The Power Pole has gone from obscure to incredibly popular in a few short years. But popularity does not always mean an item is necessary, or even good. So, what of it? Just how important is it to rig your boat up with a Power Pole?

Just how important is a Power Pole? The bottom line: if you can afford one, get one.

Naturally, as with most items you can buy for your boat, the answer depends mostly on finances. A Power Pole starts at around a thousand bucks, and that’s if you install it yourself. Get a jazzed-up version and pay someone else to put it on, and you can be looking at a $2,000 bill. On the other hand, these things are amazingly effective. They allow you to anchor at the press of a button. There’s no scope so there’s no big swing when the wind’s shifting, which means you stay within casting distance of the hotspot you’re targeting at all times. Added bonus: your boat doesn’t get all muddy when you haul anchor and get ready to leave. Added double-bonus: you won’t accidentally smash the boat’s hull or deck with the anchor, potentially chipping fiberglass and/or spooking fish. Triple-amazing-bonus: Power Poles work in any bottom (short of solid rock), while you’ll need different anchors to hold bottom on different bottom types. When-will-it-end-yet-another-bonus: since the Power Pole eliminates the need for an anchor and line, you’ll never again have to worry about tangling or hooking the line when a fish is on.

Will a Power Pole work in waters deeper than 10′? Nope. Will they do the job for large boats, with lots of windage? Uh-uh. (4,500-pounds is about the max.) Will they solve world hunger, end war, and fix the US Congress? The first two are more likely than the last, but alas, in all cases the answer is probably no. But these things are sweet; run a boat with a Power Pole, and you’ll never want to go without one again. If you can foot the bill, get one – you won’t regret it.