Talons worth it 2024
FishOn!GetTheNet reply :
Yep it’s time for an upgrade I’m just wondering if talons or power poles are worth it. I have spot lock is that good enough or will talons be a game changer as much as my minnkota was or should I get a hummingbird to hook up to the minnkota I have garmin panoptix at the bow but only have a striker 4 at the counsel. Also it’s only 1 talon or new sonar at the counsel. Thanks for your info
A-Jay reply :
Can't speak as to the effectiveness of Pole Poles - don't have them - never did.
"Are Talons 'worth It ?" ~
After 3 seasons with twin 12 ft Talons - I say Yes - Most Definitely.
Being able to hold up in most situation in 10 ft or less, stop on a dime & stay there quietly, has helped me put more plus size fish in the net. And while spot lock is a very effective feature (one I do not have, but may have sooner rather than later) it may not be the best method of holding position in shallower water, silty bottoms, in weedy or shallow water cover or any situation where running that trolling motor may burn a spot & spook your fish.
One Talon may me better than none but you'll spin around on it in some windy or current conditions.
Bottom Line, Talons are a tool that suits the way I fish and they do come in handy launching & recovering my rig solo.
YMMV
A-Jay
FryDog62 reply :
On 1/14/2020 at 5:23 PM, A-Jay said:Can't speak as to the effectiveness of Pole Poles - don't have then - never did.
"Are Talons 'worth It ?" ~
After 3 seasons with twin 12 ft Talons - I say Yes - Most Definitely.
Being able to hold up in most situation is 10 ft or less, stop on a dime & stay there quietly, has helped me put more plus size fish in the net. And while spot lock is a very effective feature (one I do not have, but may have sooner rather than later) it may not be the best method of holding position in shallower water, silty bottoms, in weedy or shallow water cover or any situation where running that trolling motor may burn a spot & spook your fish.
One Talon may me better than none but you'll spin around on it in some windy or current conditions.
Bottom Line, Talons are a tool that suits the way I fish and they do come in handy launching & recovering my rig solo.
YMMV
A-Jay
Interesting topic, am considering adding Talon(s) myself. I have Panoptix Livescope in the bow, but also have Humminbird Helix in the bow and at the console. I also have an Ultrex with Spot-Lock.
But to A-Jay’s point, sometimes holding in shallow water with just Spot-Lock isn’t ideal. You can kick up silt or just the vibration of the prop when I’m sneaking up on spots, skipping under docks, etc.
To me, it’s an easy decision for Talon over Power Poles. But the one knock against Talons IMO is they weigh more than the PP, about twice as much.
I already have a jack plate so I’m used to some extra weight in the back and have no issues with power or getting up on plane. A-Jay have you noticed any balance/weight issues with 2 Talons in the back? Probably not with your 200 ponies...
Another thought I had was adding only one Talon. Less expense and less weight. I get the spinning around in the wind/current issue, but my thought is in those conditions, I put the Talon down but can also hit Spot-Lock in the bow if needed to stay in position. The Ultrex prop shouldn’t spin as much if the rear Talon holds like it should and only engages if the bow drifts (would engage the Ultrex less often I would think given the Talon doing its job?). But then, I would have two buttons to push at times (I know, I sound a bit spoiled to have to hit 2 buttons instead one one - lol).
A-Jay reply :
On 1/14/2020 at 9:46 PM, FryDog62 said:Interesting topic, am considering adding Talon(s) myself. I have Panoptix Livescope in the bow, but also have Humminbird Helix in the bow and at the console. I also have an Ultrex with Spot-Lock.
But to A-Jay’s point, sometimes holding in shallow water with just Spot-Lock isn’t ideal. You can kick up silt or just the vibration of the prop when I’m sneaking up on spots, skipping under docks, etc.
To me, it’s an easy decision for Talon over Power Poles. But the one knock against Talons IMO is they weigh more than the PP, about twice as much.
I already have a jack plate so I’m used to some extra weight in the back and have no issues with power or getting up on plane. A-Jay have you noticed any balance/weight issues with 2 Talons in the back? probably not with your 200 ponies...
Another thought I had was adding only one Talon. Less expense and less weight. I get the spinning around in the wind/current issue, but my thought is in those conditions, I put the Talon down but can also hit Spot-Lock in the bow if needed to stay in position. The Ultrex prop shouldn’t spin as much if the rear Talon holds like it should and only engages if the bow drifts (would engage the Ultrex less often I would think given the Talon doing its job?). But then, I would have two buttons to push at times (I know, I sound a bit spoiled to have to hit 2 buttons instead one one - lol).
