There are two things that will make almost any bass angler cringe with disgust—scratching your boat against the dock while tying up and watching a huge bass dart away after spooking it with your trolling motor.
Fortunately, I’ve been using the Power-Pole Sportsman II for quite a while and it has totally eliminated both frustrations. Whether I’m deploying it to dock my boat, re-rig in the middle of a tournament or catch a spawning bass, I’ve been beyond impressed by its ease of use and functionality.
Sneak up on finicky, shallow bass
Even with the incredible trolling motors available to today’s anglers, it doesn’t take much to spook a giant bass in shallow water. These bass have been around quite a while and have become experts at detecting and recognizing unnatural noises. As everyone says, they don’t get big by being dumb.
Since using the Power-Pole Sportsman II, I’ve been able to quietly sneak up on wary bass in just inches of water. You’ll often see some of the biggest bass of the year roaming in the shallows in wolf packs, but they’re incredibly difficult to catch. With the addition of this shallow water anchor, I’ve been able to catch those fish. As soon as I see them, I deploy the Sportsman II with the C-Monster Wireless I-Phone Application or the provided wireless switch or fab, keep a safe distance and pick them off before they ever know I’m there.
It has also allowed me to dissect shallow cover much more thoroughly than ever before. When I approach a laydown or a sexy-looking dock, I’m able to put my “pole†down and flip and pitch to every square inch of the cover. I don’t have to worry about my trolling motor prop nicking outlying pad stems or limbs and branches, either. It doesn’t matter if it’s windy or calm—I can take all the time I need to ensure my bait gets in the thickest, darkest part of the tree where the biggest bass live.
Very easy to install
When many anglers hear the word “hydraulic†come into play, they become intimidated to install the Power-Pole. I’ve installed several of the Sportsman II’s, Signature Series and Blade Power-Poles for friends, colleagues and myself without any problems whatsoever.
Installation of the Sportsman II is simplified with the detailed, easy-to-understand instructions provided with the unit. The step-by-step walk-through and component bagging of necessary hardware makes it quick and painless. Because the unit needs a pump for the hydraulics, the most time consuming part of the install is finding the correct pump placement. As long as you can mount it on a flat surface in a location that won’t allow the lines to pinch, you’ll be good to go. Keep in mind, however, to mount the pump in an easily accessible area in order to periodically fill the reservoir. A quart of Green Marine ISO fluid is provided with the unit
The pump’s aluminum bracket is also very well-planned out with rubberized washers and gaskets to eliminate any and all traces of vibration. The brass connectors for the color-coded hoses fit securely and can be tightened very easily with a 1/2-inch wrench.
Easy to program
The Sportsman II comes with a wireless dash switch and a key FOB/lanyard combination that are both very easy to program to the pump. Simply hold down the “program†button located on top of the pump until it beeps and press the “up†or “down†button on the wireless switch or key FOB. That’s as simple as it gets in my opinion. You can also program the Sportsman II to utilize slow, medium and fast speed settings. Each setting is remarkably quiet but the slower settings are definitely the quietest. Personally, I like to use the highest speed setting so I can quickly stop my boat if I notice a shallow bass cruising by.
It also features the C-Monster wireless control system that allows you to operate the Sportsman II from your smart phone. This feature is very useful when both docking the boat and retying.
A good investment that protects your investment
The Power-Pole Sportsman II is priced at $1,295.99. I really believe it’s worth every penny, especially when you consider the high costs of gel coat repairs. If you spend the money on a slick-looking bass boat, the last thing you want is to drift into a dock, stump or laydown while you’re retying or docking. This will prevent that from happening.
It comes with a five-year warranty on all hardware, a two-year warranty on all electrical components and hydraulics and a lifetime warranty on the Everflex spike. It doesn’t matter how hard the wind is blowing or if you accidently try to get on-plane with the Power-Pole deployed—the spike is impossible to break. It also comes equipped with “Drive Off Protection” to keep you from harming the unit or your transom.
The Power-Pole Sportsman II is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
