Lowrance is a fishing electronics manufacturer relatively new to trolling motors.
The Ghost has many pros and features unseen elsewhere. It has a quiet brushless motor, can run on 24v or 36v, advanced Lowrance transducers, and fish finder integration.
At over $3,000, it is also quite expensive.
Is it worth the money?
Lowrance Ghost
TrollingMotorPro Verdict
The Ghost combines a powerful brushless motor with Lowrance high-quality sonars and reliable GPS anchoring.
PROS
- Brushless motor works on either 24V or 36V
- Easy integration with Lowrance fish finders
- High-quality transducers
- Precise GPS anchoring
CONS
- Electric-steer only
- The longest shaft available (60″) is too short for some boats
Futuristic Design
The Ghost looks very modern and solid from the distance.
That’s also how it feels. The mount is sturdy, the connections are firm and nothing is flimsy.
A very welcome feature rare on other expensive motors is the 360-degree breakaway mount. It will protect your shaft in case you hit something underwater.
There is also a stabilizing bar to prevent the motor from bouncing at high speed.
Runs On 24V & 36V
You can run the Ghost on either a two (24v) or a three-battery bank (36v) for more available thrust.
You get 97 pounds of thrust on 24 Volts and a whopping 120 lb on 36 Volts.
This makes the Ghost the most powerful trolling motor on the market today.
To be honest, 97 lb is plenty for most boats. So unless your boat is heavy and needs the extra help, go with the simpler 24V setup. (two batteries instead of one)
You can use lithium batteries with Lowrance Ghost, no problem.
Brushless Motor Is Quiet
Very quiet.
It’s much easier to hear the sound on top of the motor when changing directions than the motor itself.
Brushless motors are great for other reasons. They are more efficient, cause less interference with your fish finder, and last longer. You don’t need to worry about replacing worn brushes in the future.
Available Shaft Lengths
The Ghost can be ordered with the following shaft lengths: 47″, 52″, and 60″.
I wish there were longer shafts available, for boats with higher bows.
Wireless Control and Steering
The steering on the Ghost is smooth and predictable.
There is a slight input delay, characteristic of all electric-steer motors. However, it’s barely noticeable and won’t make much difference to your fishing.
On the Ghost, the spot lock is called Anchor Mode and is very accurate as you can expect from a GPS electronics company.
The Foot Pedal
The Ghost’s pedal has some features unseen on other brands.
The foot pedal is fly-by-wire. There are no cables between itself and the motor head.
There is a speed dial and five buttons:
- Instant Power-On on top
- Spot-Lock
- 3 Buttons that can be customized to your preference
I like that you can change the side of the Power-On button from left to right if that’s how you like it.
Transducers
The transducers on the Ghost are fully integrated with the lower unit. The wiring runs through the shaft, and the connectors are shielded to minimize interference.
The Ghost comes with a Plug-and-Play Lowrance sonar, a nosecone transducer that gives you Lowrance CHIRP sonar, and DownScan imaging.
It is a rather basic HDI transducer without side imaging, but the good news is you can easily upgrade it to this:
The Lowrance Active Imaging 3-in-1 nosecone (Check Price on Amazon) above includes SideScan. If you like to fish structure, you’ll see much more to the sides and the front. It is simple to install; just screw it onto the lower unit.
Having said that, it would be great to have side imaging as standard on the Ghost.
Fish Finder Integration
Lowrance fish finders work seamlessly with the Ghost, as expected. Models that are fully compatible include:
- HDS Live
- HDS Carbon
- Elite FS
- Elite Ti2
You can control the motor’s autopilot directly on your fish finder’s touchscreen. You can anchor lock, tell it where to go, pick waypoints, adjust the speed, etc.
Using the fish finder for trolling motor control can be very convenient. You don’t have to run to the foot pedal each time you want to move the boat.
Stow and Deploy
The Ghost has a special cable you pull to deploy your motor easily.
A nice touch.
When stowing, the Ghost automatically turns the lower unit to the horizontal position.
You don’t have to worry about turning the head to make sure it properly rests on the mount.
Installation & Maintenance
The mounting plate on the Ghost has the same hole pattern used on other major brands, such as Minn Kota or MotorGuide.
If upgrading from a popular trolling motor, there should be no new drilling.
There is not much you need to do to keep your Ghost in shape. Of course, you must remember to rinse it with fresh water after each use.
One thing to pay attention to is the bearing around the shaft. Keep the area clean and grease it with marine grease to ensure it works smoothly.
Saltwater Warranty
Originally the Ghost was released for use only in freshwater. Any type of saltwater would void your 3-year warranty.
However, in 2020, Lowrance announced a prop shaft anode that allows use in brackish water without voiding the Ghost trolling motor warranty.
The anode installs on the back of the propeller, replacing the factory nut, to help prevent corrosion.
Brackish water, according to Lowrance, means “estuary use”. You still can’t fish in the ocean, it will void your warranty.
Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
The Lowrance Ghost is an accomplished product despite being relatively new to the trolling motor market.
The combination of a brushless motor, world-class transducers, and full Lowrance integration, is unseen in other products.
It is expensive, but the features are worth it. Those who bought it love it. Our extensive research confirms that.
The Ghost won’t catch the fish for you. But it will make staying on them easy to make the most of your time on the water.
Alternatives
Like Lowrance, Garmin is a leader in marine electronics. Although Garmin rates its trolling motor at 100 pounds maximum, its standard is very conservative. In real life, the Force is just as powerful or even exceeds the performance of some of the models on this list.
What sets the Tour Pro apart is the hybrid cable/electric steer, similar to the one seen on the Ultrex. It also has a 360º breakaway mount, which prevents damage to the motor and shaft in case you hit an underwater object.
The Ultrex is also hybrid cable/electric steer, which makes it very responsive. It comes with i-Pilot GPS or i-Pilot Link, which lets your motor “talk” to your Humminbird fishfinder. It also has a sonar/transducer as standard, either Universal Sonar 2 or Mega Down Imaging. See our Lowrance Ghost vs Ultrex article for a side-by-side comparison.
