# what size trolling motor so you have?



## greenheron (Jul 23, 2016)

First time out in the water since I kinda finished the restoration. I had all kinds of issues, but I fixed most. My trolling motor went out. I had a t34 transom mount motor 
guide for years. Great motor! I have another motorguide bow mount with foot pedal control that I think is just to big for my 1442 alumacraft. I don't see me using it.
so what do you have, where is it mounted, how ya like it? pics would be great. tia.


----------



## RiverLife (Jul 24, 2016)

I have a new Minn Kota Traxxis 55lb on the transom of my Lowe Big Jon 1448

I fish rivers and it works well and has some nice features including infinite speed control, batt meter, and a killer handle that adjusts in all sorts of positions. Amazon had the best price and it was on my door step in two days. Don't forget to order a circuit breaker and a quick disconnect for wire harness.

Being the boat has a tiller steer outboard and a middle bench seat I didn't want a bow mount. Boating and fishing is enough work as it is. I sure don't want to be going back and fourth in the boat while on the water. I keep all my gear up front and never leave the back. Also helps with weight distribution. I may end up mounting battery in front also.

We have had a hell of a dry spell here and the river is about dried up. I couldn't even launch. Covered her up and stuck it out back so wont be any pics for awhile.


----------



## bobberboy (Jul 24, 2016)

I have a new Minn Kota Traxxis 55lb on the transom of my 1448 Tracker Grizzly. It had a 55# Minn Kota bow mount when I got it. I hated that motor - very hard to deploy and retrieve. It made me so crazy that I stopped using it. I also never never used it enough to be good at running it - mainly oversteering it all the time. The back seat is my position on the boat and now all the controls are there. No more having to go forward every time to deal with the trolling motor.

The one thing about the transom mount, at least on my Tracker, is locating it. With an outboard in place there is barely room for both it and the trolling motor to operate. Because of the welded gusset in each corner of the stern and the location of the welded handles on the transom, the space available to mount the TM is limited. I have looked at modifying the mounting bracket but no doubt that would void my warranty. The alternative is to fab some kind of mount that would give more flexibility. Ideally MinnKota would produce a surface mount bracket as an accessory - I wrote to them to suggest it but it's unlikely that'll ever happen. The mount design as it is assumes it'll be either in place of the outboard or that there is more room on the transom. A 1448 jon boat hasn't all that much room on the transom once the outboard is in place.


----------



## Flowie (Jul 24, 2016)

I just put a 70lb thrust MinnkotaPowerdrive w Ipilot bowmounted on my 16 ft modified v.
I fish a pretty fast river a lot ( I live a few blocks from the launch) and its nice to have the power when you need it. 
I got a deal on it because some guy bought it and hated the remote feature used to control it, he was used to foot control. I probably would have bought something a little less fancy if I hadnt been offered this one at such a discount. I do like it though, especially the fact that it has gps and you can use the spotlock feature to hover over a specific area.


----------



## greenheron (Jul 24, 2016)

Can the traxxis 55 be bow mounted?

I too hate having to move back and fourth my 1442 alumacraft has a steering wheel so idk if theres really any room for a transom mount trolling motor. On the other hand a transom mount make things easier when pulking out and launching. As i would stay put. 

Honestly, it cost more than what I want to spend. But im ok with it if its what i need . 
The river I fish is pretty calm. Thanks for your replies.


----------



## greenheron (Jul 24, 2016)

bobberboy said:


> I have a new Minn Kota Traxxis 55lb on the transom of my 1448 Tracker Grizzly. It had a 55# Minn Kota bow mount when I got it. I hated that motor - very hard to deploy and retrieve. It made me so crazy that I stopped using it. I also never never used it enough to be good at running it - mainly oversteering it all the time. .[/quote
> 
> 
> I felt i was always oversteering when I did have my t34 motorguide transom mounted.


