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Xi5 vs minn kota?


JoeyW

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I saw a few dated posts about this and decided to post on these forums.

I bought a motorguide xi5 80 thrust 60" shaft motor for my pontoon with a lowrance ti2 12" chartplotter, but after getting laid off, I decided the best decision was to delay my insane buy and return it so I dont have to worry about another bill.  

 

What I want to know is:  Did I choose right?

Background: I intend to use this on a high traffic lake during the summer months; the lake has a healthy population of stripers, walleye and (l/s) mouth bass. 

I have a 24' pontoon. 

I know that an important part of fishing sm bass is targeting large docks where its tricky to weave in and out of docks with a large boat.  I'm more concerned with auto-piloting shorelines and channels than the fine tuned stuff. 

I dont have much experience on this lake, especially in deep water. 

I am however an avid fishermen.  I know how important good electronics are, and I was drawn in primarily by the mapping, spotlock, side imaging, and autopilot features.

I intended to spend between $2000-2500, but I was willing to spend more.

The 12" screen was a LITTLE bit bigger than I expected.  If I stay with lowrance ti2 12", I'm wondering if it's going to be more of a chore to swap screens.  I'd like to downgrade to a 9" (wish it was 10") to save $1000, if I stay the xi5 route

Questions:

Will a 80lb thrust be enough or should I change brands and go up to a 112lb forex or whatever the offering is by minn kota?

Am I gaining anything by buying motorguides best motor? What am i losing? 

What could I gain by spending a little more ($1800 on motor)? 

Could I save a lot by cutting unnecessary features?

Is mounting a transducer on a pontoon ever a problem?

 

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