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Going to change up fishing style, or try to anyway, looking for opinions on a new trolling motor, cable type, 12 or 24vdc 55 to 80lb thrust, prefer the 80, I always say better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,,, anyway tracker 185 tin boat. help an old man out please
If you have room for the batteries Mike 24 volt is way better than the 12. I have run a 24 v 70lb off of the starting and second battery in series for 3 yrs now without any issues. I know a lot of guys say they get interference on their finders doing that but I have never had any problems at all.
I have always preferred Minn Kota motors but don't know much about the new ones except they cost a bunch $$.
Some of the other guys probably have some good advice.
I agree that more is a lot better than too little.
Don't know how old or how physically active you are, and that is important in your decision. My boat is a Tracker Magna 17.5 loaded with 4 - 12V batteries, and a 16 gal. live bait tank. I had a power Volt with co pilot and I hated it because I had to crawl on my two artificial knees across the front deck to retract or deploy it with my two artificial shoulders while my L-5 bursted vertebrae back was killing me. Money is short but I bought a Ulterra 80 lb. thrust with ipilot.
Initially I had some issues but they worked out and now I LOVE that trolling motor... I never use the foot control, I don't need to. I sit in the back of the boat under a 8' umbrella, cooled with a box fan hooked up to a inverter.
The motors sell for $2,200 but when available you can get a refurbished one for $1,650 with a 1 year warrantee. Trust me, if it will last 1 year it is a keeper.
I made a mistake and bought the one with ipilot but should have gotten the ipilot link instead because I have since bought a Helix with GPS and Navionics.
No matter what you buy there will be something better come out next month.
I am 72 and all my old fishing buddies are gone to Florida or are dead like my wife. I have a house and 60 acres that are paid for... By golly if I put a $2.000 trolling motor and a $500 depth finder on my 20 year old boat... hey... stuff happens.
Got one to pick up tomorrow to try, May have a Terrova to sell soon, Thanks Dreamer.
If you want cable steer and also ipilot just in case check out the new motor from minn Kota. It is cable steer and also has the I pilot installed. If they perform like I hope they will I will put one on my walleye boat. It should be out the first of next year.
Hope you have lotsa money, beagle.... These guys will spend it for ya! Love my terrova but do miss the cable steer on some days.
Minn Kota Ultrex is a cable steer with remote and I-Pilot...Cost around $2300.00:yikes
I talked to the Minn Kota guys at the ICAST tackle show last month, and the Ultrex looks to be the best motor out there. But of course, they were salesmen...
One thing that impressed me was the revised spot-lock feature. The older versions had trouble keeping close the spot. One engineer said that he took a prototype out for testing on a windy day and didn't move more than three feet from his mark.
The cable steer and iPilot combo looks really sweet. I may have to put one on the new boat...once I find it.
If you decide on the Terrova 80, be sure and go with the 60" shaft. That way you have around a foot above bow. Makes it easy to pull up! Age has caught up to me also.