Lowrance Ghost Reviewed – Everything You Need To Know

When it comes to fishing electronics, Lowrance is currently the name to beat. From their Elite series to the amazing HDS Live, they’re edging away from Humminbird, and leaving Garmin in the dust.

So when Lowrance announced the arrival of a freshwater trolling motor with full networking capability, you can bet we were excited to give it a try!

How good is Lowrance’s Ghost?

Keep reading to find out!

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Lowrance Ghost

Lowrance Ghost Freshwater Trolling Motor

Thrust: 97 or 120 lbs.
Shaft Length: 47″, 52″, or 60″
Mounting: bow
Control: electronic and fly-by-wire pedal
Voltage: 24V and 36V

Freshwater specific

Unlike its direct competitor, the Garmin Force, Lowrance’s Ghost is purpose-built for fresh water. And while it’s not unheard of for anglers to push their freshwater trolling motors into occasional use in the salt, Lowrance is very clear that this will void any warranty.

That may be a deal-breaker for some of you, but for many anglers, that’s not a worry at all.

Power

Here, the Ghost is an absolute stand-out.

Powered by a 24V system, the Ghost’s brushless motor generates an incredible 97 pounds of thrust; three 12V batteries give you a full 120!

That’s simply amazing power, and unless your boat is topping out at more than 6000 pounds fully loaded, you’ll find the Ghost has more than enough muscle to reach speeds of more than 4 mph, fight wind, and keep you locked on the spot you’ve chosen.

I’m not sure whether the Force is stronger than the Ghost, but I wouldn’t want to live on the difference.

And the Lowrance is very, very quiet, offering maximum stealth to avoid spooking wary fish.

Efficiency

Brushless motors are simply far more efficient, and that’s more than evident with the Ghost.

It sips juice like it hates to drain a battery, and you’ll have no worries about fighting waves and wind and still having power to spare.

That adds up to more time fishing and less time recharging.

It’s also worth mentioning that you can switch between 36V and 24V mode with the touch of a button. In the real world, battery failure can send you back to the launch with your tail between your legs, but the Ghost can keep on working if you lose a 12V completely.

Shaft length

Lowrance offers three shaft lengths on the Ghost: 47, 52, or 60 inches. Those options cover pretty much everything you’ll see on a bass lake.

Enough said, I think.

Control

While not as high-tech as Garmin, Lowrance has really built great control options into the Ghost.

Using fly-by-wire tech rather than traditional cables, the Ghost’s foot pedal offers unparalleled feel and utility. Customizable for either foot, it features fully-programmable buttons, including options for Power Poles and waypointing as well as spot-locking.

You can count us as impressed, and for fans of pedals, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Lowrance also offers a simple remote that allows you to adjust speed and direction at the touch of a button, or anchor-lock in place. That’s a nice touch, and while not quite as impressive as the Force’s revolutionary remote, it gets the job done for busy captains.

Finally, Lowrance networks the Ghost to Lowrance fishing electronics, allowing you to navigate through your HDS Live, HDS Carbon, Elite FS, or Elite Ti². That unlocks powerful navigation options that can really change the way you fish.

Networking and integrated transducer

Our one real qualm with the Garmin Force was that owners would be locked into the decidedly mid-tier Garmin fish finder lineup.

Now, Lowrance doesn’t offer universal compatibility either, only offering networking with select Lowrance models. But to be fair, that’s pretty awesome, given how truly magnificent the HDS Live, HDS Carbon, Elite FS, and Elite Ti² are.

Especially when we’re discussing the HDS Live, we’re talking about what is probably the very best fish finder available at any price from any manufacturer, and being “trapped” in the Lowrance lineup feels a lot like being quarantined in the Presidential Suite of the Ritz Carlton.

The Ghost includes an in-built transducer with an optional upgrade to support Active Imaging 3-in-1. For this price, we’d really expect that option to be included, but instead, that’ll add to the already impressive price tag of the Ghost.

Final Thoughts

Lowrance waited to release a trolling motor until they knew they had a competition-crusher on their hands, and we think it’s fair to say that they were right.

At least as powerful as the widely-touted Garmin Force, Lowrance’s Ghost is incredibly efficient and quiet, a testament to its advanced brushless motor.

Its control options are very, very well thought out, and while not as revolutionary as Garmin’s, the foot pedal is probably the best in the business.

And since the Ghost seamlessly connects to the best fish finders in Lowrance’s impressive lineup, you’re really not left wanting in any way, except that this awesome trolling motor is expensive.

But for those who can or will afford it, it just might be the best trolling motor on the market.