By Ric Burnley

A fish finder and GPS are capable of incredible feats; reading water depth and mapping my position are just the tip of the iceberg. Like the iceberg, many of my electronics’ features are hidden below the surface, buried in menus and stuck in the owner’s manual middle pages. The latest electronics systems make it easier for me to access the full potential of my fish finder, GPS, trolling motor, lights, stereo and power anchor with the multi-function display, smartphone or smartwatch.

Fishing with modern electronics requires the angler to constantly change functions, adjust settings and access features. Instead of manipulating buttons and the touchscreen on his 10-inch Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 multi-function display (MFD), Native Watercraft pro Justin Floyd controls his electronics and Force Current motor with his Garmin watch, handheld remote control or smartphone app. Floyd says, “With the app, I have control from my seat.”

Floyd can also control his Force Current motor through his Ultra 2 MFD. “I draw a line on the chart and the motor takes me there.” Floyd uses the feature when he’s searching for fish. “I set a waypoint and fish hands free all the way,” he says.

One of Floyd’s favorite features improves safety. If the angler falls out of the kayak while underway, the MOB feature on the Garmin watch slows the motor and turns the boat to retrieve him.

For tournament pro Casey Reed, success on the water depends on preparation off the water. Fishing out of an Old Town AutoPilot 136 rigged with a Humminbird Xplore and Mega Live 2 forward-facing sonar, Reed takes advantage of the system’s network connections. “The One-Boat Network App is great because I can study maps on my phone before I even see the lake.”

Reed uses the chart on the smartphone app to mark waypoints of promising locations. “Before I hit the water, I transfer the waypoints to the Xplore fish finder,” he says. At the end of the day, he transfers new waypoints to his phone. Reed says, “While the day is fresh in my mind, I change icons and rename waypoints.”

“Modern kayak electronics have evolved beyond standalone devices,” Wilderness Systems pro staff coordinator Rob English points out. The latest advancement integrates power management into a centralized network. “Networking has transformed how I rig my fishing platform,” English says.

English outfitted his Wilderness Systems Tactical Pro 128 with a Lowrance Elite FS 9 fish finder and Yak-Power multi-circuit control module. “This configuration allows me to monitor and control onboard accessories directly from my multi-function display, smartphone and watch app, streamlining operations and reducing cockpit clutter,” English says.

Using the Yak-Power network connection, English controls power to his lights, charger, electronics and transducer with the wired keypad, and wirelessly with a smartphone app or the Lowrance multi-function display. “The system offers redundancy, if one control fails I have two backups,” he says.

Boats come in many sizes and shapes, but trolling motors are only available in three power levels. The Power-Pole Move PV motor has 100-foot-pounds of thrust at 36 volts, enough power to maneuver a 40-foot sportfishing boat. Installing the motor on a kayak is like dropping a drag-racing motor in a hatchback.

Power-Pole’s Total Boat Control app allows owners to dial down the power to fit a kayak. Lucas Steward, director of business development at Power-Pole, says, “With our mobile app you can adjust several key performance characteristics.”

For example, the app adjusts anchor-motor aggressiveness, RPM takeoff speed and steering speed. “A kayak doesn’t require the same motor power as a big sportfishing boat,” Steward points out. Through the app, he dials down the power so the motor doesn’t abruptly start, turn or stop the kayak…

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