Minn-Kota Instinct QUEST Trolling Motor
The first time I used the Minn-Kota Instinct QUEST Trolling Motor was pure fishing euphoria—I just couldn’t stop smiling. I knew the hassles of anchoring while jigging live bait and bottom fishing were over. The precision and speed of holding my exact position felt like cheating, eliminating the battle of rode, chain, anchor balls, and current.
It’s clear the new QUEST series was designed for anglers who demand the best from their equipment, offering a feature-rich design that delivers the ultimate anchoring system.
The question I most often get is, “Does it really hold you in place in rough conditions?” When I stayed on top of a school of blue runners in 3-4’ seas and caught ten-dozen fish in one hour, the answer was obvious—the drift from the spot-locked location never varied more than 20-feet.
The Instinct’s motor isn’t just designed to handle big water on larger boats. It thrives in it. With four available shaft lengths from 60” to 100”, the Instinct is ready to go where other trolling motors won’t.
The Minn Kota Spot-Lock system uses advanced GPS functionality to control the trolling motor, making boat positioning and control smooth and nearly automatic. It holds your boat precisely in place, keeping you right on top of any productive fishing spot without manual adjustments. Additionally, “Drift Mode” provides point-and-shoot navigation for outstanding boat control in any direction, eliminating the need for drift socks, kicker motors, or manual operation, even in the heaviest wind and current conditions.
The technology built into this unit allows for surprisingly simple use. A robust, reinforced mounting system supports a dependable automatic stow and deploy, and features such as the 24/36V dual-voltage, brushless motors have been rethought for long-term, robust performance. The indestructible composite shaft, designed by Minn Kota, comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Updates to the mounting components, propellers, lift assist systems, drive motors, and software have redefined trolling motor performance, outclassing everything else on the water. The Real-Time Battery Monitoring system displays battery power levels and “time until empty” while the motor is in use, allowing for strategic time planning and entry into Eco-Mode to extend battery life.
Simply pushing a button on the foot pedal or using the easy-to-read LCD screen on Instinct’s wireless remote makes trimming the motor up or down and adjusting to changing conditions a breeze. Compatibility with Apple or Android devices provides unique control directly via the One-Boat Network app, with seamless software updates.
The units come in white or black to match your boat decor, with an MSRP ranging from $4,399 to $6,100, depending on the shaft length. I’ve found that the precision, ease of use, and the ability to put more fish in the cooler make this one of the best fishing investments I’ve ever made.
Find out more about the Minn-Kota Instinct QUEST Trolling Motor at www.minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com.