I've had them since day one, so I have nothing to compare my rig with out them on it.
While I do believe a pair of Talons trumps a single unit, if a one Talon deal is used along with the trolling motor, one may find that the TM needs to work less to hold the rig in place. However the advantage of two Talons is that the TM doesn't need to operate at all. Might not benefit from all the advantages of that with a single unit.
Clearly there is some weight with the Talons installed but I don't think it's excessive by any means.
What I consider more of a 'factor' than weight is wind resistance; both down the high way and across the lake.
For reference, travel 50 plus mph in either your boat or your truck and stick your arm straight out the vehicle window or out from behind the console of your boat. Seems like a considerable amount of drag - now double that.
Minn Kota says it's not a good idea to travel with them tilted down on the deck - but I'm Always very tempted to do so although I've not yet.
All that said, I feel like I could easily run my rig all day with No Side, No Down Imaging and even No 360 Imaging, and still feel somewhat confident in my ability to get a few bites.
But without the Talons, I'd feel like I was fishing with one Arm tied behind my back.
I'll not own a rig without them. They are that important to the way I fish.
Finally, spot-lock was not introduced until After I purchased the Pro-V Bass in 2016.
If it had been available, I'd had gotten it - sort of a no brainer.
Bassheads in my situation who have either the Talons or the Spot Lock,
all seem to make do and do quite well making their set ups work to help get them bites.
It's hard to chose which is 'better', don't think either actually is - just different.
A-Jay
gimruis reply :
I have one 12 foot talon on my Ranger RT178. It couldn't be mounted directly to the transom so they used a sandwich bracket. Be careful about mounting them directly to the transom - sometimes it will void a warranty on the boat. Check with the dealer/manufacturer about that ahead of time. I also have a fold down bracket because its too high for my 7 foot garage when its up.
A-Jay's right, one talon is not a true anchor. If its calm or mostly calm, it works fine with minimal movement. I rarely use it in windy conditions because waves immediately start coming over my transom in the back anyways. A true bass boat sits very low on the water so it doesn't take much in that regard. I bought my boat/talon in 2015 before the Ultrex with spot lock came out so I don't have that on my bow mount but had it been available, I would have gotten that instead. Not that I don't use a talon but its a steep price and given the choice between a one talon or spot lock, I would choose spot lock. I think the most practical use would be if you did a lot of bed fishing, which I do not.
To be honest, I use it most when fishing by myself and I'm unloading/loading at the ramp. I've never had it fail in 4 years either. I do believe that Minn Kota now makes a 15 foot model too.
A-Jay reply :
On 1/14/2020 at 10:26 PM, gimruis said:I have one 12 foot talon on my Ranger RT178. It couldn't be mounted directly to the transom so they used a sandwich bracket. Be careful about mounting them directly to the transom - sometimes it will void a warranty on the boat. Check with the dealer/manufacturer about that ahead of time. I also have a fold down bracket because its too high for my 7 foot garage when its up.
A-Jay's right, one talon is not a true anchor. If its calm or mostly calm, it works fine with minimal movement. I rarely use it in windy conditions because waves immediately start coming over my transom in the back anyways. A true bass boat sits very low on the water so it doesn't take much in that regard. I bought my boat/talon in 2015 before the Ultrex with spot lock came out so I don't have that on my bow mount but had it been available, I would have gotten that instead. Not that I don't use a talon but its a steep price and given the choice between a one talon or spot lock, I would choose spot lock. I think the most practical use would be if you did a lot of bed fishing, which I do not.
To be honest, I use it most when fishing by myself and I'm unloading/loading at the ramp. I've never had it fail 4 years either. I do believe that Minn Kota now makes a 15 foot model too.
This is a valid point and something I deal with; although with a the 25 inch transom on the Pro-V Bass, it may take a little bigger sea state. Either way, the Talons will HOLD the boat best with the stern facing the wind.
Inevitably, this means water is going to come over the back and into the boat.
I've had some occasions where it was blowing so hard the stern splash back was carrying all the way up to the bow and getting me wet. The important part of that is, I was still able to fish and present a bait effectively enough to get bit.
I don't have any video of this, but when the next opportunity presents itself, I will be sure to get it.
Is it open water yet ?
A-Jay
Tim Kelly reply :
I've no experience of poles or talons, but have often wondered what happens if a big boat wake crashes into you when you're locked in place. Do you get a boat full of water or bumped off your spot?
