Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

hey guys i fish a ton for bass in the ca delta but now that my kids are big enough to start fishing do you think a electric steer motor with the anchor feature would be ok for the ca delta was thinking with it being spot locked i could help the kids fish in the back of the boat the motorguide lets me jog foward in 5 foot incraments whem reapplies the spot lock feature electric steer trolling motors for bass in the ca delta anyone doing it and whats your opinions thanks fellas

I have been fishing with the terrova and now the ulterra for years now. I am in a wheelchair, so I need this type of motor. If I was a walker I would probably choose to use a standered cable style trolling motor. There simple and less things to go wrong. But I have got used to using the electric steer type motors and learned to like them. The spot lock works good on a lake. Works ok on the delta. I like that you can put it on a heading and it will go down the bank on that heading. I think it's great to be able to control the motor from anywhere on the boat, specially with kids. Hope this helps. If you have anymore questions you are welcome to call me. 209-740-3228 jesse

I have been fishing with the terrova and now the ulterra for years now. I am in a wheelchair, so I need this type of motor. If I was a walker I would probably choose to use a standered cable style trolling motor. There simple and less things to go wrong. But I have got used to using the electric steer type motors and learned to like them. The spot lock works good on a lake. Works ok on the delta. I like that you can put it on a heading and it will go down the bank on that heading. I think it's great to be able to control the motor from anywhere on the boat, specially with kids. Hope this helps. If you have anymore questions you are welcome to call me. 209-740-3228 jesse

Like McLovin said, the electric steer motors are awesome for wide open lakes but not as good for tight quarters. Probably depends on the type of fishing you do. Flipping and pitching cover will be frustrating with an electric steer. On the other hand, the spot lock feature is totally awesome and now the ipilot link has the "follow the contour" option which is great. It's awesome to be able to control the motor from anywhere on the boat, and now the Ulterra has automatic stow and deploy and powertrim to allow you to adjust the motor height. On the other hand, these features aren't as useful though if your fishing a narrow shallow slough where the margin of error is tight. If you're in shallow water with rocks and other things to avoid you'll want to be up at the motor so you can see the obstructions. I keep hoping they'll come out with a cable/electric hybrid one day.

I'm too used to the standard cable-steered Minn Kotas and MotorGuides I've had on my boat and whenever I fish on friends' boats with electric-steered motors, it just feels weird. They seem to take forever to react, whereas cable-steering gives pretty much instantaneous direction changes.

With the exception of special reasons I don't recommend the electric motors on the Delta or on a Bass Boat at all. They react to slow to their command, with the way they are deployed and stowed it is easier for someone to fall in and get hurt. If you don't buy one with a transducer built in it is a pain to put a transducer on the outside shaft.
I have worked on enough of the electric steers to know this first hand.
Stay with a push pull cable trolling motor. Just my opinion.

Like Gene said, and if ANYONE would know its Gene, I would avoid electric for the delta especially to slow unless you have special circumstances like mclovin. That said my advice and what I TRY to do when fishing with kids is find some fish on the electronics and then just slow way down and sit when possible. Kids don't seem to have our need for bigger fish yet they just want to catch something.