I’ve been around the I-pilot on several trips and I’m not convinced its all that. The spot lock is cool but I can hold close enough to a spot with my wrist remote and adjusting my position due to wind or current. I was very impressed with how well it kept us in a spot below a tailrace one time with lots of current. That situation probably would have been too difficult to try manually. I kind of prefer circling a spot anyway, especially if I have a freeline out of the back while downlining. We tried to use the GPS tracking feature to run down a line of trees up in the river while pulling planer boards and the motor/gps combo was just too slow to react to the wind to keep us on course. I like to pull my boards very close to the structure or bank and manually adjusting position was the only way to keep them close… Some people get hung up on trying to pull a certain speed like .5 mph or whatever they think is the magic number but I have always been one to change speeds…sometimes i creep, sometimes fast, sometimes stop and let the baits fall…I let the fish tell me what speed they like and I don’t assume its the same every trip. Definitely a Minn Kota fan though. My advice would be to jump in someone elses boat and try it out. If it improves your style of fishing, go for it and if it don’t, well save your money for the next gadget that comes along…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
Geronimo, if you are set on minkota you can get the quick release plate and try my motor out to see if 55# would make you happy. It’s just the autopilot, not I Pilot. But it will let you know how your boat is with a 55# TM.
Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude
geronimo; i had a 52# thrust on my 19’ seapro at one time and it did just fine. that was maybe 8-9 years ago and i am sure that the motors are better now. that 55 should do the trick easily.
and to TOM; i am not 80 you turd; i am just older than you so show some respect.
Neither … I don’t even have a trolling motor … the whole time I was in Florida I used a Push Pole … kinda hard to use one of those on Lake Murray … 
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
Thanks for the offer Tom. I would definitley take you up on that but I hadn’t planned on spending the extra coin on the release bracket since I garage my boat. If I do though, I will let you know. Sounds like 55# will be plenty, and it also sounds like I was pulling my freelines too fast anyways. I always ran around 1.5-2 mph. I caught fish though.
INDIGO BAY 170- 90 JOHNSON
55# does fine on my 19 skiff unless it’s really windy and its 1500 lbs empty. That 17’ Indigo Bay probably doesn’t weigh 1000 lbs does it?
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
Empty it is probably closer to 900. I didn’t know you were running a 55. I thought for sure you had the 24 volt motor. I know for sure that a 55 is plenty now.
INDIGO BAY 170- 90 JOHNSON
I have a 22ft SeaHunt Bay Boat with a soon to be Minn Kota on it. Minn Kota Riptide SP 70 with Ipilot. Mine is a few feet larger and that is the only reason I went with the larger motor. Went out fishing with Chip one night and after using it I knew it was the only way to go. Could really be used for striper, but also for spot locking when I go do some salt fishing. Hope to have it this week. Don’t think you will go wrong with that investment.
geronimo; you can get the quick release for right around $50 delivered. i can contact my son and find out where he got ours if you would like.
Just to add to the discussion here, some folks may be interested in the new I-pilot Link that will be available in Dec. 2012. http://www.minnkotamotors.com/ipilotlink/ The Lakemaster maps and Contour Elite software looks awesome though they don’t have a Lake Murray map yet…I have requested that Lakemaster add Lake Murray and I hope others will as well… Lakemaster charts are for Humminbird sonars/chartplotters…Check out some of the capabilities of Lakemaster Contour Elite and you will be blown away. Imagine if they added Striped Bass to their fish species pattern search…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
That is pretty sweet, Plus now I will probably be able to upgrade to outgoing I-Pilot at a discount.
Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude
So does “upgrade” to I Pilot mean replace with a new TM? or are our Rip Tides with autopilot upgradable? Is it just a matter of replacing the removable module on the trolling motor and replacing it?
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
I think it involves replacing the head and soldering a few wires.
INDIGO BAY 170- 90 JOHNSON
Just called the Crappie Hole. He said I can make it I Pilot if the plugs hanging off it are round and not flat. Mine is 3 years old, right around when he said they switched and I’m pretty sure they are round.
It would be nice, but It would cost $425 though and I’m pretty satisfied with the sutopilot, so I think I’ll just stick with that for now.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
I guess this is hummingbirds way of getting back at Lowrance for surpassing them on the side/down imaging technology…figured this technology was in the making. I have talked to people who know nothing about i pilots and all say the same thing… can u run it from your depth finder or is it connected to it? I always so nope but real sure its around the corner and BAM there it is.
Edit: You think Lowrance will get something along these lines?
It’s amazing where technology has brought the sport. Who would have thought 10 years ago that you could be fishing with a 3D picture of not only what’s underneath your boat but what’s beside it as well, take all 8,000 of your favorite songs with you, have your trolling motor drive your boat for you, and then be able to take HD National Geographic quality underwater videos of your fish as they are reeled to the boat. Just amazing.
INDIGO BAY 170- 90 JOHNSON
If motorguide had any business sense they would be working on something like this with lowrance.
When they upgraded the Ipilot last year Cabelas had the old ones on clearance for $350. I bought a $300 gift card on ebay for $250 and ordered one. 1.5 weeks later I called cabelas and asked where it was and they told me it was a bad gift card and they were out of stock. They never sent me a email or a phone call even though they had both. They offered to sell me one of the new ones at full price, gee thanks.
Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude
Motor guide is so far behind i dont think they even care anymore…plus i think they are staying true to the bass fisherman. Not gonna lie, if i was a bass guy a big foot control motor guide would be on my boat. I do think there foot control motors blow MK out of the water…
MG are too loud. After 3-4 years they sound like sewing machines and scare all the fish away.
INDIGO BAY 170- 90 JOHNSON