minn kota i pilot for auto pilot

[salmonite]

as my previous thread indicated i am in the market for auto pilot. I dont have a minnkota on my fishmaster and i would like one for when i fish for walleye. My quesiton does anyone use the ipilot auto pilot feature for their directional and kicker as thrust? How does it do for kings?

[slip61]

I use a MinnKota Terrova 112 W US2 Ipilot networked with a 798 hd and a 898 hd si hummingbird,

i use ipilot alot for kings and it works great. ipilot does a great job controlling both speed and course.

you can also plot mutiple waypoints so you don't have to troll a straight line between start and end points,

you can add many waypoints and zigzag as much as you want. I usually fish an assortment of presentations from

riggers to dipsies to leadcore on planer boards and always the old faithfull copper straight out the back.

I also have my cannon downriggers networked in the sytem so i can use bottom track at whatever deepth i want.

this works very well for lakers.

I plan on adding a 9.9 kicker in addition, i will still use ipilot on the minkota for direction while propultion will come from the kicker.

I tested this last year with the primary 250HP 4stroke yamaha which will get down to about 2.2 MPH which is fine for Kings, in fact i like to get it up to about 2.4- 2.6

with the minnkota in the water and ipilot set to a much lower speed it will just control direction. You will have to mess with the speed on the minkota for

optimal directional control of your boat, my boat has a very aggresive keal for straight line tracking so it takes a little more.

 

Don't ya just love technology!

 

I hope this helps

[salmonite]

yes it does thanks!  I was going to go with the 80lb terrova with i pilot. You think i should go all the way up to 112? not sure if i have the room for three batteries though.

Edited March 18, 2015 by salmonite

[FleetTracker]

iPilot is awesome.  The only way I can fish solo and set-up and troll 3 rods.  I've fished Browns/Walleye/Kings this way.  And even can pull big boards if I need to (although the terrova really works to maintain proper trolling speed)

 

I use my 80lb 60" 24V iPilot for both direction and propulsion when I fish solo... Once my spread is out I turn it off and rely on the main motor, when I hook up I throw her in neutral and hit the iPilot on (lanyard on your neck).  I don't think it would work quite as well using a kicker for propulsion and the iPilot for direction.  Sounds good... but you'll be messing with it a bunch constantly... the Ipilot has a fairly slow GPS ping speed so it'll be late to react to constant wind/wave changes against the boat with the added external propulsion factor only complicating it's every move.  It may work in some conditions, but more often then not It may not be as cool as it sounds.

[slip61]

as i mentioned FleeTracker, my boat has a very aggessive keel and tracks beter than most, i agree ping is slow and i have had to reset more often in rough water.

but i have tested it for direction only and although it does work quite well it is no replacement for a first mate....

 

Salmonite i never have to use the full power of the 112 i think you would do just fine with 80 and have power to spare.

[hawkeye625]

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing-hunting/topic/43697-best-trolling-motor-with-i-pilot/?view=findpost&p=287271&hl=%2Bbest+%2Btrolling+%2Bmotor+%2Bwith+%2Bipilot

 

good post from last year on the topic.

[paige386]

I use a 55 lbs thrust minn kota power drive v2 with ipilot for thesteering on my Starweld 18 pro and using the Yamaha 115 for the trolling. Works great! I wouldn't fish without one now.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Yankee Troller]

yes it does thanks!  I was going to go with the 80lb terrova with i pilot. You think i should go all the way up to 112? not sure if i have the room for three batteries though.

 

Yes, go with the 112. Billy V runs this on his Lund. He really likes it. I'll see if he can chime in on this today.

