New to trolling motors and batteries

[Mattyice572]

Hey guys, with being very over worked during this pandemic, im thinking about finally splurging and getting myself a trolling motor for lake fishing for the upcoming season. Im tired of using all my energy to paddle instead of fish and pound beers. I have never used a trolling motor so im open to suggestions but heres my thoughts so far on the research ive done. 
i have a bonafide ss107 and with me, the yak, and my gear were looking at about 310lbs of weight. I was looking at a torqueedo but i dont see myself dropping $3000 on a trolling motor set up. Hoping to get a decent set up for $1000 or less. i have done some research and im leaning towards a minn kota endura max 55, with a DAKOTA LITHIUM 12V 54AH battery. And as far as housing the battery im not sure yet.  I figure all together that would put my total weight around 350lbs. Im hoping this setup will get me around 3 hours of run time at 3/4  speed. If anyone uses this set up or something similar and can give me any insight if this is a good choice or if theres better options please let me know. Wont be purchasing anything til march so i have time to take all opinions into consideration. Thanks for any input and advice.

[HJS]

First, let me clarify.  I have never been in a kayak.  I’m 74 and I’ve been a canoe guy for almost 5.5 decades.  I’m sure I have at least a couple 1000 launches under my belt.  I fish both fresh (75%) and in smallish salt environs (25%).  I have been using a 16’ Oldtown Camper Canoe, 60#, (no longer made).  Wherever possible and practicable I strap on my 40# thrust, 30” shaft, Motorguide trolling motor.  Been using a troller for the last 4+ decades.  It’s a blessing, especially as I get older.

 

That said, I’m pretty sure that a 55# troller would be overdoing the #s thrust.  A 55# thrust on a kayak would be like putting 300 horse power engine in a Smart Car… you will not go that much faster, and that much power will only get you in serious trouble, not to mention use up battery storage faster.

 

I see that Bass Pro is selling a Prowler, 30#, 30” shaft, transom mount troller for $99.  Although I saw this featured in a 2019 BPS catalog.  I have no idea how a transom mounted troller could be attached to your kayak.  For my canoe I just use an Oldtown factory made side mount bracket,  easy-peasy, and mounts in seconds, and works GREAT.  See attached picture.  The FF sensor mounts on the bottom of the trolling motor.  Battery goes up front to even out the weight distribution.

Good luck with your efforts.

 

There's a ton of room in a canoe.  I can put a medium hard cooler between the seat pillow and the motor mount bracket.

 

I recently upgraded my lead/acid battery, 54#, to a Lithium ion, 75AH, 50% less weight.  Expensive indeed but, at my age, well worth the cost.  The 54# lead/acids were becoming a bit much to lug around over rough terrain.  And Lithiums don't eat away you pants where the battery brushes against your pants while carrying.  I used a copper battery jumper cable to run from the battery up front to the troller.  In hind sight I probably could make do with less amp-hours, 75AH is a lot.  Voltage of my Lithium is about 13.7v and really moves the canoe.

Edited January 28, 2021 by HJS

[Mattyice572]

43 mins ago, HJS said:

First, let me clarify.  I have never been in a kayak.  I’m 74 and I’ve been a canoe guy for almost 5.5 decades.  I’m sure I have at least a couple 1000 launches under my belt.  I fish both fresh (75%) and in smallish salt environs (25%).  I have been using a 16’ Oldtown Camper Canoe, 60#, (no longer made).  Wherever possible and practicable I strap on my 40# thrust, 30” shaft, Motorguide trolling motor.  Been using a troller for the last 4+ decades.  It’s a blessing, especially as I get older.

 

That said, I’m pretty sure that a 55# troller would be overdoing the #s thrust.  A 55# thrust on a kayak would be like putting 300 horse power engine in a Smart Car… you will not go that much faster, and that much power will only get you in serious trouble, not to mention use up battery storage faster.

