Thoughts on trolling motor transducers?

[filletfetish]

I bought a rig mainly for duck hunting, but it'll make a sweet little crappie boat. I'm not going to spend 3 grand on sonar and a trolling motor, but I would like something decent. First and foremost, I won't mount a transducer, it's not condusive with the type of waterfowl hunting I do.

I only know a couple guys that have had to rely on a trolling motor transducer. Neither of them felt like they sent accurate info to the sonar.

Who's got the good/bad on ANY model. I like Minn Kota, but I've always got an open mind.

[TnT]

I have the Minn Kota Power Drive 2 with Auto Pilot and I love it. The Minn Kota Terrova is a very nice motor also but just a little more expensive. And Minn Kota cable drive motors or tiller drive motors are also nice. You pretty much have a good selection with Minn Kota depending on which application suits you best. And some of these motors have the US2, which is a transducer built into the foot of the trolling motor. I have always had a transducer mounted to my trolling motor and have no complaints with it at all. I also have a transducer mounted on the rear of my boat for my fish finder I have at my console. I mainly troll when I crappie fish so having a transducer mounted on my trolling motor works great for my electronics in the front of my boat.

[gabowman]

I just swapped out a tiller controlled MinnKota on the bow of my boat that was bought new in 1997. Nothing wrong with it and I've NEVER had a problem with it....just wanted something nicer. I just HOPE this MinnKota I just bought give me that same service.:o

[mrwillis]

My opinion...I bought one of the clamps that allows you to clamp the tranducer on the bottom of your troller. I fish many stumpy places, and have never had any problems with it. This way, you don't have to buy a super expensive troller that has one built in, and if something goes wrong with the troller, you don't loose your ability to use a fishfinder...just get another troller and clamp it on to that one.

I also duck hunt, and in order to pull that off, I just take my back transducer off, and take off my fishfinders, too. Not too hard to do. I just left the bracket and took the puck off.