Who has a Power Pole or Minn Kota Talon anchor system?

[TritonGlenn]

I'm trying very hard to understand it's overall worth, but I'm just not getting it. However, I'm keeping an open mind, as I know people who have scoffed at products I deem extremely important. Everything made is not meant for everyone to accept. I realize that.



A buddy of mine in VA put one on his new Ranger a few years ago. I actually did the install of the Power Pole unit on his jackplate and he wired up everything else. I didn't see the point of it then, and even though I've seen it in use, I still don't see the point of it now. The times he used it? When we were waiting for tournaments to start, he would deploy it to keep his boat in place instead of just floating around in the cove like the rest of us.



To begin with, the "silent deployment" claim kind of made me scratch my head. It's not any quieter to me than me lowering my tri-fluted river anchor slowly over the side, and it takes me about the same amount of time - maybe a few seconds more with my "manual" system. But then again, I have a rope already tied to my anchor, and I know where it is and how to get to it quickly if I need it... which isn't often. Yeah, if I toss my anchor over with a loud thump and splash, then that's much more noise. But I don't know anyone who throws an anchor in less than 8 feet of water, which is the max depth these things are designed to hold you in. Most people simply lower it over the side, let it grip, and tie it off to a cleat.



Cost difference between my anchoring system and these automatic ones? Oh, about $1250 to $1650 more for the "automatic" system. :blink: I just can't justify that kind of money for an anchor. There are so many more things I can see spending that money on that I would deem worthwhile to have.



And how often do people actually use these? Maybe others do use them often. I haven't seen them on any lake / river I've been on, although I have seen the boats with the units mounted on the back. I can't see myself doing it. When I'm fishing shallow water, I can generally keep myself where I want to be, unless the wind is blowing violently. It might be handy to have one of those remote controlled systems that I could deploy while keeping position during deployment with my trolling motor. Yeah... I'll conceded to that - that might be nice. But other than that, how often would it be used?



Opinions? Thoughts? Do others actually use these systems that much? I see them on a lot of pro's boats these days, but are the pro's actually anchoring that much?



If you own one, I would really appreciate hearing from you. I'd like to know your honest opinion of how it works, what model you have, how much you use it, etc...



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Texas Transplant]

I've wondered the same thing. One area that I think that it would be very useful for, is when you are fishing for bedding fish in the spring - especially when it's not 'calm' on the water. But like you, there are other alternatives and the $$$$ for those systems is pretty high.



Tex

 

[firedog978]

Glenn, I'm with you. I've never seen the need vs expense to have it. I suppose there are enough who deem it necessary or, they wouldn't stay in business. As to the pro's having them, I'm sure it is much like many items they have in that it doesn't cost them personally(?). I can't say I've ever seen a boat on the waters I fish with one. And, being as I fish 'often', that's saying something.

I'm interested in the average guy that finds the need also. Hope to see a few responses.

 

[TritonGlenn]

Tex,

True, very true. I usually go after bedding fish with my trolling motor up and a push pole on deck. That way I can move slowly and fairly quietly. But I can see that being a problem if the water is not calm. However... I normally don't fish for bedding fish when the water isn't calm, as my bed fishing is usually sight fishing. Rough water = Not enough clarity to see what I'm casting to. The rougher water also makes hull slap, which kind of kills bed fishing anyway.



firedog,

I'm absolutely positive there is a nitch for it, because as you said - the companies wouldn't remain in business. Now there are two that I know of - Power Pole AND Minn Kota. If other companies start jumping on the bandwagon (I kinda expect to see something from Motorguide within the next year or two), I'm hoping to see those $1K + price tags drop down to something more reasonable.



I've even seen boats with TWO of them installed, which I really don't understand. If you need two of those thigamajigs to keep you in place, you're probably bouncing around too hard to stay standing on the casting deck anyway! :lol:



Thanks for the responses guys. Keep 'em coming. Really hoping to hear from someone who owns one that can give us a complete run-down of the machine.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Gilbert Scales2]

Glenn, I have been having the same thoughts. They are big in my neck of the woods, but mostly for fishing the marshes. They use them for fishing Redfish around here. I also agree with Tex, about springtime fishing. However cannot bring myself to spend that kind of money on one.