[Billy V]

I have a Lund 2150 Baron and have a 60", 112 lb Terrova with iPilot Link on the boat along with a main and kicker motor.  It's a great tool and we can easily use it as the only propulsion when trolling.  My only issue, and they've already addressed it, is that on the Baron the 60" shaft is just barely long enough to keep the prop in the water so we really only get it's full benefit when the lake is flat.  Minn Kota has just recently announced a 72" Terrova so we will likely put one of those on the boat and sell the 60".  We've used it as primary propulsion and have also used it as steering control when we're running the kicker.  Without it I would have a terrible time trying to get my trolling spread set up, but with it the boat just holds it's line and I can get things in the water pretty quickly when I'm out by myself.  I agree with the above statement that it's not a replacement for a first mate or for a stand alone autopilot, but it is a huge help and so far I haven't felt the need to buy a stand alone autopilot for the boat.  My guess is that once I get the 72" model that it'll be even more useful for my application as the prop with be at it's specified depth all the time.

 

Something new that I'm really looking forward to is that Lakemaster has finally released a cartography chip with contour lines for Lake O.  Because Lakemaster is part of the Johnson Outdoors family, our Humminbird/iPilot Link system reads the chip and we will be able to ask iPilot to follow a specific contour line.  That'll be really great in the spring when targeting browns.

 

You'll love iPilot, and for sure get one with Link if you have a Humminbird unit on the boat.

[salmonite]

Thanks guys, billy that is some great info and the unfortunate part is that i have lowrance hds 7 on my fishmaster so i wouldnt be able to use the link. I will do the 72 in shaft though! fist time i ever said that    

 

If it was up to you and in my situation what would you do. Upgrade steering to hyrdaulic and put in normal autopilot and go with out minn kota for another year or two. Or get the ipilot and delay normal auto pilot for a couple more years.

[justtracytrolling]

Ive been using my main motor for thrust and my terrova 80 lb for steering on my 21 foot pontoon for 3 seasons when im solo and have been very happy with it, but I wish I had the 112. Running both motors really helps my boat track better as pontoons are like sails in the wind. The auto pilot function cant handle my boat unless its flat. The 60 inch shaft is just long enough for my toon in rougher conditions so be sure not to short yourself as mentioned above.

[ERABBIT]

I have the 210 fishmaster with the 24v 80 on the bow. Love it fish Seneca and on some days it iffy. So I put the plug in the 40 gallon live well. And add water to get bow down some. So if you have the. Choice of a 72" go with it....... and more power could help a lot also. My biggest problem. Was a. Duh on. My part with the kicker motor on the back tied into the main motor you want make sure they are straight.

[Poles293]

I use my iPilot as an auto pilot and it works great. I did find that when there's a bit of wind the gps course heading isn't as accurate and the boat tends to wander. Just hold the auto pilot button down and it will run on a compass heading instead of projecting a waypoint and trying to get to it.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Tripleduece50]

I am glad to to hear all the positive info on the ipilot. I have one ordered should be here this week. I am also looking forward to the anchor function for jigging. Any one using there's for this? I plan on running the kicker and using the ipilot for steering as well. I had my boat out on Erie last spring trolling walleye and the kicker pushing with ipilot steering is a common sight for the western basin of Erie boats. Technology......What would we do these days with a row boat and an ol Seth Green rig.......

Jeremy

[Billy V]

Thanks guys, billy that is some great info and the unfortunate part is that i have lowrance hds 7 on my fishmaster so i wouldnt be able to use the link. I will do the 72 in shaft though! fist time i ever said that    

 

If it was up to you and in my situation what would you do. Upgrade steering to hyrdaulic and put in normal autopilot and go with out minn kota for another year or two. Or get the ipilot and delay normal auto pilot for a couple more years.

 

I went with the iPilot and didn't upgrade steering or add an AP and have been pretty happy with my decision.  I'll be even happier with the 72 incher!

