Thread: Trolling Motor

A foot controlled trolling motor has got to be one of the best inventions for fishing!!! It may take you a while to get used to it, but you will love it. If your boat is narrow, stay with a small thrust model.

I have one of the new foot controled minakota on my boat, its easy to use and not hard on batteries, I have a 17' express.but it would be personal preference as I see people using either one.

Polebender

I have a 16 ft 48 inch boat. What lb thrust do you recomend?

dixrp I have a foot controled trolling motor on my 16 ft bass boat. Its an older model so I'm not sure of the newer ones how they operate, but have used few other folks boats with the tiller handled trolling motors and like them alot better for controling the boat. just my 2 cents. good luck and good fishing.

Never had a cable break on my hand controlled. can't say that about my foot controlled. done that 3-4 times over the years. ruined a days fishing each time. Hand control and a foot switch is good and reliable. Bill dance has spent a lot of time oin the water and could use anything he wanted to and he uses hand controlled for some reason.

Originally Posted by dixrp

Polebender

I have a 16 ft 48 inch boat. What lb thrust do you recomend?

I would consider plenty of power ,when it's windy you need it. If you don't mind the weight of dual batteries go 12/24 volt for plenty of power and not worry about running down a single battery. I use a OMC 12/24 volt foot controlled as I like my hands free while holding over brushpiles to jig fish. They don't sell those anymore but maybe you could find a used one. Most guys I fish with rate them the best. Mine is rated about 40lbs thrust I think. The thrust rating seems to vary from what some manufactors claim I think.

Originally Posted by dixrp

Polebender

I have a 16 ft 48 inch boat. What lb thrust do you recomend?

I have tried several models from 35-70#. I now have a 70# thrust 24v trolling motor on my 15-42 War Eagle. At long last I don't feel the need for more power! I needed the higher thrust when bass fishing in current, and the 24v for fishing all day without running the battery down. I used to have a 40lb 12v, and if fishing in the windy spring, would run the battery down before the day is over, but I normally took two batteries anyway. Now I just use the 24v and I can't even tell a difference in the batteries after a long windy day. -----And the70# thrust will get you from point A to point B in a hurry! The newer models of foot control have a slow delay start, which keeps you from throwing yourself out of the boat when you activate the foot control! On some of the older high thrust models, you would get instant full power at the touch of the switch, and if it was turned sideways, you might just get wet!

If ya feel better about a hand controller, get the Minn Kota Vector.
You only have to move the handle 60 degrees to turn the motor 180 degrees.
Makes backing up a whole lot easier.

Don't skimp on thrust either. On those bluster days when you're on them, it's nice to have the power available.
I've heard too many people complain about not having enough thrust. I would go with a minimum of 50# on a 16 ft. boat.


G.