Minn Kota Talon vs. Power Pole Anchors

Minn Kota, a leading trolling motor manufacturer, has developed a shallow water anchor to rival those of anchor specialist Power-Pole. The Talon is an electric anchor that drives straight down to a depth of up to 8 feet 4 inches.

Unlike Power-Pole's design, the Minn Kota Talon is a vertical anchor without any hinge points. At the press of a button on the wireless remote, a telescoping spike drives into the ground to keep your boat in place while you work a particular fishing spot.

While the electric system is more streamlined and has fewer moving parts, some anglers worry that the vertical control panel could interfere with casting. Power-Poles don't have this problem, as they deploy down and away from the boat, like a mechanized grasshopper leg.

Talon drives into the ground using a feature Minn Kota calls "auto-drive." When the spike contacts the bottom, it stops and then automatically drives deeper with three successive hits, each with increasing force. Minn Kota claims Talon "packs up to twice the anchoring and retracting force of the competition."

This is likely a reference to Talon's "rough-water mode," a button that drives the spike even deeper by repeating the auto-drive sequence three times, in 10-second intervals, for a total of nine hits. Power-Pole also makes a rough-water kit, the Wave-Pak, but you have to buy it separately for around $190. (Also sold separately are Power-Pole's wireless remote kits.)

Talon has some other handy features, including an LED depth gauge on the control panel and something Minn Kota calls "auto up-down." That simply means you can fully deploy and retract the anchor via the Minn Kota Talon remote instead of holding down the "up" or "down" buttons.

Power-Pole offers 3- to 5-year warranties, beating Minn Kota's 2-year warranty for the Talon, and both companies guarantee their spikes for life. And they each have a type of drive-off protection. With Power-Poles, the hydraulic pressure automatically releases if you forget to raise the anchor. Talon will sound an alarm if you start the engine with the anchor deployed.

The choice between Power-Pole and Talon - or maybe some other brand - ultimately comes down to personal preference. Some will rely on Power-Pole's industry standing; others will be enticed by Talon's new features. Generally, though, the pro-con list looks something like this:

Talon
Pros: built-in rough-water mode; fewer moving parts; manual retraction if power fails; more anchoring/retracting force; wireless remote included; cheaper than PP's Signature Series.
Cons: vertical design (potential obstruction); shorter general warranty; manufactured by a newcomer in the anchor industry.

Power-Pole
Pros: longstanding industry reputation; longer warranties; better color selection; deploys down and away from boat; Sportsman Series is cheaper than Talon.
Cons: more moving parts; possibility of leaks; slower deployment; wireless remotes and rough-water kits sold separately.

The table below provides a quick comparison of Minn Kota’s Talon and Power-Pole’s Signature, Pro and Sportsman Series anchors.

ANCHOR BRAND	Deployment Depth	Weight	Warranty	Price	Colors
Minn Kota Talon	6’4” 8’4”	29 lbs. 33 lbs.	2-year warranty Lifetime spike guarantee	$1300 $1450	Silver/white Silver/black
Power-Pole (Signature Series)	4’ 6’ 8’	22.45 lbs. 23.90 lbs. 26.35 lbs. (including all fluids)	5-year warranty Lifetime spike warranty	$1360 $1525 $1700	Black Red Blue White
Power-Pole (Pro Series)	6’ 8’	28.3 lbs. 30.3 lbs. (including all fluids)	5-year warranty Lifetime spike warranty	$1300 $1450	Black White
Power-Pole (Sportsman Series)	6’ 8’	26.55 lbs. 28.55 lbs. (including all fluids)	3-year warranty Lifetime spike warranty	$900 $1000	Silver

About the Author
TrollingMotors.net specializes in Minn Kota and MotorGuide trolling motors and accessories for Bass Fishing. They stock hundreds of motors and products, and are dedicated to helping fisherman find the right motor through education, detailed product specs and top-notch service. For more information, please visit them at TrollingMotors.net (http://www.trollingmotors.net).