[slip61]

I have a Lund 2150 Baron and have a 60", 112 lb Terrova with iPilot Link on the boat along with a main and kicker motor.  It's a great tool and we can easily use it as the only propulsion when trolling.  My only issue, and they've already addressed it, is that on the Baron the 60" shaft is just barely long enough to keep the prop in the water so we really only get it's full benefit when the lake is flat.  Minn Kota has just recently announced a 72" Terrova so we will likely put one of those on the boat and sell the 60".  We've used it as primary propulsion and have also used it as steering control when we're running the kicker.  Without it I would have a terrible time trying to get my trolling spread set up, but with it the boat just holds it's line and I can get things in the water pretty quickly when I'm out by myself.  I agree with the above statement that it's not a replacement for a first mate or for a stand alone autopilot, but it is a huge help and so far I haven't felt the need to buy a stand alone autopilot for the boat.  My guess is that once I get the 72" model that it'll be even more useful for my application as the prop with be at it's specified depth all the time.

 

Something new that I'm really looking forward to is that Lakemaster has finally released a cartography chip with contour lines for Lake O.  Because Lakemaster is part of the Johnson Outdoors family, our Humminbird/iPilot Link system reads the chip and we will be able to ask iPilot to follow a specific contour line.  That'll be really great in the spring when targeting browns.

 

You'll love iPilot, and for sure get one with Link if you have a Humminbird unit on the boat.

 

Billy V I have been looking for the Lakemaster maps for Lake O and i am not having any luck. Can you point me in the right direction, i would greatly appreciate it.

[Billy V]

It's just being released as I type this so it's a bit hard to find, but after some looking around I found it here:

 

http://www.bassdistributing.com/Marine/humminbird-lakemaster-chart-northeast-states-microsd-sd-6000452?search=lakemaster

 

Here is today's press release right from Humminbird about it:

 

Humminbird® LakeMaster's 2015 Releases now include new SouthEast and Western States versions including PLUS Editions

EUFAULA, AL. March 24, 2015


LakeMaster just keeps on surveying, expanding coverage, and bringing even more lake maps to your Humminbird fish finders. The latest expansion in the LakeMaster cartography library is the new SouthEast Version 3 and new Western States Version 2 micro SD map cards.



And LakeMaster didn't stop there. The new SouthEast and Western States regions are also available in the PLUS series that offer anglers aerial image overlay on High Definition waters. The detailed aerial views give light to fish-holding areas like the entry and exits of creek channels, how far a reef or weed line extends, and steep rock bars and drop-offs that extend out into the lake - all of which have been missing from traditional maps.






[southEast Version 3]<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece60c9d6fca0f1a2f3b1091569c6d6511befd584b67b40ed81745481c1005104e3e>

SouthEast, Version 3
• Contours for over 570 lakes

• 128 High Definition lake
  maps including these newly
  surveyed waters in stunning HD:

  Strom Thurmond/Wilson,

  Lauderdale* (GA/AL)

  Wheeler, Limestone* (AL)

  Mitchell, Coosa* (AL)

  Cave Run, Rowan* (KY)

  Enid, Yalobusha* (MS)

  Grenada, Grenada* (MS)

  Harris Chain, Lake* (FL)

Visit the product page<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6ed7ff86c77957263c75cb136e43ea50ad729b450e8a0442be7fead3af5a2467c> for more information on product features like i-Pilot Link, images, complete lake list, lake elevations, GPS compatibility and more.





[southEast PLUS]<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece677b23283f09bd9cc54e7223f0806017c40b1108e62b7d80d312c754434da1f4f>

SouthEast PLUS, Version 1
• PLUS allows for 3 layers of aerial
  image overlay on High Definition
  waters: Satellite Only, Satellite +
  Land, and Satellite + Contours

• Contours for over 570 lakes

• 128 High Definition lake
  maps including these newly
  surveyed waters in stunning HD:

  Strom Thurmond/Wilson,

  Lauderdale* (GA/AL)

  Wheeler, Limestone* (AL)

  Mitchell, Coosa* (AL)

  Cave Run, Rowan* (KY)

  Enid, Yalobusha* (MS)

  Grenada, Grenada* (MS)

  Harris Chain, Lake* (FL)


Visit the PLUS product page<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece644cf462139132347fc705192c66df42de9c5d6a8de5eda9d8e6f919046d0bfa3> for information on product features like i-Pilot Link, images, complete lake list, lake elevations, GPS compatibility and more.




