Best Spot Lock Trolling Motors

What Is Spot Lock/GPS/Anchor Lock Feature In Trolling Motor?

The Anchor lock feature is a mechanism designed to help keep your boat locked into a precise fishing spot. This mechanism operates primarily using a GPS anchor that can lock to a precise location.  A trolling motor with this feature can make use of GPS data sourced either from an internal antenna or an additional fish finder integrated into it to hover the boat on a spot. 

Types of Trolling Motors

Engine Mount Motors: These types of motors are mounted on the outboard motors and are designed to provide thrust to your boat. They typically come with a wired remote for controlling the thrust settings. These types of trolling motors are most suited for multi-purpose boats. They also have a space-saving design which makes them an ideal choice in situations where there isn’t enough room to install a traditional unit. Engine mount motors are rudimentary at best and lack many of the features of the other types of trolling motors and they tend to be more expensive as well. 

Transom Motors: If you have a small boat, then this is the best trolling motor with a spot lock recommended for you. Transom motors are the easiest to install as they can be easily attached to the stern of your boat using a simple clamp. They are also quite easy to operate and clutter-free since they do not require foot pedals to operate. Transom Motors are cheaper than the other types of trolling motors. 

Bow Mounts: Like the name implies, bow mount motors are installed in front of your boat. This can present some challenges since your boat needs to have a flat deck and enough room to install this type of trolling motor. Still, this is the most popular type of trolling motor, especially for serious fishermen. It is most suitable for medium to larger boats and provides better control compared to other types of trolling motor. This is mainly due to the fact that it pulls your boat rather than push it through the water which makes it easier to steer and maneuver. 

Features To Consider When Buying A Spot Lock Trolling Motor

Getting a reliable spot lock trolling motor can be difficult especially if you don’t know what to look out for in one. These are some of the features to consider if you want to get the best spot lock trolling motor for your water vessel. 

• Precisions speed controls: This feature allows you to vary the pace or speed of movement of your vessel. They are precise which means you get more accuracy in maintaining the speed of your boat when you engage this function. 
• GPS Specifications: The GPS of every trolling motor has unique specifications. These include the horsepower rating, fuel consumption, and output level. Check for these specifications and ensure that they suit you in picking a spot lock trolling motor.
• Different modes in GPS: Typically, trolling motors have two GPS modes. These are the spot lock and circle modes. The spot lock mode helps to increase the accuracy of the motor and helps to lock the motor. The circle mode on the other hand helps to identify a fixed spot for the motor. These two functions aid the navigation of your boat. 
• Route record/playback: As the name implies, the function of this feature is to record the route plied by your vessel. You can then playback this route subsequently when you need to. 
• Foot Pedal: The foot pedal is usually located in the basement of the vessel’s steering chamber. This feature is important for controlling the acceleration and for stopping the motor when you need to. 
• Remote Control:  The motor is less difficult to control with the wireless remote control feature since you don’t have to be physically present to operate the unit every time. 
• Power Drive: The power drive generates the torque needed to drive the entire structure of your vessel forward. This is of course an important feature since it determines the overall performance and reliability of your unit. 
• Anchor Feature: As the name implies, this feature makes it possible to hold your vessel to a spot on the water. This typically consists of a bar of strong iron or any other heavy metal that helps to hold your boat in place at a preferred spot when this feature is engaged. 
• Straight Line: This feature allows you to navigate your vessel and maintain a preferred trajectory when it moves. Paired with the route record function this feature makes point-to-point navigations a lot easier. 
• Battery Meter: The trolling motor runs on a battery that supplies electrical power. Since the charge of the battery depletes as it operates, a battery meter helps to track the battery level accordingly. 
• Anchor Button: The anchor button is what you need to engage the anchor function of your trolling motor and this makes effortless control of the unit possible. 

Benefits of a Spot Lock Trolling Motor

Powers the Vessel: even the most rudimentary and the cheapest spot lock trolling motor should be able to supply the torque needed by the vessel to move from one spot to the other on the water. A trolling motor typically uses electrical energy from the battery to supply the power needed by the vessel. 

Fixed the Vessels: The lock feature of this type of trolling motor serves the purpose of helping to lock the vessel into a given spot. This makes the task of retrieving the boat later much simpler. 

Aids in Identification and Tracing: Since they have a GPS anchor lock function, spot lock trolling motors make it easier to track and identify vessels from a distance. This feature can be quite valuable for search and rescue operations.