 

I see that Bass Pro is selling a Prowler, 30#, 30” shaft, transom mount troller for $99.  Although I saw this featured in a 2019 BPS catalog.  I have no idea how a transom mounted troller could be attached to your kayak.  For my canoe I just use an Oldtown factory made side mount bracket,  easy-peasy, and mounts in seconds, and works GREAT.  See attached picture.  The FF sensor mounts on the bottom of the trolling motor.  Battery goes up front to even out the weight distribution.

Good luck with your efforts.

 

There's a ton of room in a canoe.  I can put a medium hard cooler between the seat pillow and the motor mount bracket.

 

I recently upgraded my lead/acid battery, 54#, to a Lithium ion, 75AH, 50% less weight.  Expensive indeed but, at my age, well worth the cost.  The 54# lead/acids were becoming a bit much to lug around over rough terrain.  And Lithiums don't eat away you pants where the battery brushes against your pants while carrying.  I used a copper battery jumper cable to run from the battery up front to the troller.  In hind sight I probably could make do with less amp-hours, 75AH is a lot.  Voltage of my Lithium is about 13.7v and really moves the canoe.

Thats a nice set up! Me and a few friends go on 2, week long fishing/camping trips down the delaware river each year so i thought the kayak would be better suited for the sometimes very shallow waters. We did a 26 mile river trip last year and im happy with the performance of the bonafide as well as the comfort. That $99 price point is alot better that the $300 for the minn kota, and as far as the #55 thrust goes, my thought was to get a larger thrust power in hopes that i wouldnt need to push the motor to its max and be able to get a longer run time out if the battery. Speed isnt a concern of mine, any propulsion from a motor is going to be faster than i can paddle, its mainly to get me To the opposite ends of some of the larger lakes in NJ. So from what im gathering from your response is, a lower # thrust would actually be more of what im looking for, as in, it wont use as much juice in operation as the #55 thrust... all the # thrust talk and the battery lingo has me kind of lost. I have no idea how to translate how many hours of use a 54 ah lithium battery should be good for. Just hoping to get at least 3 hours of use per charge. Anything more would be great but if worse come to worse my paddle is always right there too.

[HJS]

More information:
Trolling motors do not work well in heavy growths of aquatic vegetation.  I’ve been vacationing in Maine for a couple weeks annually for nearly 2 decades.  Maine has a zillion ponds and lakes.  Many are natural ponds left over from the last ice age and others are dammed.  All of them are old and most are loaded with lily pads in the shallows (good for bass fishing) and other really annoying aquatic veggies like coontail and spatterdock.  Trolling motors don’t like any of them and the motor can collect a wad of veggies as big as a bale of hay.  At such times just pull the motor up and paddle, or leave the troller at home.  I bet NJ has lots of weedy ponds and lakes, both natural and dammed.
I also like to fish for smbass in the Susquehanna River just upriver from Harrisburg, PA.  I always use my canoe there without the troller, have been doing so since the late 1990s.  I really like fishing the Susky’s boulder gardens.  It’s just as exciting as hunting for Easter eggs when I was a kid… except now I’m hunting for smbass hidden in the Susky’s rock gardens.  Trolling motors and tons of rocks don’t mix at all.  If the Delaware has lots of rocks like the Susky then leave the troller at home, the rocks will eat your troller alive.
 

[Cheeckakoe]

1 hour ago, HJS said:

More information:
Trolling motors do not work well in heavy growths of aquatic vegetation.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.  Trolling motors and tons of rocks don’t mix at all.  If the Delaware has lots of rocks like the Susky then leave the troller at home, the rocks will eat your troller alive.
 

Some 40 years ago I installed a 50Lb Trolling motor on my Kayak at the time a Site ****Stuff,com when it was active. at the time unheard of. And since than a lot of accessories have been added Grass - Weeds No problem Rocks Obstructions no problem. And I see a battery just sitting not secured to the Canoe STRAP them down dump a battery in a lake is Bad  

Edited January 28, 2021 by Cheeckakoe