Bubby

 

[eric nichols]

A friend of mine has one on his Triton. For the most part, it was useless. Yes, it does keep the BACK of the boat still, but the front sways side to side in any current. We fished a local small lake tourny and it was a pain. When time is running out it slows you down because, until its totally up in the locked position, you cant take off. The only time it came in handy is when we took our 5 yr olds to a lake by our house that is loaded with big bluegill. It kept us still enough so the boys could eat their snack and watch their bobbers without the boat rocking....which a $15 anchor could do, but doesnt look as cool I guess. Hope this helps.



Eric

 

[Texas Transplant]

I believe that the reason they have gone to the two opposing poles, is to keep the boat 'still' and in one place. With two of them, the 'pivot point' is now dispersed and should keep the boat rock steady, if needed.



Having watched the new Zona Show today with VanDam and Zona fishing for smallies, they used it offshore to hold well to a spot that they repeatedly caught smallies off of. Made sense.



Tex

 

[eric nichols]

I watched the show today, also, Tex....those were some monster fish.



Eric

 

[Eddie Payne]

I have been torn between a single talon or one of the shallow water spike anchors that are on the market. To me it would be much better on the front, where you could point the nose into the wind and hold steady without burning up the TM batteries. I may bite the bullet and buy one this spring. Dig-In, Spike It and Wang are some of the brands.

 

[Herndonpro]

I could see the benefit of one if it fits your budget and the maajority of your fishing is done in shallow water. I fish grass beds both submerged and matted for 90% of my fishing on the Potomac River. The I see two benefits in my situation. When I catch a fish being able to deploy the system and hold my spot in open water and heavy wind. By the time you land a fish, unhook, maybe cull, put it in the livewell, and check your bait you can be 100 yards or more from where you caught that fish. And then have to fight the wind to get back to the spot.

If I am flipping grass it would allow me to work completely around the boat and then move a short distance and start the process again. Saving battery power on the trolling motor and allowing me to work at my own pace.

A side benefit of the anchoring system is not beating up the boat with a tradional anchor and bringing all the mud, slime and grass associated with grass fishing into the boat.

I don't get the chance to site fish, but I could see where it had it's advantges there as well.

Not putting either on my current boat, but will probably have one on the next boat.



HP

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Well here's where I can give yo some perspective. In Florida a majority of the boats have them. It's all about tide and shallow water. It doesn't have to be just tide, it can be current as well. It is just what it says it is, "A Shallow Water Anchoring System". With tide and current you would be on your troller constantly trying to work an area. Let's not forget about wind for the lake people....Florida bass congregate and where there is one there are more than likely more so the ability to anchor in place is important. Cornering a school of tailing Reds is also a lot easier. As for a "Manual" anchor, fair enough but do it 50-100 times a day and I'm sure the use of hydrolics would be much faster and easier on the back. I also do not like carrying, stowing an anchor that is going to put mud in my boat unless I spend even more time dipping it before I stow it. Expensive gadget? Maybe, but so is side imaging vs a regular finder, gps vs maps, and on, and on....Bottom line it has its time and place and you can accomplish the same thing other ways. Now the question remains, if you are in a tournament with your power pole or talon down and your TM up are you "Anchored" and the 50 foot rule applies?:unsure: ....just another "advantage".



TOXIC

 

[Dan J.]

I've used a 10', 11/16" diameter fiberglass tree stake and a bungee cord for years. It lays down on the deck, fore to aft, out of the way when not being used and can be deployed with a couple bungees around the TM shaft in seconds. They come with a formed pointed end that penetrates easily and pops out with a wiggle just as easy. It has held a 911, a few 929's, and my 19' Skiff in place in wind and wave for a total cost of about $8. Any garden supply or tree farm should have them.

 

[TritonGlenn]

Yes, it does keep the BACK of the boat still, but the front sways side to side in any current. We fished a local small lake tourny and it was a pain. When time is running out it slows you down because, until its totally up in the locked position, you cant take off.

