Too big a trolling motor on a small boat?

I'm getting a 8' plastic mini pontoon boat. Weighs about 130, add another 300 with my lard butt, battery, trolling motor and gear. I can mount the trolling motor on the front or back, and I'm inclined to do it up front.

The boat will be transported in the back of my truck. Gear will be removed, boat drug a short distance to the water, then the gear put in the boat. I'm OK making a couple trips for my gear and trolling motor/battery. That is how it is and I'm Ok with it.

I'm gonna fish 2 types of water. One is a small pond maybe 5 acres. I'll never need to crank it up to max thrust on this pond, instead just using lower settings to slow troll minnows or make brief adjustments to my location. The other water is a reservoir where I could conceivably need to travel a good 20+ minutes from ramp to where I want to fish. I see most of my fishing being on the pond.

I know a cheap 30 lb. thrust motor will move the boat "OK" on the pond. This would also be the lightest trolling motor and easiest to handle. My gut says get the 55 lb. thrust model though so I have the power when I need it. A friend suggested the 55 model would be 'heavier' but the extra power more than makes up for it. Any other factors I should consider? I can't decide whether to get a small, medium (like 40 lb thrust) or large (55) model.

I,d go with the 55#--don,t think it would weigh that much more
Talked to a fellow that put a 35# on a mini 8ft. bass buggy--
got some wind and a little current and had to paddle for a long ways to help the troller:eek:

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Originally Posted by frank lawhead

I,d go with the 55#--don,t think it would weigh that much more
Talked to a fellow that put a 35# on a mini 8ft. bass buggy--
got some wind and a little current and had to paddle for a long ways to help the troller:eek:

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Agreed, LUKE, use the power! You are already muscleing a 130lb boat around, the battery, and gear. The 55lb thrust most likely will not weigh as much as your battery. Get the power!

Go with the 55#. Thats what I use on the Crawdad and I can go UP river when I want, even with 2 in the boat.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...-finished1.jpg

I say go with the 30#. I have a 17' deep V alum and went from a 30# TM to a 71#TM. I hated every minute of it. It was just too much power. I could never get the boat to go slow enough. My boat probably weights 1500# I switched to 54# digital and love it.

You mentioned you like to slow troll minnows and I think even at the lowest speed you may find yourself going at a pretty good clip. If you can find it in your budget to go digital, I'd say go with the 55#.

You might want to think about a second battery.
The larger the trolling motor the more power it will take.
The first time I took a small plastic boat out with my 55# I was a fat and happy camper---until it was time for me to head to the ramp. The motor had drawn the battery down so the trolling motor was only able to propel the boat about as fast as I cold swim. Not a good feeling. Second battery helped me stay out on the water much longer.
If it gets windy, you may end up using more of the battery than you had planned.
If I remember correctly the 55# would push the boat about 4.5 - 5.0 MPH using a GPS when the battery was at full charge.

Yes, I do want to slow troll minnows sometimes so I am somewhat concerned the 55 at a setting of 1 might be too fast. I won't have a way to evaluate that before a purchase though. I just know going with a less powerful trolling motor will always leave me wanting more topend power.

Go with the 55 lb. and you won't regret it. If you can find a variable speed that will solve the speed problem. I have used one (55 LB, 5 SPEED) for years and never regretted it. I would get another battery for back-up. Also the 2nd battery will help balance the boat when both are placed in the back of the boat.

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Originally Posted by crappiemax

I say go with the 30#. I have a 17' deep V alum and went from a 30# TM to a 71#TM. I hated every minute of it. It was just too much power. I could never get the boat to go slow enough. My boat probably weights 1500# I switched to 54# digital and love it.

You mentioned you like to slow troll minnows and I think even at the lowest speed you may find yourself going at a pretty good clip. If you can find it in your budget to go digital, I'd say go with the 55#.

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To slow troll minnows, you wouldn't want any motor running constant imo. I just give the tm a short burst every now and then. I don't leave the TM running unless I am trolling a crank or something else that needs to dive a bit, even then, the big motor will be used for that. 55# would be just about right for the rig. I have a #55 minn kota and wish I had more thrust. I still have to fight the wind more than I want.

