Trusting Spot Lock

How many here trust spot lock on your remote to drive boat away from dock, spot lock it, then get your truck/trailer?

I did it last weekend, couple rigs lined up to launch, so I figured I had the opportunity to try. As i walked to my truck, saw remote lost contact with TM. A little panic set in. So i moved briskly (im not built for speed) to get back to the dock with trailer. Reconnect. WHEW. By the time I was ready to back in, pulled the boat back to dock, used remote to drive boat back to dock, stowed TM and loaded it up.

I guess the lesson here is not to drive it too far from the dock! Might need a shuttle ride from a fellow to get your boat!

Full disclosure – I had my daughter in boat if the need arose…

I would be pretty hesitant. Mine doesn’t lose lock often but it does happen once in a great while.

I wouldnt trust it.

I know a few people that do it, I personally don’t lol.

Not a chance, I have a 2024 terrova and wouldn’t do that at all

I did it once with my legacy Terrova. Won’t be doing that again.

Only done it a couple times when I was desperate….and the water was warm

My ghost I would never do it.

With the Quest Ultrex I have now, I wouldn’t have a problem doing it. The remote will lost connection but the command is already in the unit. Just like if your batteries in the remote die on the water. It will stay anchored if that’s the last command that was given.

Once the connection is reestablished it would be like nothing’s changed.

slough wrote:

I would be pretty hesitant. Mine doesn’t lose lock often but it does happen once in a great while.

Ditto.

Chris mentioned it, you motor will still stay in anchor mode if your remote loses connection with the HU. The remote does not have the GPS heading sensor in it, the HU does.

I don’t do what you’re mentioning while at the boat landing, just no need.

But I do use it basically every weekend I leave the cabin. I will lower my boat lift, push the boat off the lift, deploy the motor, spot lock if needed, and crank up the lift. It works every time without a hitch. I’ve used the feature each time I’ve had to move my lift into deeper water as well.

I have no trust issues.

The guys are right…the remote can lose connection and the boat will stay in place.

One of the guides on pool 4 does it everyday. With the boat traffic and current I wouldn’t have the cajones.

I’ll do it lake fishing but on the river I’m to scared to do it.

Watched a guy launch his boat on leech weekend after opener. He did the same thing but left his remote on the dock so it kept contact. Parking wasn’t far away at all and basically within eyesight of the docks so no worries about anyone stealing your boat.

waldo9190 wrote:

Watched a guy launch his boat on leech weekend after opener. He did the same thing but left his remote on the dock so it kept contact. Parking wasn’t far away at all and basically within eyesight of the docks so no worries about anyone stealing your boat.

I’d be more worried about someone snatching the remote if left unattended on the dock.

I wouldn’t because I have an older Terrova with trash spot lock and nobody is going to want a boat doing 20ft loops off the end of the dock.

I do it all the time. I don’t even get out of my truck to launch it anymore. Back in, let it slide off & hit anchor from inside my truck. You just need to make sure the foot pedal is disconnected otherwise it may not reconnect to bluetooth if you lose connection while parking. If you’re that worried about it just leave the remote on the dock with the lanyard around one of the cleats.

What are the odds of someone asking this. Just last night I did it for the first time. Worked perfectly but I definitely was hustling to get to the boat after parking truck.

As mentioned – my remote lost connection on the way to the truck. Picked back up on the dock.

I have read a few reports of spotlock dropping before it being mentioned here.
Thats why i posed the question. But if it isn’t in current or too windy, you should be able to reactivate it before it gets too far hopefully.

The bigger problem may be driving it out of range of the remote, which is stated at 9 meters, or approximately 30 feet, but that’s another story….

I’ve done it at minimum of 500 times in the last 10 years all fishing the river. I haven’t tied to the dock that whole time. Don’t drive the boat out of Bluetooth range and or it will keep going. If you have the link remote with touch screen leave it on the dock so you don’t accidentally bump it off spotlock. Also don’t forget to turn it on. Keep from doing those things and you will not have a problem.

Took me a few times to trust it above a wingdam. Usually take off the remote and lay it on the dash . Bumped it off spot lock once . Crunch .

I know a guide on Superior that did it when I fished with him. Made me nervous but he just smiled. Seeing his boat drift away in that deep cold water off the landing was odd. to say the least.

I’ve launched my boat 1000s of times and have never once needed to use my trolling motor to spot lock while I park. Not even 1 time.

I do it all the time launching solo. Unhook, back in, hit button to drop motor and spot lock, park drive it back leave. Haven’t tied to a dock in some time fishing solo since owning an Ulterra.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I’ve launched my boat 1000s of times and have never once needed to use my trolling motor to spot lock while I park. Not even 1 time.

I don’t think it has anything to do with needing to do anything. For me it’s 100% for convenience or for some it might be not having their boat rub up against a nail/screw/fill in blank of item that can scratch boat infested dock. Or if it’s a sand/rock/gravel landing, beaching the boat in sand/rock/gravel ect.

I do not have spot lock capability, but this concept is crazy.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I’ve launched my boat 1000s of times and have never once needed to use my trolling motor to spot lock while I park. Not even 1 time.

Oh there would not necessarily be need but lets say its super windy and you have a nice boat that you would prefer not to trash the side of it tied to the dock while you go park. I fish P4 mostly and there is a landing that is really challenging due to short docks and being very windprone. It has crossed my mind to try it with my Terrova but not yet

I do it frequently. It works well, better actually in a little wind. Never wear your remote though, mine will hit buttons accidently when it bumps against me. I carry the remote.
For what it’s worth, people at the dock look at you like your a sorcerer.

Doing it a few times years ago. Till one time I sent it away from the dock and couldn’t stop it. Had to get a ride out to boat to stop it. Never again

I’ve done it for years and it works great. The remote does not need to stay in contact with the motor once you spotlock it. Just drive it away from the dock (not too far) and spotlock it in a safe spot. Go get your truck, back the trailer in, then bring the boat back to the dock with the remote. I’m somewhat hesitant about it when there are lots of boats around or in very fast current, but I do it on the river regularly — current actually helps hold the position because the boat doesn’t swing around at all.

For what it’s worth, I had an ulterra that is probably 5 years old (?) and just got an Ultrex. Both work perfectly so long as you don’t accidentally stop the the spotlock (be careful not to press a button on the remote after you spotlock).

Looks good on the commercial. I would never do it. If it fails one time, that’s one time too many for me.

grizzly wrote:

Doing it a few times years ago. Till one time I sent it away from the dock and couldn’t stop it. Had to get a ride out to boat to stop it. Never again

Similar. I got mine to spotlock, but couldn’t reconnect the remote. Mine is the legacy version Terrova and I drove it just beyond the range of my remote, which wasn’t much. Only reason I tried it was another boat was launching as I came in. They helped me out and we got a good chuckle about it. No doubt the newer versions handle this just fine.