GEAR
TROLLING MOTOR
t
IMPACTS OF THE ULTREX
WHAT THE PROS HAVE LEARNED AFTER A SEASON OF USE
he folks at Minn Kota promised bass anglers a work-
horse saddled with a host of game-changing goodies
when they introduced the Ultrex trolling motor at the
2016 ICAST show held in Orlando, Fla.
Loaded with all sorts of innovative features aimed at
improving fishing efficiency, handling and overall perform-
ance, the Ultrex created so much positive hype within the
industry that the demand for the high-tech motor went
straight through the roof in short order.
The Ultrex has been in production for more than a year
now and is easily the most popular trolling motor on the
2018 FLW Tour. Among amateur bass anglers, the fever to
own one remains as intense as ever. That’s because the
motor has delivered everything Minn Kota advertised.
To get a better idea of how the Ultrex can improve fishing
results (in case you were on the fence about it), we queried
a crew of FLW pros who have extensive experience using it
in competition.
offshore spot-fishing
52
Michigan pro Scott Dobson says the most useful Ultrex
feature for offshore fishing is Spot-Lock, which helps when
targeting specific spots away from the bank in big wind or
current. The Spot-Lock taps in to a GPS receiver built into the
head of the motor to read its position, and then it makes
small adjustments in direction and power to stay in place.
“It gives me the ability to keep both feet on the deck and
concentrate 100 percent on my casts and presentations
without having to constantly jockey for position with the
trolling motor,” Dobson says. “Last fall my team partner and
I caught five smallmouths weighing 30.21 pounds at Lake St.
Clair, and the Ultrex helped us do it.”
By Matt Williams
Dobson says the fish were holding to specific pieces of
structure no bigger than a tabletop. The Spot-Lock feature
enabled the anglers to keep the boat positioned so they
could make precise presentations to the sweet spot.
Jason Lambert, one of the top ledge fishermen on Tour,
employs the Spot-Lock feature in much the same way.
“Everybody knows that it’s a certain cast that you catch
them on, and being able to duplicate that cast repeatedly is
what separates the men from the boys out there,” Lambert
says. “Spot-Lock allows you to do it without constantly bat-
tling the foot pedal – turning it on and off or moving left to
right. Once you’re on the spot, it keeps you there.”
dealing with Windy conditions
When the wind howls, a little strategy is in order to posi-
tion the boat properly.
“What I like to do is point the boat into the wind and Spot-
Lock down ahead of the waypoint,” says Stephen Johnston, a
Costa FLW Series veteran and full-time Texas fishing guide.
“That way we [he and a client or team partner] can both get
on the back deck and fish the spot properly rather than
standing up in the front getting pounded by waves, casting
into the wind and having to work to keep our lines straight.
It’s a whole lot more comfortable, and you can be way more
effective at hitting the spot.”
Obviously, this system wouldn’t work in a “pro-co” tourna-
ment format, but for practice and fun fishing, it has applica-
tions. Minor position adjustments can be made with the
remote control that allows the operator to control the Ultrex
from anywhere in the boat. Johnston also employs it at times
to guide clients who want to fish on the front deck, as he can
control the boat from the back.
flWfIshInG.com I july 2018