[Western States Version 2]<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6a43ef251c24001d4be869fdeaa1deb8063086a29b6a8dbac14c3160ec19d3188>

Western States, Version 6
• Contours for over 1,050 lakes

• Over 90 High Definition lake
  maps, including these newly
  surveyed waters in stunning HD:
  Medicine, Siskiyou (CA)
  Flatiron Res., Larimer (CO)
  McClure Res., Santa Fe (NM)
  Lookout Point, Lane (OR)
  Lost Creek, Jackson (OR)

Visit the product page<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece66ab9b5ceb6fdf842f296eae46a5cffeb069e5857673380ced2b36bee80cd2d47> for information on product features like I-Pilot Link, images, complete lake list, GPS compatibility and more.



[Western States PLUS]<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece642a78a1f18caf11ce6cde1441789b15e503022999fc508aa04f5265500d2fe9d>

Western States PLUS, Version 1
• PLUS allows for 3 layers of aerial
  image overlay on High Definition
  waters: Satellite Only, Satellite +
  Land, and Satellite + Contours.

• Contours for over 1,050 lakes

• Over 90 High Definition lake
  maps, including these newly
  surveyed waters in stunning HD:
  Medicine, Siskiyou (CA)
  Flatiron Res., Larimer (CO)
  McClure Res., Santa Fe (NM)
  Lookout Point, Lane (OR)
  Lost Creek, Jackson (OR)

Visit the PLUS product page<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece64d1b5aff866fc4110bd3412fac697b428e2b9237e706bc1e03a9e380f8fed742> for information on product features like i-Pilot Link, images, complete lake list, GPS compatibility and more.





New 2015 Humminbird LakeMaster Micro SD card releases

  *  MidAtlantic Edition, Version 1<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece67cc1cba281b7f6bf27b2e9316357f36c462b4a52676a671dfd93d51aa7826cae>
  *  Minnesota Edition, Version 6 <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece62e81cc94218d619871b026c77b621306b88ec972bf4641e902dd307a6b43dad2>
  *  NorthEast Edition, Version 1<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6622ed343952cb7b43057646e0120852f808637d41536caae4b6286c41f3c984e>
  *  SouthEast Edition, Version 3<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece60e73e68c321d916aadce3b62067a2b844bf6ef5f998ab5e28aa15046cc3a6eb5>
  *  Western States Edition, Version 2<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6544140b29442f942cecb37ffdd65487e782a0cc34d390e08c6c8cc66a87d0b1c>
  *  Wisconsin Edition, Version 6<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6709ccd7e23707b07eaee71e99ab8add4558642fa3eb917bfccf74999ec7eba7e>

New 2015 Humminbird LakeMaster PLUS Micro SD card releases

  *  MidAtlantic PLUS, Version 1<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece635de8d83eaba0fcfd52b1866f8e1c5eaf31919e7bcbbe4c11d7cad856e11ae0c>
  *  Minnesota PLUS, Version 1 <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6452acf592d0e0780858d38ff68426b3eecffccf4dfce57cec011d647d1f3c9fe>
  *  NorthEast PLUS, Version 1<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6193d836378edad77ee2c7fd8d51575782e44b0adccf7a46d3aa28c557a17a2f1>
  *  SouthEast PLUS, Version 1 <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6ff4aeda26ba7f6a4d5bdec65a7ca75541e096c3af15da211ae2903e9f7db0fa2>
  *  Western States PLUS, Version 1<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece6f7eadd47b6b47570618bdc9207428783e779a373bad91b68a6d0efa78f0a50af>
  *  Wisconsin PLUS, Version 1<http://cl.exct.net/?qs=051a22138edbece62bce46989e1a145a62dde5ddd66729f9994a19934ad02b1edd5b202327a8e942>

[slip61]

Thanks Billy V I just ordered one. This should be very cool!

Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Lake Ontario United