----------



## lovedr79 (Jul 24, 2016)

48lb. Motor guide bow mount. Grizzly 1448SC


----------



## beagler1 (Jul 24, 2016)

Minkota edge 45lb thrust hand control.

16' alumacraft.


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


----------



## RustyGoat (Jul 24, 2016)

I'm setup for electric only 55 Minn Kota Maxxus? rear and a 50 Minn Kota Powerdrive front. This is on a Polar Kraft Dakota 1470.


----------



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Jul 24, 2016)

I had a #55 bowmount on my 1448. I have a #80 MinKota Maxxus bowmount with a Kipawa prop on my current 1656.


----------



## Abraham (Jul 24, 2016)

45lb minn kota. Has a battery light and a 18ft cord for the control but isn't quite big enough for the 1648. The foot control isn't as nice as one of the pedal styles and it's a pita to pull back up onto the boat tbh. If I did it over I buy a bigger, nicer one with the pull string and the pedal style foot control. This one you have to push one button to turn it left or right and it has a throttle button in the middle. It does alright though but not recommended.


----------



## rich250 (Jul 24, 2016)

Setup for electric only also with a 45lb minnkota endura on the transom, I'm very happy with the motor


----------



## greenheron (Jul 24, 2016)

you guys have some nice setups. Thanks for the info. 

I'm leaning towards the Minnkota endura max 45lb. I'm not crazy about the swivel bracket made out of plastic and it will probably hold up fine. I'm just use to my motorguide being aluminum. I'm gonna try and transom mount it but I do want to make sure I can bow mount it. Just in case i don't like it.


----------



## Flowie (Jul 24, 2016)

Just my opinion, but I owned a Motorguide 36 lb thrust prior to uprgrading to the 70 lb thrust Minnkota...the Minnkota is a much better built product all the way around.


----------



## RiverLife (Jul 24, 2016)

Yes any of the Minn Kota transom mount motors can be bow mounted. Have to loosen the control head and flip it around.

As someone else mentioned mounting a transom mount next to a outboard is tight. I have to make sure my outboard is in the up position when operating the trolling motor so I dont hit the outboard with the prop of the trolling motor. Not a huge deal although spot jumping and contending with the river current can be tough at times. 

I spend 90% of the time trolling around fishing in backwaters so it works for me. 6 gallons of gas lasts me a year in the outboard.


----------



## greenheron (Jul 24, 2016)

Flowie said:


> Just my opinion, but I owned a Motorguide 36 lb thrust prior to uprgrading to the 70 lb thrust Minnkota...the Minnkota is a much better built product all the way around.




I hope so, bc looks like I'll be making the jump. Just looking at minnkota they seem to have pretty neat features. 


Riverlife: when you raise your outboard. Does that cause you to over steer?


on a non related topic how does one do a multi Quote? I don't see a button for it...


----------



## jethro (Jul 25, 2016)

I don't have many pics, but I have a 50lb Minn Kota PowerDrive on my 14' tin. Recently had the main board fail and had to buy another. Not too bad for a 2004 motor.


----------



## onthewater102 (Jul 25, 2016)

55# Terrova on my 1436, it sees a lot of river fishing though, when fighting the current overkill is underrated.


----------



## wmk0002 (Jul 25, 2016)

I have a 45 lb on my 1648 Alumacraft. It's nice but it's almost too much power for my boat and fishing style. It is a 5 speed model and I really only use speed 1 or 2 when I am using it fishing....3 - 5 are overkill unless I was trolling jigs or crankbaits. I'd like it to go down a little slower with more of a variable speed setting. That said, it will be handy if my motor ever fails on me as it goes 4-5 mph on high speed lol.

I think ideally I would like a much higher thrust motor but one with a true variable speed option. Would give great thrust for current but very low speed setting for totally calm conditions like I see a lot at night or very early morning.


