Yamaha XTO Offshore Outboard Offers Features for Fishermen
Published: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
By: Dan Armitage
Today’s outboard engines offer a slew of functions that are of special interest to anglers—even if they weren’t necessarily targeting fishermen when developing them. Yamaha is an example of an outboard manufacturer offering some cutting-edge tech, and I talked to their new product introduction manager, David Meeler, about what the popular brand has to offer Great Lakes boaters in 2020. Meeler himself is anything but—new, that is, for he’s been with Yamaha Outboards for two decades. And he’s an angler to boot.
“The XTO Offshore is our flagship for offering the latest in outboard technology,” explained Meeler of the 
industry’s first direct-injected four-stroke outboard. “Some boaters may not see beyond the 425 horsepower, but it’s much more than that. It offers several systems such as electric power steering, a high amp/low RPM charging system, and water flow systems for proper cooling offered to create a level of reliability and convenience that boaters are looking for.”
When asked what features the 5.6L V-8 XTO offers of interest to Great Lakes boaters, and anglers in particular, he pointed to the Helm Master system that integrates with the Offshore outboard.
“Helm Master is a completely digital system that offers the operator extra control and convenience,” he explained, adding “including features like SetPoint, which is a suite of functions that give the operator levels of control for whatever activity they are engaged in at the time.”
One of special interest to anglers is called FishPoint, which in twin to quad outboard configurations automatically maintains the boat’s position using very low RPMs, basically at idle speed, as the outboards shift in forward to reverse to keep the boat directly over the selected spot, such as over a school of yellow perch, or to maintain position within casting distance of a rock reef harboring a school of skittish walleyes or smallmouth bass.
Yamaha’s Helm Master also has a function called Pattern Shift, of particular interest to Great Lakes trollers who realize that speed is everything, and the slowest pace often nets the most salmon, trout, and walleye. The option allows the operator to precisely dial-in the speed to slow down below normal in-gear idle speeds.
“You can get down to less than half a mile an hour, depending on conditions,” said Meeler. “It’s set by RPM, so the operator merely reduces speed until the proper 
pace is reached and Pattern Shift automatically maintains it.”
An XTO feature of interest to boaters and anglers alike, who have a plethora of electronics aboard to sustain, is the amount of charging power the outboard offers, even at very low RPMs.
“The outboard will produce 72 amps of net charging power at only 1500 RPM,” said Meeler. “Multiply that 72 by the number of engines you have on the transom and you get an idea of just how much output is available to power electronics. And that’s net charging, not gross.”
Meeler mentioned that features and technology that you see in the XTO now may begin to show up on other outboards in Yamaha’s line. This is something appealing to Great Lakes anglers such as myself who don’t need 425 horses to get to the fishing grounds but sure appreciate those Offshore operating perks.
For more information about the XTO Offshore and all the outboards offered by Yamaha, visit yamahaoutboards.com.
About the Author
Dan Armitage is a popular Great Lakes-based outdoor writer and host of the Buckeye Sportsman show (buckeyesportsman.net), syndicated weekly on 30 radio stations across Ohio. Dan is a certified Passport to Fishing instructor and leads kids fishing programs at Midwest boat and sport shows, and is a licensed Captain with a Master rating from the US Coast Guard.
This article first appeared in the Spring Issue (Mar/Apr) 2020 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Engines
