Product: trolling motorguide Digital Motors
Trolling motorguide has been building motors for four decades now, and has had many angler-friendly firsts including more power, fewer wires and more features, like self-contained transducers and tougher mounting brackets. At times trolling motorguide has led the industry, and at other times, as BassFans know, it has hit bumps in the road.
Switch and board problems, reliability issues after extended heavy use and serviceability when repairs were needed were a few of trolling motorguide challenges over the past few years. But those days are over, courtesy of what appears to be trolling motorguides renewed emphasis on quality and innovation.
That can be seen in trolling motorguides new Digital Advantage trolling motors. These are the best MotorGuide units we've seen, and just might be the best trolling fishing trolling motors on the market. No more worries about leaking lower units, no overheating, and the new modular design means that any servicing of the unit -- we didn't need any in a year of fairly heavy weekend-warrior tournament use -- is a snap. Coupled with a 3-year limited warranty and the backing of trolling motorguide owner Mercury Marine (since February 2003), this motor will do everything you need.
The Details
Face it: Whether you're a tour pro or a weekend angler, nothing is more aggravating than having your fishing trolling motors bite the dust. A good day can become a bad one very quickly. Again, we tested it and had literally zero problems. We also found that the amp draw from our batteries was reduced vs. previous trolling motorguide models (without compromising power), and that heat dissipation was greatly improved.
Trolling motorguide says that the new Digital Guardian unit "is a self-contained, sealed module in the lower unit controlling speed and monitoring vital motor components together in one protected location, eliminating the sonar interference commonly associated with analog circuit boards. Digital Guardian monitors your motor's amp draw, heat dissipation, output and other vital parameters. The result is a motor that self-regulates -- a cooler, quieter, more efficient-running motor over an extended service life."
A few notes on power and quietness, two keys for tournament anglers:
> Power is a no-brainer if you're fishing big water or bad weather, and is a must if you fish tournaments or like to spend a few days a year cherry-picking those no-big-motor lakes. How about the trolling motorguide Tour Digital motor's 105 pounds of thrust? Sweet.
> Quietness allows anglers to fish shallow water more effectively without spooking fish. And since more bass anglers fish shallow than anywhere else, this quality is worth its weight in gold. The new Digital motors are as quiet as they come.
Pro Opinions
Here's what the pros say about their experiences with the Digital MotorGuides:
> Kevin VanDam: "Reliability is everything. I spent two weeks at Okeechobee fishing in really heavy, matted, nasty grass and used my Tour 109 motor as hard as one could possibly be used to plow right through that stuff. I'm not talking thin stuff, but lily pads, grass and stumps. Kissimmee grass is the toughest stuff there is on a trolling motorguide, and mine performed perfectly."
> "I put the new Digital on my Skeeter the first of the year, and have never looked back," Jay Yelas said. "This motor has performed flawlessly. I had no down fishing time. It's quieter, more efficient and more reliable. This is the best trolling motorguide that has ever been on my boat."
> Shaw Grigbsy called it "awesome. Trust me, I've tried hard to tear it up and had not a single failure. Only constant, solid performance day in and day out. To me, that's the most important thing a trolling motor can provide: reliable performance."
Bottom Line
We started off the year as skeptics, and by the end were converts. In our opinion and experience, trolling motorguide has again raised the bar in trolling motors. For BassFans, that equals more worry-free, quality time on the water. Let's hope that the new trolling motorguide keeps this renewed emphasis on quality.
