# I-pilot or hand control



## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

I am choosing "stuff" for a new boat which includes a TM. I am on the fence on whether or not to get an I-pilot or stick w/ a hand control model that i am use to.. I will be usually fishing alone in fast current.
I do not want to get into the gps assisted model because of the expense.

Requesting not so humble opinions.Thanks


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

topnative2 said:


> .. I will be usually fishing alone in fast current.


you're going to need the iPilot, else you're not going to be fishing much.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

^what he said^. I use the ipilot in fast current. The anchor feature keeps you in one spot facing up current. Are you going to anchor with stake out or power pole while fishing?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Another vote for the iPilot. I had both on my other boat and the tiller is a big let down after having the iPilot. I am getting one for my new boat too.


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## jonterr (Mar 24, 2013)

I've had 2 of each.
On the boat I just got, I went back to tiller, if u get in a shallow area with rocks, and the water is moving at all, it's a lot easier to steer where u want to go with the tiller


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

topnative2 said:


> I am choosing "stuff" for a new boat which includes a TM. I am on the fence on whether or not to get an I-pilot or stick w/ a hand control model that i am use to.. I will be usually fishing alone in fast current.
> I do not want to get into the gps assisted model because of the expense.
> 
> Requesting not so humble opinions.Thanks


I have the Copilot which is remote controlled but without the gps features. I think it's a great TM but if you're going to be fishing alone in fast currents I would get the iPilot otherwise you're going to be constantly course correcting with the Copilot in fast current, strong wind, etc. I have 2 remotes synced to my TM so a buddy can steer if landing a fish and the fobs are small, like a car remote. The iPilot fob is much larger.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Thanks for the correction regarding co-pilot and i-pilot.....need to keep that straight....

I have this thing about dropping that much $$$$$ on a TM.....just like paying a $1 for a candy bar.

However, I am going to consider it because of the well made points above.

I think I need a beer and some u-tube vids while I pull some hair out!!!!!!!


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Str8-Six said:


> ^what he said^. I use the ipilot in fast current. The anchor feature keeps you in one spot facing up current. Are you going to anchor with stake out or power pole while fishing?


I will go w/ a stake out or use the push pole. The money they want for a pp is incredible besides needing 2 to keep the boat straight.
The stake out will keep the boat straight using the current and the front of the boat is still your platform.

I do not like a lot of moving parts because it is just more stuff that can break ....a boat is a boat after all


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

topnative2 said:


> I will go w/ a stake out or use the push pole. The money they want for a pp is incredible besides needing 2 to keep the boat straight.
> The stake out will keep the boat straight using the current and the front of the boat is still your platform.
> 
> I do not like a lot of moving parts because it is just more stuff that can break ....a boat is a boat after all


I'm with you there. I went with the the Micro. Gets the job done without adding extra weight. Tiller will work with stake out in front IF you are shallow enough. Also depending on current you will slip anchor. The tiller will adjust/turn quicker and be easier to control. The ipilot will be more convenient for fishing. You can look at depth finder while conrolling the ipilot. Ohh and no mud on boat from stake out


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## jfboothe (Dec 19, 2012)

I think you can with the current models get the CoPilot now and upgrade to the I-Pilot later. I have an original CoPilot and plan to upgrade this spring.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

jfboothe said:


> I think you can with the current models get the CoPilot now and upgrade to the I-Pilot later. I have an original CoPilot and plan to upgrade this spring.


Yep, just adding a motherboard and head I believe.


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## mcraft173 (Apr 21, 2014)

For what its worth, I went middle of the road with the co-pilot which I regret to some extent. While its nice to be able to control the motor from anywhere in the boat, unless I can see the head of the unit, I find myself constantly over correcting. Or while fishing, I find myself constantly looking at the unit to see which way it is pointing and holding the remote in my hand to make micro adjustments. I fish mostly in tidal marsh creeks in NE florida. The other thing to keep in mind, is that both the co-pilot and I-pilot are loud in operation. What I mean by this is that the motor that turns the unit has a brake or some other mechanism that stops turning the unit instantly when you come off the controls. That stopping action sends a shudder through the boat. It almost sounds like slamming a hatch closed. This probably isnt an issue in open deeper water, but if you like to jack the TM up and creep through really shallow water, you will spook fish all day long. When I had my tiller steer TM, it was more responsive for navigating hazards and it was easy to make slight adjustments without looking just by bumping the handle to maintain course. 

However, the spot lock is really nice to have especially in deeper moving water.