Eric,

That is the kind of info I was looking for, and that is what I was expecting. How long does it actually take to deploy / retract (and lock in position), and how noisy did you think the hydraulics were? Comparable to an engine trim / tilt or hydraulic jackplate noise, or quieter?

Dig-In, Spike It and Wang are some of the brands.

E5Zero,

Now THAT is along the lines of what I was thinking. After reading some responses here, I was seriously starting to think about the benefits (for me) of owning something like this, but was bouncing around cost vs use in my head. I just checked out the "Dig-In" anchor system, and that is exactly what I had envisioned as a cheaper alternative, and was thinking about building instead of spending upwards of $1000. Their price (especially for something as simple as a mount and stake) still kind of surprised me, but I can still get a front and rear system for about half of the auto versions, and the brackets come with lifetime warranties. Wonder how reliable the poles are though? They eat you up on the shipping, big time! That might be a deal killer for some people. I can't see it costing them $115 to ship a bow unit, or $230 to ship a bow and stern unit. That kind of put me off. I bet I could get the hydraulic units shipped for half of that! I still might build my own based on what I saw there.



herndonpro,

Would you guys please stop bringing up the Potomac?!!! :lol: Of all places that I miss fishing, the Potomac is definitely on the list. I enjoyed fishing the grass beds on the Potomac too. As I read posts here, I started to think about how nice it would have been to anchor on some of those spots - quickly and easily.



Toxic,

Well... it's abut time you chime in! :lol: I can definitely see your point about manual vs automatic 50-100 times a day. Did you look at the ones that E5Zero posted about? I might not mind using those 50-100 times a day. They seem really easy to use - quick, clean, and quiet. Your point about not liking to carry, stow, etc... an anchor is well taken. I don't mind carrying my river anchor in my boat, but once it starts getting used, that's another story. It is going to have to dry out, as well as the rope it's attached to, and so will the compartment it's being stowed in. You drove it home with the comparison between regular sonar and side imaging. I'll admit - I don't use my Structure Scan all that much compared to regular sonar and Down Scan, but when I do use it - it's nice to have. It's just another tool that makes my fishing all the more pleasant. EXCELLENT question regarding the "anchored" rule. :blink: I'm now wondering the same thing about he manual versions. Hmmmm.... interesting. VERY interesting.



Dan J,

Where did you get a fiberglass tree stake? I'm actually looking for one for the manual version I had in mind, as well as their original intended purpose. The ones at my local Lowes / Home Depot are not solid. They are thin aluminum tubes covered in a green plastic shell. I originally thought they were solid plastic of some sort, but the first high wind storm we had bent and broke the one I had on a front yard tree, and I almost lost the tree. I'll look again. 11/16". Hmmmm....



Thanks everyone. I've got the ideas flowing now, and your responses have given me a new perspective on these systems uses.



Keep the comments coming - especially if you have experience using one of these systems - manual or automatic.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Herndonpro]

Glenn



Potomac was the best I have ever seen it this year. I thought the hard winter we had last year would slow the grass down some, but it was as plentiful as ever. Can't wait for spring to get here.



HP

 

[TritonGlenn]

HP,

Thanks for rubbing it in bro!



I enjoy fishing TX, but I'm so used to tidal water, that I'm confused what to do here! For 22 years, I fished tidal waters. Lake fishing is kicking my rear, but I'm slowly getting used to it. The only lakes I really fished in VA / NC were Kerr and Gaston, but I never really did extremely well there on a consistent basis.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Dan J.]

Glenn - I got mine a few years back at Pike's Nursery. (A local nursery and garden supply chain.) I paid less than $5 for one about 10' long. It's green and about 3/4" diameter (solid), although I distinctly remember the odd 11/16" annotation on the bundle. (Why not just say 3/4"? :wacko: ) I'm willing to bet a local garden supply in your area will have bundles of them, too. They also had smaller 1/2"(?) sized solid stakes, but didn't look as beefy. I'd recommend getting the larger one and the solid type, definitely not the hollow fishing rod type. I wrapped the last 3' with electrical tape to make a good hand hold for plunging and retrieving. I drilled a 3/16" hole at the wrapped end and added a small, looped piece of rope as well. Good luck!

