Ok you salt water guys

[RUGER]

Buddy at work was talking about the boats he sees when he is in Florida and he got to wondering so he started looking at new and used flats boats and smaller fishing boats.
He said the VAST majority of them have only one powerpole (or whatever shallow water anchor they have) and it is normally on the starboard side.

What's the reason for having only 1 powerpole?
Seems kind of pointless to me?

 

[WTM]

more than likely so you can move the boat 360 degrees with the TM while the pole is deployed. at least that is the way i would run it.

dont really need two once you engage spot lock.

 

[WTM]

im not a salt guy but this is how i ran it through my reasoning when i get to install a single pole and a garmin force.

 

[Pilchard]

One was all I had on my smaller boats. I had two on the bigger ones but mainly used them as down riggers and drift paddles for tarpon fishing.

I never saw the need for two in other applications. You normally started upwind or up tide from where you wanted to fish so you didn't need to have great control over which way the bow was facing. Just put the power pole down and the wind or tide aimed you where you wanted to be.

Also, with most of what I did being sight fishing, I would use the trolling motor or push pole when fishing and then just stake us out when a fish was hooked so we didn't drift into the school while dealing with the fish.

To be honest though, I used my power pole for one thing more than anything else. I'd pull up to the dock at the ramp on whichever side was upwind of the dock and once I came alongside the dock, I would drop the pole(s) and I didn't have to mess with tying up to the dock.

 

[Pilchard]

more than likely so you can move the boat 360 degrees with the TM while the pole is deployed. at least that is the way i would run it.

dont really need two once you engage spot lock.

I did this sometimes... But spot lock is no good in most shallow saltwater applications. If it's shallow enough to use your power pole, it's shallow enough that spot lock is going to booger up your fish even from 70ft away. With tide and wind, the trolling motor would have to run at max speed sometimes just to keep you in place and that would blow out an entire flat in many cases.

 

[scn]

The main reason is weight. Most skiffs are set up for VERY shallow poling. Weight can drastically affect the boat's draft and the degree of difficulty in poling.

The other factor is room to locate it on the stern. With trim tabs on both sides and likely a transducer on one, there is very limited room to add more than one Powerpole.

 

[WTM]

I did this sometimes... But spot lock is no good in most shallow saltwater applications. If it's shallow enough to use your power pole, it's shallow enough that spot lock is going to booger up your fish even from 70ft away. With tide and wind, the trolling motor would have to run at max speed sometimes just to keep you in place and that would blow out an entire flat in many cases.

k cool. i guess salt water fish are more spooky. in ky lake you could skinny dip and the fish wouldnt care, as long as your 30ft away. i want one 8 or 10ft pole someday.

@RUGER if you thinking about putting one on your tracker they have a special mount you have to use or it voids the warranty on the boat and motor.

 

[BigCityBubba]

I just got back from the crystal river area. I didn't notice that many boats with a single power pole. I noticed maybe 1 or 2. I figured it was because they didn't want to spend the money on a 2nd one.

 

[7mm08]

One was all I had on my smaller boats. I had two on the bigger ones but mainly used them as down riggers and drift paddles for tarpon fishing.

I never saw the need for two in other applications. You normally started upwind or up tide from where you wanted to fish so you didn't need to have great control over which way the bow was facing. Just put the power pole down and the wind or tide aimed you where you wanted to be.

Also, with most of what I did being sight fishing, I would use the trolling motor or push pole when fishing and then just stake us out when a fish was hooked so we didn't drift into the school while dealing with the fish.

To be honest though, I used my power pole for one thing more than anything else. I'd pull up to the dock at the ramp on whichever side was upwind of the dock and once I came alongside the dock, I would drop the pole(s) and I didn't have to mess with tying up to the dock.

Even with current?

Cool idea

 

[Pilchard]

Even with current?

Cool idea

Yeah. It wasn't a perfect science. If wind or current were clearly dominate, I'd pick whichever side was going to keep me up against the dock. If it was a toss up I'd add a bow line.

I learned though that if I left the stern about 2 feet off the dock with the bow angled in, I rarely needed the bow line.

Just make sure the pole is down good. It doesn't take more than a couple fat guys(me) on the bow to raise the stern up enough to free your stake.

 

[Pilchard]

The main reason is weight. Most skiffs are set up for VERY shallow poling. Weight can drastically affect the boat's draft and the degree of difficulty in poling.

The other factor is room to locate it on the stern. With trim tabs on both sides and likely a transducer on one, there is very limited room to add more than one Powerpole.

I always bought the jack plate mount. Made for easy mounting and kept me from drilling extra holes in the transom.

I think they were about $150 back then. I'm sure they are more now.

 

[fullstream]

My bay boat came with 1 when I bought it, there were times when 2 would have been better but I quickly learned setting it with wind and currents and I usually set up where I wanted to be. After that I wasn't compelled to spend another $2k

 

[7mm08]

My Scout has one. The other side is the ladder to get my butt up with.

Most instances we are moving too much to just stay put thru out the tide. I can cut on the Spot Lock and the PowerPole easily enough to hold in most situations.