All that said - I would go all in on the i-pilot or go tiller and avoid the co-pilot. If you fish a lot of deeper shorelines, the i-pilot is the way to go. If you fish shallow around oyster bars and what not, I would go with the tiller.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

I will be fishing st.marys, ga/fernandina bch area which is similar to your area. Your posting is worth alot because I did not know about the noise issue etc.....thanks


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

ive got a 36v ipilot on 22' tunnel hydra sport ,tiller on flats boat .wish ipilot was on flats boat as well but dont want to add a fourth battery.


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## Financekid1 (Jul 19, 2012)

absolutely hated my ipilot. Remote is a piece of shit to use. You have to take your hand off of reeling to make corrections where as with the tiller I could just kick it with my knee. As mentioned above if you cant see the head of the TM when controlling, the remote is useless. My spot lock went to crap after a while. I contemplated undoing the bracket and just throwing it overboard many a time. If I got another TM, i would be back to the tiller. The gps stuff is "fancy" but i found myself never using it. That being said, i know other people that love them. I would also take a long look at motorguide as I feel they are better built. I had to replace two boards on my ipilot before I got rid of it.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Jan 10, 2017)

I agree with Financekid1, I had the Ipilot on my old boat and felt like I spent more time correcting the damn thing then fishing, always taking hand off reel to adjust. Not to mention looking down at remote then back at head ect..ect.. Before that I had bass boats and used a foot control, never had to guess which way it was pointed as you could feel it. I am putting a tiller on my new boat, never used one but I feel it can be run from the knee as others have stated. I know that most guys that buy a $2000 TM are going to be biased. And like most things the more gadgets they have the more they are prone to malfunction. Good luck on your decision.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

I very rarely control the TM from the stern but the line of sight can be problematic if a buddy is on deck. My TM is not nearly as loud as a dropped hatch. Not even close. The biggest issue I have is inexperienced anglers putting the motor on blast and zig zagging all over creation. I hardly ever click past the second or 3rd speed when working a mangrove and it has maybe 7 or 8 speeds. Anyways good luck Ken! In true Microskiff form, let me provide this age long advice: wet test! Lol.


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## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

I think an Ipilot is great if you are a guide or fish with other people in a larger boat where you can sit back and steer people to the fish without being at the front of the boat. If you fish solo like I do, my vote is for the tiller. Less complicated, you can steer/make adjustments with your knees while still fishing and when you get into split second situations (oyster bars, mangroves, slack line under the boat, big fish running, etc.) you can reach down and correct the motor with confidence rather than messing with your remote, pressing the right buttons, seeing where the motor is pointing, etc. Simplicity wins in my book. I had a full day of fishing ruined because my buddy didn't change the batteries in his stupid remote.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

The ipilot best feature is the anchor feature in current. If you anchor in current the boat hardly moves and points up current. If you anchor in non current or light current the boat will go crazy like mentioned above. I got the 55lb for like $900-1000. No tax or shipping. That's not that much more than tiller model. 

If I was mainly fishing alone I would probably just get add a foot pedal to the copilot.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I wish they made an iPilot that had a manual override and you could use as a tiller if you wanted to. Maybe I should recommend that to them!


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## fishn&flyn (Oct 23, 2015)

Had a MK tiller and found it was a hassle to be constantly working the tiller and fishing. Also when not fishing alone it sucked for whoever was on the bow trying to fish and work the tiller. Just ordered the new xi5 remote non gps for the new skiff, all the reviews I have read seems like the xi5 is a better motor than the co pilot.


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## Anderson Guide Service (Feb 17, 2017)

I have a copilot and love it for customers. Having said that I usually control it with my hand when I am fishing. It is just quicker to reach down and move it real quick. If you are fishing shallow and the motor is real high it is easy to move by hand. If I was not a guide I would get a tiller. Stopping, raising the tm, turning, ect is just easier


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Anyone run a Riptide with foot pedal? I'm thinking about getting one for my ipilot. This thread sparked the idea.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Had an older rip tide auto pilot that was iffy. Kept foot control for back up. 20' cord. Used all over the boat. Left it on the console and used hand. Keep your feet on the deck


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I had a copilot with a wireless pedal. It was more reliable than the remote and pretty cool because you could use it anywhere in the boat. I have my eyes on the Motorguide Xi5 now that someone recommended them. I have been a MinnKota guy for a long time but maybe it's time to try something new. I have seen a lot of Rhodan brand trolling motors in the last year as well.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

I have had all three - the tiller (Minn Kota and Motorguide), a co-pilot and now an i-pilot. Many people have already touched on the benefits to each, but the one thing I will reiterate is that you shouldn't get the co-pilot. I would opt for the i-pilot or the tiller because the co-pilot loses the advantages of both. The i-pilot is best for fishing in heavy current because of the spot lock feature or the autopilot heading which keeps you moving in one direction (based on a GPS heading.) With this feature, I find that I have to steer much less often.

