Minn Kota-Humminbird Merger Brings New Displays, Trolling Motors and Boat Controls
Minn Kota is folding Humminbird sonar into a wider fishing system, with new displays, app controls and more products planned for 2027.
The Minn Kota and Humminbird merger puts sonar, navigation, trolling motors and shallow-water anchors under one brand, with a shared system designed to connect information on the display to action on the boat. The shift began in fall 2026, when Johnson Outdoors brought the sibling brands together under the Minn Kota name.
The brands have served anglers for decades, including saltwater boaters. Minn Kota is known for electric trolling motors, Riptide saltwater models and shallow-water anchors. Humminbird built its name in sonar and later expanded into chart plotters and radar. Their products already shared control and monitoring networks, so bringing them together extends an existing connection.
The new structure is intended to simplify buying, installation and networking by grouping more fishing equipment and electronics into one system. Minn Kota was chosen as the lead name; the source article points to its strong recognition among saltwater anglers as one reason for that decision. Humminbird technology remains part of the lineup, even as the brand recedes from the front of the product range.
Displays built around Humminbird sonar
Minn Kota is adding multifunction displays and transducers to its product family, replacing most Humminbird products over time. The new displays will draw on Humminbird sonar and imaging technology, reflected in the “Powered by Humminbird” tagline. The aim is to carry that technology beyond the screen, into a fishing setup where sonar and mapping can inform boat positioning and trolling motor movement.
Johnson Outdoors fishing group senior vice president Khalaf M. Khalaf described the merger as a way to combine two established fishing brands in one system and make technology easier to use. Betsy Radue, the company’s director of fishing brand management, said the goal is to reduce the attention anglers spend managing equipment so they can focus on fishing and time on the water.
Existing Humminbird equipment will continue to receive support under the new brand structure. Compatible current-generation units, including Xplore, Apex and Solix G3 fish finders, can receive software updates that add Minn Kota system capabilities. That gives owners of those models a path to connect with the expanded system without immediately replacing their displays.
X Series displays and motor lineup
The Minn Kota X Series combines fishfinding and navigation in touchscreen displays sized 7, 9, 10, 12 and 16 inches. The 7- and 16-inch models are new; the other sizes previously appeared in the Humminbird range. Together, the screens establish a display family for the broader Minn Kota system.
The merger also brings a new generation of bow-mount electric trolling motors across the Ultrex, Ulterra, Terrova and Powerdrive lines. Saltwater anglers will see updated GPS-guided Riptide models: Riptide Terrova, Riptide Instinct and Riptide Powerdrive.
App control and depth awareness
The Minn Kota Fishing App replaces the One-Boat Network App and is designed to manage trolling motors, displays, shallow-water anchors and mapping both on and off the water. Anglers can handle charts and waypoints alongside sonar and motor controls, shortening the steps between spotting useful information and responding to it.
One new feature, Draw & Navigate, lets users sketch a course on a compatible Minn Kota display with a finger; the trolling motor then follows that route. Compatible displays and motors can also connect wirelessly, without an Ethernet cable or other cable between them.
Intelligent Depth Control is designed to track changing depths and help keep the boat and equipment away from potentially hazardous shallow water. That function may help reduce the risk of equipment damage and keep the crew clear of a shallow-water hazard. It remains a tool for managing boat position, not a substitute for paying attention to conditions and surroundings.
Position holding and future releases
Minn Kota says its updated Spot-Lock feature can hold up to 50 percent tighter on compatible trolling motors than on previous Minn Kota models. Compatible electric-steer brushless motors will also get a redesigned foot pedal control system intended to deliver faster, more familiar steering response. The app will provide integrated control for Raptor and Talon shallow-water anchors as well.
More products are expected in 2027. Minn Kota plans to add a second multifunction display family, the A Series, plus Terrova Quest and Riptide Terrova Quest trolling motors. Minn Kota Live Sonar and Minn Kota 360 Imaging are also scheduled for that year, extending the “Powered by Humminbird” approach into more of the boat’s fishing equipment.
The transition’s practical test will be how well these pieces work together for anglers with different setups. For current Humminbird owners, software support offers a way to add capabilities to compatible units; for buyers choosing new equipment, the X Series and Fishing App set out the shape of Minn Kota’s integrated system.
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