For years, Lowrance has been at the forefront of technology for fishfinders. Every year they continue to improve on those products and help make it easier for us to find fish.
This year was a little different as the biggest news from the marine electronics giant was a brand new trolling motor. Ghost, as it is named, has caught the attention of anglers everywhere. The product seems like it will live up to the enormous hype it has received since it became official at ICAST.
WATCH RELATED: Walk Thru the Features of the Ghost
Here is what makes this new unit different than other trolling motors on the market.
Steering
Another key difference with Lowrance’s trolling motor is the type of steering. Instead of using cable steering, which can often lead to failure, they included fly-by-wire steering. It has the same feel and responsiveness of cable but is less likely to wear and fail over time.
READ RELATED: Here’s What You Need to Know About the New Lowrance Trolling Motor
Anchor Feature
The ability to stay in one place is one of the latest trends in trolling motors and Ghost can do it. The anchor feature allows anglers to stay in one spot and fish without having to worry about positioning the boat in current or wind.
Programmable Pedal
This small detail was a smart take on trolling motor pedals. Some brands have the button on the right, and others have it placed on the left side. Ghost lets you program it to whatever you are used to. This should make things easier for anglers to adjust to a new brand of trolling motor.
WATCH RELATED: Edwin Evers First Reaction to Ghost
Brushless Motor
This type of motor is nothing new for other industries, but it is brand new for trolling motors. There are many benefits to motors that go brushless as they are more efficient and also more powerful. Lowrance says that they are 25-percent stronger in terms of thrust generated and at the same time they can run for 45-percent longer on the same battery charge.
Probably the most significant benefit to brushless technology is how quiet it is. Stealth can be vital when fishing and Ghost is nearly silent in the water. As an added benefit, this new trolling motor has no electromagnetic interference, so it does not create any sonar interference.
The result is a powerful, quiet, long-lasting trolling motor and clear view of what your electronics are seeing below your boat.
Lowrance Electronics Integration
Of course, a Lowrance trolling motor will play nicely with Lowrance electronics, and there are many benefits to running both on the same boat. For the HDS LIVE, HDS Carbon and Elite Ti² units, users can connect the two with one plug, a standard NMEA 2000 cable.
The benefits to having them networked are touch screen control of Ghost via your electronics via the SmartSteer™ interface. This feature allows you to steer and control the speed of your trolling motor as well to set up navigation routes.
The Ghost trolling motor also has different options for built-in transducers. They come standard with the HDI transducer built-in, but the Active Imaging 3-in-1 is an option.
Solid Design, Smart Features, and Easy Installation
One unique feature of Ghost is that it can run on both 24 and 36-volt systems. It allows anglers to switch back and forth if they ever change their battery arrangement on their boat.
Besides that, it is a lightweight unit and is effortless to deploy thanks to a gas spring. Another excellent addition is how the motor aligns itself once brought out of the water. No more spinning and twisting your trolling motor head to make sure it is placed in the right direction. Ghost stows perfectly every time and lays flat into the mount.
On the durability front, Lowrance made sure to include a few things to make sure Ghost withstands the rigors of bass fishing. It has a unique breakaway mount in case (or when) you run into a stump or other object. It will reposition itself once you are clear of the object.
They also beefed up the parts of this motor with a composite shaft that features a lifetime warranty as well as adding a stabilizer and secure clips for rides in rough water.
Live Sonar, Too
The HDS LIVE units were the first new item to arrive last year, and now the “live” part of the equation is here. Lowrance’s LiveSight sonar that shows fish in real-time has shipped to dealers and is currently equipped on many bass boats.
It wasn’t released at this year’s ICAST show, but LiveSight is still brand new, and anglers are just now getting to use it for themselves to catch more fish.
The introduction of Lowrance’s Ghost was big news at this year’s ICAST show. The unique design and smart features, as well as the seamless integration with their popular electronics, should make this a “must-have” for anglers looking at getting a new trolling motor for the upcoming season.
Advertising