A-Jay reply :
On 1/14/2020 at 11:38 PM, Tim Kelly said:I've no experience of poles or talons, but have often wondered what happens if a big boat wake crashes into you when you're locked in place. Do you get a boat full of water or bumped off your spot?
Can't speak as to how the Power Poles react to the Rise & Fall of wave surges, but the Minn Kota Talons have what they call Water Absorption.
Basically, the spikes are not locked in place within the unit.
Instead they allow floating suspension which enables the boat to 'ride' up and down on the anchored spikes without affecting the anchoring. Unless the spikes are fully extented, the boat will adjust itself up and down and even side to side on the Talons to hold position.
Very important, effective and useful.
A-Jay
Tim Kelly reply :
Does it react quickly enough to deal with a sudden boat wake? Pretty impressive technology if it can cope with that sort of thing.
A-Jay reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 1:10 AM, Tim Kelly said:Does it react quickly enough to deal with a sudden boat wake? Pretty impressive technology if it can cope with that sort of thing.
Yup -
Although the Talons seem to 'slow the roll' a little, my rig reacts to any wake or wave the same as it would without the Talons deployed, but when they are, the boat will stay pinned down.
Also these units have three User-Selectable Anchoring Modes: Separate anchoring modes for Rough Water (heavy wind and chop), Soft Bottom (muddy or silted bottom), and standard (normal anchoring).
Plays a role in both keeping a rig pinned down AND adjusting the spike penetration depth into the bottom type which helps keep the spikes from getting stuck in a soft bottom.
This is a real thing that can and does happen occasionally.
Once the spikes sink so far into a very soft bottom, to where the unit is unable to 'pull' them out, Minn Kota has a ratchet system incorporated into the top of each unit that effectively allows for the spikes to be cranked up by hand.
Frankly it's a bit of a PIA but it's the only way to free the units without damaging them.
**** Unless you have the TILT BRACKETS installed. Then it's just a matter of depressing the tilt release and moving the boat forward and the spikes will SLIDE right out ! None of this is explained by anything I've read, kind of an A-Jay Alt.
But it works well.
Not enough to even come close to causing any buyers remorse either, at least for me.
I did happen to video this one . . As I was getting ready to head to the ramp, I hit the 'up' button on the console, and the Unit beeped at me to tell me it was stuck in the bottom and unable to overcome it. You'll see the corrective action taken.
A-Jay
Tim Kelly reply :
Fantastic technology. Stick an Ultrex on it and you have my dream boat there. 
A-Jay reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 1:34 AM, Tim Kelly said:Fantastic technology. Stick an Ultrex on it and you have my dream boat there.
I hear that ~
Unfortunately, my 360 would need a new mount as well.
Not to mention the recreational fund vein in my goldmine, is getting dangerously thin.
Might need to dig a little deeper and locate a whole New Vein.
A-Jay
Tim Kelly reply :
I hear you. The sums of money involved in every bit of the technology are mind blowing. Trouble is, when you know it exists the monkey starts whispering in your ear. ????
A-Jay reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 1:50 AM, Tim Kelly said:I hear you. The sums of money involved in every bit of the technology are mind blowing. Trouble is, when you know it exists the monkey starts whispering in your ear. ????
Yup ~ Mine seems really determine too . .
A-Jay
gimruis reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 1:29 AM, A-Jay said:Unless you have the TILT BRACKETS installed. Then it's just a matter of depressing the tilt release and moving the boat forward and the spikes will SLIDE right out ! None of this is explained by anything I've read, kind of an A-Jay Alt.
But it works well.
Never thought of this. I've never had mine get stuck and I called a Minn Kota rep ahead of time to ask what to do in the event that the spike got stuck. He told me to ratchet it up by hand like you explained. I have a tilt bracket so in the event I do get the spike stuck, I'll remember this.
NHBull reply :
I run spot lock and 1 talon.
I don't see this as one or another, both have their purpose.
The reason I only have 1 is that I would loose the use of my ladder and the Mrs didn't like that idea.
This winter she has been lifting and won't have a problem pulling herself into the boat . : )
FryDog62 reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 3:10 AM, NHBull said:I run spot lock and 1 talon.
I don't see this as one or another, both have their purpose.
The reason I only have 1 is that I would loose the use of my ladder and the Mrs didn't like that idea.
This winter she has been lifting and won't have a problem pulling herself into the boat . : )
Do you ever use the Talon and Spot-lock together to keep from spinning around - and is it a pain to work two remotes/buttons?
slonezp reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 3:10 AM, NHBull said:I run spot lock and 1 talon.
I don't see this as one or another, both have their purpose.