If it's a Minn Kota, the variable speed should allow you to creep along at a snails pace for trolling minnows if you like to fish that way.

I got a 35# MG on my 14 ft Jon and it will run all day with me and Honey. It is a heavy Jon too (flooring, decking, 2 batteries, 4 stroke, 5 gallon bucket full of fish and me).

Mount the TM on the front. It is more energy efficient to pull a boat with a trolling motor than push it, especially when turning/changing directions. It is also easier to control from the front.

Short shaft 30# will run 'bout 100 bucks. Not bad.

You guys are a bunch of power nuts. You all must be from Detroit....:rolleyes:

Choosing the Right Trolling Motor

We are talking about an 8 foot boat right........Heed my words....

If you get a motor with a maximizer, you might get by with one battery.

more power!
Ya can always drop a bucket on a rope(poor man wind sock) if the low setting is too fast.

"We are talking about an 8 foot boat right........Heed my words...." EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!

I really did hate that oversized trolling motor. Unless it's a variable speed.

the difference in weight will be no more than a pound or two. Get the 55. If you have the $$'s, get the variable speed instead of the 5 speed. Batteries (charge) will last longer with the variable speed. Call me if I can help, 870 773-3474, John

I have a 9 foot boat like you are talking about and my 46 lb thust is more than I need . First be sure you like the boat I don't care for mine Bass Buddy (sportsman) BAD IN THE WIND

Can you post a picture of the boat? I reread the post and you said pontoon. Is it a Bass Buggy type? Manufacturer? I was making this assumption. The assume word you know.

Friend of mine got a 8 foot plastic bass buggy. You sit pretty high in it. 30 lb TM will throw your butt in the water. I know.... I ain't no lightweight myself.:o

I ain't trying to sell you anything but safety.

Tom

I agree with crappie reaper. Variable is the way to go for slow trolling. I think they cost a little extra but it's worth the price for being able to inch along...the slower the better.

I agree with the digital control, but here are some figures for I boat TM archive.

I go by published figures, not the seat of my pants. I guess everybody know this.;)

My buddy has a 28 lb and it has worked on a 16 ft boat for over 20 years and the nice little 30lb battery has never died in a single day of fishing.
Get a suitable proper sized battery, for a 30 lb and I think you wil be satisfied. A 55 lb requires a lot more juice and a LOT heavier battery.

You are carrying the battery to and from your vehicle to the boat and house. I am sure you will not be happy lugging a 75 lb battery back and forth. If the battery stays in the boat go ahead and get a big one.

I lug a battery between 2 boats that are feet apart and it is back breaking just doing that.

Keep it light and simple and you will fish more.

Canepole - here is a picture. By your math I need a 7 lb. thrust trolling motor. (500 / 70 = 7). It also says my 20' superjon only needs a 30 pound thrust motor, but nobody would want that piddly size motor on that big boat. I have a 55 lb. thrust copilot and wish I had twice that.

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2028_42742925

I've had small, medium and large jonboats. Never have I regretted having the maximum thrust I could hang on it, within reason. What is funny is a guy with 3 trolling motors and 3 batteries on his boat recommended I get a smaller motor and to ask you! LOL!! The 3 motor guy thinks --> I <-- only need a small motor. I guess he doesn't want any competition to reach the good holes.

Carrying the gear is not an issue for me - if it is for some of you folks then start another thread :p

Check with Minnkota and Motorguide about needed thrust. They have thrust scales and I would follow their recommendations.

Don't forget, thrust is a static measurement of force. Once you get moving,thrust dwindles to zero.

Too much thrust can give you just as much problems as not enough.

More thrust, more current.

If you want power, go for the bigger TM. Your money. Just satisfy yourself.

I am just throwing out numbers.

Yep, 7 pounds of thrust would move you. Sigma and Sears and Montgomery Ward sold 10 pound thrust motors last century.;)

We just power hungry folks......;)

My boat glass boat does not weigh near 2,100 lbs and I have a 55# thrust. That's fine and dandy if there is no wind. If there is say a 10mph constant wind, the TM will move the boat OK, but the draw on the Battery is huge and I have to be conservative. I pulled a 30lb MG off the boat to stick the 55lb on. The 30lb was a joke in the wind. Fully charged battery kept me from going backwards too fast. If I had my Druthers, I'd druther have something in the 70lb range that would give me proper control in the wind.

