Minn Kota introduces i-Pilot, a trolling motor control system which utilizes GPS technology to automatically navigate and position the boat for anglers. “This is a true breakthrough in trolling motor technology,” Minn Kota Product Manager Dave Maryanov said. “What better way to keep you on fish than to have the trolling motor automatically position the boat for you. This is the ultimate in hands-free operation.”
i-Pilot integrates GPS technology into Minn Kota Terrova, PowerDrive V2, Riptide ST, or Riptide SP bow-mount trolling motors. This creates a new level of versatility for the angler and offers several features that have never before been available on a trolling motor. The Record a Track feature allows an entire fishing track, up to a remarkable two miles in length, to be stored to memory for immediate retracing or a later return trip. As many as three different tracks can be recorded and stored at a time.
The revolutionary Spot-Lock feature works like an electronic anchor, holding the boat in place. If the boat drifts more than five feet from the Spot-Lock location, i-Pilot will activate the trolling motor to keep the angler on the designated spot. It automatically corrects for wind, waves, current and drift. The “recall” feature for Spot-Lock provides the ability to return to that specific location at a later time. Up to three Spot-Lock locations can be stored at a time.
The i-Pilot system offers another groundbreaking innovation being offered to anglers for the first time, Cruise Control. With Cruise Control, i-Pilot maintains real-time on-the-water boat speed in one-tenth mile-per-hour increments. This precise speed control allows the angler to dial in bait presentations in trolling applications.
Also included in the i-Pilot control system is the new GPS-based Advanced AutoPilot. Advanced AutoPilot utilizes a series of waypoints to maintain a true heading while adjusting for wind, waves, current and side-drift.
Integrated into the i-Pilot remote control is Minn Kota’s famous CoPilot wireless trolling motor control system. With the remote, i-Pilot users will be able to control speed and steering from anywhere in the boat. “The whole concept of our i-Pilot system is to allow anglers to adapt all of these great boat control and positioning features and utilize them to their specific fishing application,” said Maryanov.
i-Pilot is available as an add-on accessory for new or current Minn Kota Terrova, PowerDrive V2, Riptide ST and Riptide SP bow-mount trolling motors. The Suggested Retail Price for the i-Pilot system is $399.99Minnkota website
