Using Anchor-Lock on Trolling Motors to Catch More Fish
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Score more fish with trolling-motor position-keeping.
A bow-mounted electric trolling motor using variable speeds and 360-degree swivel capability can keep a small to midsize vessel on the mark without the need to anchor. Want to hold your boat in position and pointed in a specific direction along a rip or a weed line?
We asked Rhode Island charter skipper B.J. Silvia (flippinoutcharters.com) about his use of a trolling motor to capture bruiser stripers, bulldog blackfish and behemoth tuna.
“Push a button on the wireless remote or MFD,” Silvia says, “and the Minn Kota keeps you ‘anchored.’ I run Spot-Lock through my Hummingbird Apex system.”
Here are five ways Silvia uses the automated position-keeping technology of trolling motors to up his scores with saltwater gamefish.
Mud or Rocky Bottom
Sticky bottom poses a challenge to conventional anchoring. Using a trolling motor and locking your position without dropping the hook means your anchor never pulls or gets stuck. “I use Spot-Lock to set up over snag-infested and soft-bottom areas I couldn’t fish before to work lunkers that rarely see a hook,” Silvia says.
Docks, Bridge Stanchions and Jetties
Anchoring around visible structure can be dicey, but position-keeping makes it a breeze. “I quit fishing a break wall that required tying a piece of wood to a line and tossing it into the rocks to anchor,” Silvia recalls. “The spot held big fish but wasn’t worth the effort or risk. Now I pull beasts from there all the time. With the press of a button, I’m safely locked in place for perfect presentations.”
Refine on the Fly
“You need to hover on specific corners and edges to catch dinosaurs.”
Read more at www.boatingmag.com