Should You Get a Power Pole for your Boat?

Power poles can be quite handy, but are they worth the expense?

Ever since the first Power Pole hit the water, their popularity has grown by leaps and bounds. There’s just one problem: these things cost thousands of dollars. Are they really worth all that expense? Let’s see…

Power poles can be quite handy, but are they worth the expense?

The whole Power Pole phenomenon grew out of the need to anchor a boat quickly and easily, in relatively shallow water. Traditionally, flats boat anglers did this by shoving their push-pole into the bottom, and tying off the boat. It works well, for sure, but isn’t exactly quick or easy. With a Power Pole, this same tactic is reduced to simply pushing a button. The pole hydraulically pushes itself down, and can anchor off your boat in waters up to 10′ deep.

The first down-side we already mentioned: a steep cost. But there’s another to consider. When casting and retrieving, an un-deployed Power Pole becomes an obstacle you have to work around, just like the outboard.

What about the up-side? Again, there’s one more thing to consider beyond the obvious (convenience and ease of use). You’ll catch more fish. Seriously. I’ve noticed more than once that using a Power Pole drastically reduces the amount of noise you create while deploying an anchor. And, it’s so quick and easy to use that you can position your boat far more accurately. Put these two factors together, and at the end of the day, you’ll have enjoyed more hook-ups than you would using more traditional methods.

So we’re back to the original question: is it worth it? That can only be answered by an individual angler, who needs to ask himself if catching more fish is worth the additional expense. It’s telling, however, that we’ve seen tournament bass anglers embrace the Power Pole, as well as charter guides. Essentially, when a fisherman depends on catching more fish as a matter of business, getting a Power Pole becomes a no-brainer. Food for thought.