Minn Kota i-Pilot Bluetooth Remote (Add-On / Replacement)

The Minn Kota i-Pilot Bluetooth Remote is the wireless remote that came along with the Bluetooth refresh of the i-Pilot platform. It controls steering, speed, Spot-Lock, iTrack, AutoPilot, Cruise Control, and Spot-Lock Jog from anywhere on the boat. If you've got a Bluetooth-enabled i-Pilot system on an Ultrex, Ulterra, Terrova, or PowerDrive V2, this is the remote you want, either as a second remote for a fishing partner or as a replacement for one that finally got dropped overboard one too many times.

The screen is what you'll notice first. It's 33% larger than the previous generation i-Pilot remote and it's actually sunlight-readable. You can glance at it on a flats boat at noon and see speed, prop status, battery state, GPS signal strength, and active mode without cupping your hand around it. The menu is reorganized so the buttons you press most often live where your thumb naturally falls, which makes a real difference after a long day of fishing.

Bluetooth is the platform change that made this generation worth upgrading to. The remote pairs with the trolling motor head over Bluetooth instead of the older i-Pilot proprietary RF, which is more stable in the kind of crowded marina environments where you have a dozen Bluetooth devices already going. It also pairs with the Minn Kota mobile app on iOS and Android, which gives you over-the-air firmware updates without dragging the motor to a service center, plus a soft control surface on your phone if you'd rather drive from there.

You can pair multiple remotes to the same i-Pilot system, and the system tracks each one separately. So you and a fishing partner can both have a remote, both make commands, and both see the same status. Useful on bigger boats where one person is at the bow casting and the other is at the stern fighting a fish.

Spot-Lock has been refined across the Bluetooth i-Pilot generation with new hardware and updated software algorithms. It holds tighter to a position than the older i-Pilot generation did, especially in light current and gusty wind. Spot-Lock Jog is the small but excellent feature that lets you bump your locked position five feet forward, back, left, or right with a single button press. You'll use it more than you think the first time you find a brush pile that turns out to be five feet off where you locked.

iTrack record and playback stores up to six 2-mile trolling paths so you can replay productive contours, weed edges, or shoreline runs without having to manually steer them again. Set the path on the way out, tap playback on the way back through, and the motor steers it for you while you focus on casting.

Cruise Control adjusts speed in 0.1 mph increments, which is the resolution you actually need for slow-trolling crankbaits, dragging tubes, or spider rigging crappie. Advanced AutoPilot holds a heading and corrects for wind and current automatically, especially well if your motor has the optional Heading Sensor installed. CoPilot mode gives you full speed, steering, and high-speed bypass control. For Ulterra owners, the remote also handles Auto Stow, Auto Deploy, and Power Trim, which means you never have to leave the helm to launch or stow the motor.

The remote is genuinely waterproof, not splash-resistant. Drop it in the live well and fish it out and it'll keep working. The button overlays are rubberized and feel right under wet thumbs or with light gloves on. Three replaceable AAA alkaline batteries power it for hundreds of hours of normal use, and the battery compartment opens with a quarter-turn instead of a flathead screw, which is the right call. Keep a spare set of AAAs in your tackle bag and you'll never get stuck.

Compatibility is the one thing to triple-check before you buy. This remote works only with Bluetooth-enabled i-Pilot systems. The Bluetooth icon on the trolling motor head is the easy visual confirmation. Older i-Pilot systems that predate the Bluetooth refresh use the older RF remote and this one will not pair with them. The Bluetooth-enabled systems are on the recent generations of Ultrex, Ulterra, Terrova, and PowerDrive V2 motors. If you're not sure, check the model year of your motor or call us before ordering.

The remote ships with a wrist lanyard. We strongly recommend running the lanyard around your wrist or clipped to your PFD any time you're using it. Marine remotes have a way of finding the bottom of the lake.

Firmware update note. Run the firmware update through the mobile app right after you pair the remote for the first time. The Bluetooth i-Pilot platform has gotten meaningful feature improvements over its life and you want the latest before you hit the water. The app walks you through it.

2-year limited warranty backed by Minn Kota's service network. Same-day shipping before 3 PM ET on in-stock units. The complete i-Pilot system is sold separately. This SKU is the remote alone, intended as an add-on for a multi-remote setup or as a replacement for a worn-out unit.