Sam Heaton was complaining
about the “cold” weather in south
Florida the other day when I reached him on
his cell phone to pick his brain on a couple
of fishing-related topics.
That Sam, an old fishing
buddy and the field promotions manager for
Minn-Kota, the venerable trolling motor company
that specializes in bow and transom-mount units,
would complain about the “cold” isn’t
out of character.
“You know me, I
hate the cold,” he said.
Sam may hate the cold,
but he sure doesn’t hate to fish. Saltwater.
Freshwater. On the fly. With a lure. In a boat.
Wading in a stream. Sam can’t get enough
of it.
“From bream to
bonefish to bass, there’s really no type
of fishing I don’t do, and there’s
really no type of fishing I don’t like
to do,” he said.
As a former tournament
largemouth bass and crappie angler and a member
of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, Sam,
55, knows how to get fish in the boat. We filmed
a couple television shows together over the
years, and believe me when I say the man is
good with a stick.
When our conservation
turned to Minn-Kota trolling motors, Sam offered
some advice that I believe you will find instructive
as the fishing season starts to crank up in
earnest.
“I’m often
asked why spend the money on a trolling motor,
and that’s a good question,” Sam
said. “The most important reason to use
a trolling motor is for boat control. Period.
You need to get where the fish are at, and
the easier it is to navigate to these spots
-- and sometimes they are out-of-the-way spots
-- the better success you’ll have. Unless
your fishing from shore or wading, which, believe
me, is just fine, boat control is the key to
catching fish.”
When high winds and current
create rough water conditions, navigating in
and around docks, pilings and other structures
can be difficult. Sam maintains that without
a trolling motor such obstacles would be impossible
to negotiate. He’s right.
“More often than
not when you’re navigating your boat
around certain structures you’re doing
so because you know there’s fish in the
neighborhood, or that you’ve established
some sort of pattern,” Sam said. “In
that situation, using a trolling motor will
allow you to get precise bait placement, and
catch more fish.”
One example: Minn-Kota’s
new Vector transom-mount trolling motor, which,
Sam says, offers anglers nearly unmatched boat
control compared to conventional tiller models.
Some Vector models also feature Minn-Kota’s
new 3X steering system. With 3X steering, the
motor’s lower unit turns three degrees
to every one degree of tiller rotation, meaning
the direction of the motor can be turned a
full 180 degrees by turning the tiller just
60 degrees -- a nice, nice feature.
“The 3X steering
system is so responsive that you can get pinpoint
placement when you are making a bait presentation,” Sam
said. “It also eliminates tiller interference
with your outboard engine.”
Vector models with the 3X steering feature can be easily converted for back
trolling, Sam said. Pull the spring-loaded pin, and simply rotate the unit
to the back trolling position. All Vector models also include the new Tilt/Extend
Tiller. “The entire head tilts 20 degrees, which, I will say, makes steering,
whether your sitting or standing, much more comfortable,” he said.
The tiller can also be
extended five inches (from 7.5 inches to 12.5
inches), making it easy to control the motor
over the splash well and around the outboard. “The
extra length really helps,” Sam said.
While many anglers prefer
to navigate their trolling motors with standard
foot-pedal controls, more and more, Sam believes,
are experimenting with Minn-Kota’s Autopilot
navigation system.
The wireless AutoPilot
remote is similar to automobile keyless entry. “What
the AutoPilot does is allow you the freedom
to control your trolling motor with your fingertips,” Sam
said. “You just set the speed and direction
and leave it alone. When your trolling motor
is running at a constant speed, with a constant
vibration, you’re less likely to spook
the fish below. You want that constant speed,
and the AutoPilot makes it happen.”
The waterproof remote,
which also floats, can be attached to you rod,
or secured on your wrist or belt. Some anglers,
like Sam, secure it to lanyard and put it around
their necks. “I do a lot of saltwater
fishing, and the water is usually pretty rough,
so having the remote around my neck is the
safe play,” he said. “I don’t
want it going overboard, because if it does,
I may go overboard trying to get.”
For information about
Minn-Kota trolling motors and its other products,
see www.minnkotamotors.com
|
