LOL
New transom ladder, got the Big Jon mast set to mount in the bow seat post base.
Shoeman tells me I have hung so much crap off that poor boat the only thing I am missing is waterproof fuzzy dice and curb feelers.
I will try it out this weekend and report back how long the learning curve is for the technically challenged.

I still need an autopilot for seastar hydraulic steering if anybody finds a steal on one......

[jpollman]

Originally Posted by ESOX

I still need an autopilot for seastar hydraulic steering if anybody finds a steal on one......

Here ya go Paul....

http://www.raymarine.com/ProductDeta...8&PRODUCT=3011

Man would that be sweet or what?

OK that first link isn't really a "steal" but here it is for a few bucks less.

http://www.threeriversmarine.net/cat...14/2221876.htm

John

[Lucky Dog]

I got my Terrova with an I-pilot installed last night, this Saturday I'll be testing it out.

[ESOX]

The one thing I am not too keen on, there is no provision to use the foot pedal without totally uninstalling the I-pilot. We'll have to see on that one.