If you fish from a boat, having a reliable, durable trolling motor is essential to your success. We’ve all heard of anglers having trolling motor problems and take it from me—it’s no fun. Nothing can ruin a fun day of fishing quicker than a busted trolling motor. If it breaks on you, you might as well head back to the ramp with your tail tucked between your legs.
I’ve been using my 24-volt MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor for several years and I couldn’t be happier with it. I’ve put this motor into some awful situations and some way, somehow she’s still chugging right along without missing a beat.
I’m most impressed by the following:
- It’s built like a tank
- Very quiet
- I can make very small speed adjustments
- Easy on the batteries
I haven’t been able to break it
If you take one look at my MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor, you’d probably think I found it at the bottom of the lake. Don’t get me wrong—I try to take good care of my equipment, but my trolling motor is a tool in my mind, so I don’t really care if it gets scratched or scuffed. It’s made to be used and abused and I don’t consider fishing to be a fashion show.
There isn’t anything I haven’t done to this trolling motor. I’ve…
- Slammed the head into metal boat docks
- Hit and stopped the prop on submerged stumps, concrete slabs, trees and rocks
- Taken off with it deployed (come on—it happens to the best of us!)
- Hit my trailer with it
- Tangled my co-anglers’ fishing line in it
- Used it in every possible weather condition
Now that may seem like I’m the world’s most reckless fisherman, but if you have a trolling motor long enough, all of those things are bound to happen at one point—I consider it the “less glamorous” side of bass fishing. There may be some paint missing and some scuffs on it, but my MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor performs like brand –new each and every time I deploy it.
When you hit stuff with this trolling motor, the Gator Spring Mount does its job and does it very well. The internal spring allows the stainless steel shaft to bend underneath the boat without breaking, cracking or warping. If you slam into something, just take your foot off the button and let the mount thrust your boat backwards, away from the obstacle. There’s barely any plastic on this unit, so you don’t have to worry about little hairline cracks ruining your day or the mechanical integrity of the trolling motor.
I’ve also been extremely impressed by the durability of the Machete III Prop. Whether you’re hung up on a seawall or easing your way into a shallow, backwater area, it holds up excellently. Just this past week, one of the prop ears finally got a chip in it as I was saving an inexpensive topwater lure near an old, blown-out boat ramp. I was on full-power and I nicked the edge of a concrete slab just right. Even though it’s chipped, there has been absolutely zero increase in vibration or noise. I also haven’t noticed any decrease in top-end speed.
Considering the things I’ve put this motor through, I’m not at all unhappy about the prop chip. They’re inexpensive to replace and I’m amazed the original prop lasted this long.
No squeaking or creaking
There are few things more irritating than your trolling motor unleashing a massive squeak as you’re methodically flipping shallow, still water. If you can hear it from above the water, imagine what it does to the bass—they probably think the world’s ending.
The MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor is extremely quiet at all speeds. I’m able to turn the head both ways as far as it will go without any sound. The metal pedal is also very quiet and doesn’t make any noise, regardless of how fast or slow you depress it in either direction.
Variable speed control is very convenient
I’ve really become spoiled by this unit’s variable speed control. There aren’t any “set” notches for specific speed or power settings. If you want to run it just below full speed—let’s say at 96-percent—you can do that. In my opinion, it’s an outstanding feature that anglers can sometimes take for granted.
Fishing conditions are very rarely identical to the day before. Major factors such as wind speed, current generation and the need to cover water change daily and sometimes hourly. I love having a trolling motor that allows me to intricately cater to small environmental changes. I don’t ever have to search for the “sweet spot” when adjusting the speed, which is a huge advantage in my opinion.
Save your battery life
The MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor features a system called the “Digital Guardian”—sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Basically, it constantly monitors your motor’s heat dissipation, amp draw and output throughout the entire day. For us, this results in cooler operation temperatures, increased durability and outstanding longevity.
I used to change my batteries every year in order to avoid any hassle and potential on-the-water problems. Since installing the MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor, I think I’ve changed my batteries twice. Not out of necessity, but more because I started getting a little paranoid.
I have a bad habit of forgetting to charge my boat batteries following a fishing trip. There have been several instances in which I’ve used this trolling motor for three to four days on a single battery charge. I have never—and I’m dead-serious—noticed a decrease in power while fishing with my MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor. I’m not the most technical guy on the planet, but all I can say is this thing is a beast. Keep in mind; I’m not even using the high-end, expensive batteries that a lot of folks use these days.
If you’re looking to upgrade your trolling motor, I have no problem whatsoever recommending the MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor. Again, mine definitely has some scratches, dings and scuffs, but it still works flawlessly and that is the most important thing.
The MotorGuide Tour Digital Trolling Motor is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