Now, with that said, one thing that is nice about the co-pilot is that you can buy an aftermarket tiller arm for a trolling motor and use it to steer. Obviously, you still have to control the speed with the remote, but I ended up doing that and it worked fairly well.


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## mcraft173 (Apr 21, 2014)

I just did a few google searches and could not find the add on tiller for the co-pilot. Do you have any information or a website on the manufacturer?

Thanks


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

I don't see the one I had any more but I bought it at Bass Pro. Something like the attached. http://www.basspro.com/Pace-Marine-Motor-Extension-Handle/product/1213/ 

This is hard to explain, but I had to cut out a small ring from PVC pipe (about 3/4" tall), cut a slot in the PVC and then open up the PVC ring to fit around the bottom of the shaft of the trolling motor. This is to prevent the trolling motor from going all the way down in the "slot" that the motor uses when turning. This way, when you turn the motor by hand, you're not turning against the pressure of the steering transmission in the motor.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I have a 24 tiller on my big fat boat. I have an on/off button that I can use my foot to turn the motor off and on that's how I roll
My buddy had an I pilot and traded in for a Tiler 24 on his Lostman


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## GTSRGTSR (Nov 10, 2009)

Love my Ipilot. It keeps a course heading while fishing down a line, spot locks to target particular spot. I can drive from the stern so my buddy can fish the bow.
2 small tradeoffs- I wish the spot lock was a lttle faster and when docklight fishing and on a hookup, you can twist a tiller and turn it within 1 second, i ilot takes longer, I just had to adjust my methods a little(I have to have to bow pointed away from the dock and have the preset speed high enough to give me some help if I need it. did I say I love my ipilot, I bought mine from my local store at an $1,050, it wasnt cheap but for what I do, it is great.


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## Redbelly (Jan 23, 2016)

have had both, and now have the ipilot. I really enjoy it on my 18' flats boat. I like the spot lock feature in tidal creeks in NW Fl. I like the track setting feature when casting to the grasslines. I have a buddy I fish with who has the exact same boat and a tiller. He is constantly kicking and using his hand to control when bass fishing, as much or more than I have to fiddle with the remote. I also have the foot pedal and it is nice to use the few times I tried it.
That's all I got to say about that..( in a Forrest Gump voice)


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Pierson said:


> I had a full day of fishing ruined because my buddy didn't change the batteries in his stupid remote.


Truer words have not been spoken. This just happened to me yesterday. And for a cr2032 double pack that shit costs $7bucks for two ity bity thumbnail cells. The copilot takes one cr2032.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Megalops said:


> Truer words have not been spoken. This just happened to me yesterday. And for a cr2032 double pack that shit costs $7bucks for two ity bity thumbnail cells. The copilot takes one cr2032.


That's why the Copilot comes with two remotes!


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## Lifeaquatic (Jul 18, 2010)

Having owned nothing but tiller motors I finally purchased an iPilot version last year. After a little learning curb I found the iPilot to be great and I absolutely love the anchor function.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> That's why the Copilot comes with two remotes!


Mine only came with one. But I do have an extra one...that I didn't bring. Lol


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Fished with guys with Ipilot and they are always F****** with the remote instead of fishing. You can't fish while trying to mess with the remote, but if I hook a fish with the tiller motor I cam just kick it to take take me in a direction away from structure while I fight the fish. To each their own, but I believe in the KISS theory.


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## Yamadog (Oct 19, 2015)

I don't have a tm on my boat, honestly never owned one... and this may be a stupid question but why do you not see foot pedal controls like the bass guys use on salt boats??


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yamadog said:


> I don't have a tm on my boat, honestly never owned one... and this may be a stupid question but why do you not see foot pedal controls like the bass guys use on salt boats??


MinnKota sells a wireless foot pedal for the CoPilot. I had one and it worked great but sold it with my other motor.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Just took the ipilot out again today messing around with different features. The 'N' feature is absolutely awesome. You point in the direction you want to go and the motor will adjust itself to stay going that direction. When the creek turns just readjust the motor towards the direction you want to go. If you do it right you should barely be touching the remote. I threw fly while cruising.. I sat down, had a cold drink and re rigged while cruising to next spot. Can't do that with tiller.


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## Redbelly (Jan 23, 2016)

Once you learn it you find out how nice it makes fishing the creeks can be.
Especially windy strong current conditions the spot lock is great for that.


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## Rookiemistake (Jan 30, 2013)

Copilot here and will be upgrading to the ipilot soon... once you learn not to overcorrect its pretty nice like others have said barely touch the thing when cruising


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