 

[TritonGlenn]

Dan,

Thanks for the info.



Funny... a few months ago, I would have wondered the same thing as you just posted regarding the "odd" designation. After just finishing the statistics class that I took, I now understand why they put that designation on there. If a product is advertised as a certain size, they can actually be held in violation of certain laws if a tested large sample of their product does not meet the noted specifications. So if someone really wanted to be a jerk about it, I guess they could cause the company a lot of grief if the product is marked as one size, but all of the samples turn out to average another size that is not within a given margin. Anal retentive, I know... but that is why. At least that is what the class I just took taught me. Hmmm... a certain jack plate company that violates those rules comes to mind.... :lol::lol::lol:



All the best,

Glenn

 

[eric nichols]

As for the noise, Glenn, not much difference at all.....trim was actually a little louder on my buddies boat. As for the times of deploy/ retract....about 30-40 sec to retract, but deploying had its difficulties. The unit worked fine, spiking is a different story. The deploy time depended on what kind of bottom we hit. In my opinion, having a Structure Scan unit is the key. We fished very muddy water where seeing the bottom was damn near impossible, which hindered the spike. We hit chunk rock, submerged trees, and solid rock...nothing to stick into. Needless to say, we spent a little time at each spot trying to find suitable spiking ground...this all factored into the deploy time. Sorry Im a little on the windy side...been cooped up with a 5 yr old and a 2 yr old while my wife has worked all weekend...havent had much conversation outside the realm of Thomas the Train and Buzz Lightyear. Hope my opinion can help. Have a great New Year.



Eric

 

[TritonGlenn]

Eric,

I greatly appreciate the info. I'm pretty much settled now - Manual anchoring unit(s) for me. I might even make my own.



"little on the windy side..." :lol::lol::lol:



Brother... have you read my posts on this board? :lol: I'd say your reply was a light breeze compared to some of the ramblings I've done on this board. (That's a dig on me, not you! ) I know how it is though. Trust me - If I wasn't cooped up so much lately, I'd spend more time on the water and less time writing term-paper sized posts (even though I DO love to type away and converse with everyone here). :lol:



Thanks again for the reply. Very helpful, and I greatly appreciate it.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Eddie Payne]

Glenn one of the outfits will sell only their bracket. The other option is to look for a local supplier, I plan on doing that at the Houston Boat Show soon.



Keep me posted on what you come up with.



See ya,

Ed

 

[TritonGlenn]

Ed,

Thanks!

All the best,

Glenn

 

[TritonGlenn]

Ed,

I couldn't find "Spike It" in a anchoring system. I found one called "Stay Put" that looks pretty good, but you have to get all the way to the final order before they quote you a shipping price. I didn't want to put in my CC info just to find that info out. I found the Wang anchoring system, and they are the one that sells their bracket separately. However, I don't really care for the looks of their bow mount bracket. The stern mount looks like it's adjustable, which is a plus. I was wondering about different transom angles and how it would be affected. I'm just really not so sure I want to drive around with two items on my boat prominently marked with "WANG" on them, especially since their site quoted something to the effect of "Hang out with your wang out". :blink:

Thanks for the help!

All the best,

Glenn

 

[TOMMY RICH]

It's like most high dollar stuff and trying to justify it...not for me unless I hit the lotto:lol:

 

[Bruce Yeaton]

Glenn - I have the Spike It anchor at home - I'll get you the address.

 

[Michael Meier]

Glen,

I can hook you up with a real nice carbon fiber push pole? That's what I use in the Potomac. Of course it will not have the same debilitating effect on your partners casting ability? But it may keep his stuff from wrapping up on the pole. It will not give you a place to hang your hat or dry your vest?

 

[Scott Allen]

Mike,



Have you tried the pushpole on the upper Potomac where it is rockier? I wonder if it would hold well there?



Scott

 

[Bruce Yeaton]

Here you go Glenn - real nice guy when I spoke with him on the phone.

http://www.stickitanchorpins.com/

 

[TritonGlenn]

mikesxpress,

That would be very appreciated. Let me know how much.





Bruce,

Thanks! I'll check that out.





All the best,

Glenn