The reason I only have 1 is that I would loose the use of my ladder and the Mrs didn't like that idea.
This winter she has been lifting and won't have a problem pulling herself into the boat . : )
As do I. One is not a replacement for the other.
NHBull reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 3:49 AM, FryDog62 said:Do you ever use the Talon and Spot-lock together to keep from spinning around - and is it a pain to work two remotes/buttons?
I have but it tends to be on NO wind days where the wind changes direction. it is not a big deal. I am planning on adding a second one this year.
FishOn!GetTheNet reply :
Thanks for all the information. I’m probably going to pull the trigger on a talon. It sounds like it’s worth a shot of course I won’t know for a few months till the ice is gone ☹️ I injoy ice fishing for about a month then miss my boat
Way north bass guy reply :
I’ve had one 12’ talon on my rig for a few years now, and it’s helped me quite a bit.
I use it in the spring shallows for pike, in the slop for largemouth and in the rocky areas for smallies and never once had any issues with it. I don’t feel that having only one has any real disadvantages for me, and for my boat at least, there’s not a lot of “sway” from the wind, or at least not enough to screw up my presentation. Lots of times, if there’s a wind blowing fairly steady away from where I want to cast, I’ll just drop the talon and let the boat spin 180 deg then cast off the back deck, works just as well as the front deck for me. I doubt I’d own another boat without one on it.
FishOn!GetTheNet reply :
On 1/17/2020 at 7:45 AM, Way north bass guy said:I’ve had one 12’ talon on my rig for a few years now, and it’s helped me quite a bit.
I use it in the spring shallows for pike, in the slop for largemouth and in the rocky areas for smallies and never once had any issues with it. I don’t feel that having only one has any real disadvantages for me, and for my boat at least, there’s not a lot of “sway” from the wind, or at least not enough to screw up my presentation. Lots of times, if there’s a wind blowing fairly steady away from where I want to cast, I’ll just drop the talon and let the boat spin 180 deg then cast off the back deck, works just as well as the front deck for me. I doubt I’d own another boat without one on it.
Do you have spot lock can talon down and use spot lock to keep the bow from spinning around to keep the bow into the wind
Way north bass guy reply :
I have a Terrova without spot lock, but I have occasionally used it to keep the bow in position for a little while, just by occasionally tapping on the pedal in a super low speed. Usually though once the wind spins the boat to a certain position, it only sways back and forth a few feet and that doesn’t bother me too much.
Fishin Dad reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 1:29 AM, A-Jay said:Yup -
Although the Talons seem to 'slow the roll' a little, my rig reacts to any wake or wave the same as it would without the Talons deployed, but when they are, the boat will stay pinned down.
Also these units have three User-Selectable Anchoring Modes: Separate anchoring modes for Rough Water (heavy wind and chop), Soft Bottom (muddy or silted bottom), and standard (normal anchoring).
Plays a role in both keeping a rig pinned down AND adjusting the spike penetration depth into the bottom type which helps keep the spikes from getting stuck in a soft bottom.
This is a real thing that can and does happen occasionally.
Once the spikes sink so far into a very soft bottom, to where the unit is unable to 'pull' them out, Minn Kota has a ratchet system incorporated into the top of each unit that effectively allows for the spikes to be cranked up by hand.
Frankly it's a bit of a PIA but it's the only way to free the units without damaging them.
**** Unless you have the TILT BRACKETS installed. Then it's just a matter of depressing the tilt release and moving the boat forward and the spikes will SLIDE right out ! None of this is explained by anything I've read, kind of an A-Jay Alt.
But it works well.
Not enough to even come close to causing any buyers remorse either, at least for me.
I did happen to video this one . . As I was getting ready to head to the ramp, I hit the 'up' button on the console, and the Unit beeped at me to tell me it was stuck in the bottom and unable to overcome it. You'll see the corrective action taken.
A-Jay
AJ,
When getting ready to load your boat, why didn’t you drop the talons instead of tying to the dock. This was one of the reasons I really wanted shallow water anchors. I hate my boat rubbing at the dock. By the way, I am looking at the Lund Pro V as my next boat. Love your set up.
moguy1973 reply :
I don't have a lot of input on this as I don't have either on my boat, but my uncle who fishes several tournaments out of his Z521 has been looking at getting some for his and has done some research and had several friends that have each on their boats. He fishes a lot of really silty mucky rivers and lakes in Illinois and he said that those that have Talons have had issues getting them loose from the mud bottoms at times. People running Power Poles don't seem to have that issue. Rocky bottoms or hard bottoms don't seem to have as much of a problem. As for the Power Poles the only comments his friends with those have is they don't go as deep being only 8 or 10' but they also have to have room behind them to deploy them since they kick out behind the boat before going down in the water. Not a big deal but something to remember if you have something behind you.
