When you find a great spot for fishing, your boat needs to stay put. One of the best ways to keep your boat in the same spot is to use a Spot-Lock trolling motor.
Spot-Lock is an effective GPS anchor that will lock you on the exact spot that you have chosen on the water. You only need to push a button, and Spot-Lock will use the GPS to accurately hold your boat on your chosen spot on the water.
With Spot-Lock, you can virtually anchor your boat in place just by pushing a button on the remote or the foot pedal. The trolling motor will engage automatically so that you will be within a few feet of your chosen position. You will be able to hold your place because Spot-Lock will compensate for any current or wind.
Read on to learn more about the Spot-Lock trolling motor, how it works, and a Minn Kota Spot-Lock trolling motors review.
Also, take a look at our recommended Spot-Lock trolling motor, the Minn Kota Ultrex Freshwater Bow-Mount Motor with Universal Sonar 2 and i-Pilot Link GPS, on Amazon, to see its price and great reviews:
Click here to see it on Amazon.
Spot-Lock Trolling Motor
Spot-Lock is a game-changing virtual anchor that is very useful to recreational fishers because of its ability to hold the boat in its place on the water no matter where the current or the wind goes.
You only need to push a button on the remote or put your foot on the pedal to activate the system of Spot-Lock. This tool will use the GPS to lock your boat in the exact same position that you have chosen on the water.
Spot-Lock works in tandem with i-Pilot, the GPS-powered navigation system of Minn Kota trolling motors. When activated, the system will hold your boat within a few feet of the same spot at all times.
Spot-Lock is definitely worth its price. It will save you a lot of work controlling your boat while you are fishing. This tool will constantly hold your boat within 5 feet of the spot you have chosen. It works efficiently in river current. This gadget also has a jog feature, just like motor guides.
Spot-Lock is offered in select Minn Kota freshwater trolling motors such as Ultrex, Ulterra, PowerDrive, and the Terrova. It is also available in Minn Kota saltwater trolling motors such as the Riptide Terrova, the Riptide Ulterra, and the Riptide PowerDrive.
How Spot-Lock Trolling Motors Work
Minn Kota has developed many innovations that make fishing more fun instead of being an activity that is laden with many chores. Its latest innovation is the Spot-Lock. Together with Minn Kota’s i-Pilot and Record-a-Track, Spot-Lock has made recreational fishing truly fun and easy.
You can consider these three features on the Minn Kota trolling motor as the most useful. In the past, GPS is only associated with Humminbird units. But now, trolling motors have also integrated GPS technology to help people catch more fish by improving their boat control.
Spot-Lock Is an Electronic Anchor
In basic terms, Spot-Lock is an electronic anchor. When you put it in motion, you will be able to hold the boat’s position, no matter what the current or wind conditions are. It does its work with the help of the i-Pilot.
The position you have selected is based on a pinpointed GPS coordinate, determined exactly by the i-Pilot. After the location is established, the trolling motor head will adjust the speed and direction of the boat to compensate for whatever changes there are in the wave and wind conditions.
Push the Button or Use the Foot Pedal
Just pushing the button on the remote will do the trick. You can also use the foot pedal to do it. Just step on the pedal to activate Spot-Lock.
Functions of Spot-Lock
This function is handy in many situations. For instance, if you have hooked up a large fish, push the Spot-Lock button on the remote when you hooked the fish. You will be able to hold the position of the boat whatever strength and amount of fight the large fish will give. You won’t lose your place on the water as you bring the fish on board.
Spot-Lock trolling motors are also very useful in other situations. For instance, when you have spotted a big school of fish, you will want to stay within reach to cast different kinds of baits in that area. You don’t have to drop a real physical anchor so that your boat will remain in the spot. Just use Spot-Lock, and your boat will stay there for as long as you want.
Optimize Spot-Lock Using Record-a-Track
You can also optimize the functions of Spot-Lock and i-Pilot if you combine their use with Record-a-Track, another feature of Minn Kota trolling motors. This feature will enable you to record a certain boat path.
Once you have established a boat path, the trolling motor will take control and move the boat back and forth over the same path. This feature allows you to save a maximum of six pre-recorded paths. You can pay a visit to this spot perhaps tomorrow or a week later.
It’s great to have a Spot-Lock on your trolling motor, as well as these two other features. They will allow you to focus more on presenting your lures and catching fish instead of spending your time and energies controlling your boat.
Spot-Lock works great if you employ structured fishing techniques like pulling bottom bouncers, jigging, and rigging. It is also instrumental in coming across a steep weedline in a lake where plenty of fishes are waiting to be caught.
When activated, Spot-Lock will keep your boat within a 5-foot radius. Your boat will stay in this perimeter no matter what the current or wind conditions are. It will also give you the ability to ‘jog’ the boat 5 feet in whatever direction you want. You only need to press the arrow buttons on the remote in the direction that you want.
Minn Kota Spot-Lock Trolling Motors
Four Minn Kota freshwater trolling motors come with Spot-Locks. This electronic virtual anchor is an add-on to the standard trolling motor assemblies of these trolling motor models:
1. Minn Kota Ultrex Spot-Lock Trolling Motor
Click here to see it on Amazon.
The Ultrex trolling motor is equipped with power steering. You will feel it when you step on the foot pedal. Then, if you have chosen a spot on the water and want to stay on it, tap the Spot-Lock button, and the system will hold the boat automatically on that spot. Therefore, Ultrex combines the most intuitive and the most responsive steering with GPS-powered automatic boat control.
Aside from Spot-Lock, the Ultrex has the following features:
- Power steering
- Steering lock
- I-Pilot link – an integrated GPS trolling system
- Lift-assist – reduces the weight of stow and deploy in half, made of stainless steel, nitrogen gas-charged spring.
