The magic of finding that perfect fishing spot where there’s a strike at the end of nearly every cast is the holy grail of fishing. You get it once or twice in a lifetime. Or so we thought. Imagine being able to have it at your fingertips. 

At just the press of a button, ‘spot-lock’ makes that happen by locking in your GPS co-ordinates. So unless the river changes overnight you can lock it in and return whenever you want.

The most incredibly accurate tech-savvy GPS anchor on the market comes as a part of i-Pilot and i-Pilot link from Minn Kota. It’s got the most up-to-date hardware and software which means it’s an industry leader and on nearly every fisherman’s wish list. And for a good reason. That little anchor button is the most used feature on any of the trolling motor models offering i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link.

To see spot-lock in action we’ve attached some videos, thanks to Minn Kota, explaining how it works and showing real people using it in real-time.

• Distance to spot feature is a handy attribute. Shown on the remote it makes driving and finding your preset spots easier counting down the distance at a glance.
• Another awesome feature, as easy as the touch of a button, is active spot-lock jog. This will move the boat 5 feet forward, back, left or right which enables you to stay right on top of the fish.

The fact that it can be operated from the controller hanging around your neck or the button on the foot pedal so your hands have more ‘time on the rod’ where they belong is sensible and one less thing to store.

Minn Kota is an industry leader in GPS anchors and a total game changer for pro fishermen and keen anglers alike. Available on freshwater and saltwater models.

Some trolling motor models are available as a complete package with i-pilot. These are listed below. Or chose ipilot as an add-on at a later date.

Spot-Lock reported issues and troubleshooting

1. Spot-lock doesn’t hold the position.
2. System locks up, or spot lock intermittently turns off. I suggest the first thing you check is under the pedal. It’s susceptible to any interference from small pieces of debris. Something small like a zip tie, for example, can sometimes find it’s way around the floor of a boat and interfere with with the pedal. Can be something really small, so feel under the pedal or get those specs out.
3. Pedal correction and getting used to the steering assist. Correcting course with the tap of the pedal can take a little bit of getting used to. When the power steering assist kicks in to auto-correct your position, it can seem a bit of overkill on the motor at first. You’ll get used to it and grow to love it.
4. Pedal control – too soft or a ‘squishy feeling.’ In comparison to the Motorguide, the i-Pilot pedal feel is not as stiff. Just a matter of getting used to the feeling and how much ‘give’ you’ve got.
5. Older models had a problem with motherboards but this seems to have been rectified on newer models.

You’ll find Minn Kota’s i-Pilot troubleshooting guide on this link. If you’re having an issue with erratic steering corrections, you’ll find these steps helpful for pinpointing and solving the problem.

Minn Kota vs. Motorguide

Minn Kota put their Spot-Lock to the test against Motorguide and recorded the result in this video.  Just a note this is video is dated, as the test was in 2017, but still interesting and worth checking out.