slonezp reply :
On 1/17/2020 at 1:26 PM, FishOn!GetTheNet said:Do you have spot lock can talon down and use spot lock to keep the bow from spinning around to keep the bow into the wind
Not realistically...maybe...possibly. I have the original version of Spot Lock from 2014. It was upgraded 3 years ago and is supposed to be way more accurate. I have a single Talon and a Terrova with Ipilot Link. In a steady wind, or no wind, I can use cruise control to set a speed and direction which will keep the boat steady. Andy big gust and I have to make corrections. I fish for panfish with the Talon down and TM running all season long.
It's possible the newest version might allow the spot lock to act as a second anchor. Your enemy will still be wind, current, and boat wakes.
If you bed fish for bass, you'd be better off with 2 Talons.
When I made the purchase, I thought I'd use the spot lock a lot. The only time I use it is vertical jigging when there is no current and little wind. In current, I use cruise control. I can set the speed/direction to offset the current and keep a vertical presentation with a lighter jig when river fishing for walleye. Basically, I'd rather use a 1/4 oz jig and the TM to keep a vertical presentation than a 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz jig and just drift. Think about it. If you're vertical jigging in current and your line isn't straight down, you have no clue where the bait is in the water column.
On the same note, if you are fishing in current with spot lock, your bait could be 40ft away in 20ft of water and be nowhere near the bottom.
A-Jay reply :
On 1/18/2020 at 8:02 AM, Fishin Dad said:AJ,
When getting ready to load your boat, why didn’t you drop the talons instead of tying to the dock. This was one of the reasons I really wanted shallow water anchors. I hate my boat rubbing at the dock. By the way, I am looking at the Lund Pro V as my next boat. Love your set up.
@Fishin Dad
I use the Talons to launch & recover the rig on to the trailer EVERY TRIP.
However, 30 years running boats, cutters & ships in the US Coast Guard, makes me tie it off with a line as well.
Can't help it.
Either way, the Talons are very helpful - when launching & recovering solo; which is about 99% of the time for me.
Especially when it's a little sloppy.
I've posted a few video's of this - here's one . . .
A-Jay
Fishin Dad reply :
Your routine is solid, I must have missed it on the first video. It just looked like your boat was rubbing on the dock. But it really didn't move at all. I saw you hit the remote this time. I really like your videos. I have watched your pro v videos and it makes me want one even more. That v8 just growls!! Thanks for posting!! Looking forward to hearing about your trip south. Come on Spring!!!
A-Jay reply :
On 1/18/2020 at 10:08 AM, Fishin Dad said:Your routine is solid, I must have missed it on the first video. It just looked like your boat was rubbing on the dock. But it really didn't move at all. I saw you hit the remote this time. I really like your videos. I have watched your pro v videos and it makes me want one even more. That v8 just growls!! Thanks for posting!! Looking forward to hearing about your trip south. Come on Spring!!!
I'll also say this @Fishin Dad
While I am all about taking care of my rig -
A little dock rash is going to happen.
It's part of the game; especially when it's windy & without a wingman.
And while I do not tie up at 25 kts - I'm not losing sleep over a couple of bumps & bruises.
A-Jay
Fishin Dad reply :
On 1/18/2020 at 10:16 AM, A-Jay said:I'll also say this @Fishin Dad
While I am all about taking care of my rig -
A little dock rash is going to happen.
It's part of the game; especially when it's windy & without a wingman.
And while I do not tie up at 25 kts - I'm not losing sleep over a couple of bumps & bruises.
A-Jay
I agree A-Jay! I buy my stuff to USE it. Mine has battle scars as well after 5 years. I was just hoping with twin anchors to avoid it as much as possible and make launching solo much easier. Looks like the ticket. Thanks again.
WRB reply :
I haven't noticed a new 19'+ bass boat that wasn't equipped with 2 Powerpoles or Talons appear to be standard equipment now.
On the water I only see the poles deployed during the spring spawning cycle, otherwise the vast majority of boats are using the trolling motor to control the boat.
Our SoCal lakes have steep banks, 15' of water is about 25' from the shoreline on average on the main lake areas making use of poles limited to coves or bays with shallower water area.
Powerpoles/Talons require a house battery dedicated to operate the added equipment, larger sonar units etc. You need a boat big enough to handle the added weight.
If you are looking at Powerpoles/Talons get 2.
Tom
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