- AutoPilot – automatically navigates the boat in any direction you want.
- Built-in MEGA Down Imaging – a transducer integrated into the motor to get crystal clear Humminbird MEGA Down Imaging with a clean, protected look.
- Integrated battery meter
- Digital Maximizer – provides a maximum of 5 times longer run time on one charge.
- Bow mount
- 112 pounds maximum thrust
- 45” maximum shaft length
There are several variants of the Ultrex with Spot-Lock that are available in the market. One of the variants has a 45-inch shaft. This variant and its key features are as follows:
Minn Kota Ultrex Freshwater Bow-Mount Motor with Universal Sonar 2 and i-Pilot Link GPS
This Ultrex model has a shaft length of 45 inches and delivers 112 pounds of thrust (36 volts). It comes with a multi-function foot pedal and many features common to other Ultrex models.
2. Minn Kota PowerDrive Spot-Lock Trolling Motor
Click here to see it on Amazon.
The PowerDrive trolling motor of Minn Kota is fully capable of supplying a day of fishing requirements. It is equipped with modern technology that enables it to provide power when needed with ease of operation. Aside from Spot-Lock, this trolling motor has the following key features:
- Deploy-Assist Lever
- Side-to-Side/Electric Foot Pedal
- Composite shaft
- Push-to-Test Battery Meter
- Weedless Wedge
- 55 pounds maximum thrust
- 54 inches shaft length
- Bow mount
There are also some variants of the PowerDrive with Spot-Lock that are available in the market. Moreover, each variant comes with a different shaft length. Here is one PowerDrive variant:
Minn Kota 1358790 Powerdrive 45_BT Bow mount Trolling Motor with Bluetooth
This trolling motor can be fitted with different shaft lengths, depending on the fishing requirements. Note that the lengths of shafts available for PowerDrive range from 36” to 72”.
3. Minn-Kota Ulterra Spot-Lock Trolling Motor
The Ulterra is another trolling motor model of Minn Kota. Apart from Spot-Lock, some of this model’s key features are Auto Stow/Deploy and Power Trim. Lastly, interested buyers are given a choice between i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link.
Aside from Spot-Lock, the Ulterra has the following features:
- Auto Stow and Deploy
- Power Trim
- i-Pilot Link
- Auto-pilot
- Built-in MEGA Down Imaging
- Weedless Wedge
- 80 pounds maximum thrust
- 60 inches shaft length
- Bow mount
4. Minn-Kota Terrova Spot-Lock Trolling Motor
The Terrova has lots of features that make it a popular trolling motor. It can deliver 80 pounds of thrust and boasts of an effortless Lift-Assist Design. Moreover, combined with i-Pilot and Spot-Lock, it is one of Minn Kota’s best sellers.
Aside from Spot-Lock, here are some of the essential specs of Terrova:
- Lift-Assist Design
- i-Pilot
- Stow/Deploy Lever
- AutoPilot
- Electric Foot Pedal
- Digital Maximizer
- Weedless Wedge
- 80 pounds maximum thrust
- 60 inches shaft length
- Bow mount
Saltwater Spot-Lock Trolling Motors
Minn Kota also produces trolling motors for saltwater applications. Some of these models are equipped with Spot-Locks. There are four Minn Kota trolling motors for saltwater fishing:
1. Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Saltwater Electric-Steer Bow-Mount Trolling Motor
Click here to see it on Amazon.
This saltwater trolling motor has all the features that will make your fishing day on the ocean enjoyable and easy. It comes with the i-Pilot GPS trolling system, coupled with Spot-Lock technology.
You will really enjoy your day in the water with the AutoPilot of this trolling motor. It can produce 80 pounds of thrust and has a shaft that is 54 inches.
2. Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Saltwater Spot-Lock Trolling Motor
The Riptide Terrova is a powerful trolling motor. It can produce 112 pounds of thrusts. Together with Spot-Lock, this model also has an i-Pilot and Humminbird fishfinder. Its other salient features are:
- AutoPilot with the ability to update i-Pilot software
- Advanced Corrosion Protection
- Indestructible Composite Shaft
- Weedless Wedge
- Digital Maximizer
- 112 pounds maximum thrust
- 87 inches shaft length
- Bow mount
Riptide Terrova also has some variants with Spot-Lock that are available in the market.
3. Other Saltwater Trolling Motors of Minn Kota
There are other Minn Kota trolling motors for saltwater that are also equipped with Spot-Lock. They are the following:
- Riptide PowerDrive – with almost the same features as the Riptide Terrova but with a different (maximum) thrust of 70 pounds and a shaft length of 54 inches.
- Riptide Ulterra also has nearly the same features as the Riptide Terrova but with a different (maximum) thrust of 112 pounds and a shaft length of 60 inches.
Alternative to Minn Kota Spot-Lock Trolling Motors
It is not only Minn Kota that offers a technology that locks a boat to a chosen spot on the water. In fact, there is a trolling motor made by the Lowrance Company that has a similar technology:
Lowrance Ghost – Freshwater Trolling Motor
Click here to see it on Amazon.
This trolling motor is equipped with a plug-and-play Lawrance Sonar and a configurable pedal. Its manufacturer claims that it is very reliable. They also claim that the motor operates silently because of its ultra-quiet brushless motor feature.
Conclusion: “Spot Lock” Trolling Motor
“Spot Lock” from Minn Kota is a game-changing tool that uses GPS to lock your boat on the exact spot on the water that you have chosen. You only need to push a button. Then, Spot-Lock will use the GPS to hold your boat accurately more than any other equipment or instrument.
Aside from Minn Kota, Lowrance Company has similar technology.
Related reading:
TRAC Anchor Winch – 6 Best TRAC Boat Anchor Winches
Minn Kota Talon Anchor Review – 5 Best Anchors