----------



## PBRMINER (Jul 25, 2016)

I have three transom mounts a 24 lb/30" shaft, a 46lb/34" shaft and a 50 Lb/36" shaft out of all of them the 50 stays on the boat I should just sell the others


----------



## perchjerker (Jul 25, 2016)

I have a 48 lb power drive for my 14ft

its more than enough power but thats fine, I hardly drain the battery at all

as far as power drive, cable steer, bowmount etc it all depends on your style of fishing

I love the power drive since it has variable speed control and I dont use the pedal with my foot, I just set it on the bench next to my sonar and control it by hand. 

But I dont stand and cast or jig, I just sit in my seat and use it for trolling or boat positioning.

works great for me

here is a pic, as per your request


----------



## greenheron (Jul 25, 2016)

Thanks for all the input guys. The pics look great. Im realizing that it is the shaft lenth 
that makes my motorguide look huge on my boat. in other words, Im seeing your bow mount motors and they dont look no where big as mine. Thise pics really came in handy.


----------



## greenheron (Jul 25, 2016)

PBRMINER said:


> I have three transom mounts a 24 lb/30" shaft, a 46lb/34" shaft and a 50 Lb/36" shaft out of all of them the 50 stays on the boat I should just sell the others




Why 3?


----------



## greenheron (Jul 25, 2016)

Onthewater102: your boat is very similar to what I have boat wise and the trollong motor looks perfect


----------



## perchjerker (Jul 26, 2016)

greenheron said:


> Thanks for all the input guys. The pics look great. Im realizing that it is the shaft lenth
> that makes my motorguide look huge on my boat. in other words, Im seeing your bow mount motors and they dont look no where big as mine. Thise pics really came in handy.



Mine started out as a 48" then I cut about 8" off the shaft.


----------



## surfman (Jul 26, 2016)

Minn-kota 12v 55 hand controlled mounted on the bow. Plenty for me.


----------



## onthewater102 (Jul 26, 2016)

greenheron said:


> Onthewater102: your boat is very similar to what I have boat wise and the trollong motor looks perfect



FWIW my boat is a 1436, I have the TM on the same side as the side console, with the battery and gas tank on the opposite side, but it is a bit heavy to the TM side as it sits in the water without me in it which is perfect because I step into it on the opposite side & even it out. Visibility off the front isn't an issue with such small boats, on a bigger bass boat with more distance from the helm to the bow it might create a restriction, but on the little tinny it's a non-issue.

The Terrova is one of the powered steering options offered by MinnKota, before it I had an Edge with its longer footprint but it really made little difference. The edge style mount does pull the TM a bit further into the boat, but on such small boats you've lost the use of the space on that side regardless of what motor style you go with. That's why I have my rod storage setup underneath the TM, it keeps the other side of the boat open to foot traffic. In doing this I mounted the TM to a plate that attaches to the top of the gunwales which provides more space underneath for the rod tips - however, it makes it so my bow light post isn't tall enough to be seen over the TM from the right & I have to switch to corner marker lights...trade-offs every way you go on these little boats.


----------



## weweber3 (Jul 26, 2016)

How does that 55# Minn Kota do pushing a 14ft boat+gear+people around?


----------



## onthewater102 (Jul 26, 2016)

Just fine - it'll do 2.5mph on its highest speed setting. I used to have it on my 18' fiberglass boat & it handled that no problem.


----------



## LarryF (Jul 26, 2016)

I have a Minn Kota RipTide 55lbs on my Alumacraft 1436, it's transom mounted. I think it does well when I use it.I have a small Mercury outboard with all controls in front of my seat to the left. My battery and solar charger is mounted on an aluminum frame I put up front. ( Makes a good deck to Bowfish from.


----------



## onthewater102 (Jul 26, 2016)

Now there's an idea...solar cell decking...


----------



## Dallas stewart (Jul 30, 2016)

27lb minn kota transom on a 14ft mirrorcraft deep fisherman. For lakes it works just fine for me. If wind picks up speeds 1 and 2 are pointless. Same goes for rivers. Some day I'll up grade to a 45 or 55 but for now it suits me just fine.


----------

