power pole vs talon

[stackenem]

Debating on which one to get. I would like some opinions on both please.

Thanks
Bill

[red68prostreet]

Bill, I researched both the PP & the Talon. For me it came down to not wanting another reservoir inside the boat that holds any type of fluid. I had a CMC jackplate ( self contained unit that does not require a reservoir ) & the Talon installed at the same time. Cabelas in Dundee installed both plus they gave me 10% off on the parts.

The PP is an electric hydraulic unit were the Talon is all electric. To set the anchor on a PP the unit reaches out as it goes down where the Talon goes straight down. This helps if you want to back up close to something before setting the anchor.

I added the quick disconnect handles and plug to the Talon for several reasons. I can take the unit off in two minutes for when I travel a long distance like KY Lake or I can slide the unit down 6 inches so it clears backing into a garage with an 8 ft door. With a PP you need to activate the unit down a bit, back into the garage then put it back up to finish parking.

One thing neither company tells you is what happens when you set either unit in the wind. Once anchored a single pole acts as a pivot which allows the wind to push you around until the nose of the boat is pointed in the same direction as the wind. This is why you see some boats with two PP or Talons installed. For boat position in the wind you need to either plan to spin around or what i do is set my trolling motor on continuous and set the speed high enough to hold the boat without dragging the anchor. If the wind is too high nothing can be done unless you have two units.

The Talon is a bit cheaper until you add the options. My costs were as follows. Talon $1550, mounting brackets behind engine $165, quick disconnect handles & plug $180, CMC jackplate $950, Labor to install both $450. 10% discount on parts plus tax all total I spent $3160. For pricing to install contact Chris Somers at Cabelas in dundee.

[bsimpson]

I ended up going with a power pole last year.  A couple of reason, one, where I store my boat during the season, I would have had to physically take off the talon each time I put my boat away, with the PP, I just had to lower it a bit to get it into the garage.  Secondly, I couldn't find enough reviews on the talon to make me feel comfortable spending that kind of money on a crap shoot.

You are correct about one acting as a pivot, which sometimes made for some interesting casting angles.

This year, I did however find something better then a power pole - two power poles.     My second PP is sitting in the box just waiting to get put on the boat.

[Dan]

I don't have either, but I have ridden in a number of Elite Series angler's boats, 15 to be exact and they all have two. They are very versatile and even if they don't use them during the day fishing they come in very handy when waiting to take off or when you have to park your boat and there is not enough dock space. Just nose in and drop the poles. Just about all the pros I rode with also use them to brake. They will fly in to an area, shoreline for instance, and partially drop the power poles to create drag. I rode with Cliff Crochette at Guntersville and when I met him in the morning we went to his boat and his poles were down on the parking lot. He thought someone was playing a practical joke, but his hydraulic unit had shorted out and he lost all his fluid. he had to raise them up by hand and bungee them to keep them from deploying. After that day the techs that power pole has at the Elite events fix it for him. If I had the money though I'm not quite sure which way to go, talon vs. power pole. A friend of mine just put on a talon and I'm waiting to see how he likes it. He's leaving in a couple weeks for South Padre and is going to use it in the bay down there.

[red68prostreet]

Power Pole was the 1st on the market and the 1st to get their product on the pro's boat. It is a great product but as I mentioned I didn't want another reservoir containing hyd fluid inside the boat. A friend of mine has a PP and he has had several times where he has lost hyd fluid inside his boat. The Talon has a feature on the side which allows the anchor to be retracted with a rachet should you lose power. I agree with bsimpson that the verdict is still out on the Talon with regard to reliability and cost to fix should something happen. The schematic has alot of parts with a cable, pulleys, etc that could be costly to fix. You don't have to take the unit off to fit in a garage. The unit slides up and down in it's bracket. You can use the quick disconnect handles to loosen the bolts and allow the unit to slide down for clearance or you can use a 1/2" socket and rachet to loosen them. It takes 30 seconds.
I have seen several people use the PP as a drag coming into shallow water. I am convinced if you try that with a Talon you would probably snap it off. I am not going to be a guinea pig and try it. The unit was installed in Sept so I need more time using it. I do however like several features with the most important to me is being able to take the unit off in a few minutes for long distance travel or if I don't want to use on a certain day.
Have a great weekend. Mark

[djkimmel]

Very helpful information. Thanks.

[bigjc]

I have decided that this year is the year I upgrade my electronics, so an anchoring device is out of the question.  I did however get my Humminbird 597 in the mail today.  I will be installing it in the bow tomorrow.

[djkimmel]

Nice to have nice weather this time of year to do that. Unless you're an ice angler...!!

[bigjc]

I had my heart set on some ice fishing this winter, but i must say, I am quite happy with our lack of ice.
I can wait until next year if need be.

[djkimmel]

You might have to at this rate around Southern Michigan anyway.

[bigjc]

Yeah, but i am ok with that.

[FOB]

Bill,
I also have not put either one on my boat yet, but have seen both in use.  The biggest issue I have seen is the height clearance between the 2, meaning that you can "lower" the power pole to go under a bridge, culvert, etc., but you could not on the Talon.  That has changed.  They have come out with a bracket that allows the talon to fold forward onto the back deck of the boat with just one easy stepdown to release it.  I saw this personally down at Ranger in Dec..  That is what I had been waiting for, and am planning on putting one on my boat this spring.  We also handle full installation of either product.

[djkimmel]

That would be a very welcome addition to the Talon options! I've been in boats with both and a quick height changes gives anglers better options to consider.

[Manxfishing]

Ok

Not haveing 1500 for a power pole or knowing friends that have that kind of money. I really don't have a opion on either one

But here's a link to a friends facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1276300506

He made is own poor boy power pole (It's a manual)
Made the bracket out of Alum
And the pole is Sch. 80 PVC that has a metel tip to sink it and it's 2 pieces
so he can store it in the rod locker

[djkimmel]

I have seen them use long pvc poles through lopes on boats on Okeechobee. In Louisiana they had the 'hillbilly' anchor - a heavy 3 to 4 foot long metal rod with a rope tied to it. They just spear the bottom with the rod and tie it off.

[peters_skeeter]

I have a talon on my boat. Love it. The only thing I would change is adding a second. I love that you can take the talon off when you know you are not going to use it. I'm pretty paranoid when traveling and I love knowing that no one is going to rip them off in the middle of the night when I'm at a motel somewhere. I'll take the thing off and take it to my room. Get quite a few weird stares when caring the thing over my shoulder walking down the halls. Or if you are going to a lake you know you won't use it, like Erie. I think you'll see more pro's this year with the talon. Just my thoughts.

[bigjc]

We also handle full installation of either product.

Please forgive me for being out of the loop, but...whe is "We."

[bigjc]

We also handle full installation of either product.

Please forgive me for being out of the loop, but...whe is "We."

Ok, forgive me for being stupid...Ralph from Wonderland!
I guess I have just had a long day at the office.