I believe the above posted chart was based on no wind by some engineer that knows only numbers and never had any practical experience with what he was creating the chart about. It's like when I contracted out to repair mistakes made by the direct employees while building aircraft. The Engineer in charge would make a proper call out on how to repair the problem on paper. The repair orders would be given to me and I would review them. Then about 1 out of 5 repairs, I would have to schedule a meeting with said Engineer to discuss why his call out could not work and give him options on how he could re-write it to be functional and cost effective to the company. I did this without chastising him, but working with him. We were good for each other. He had the degree and knew how to figure the stress, I had the knowledge in the application and practicality.

I really don't think the Engineer that wrote the thrust chart took all the "what ifs" into account. Dude just crunching the numbers and collecting his check.

I promise you, if I'm in the little 8' rig and a big bad front moves in, I'm wanting to get back to whence I came from asap. Get the power!

First thing let's try to get over is power, or as normally presented on motors, thrust. We could argue all day about this one. As one guy put it, "I've never heard anyone complain about too much power." To a point this is true, but budget, weight, and physical size come in somewhere. Let's just break it out with some general guide lines. I'll say you need enough power to pull into the waves up until they break over the front of the boat. Given that, we can say 14' and under can make do with something in the under 25 lb
range, for 15' - 16' boats we'd look in the 35 lb range, for the standard 18' tournament boat, you'll want 40 lbs or a little better, and big boats need over 50 lbs of thrust, (if you can afford the 20' boat you can afford the big trolling motor.)

Quote Paul Crawford engineer and pro bass fisherman

I would not get too far from shore in that pond boat. I guess I'm chicken poop.

Borrow a tm for someone and try it first if you gonna buy this rig.

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Originally Posted by wasabi

Canepole - here is a picture. By your math I need a 7 lb. thrust trolling motor. (500 / 70 = 7). It also says my 20' superjon only needs a 30 pound thrust motor, but nobody would want that piddly size motor on that big boat. I have a 55 lb. thrust copilot and wish I had twice that.

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2028_42742925

I've had small, medium and large jonboats. Never have I regretted having the maximum thrust I could hang on it, within reason. What is funny is a guy with 3 trolling motors and 3 batteries on his boat recommended I get a smaller motor and to ask you! LOL!! The 3 motor guy thinks --> I <-- only need a small motor. I guess he doesn't want any competition to reach the good holes.

Carrying the gear is not an issue for me - if it is for some of you folks then start another thread :p

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I had a 36#MK with Maximizer on something very similar and it worked well. It wouldn't try and throw you out of the boat if you started with the motor sideways.

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Originally Posted by PanMan_VA

I had a 36#MK with Maximizer on something very similar and it worked well. It wouldn't try and throw you out of the boat if you started with the motor sideways.

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The rig looks like it has a lot of drag. My neighbors rig is pretty flimsy compared to this one. I too a dump in it. Not that kinda dump either...:rolleyes:

I wonder what the manufacturer recommends? I would be asking the manufacturer these questions. I don't trust salesmen..

I have a MK 44 that I use on my Pelican boat that is almost like that. Mine has a side mount battery and side mount livewell and the MK 44 pushes it great. Plus you can cruise around all day with out dropping the battery voltage much.

I bought a 40 lb. thrust motor (See my Motorguide Bulldog post for more info). I took it out recently for the maiden voyage. Yes, boat has more drag than I expected but is still pretty light. The 40 lb. is going to be fine but does deliver quite a jolt if I power it up in 4th or 5th gear. It is a foot pedal controlled motor.

Actually, the lowest gear is faster than I would like. Guess I'll have to drag a bucket behind me or something if I want to use it to slow troll jigs or push corks.

Get the 55, bud. Nothing is more frustrating that fighting the wind and losing!

If your motor's lowest speed is faster than you want, I'd bet you could installa reostat (ms) of some sort on it to give the the exact rpms you need.

Check the weight differences. If it is close, I'd go with the power.

aj

Get all the powwer that you can afford and make it variable speed. You cant have too much HP!

Be careful in this rig. A man drowned here over Christmas when his capsized.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wasabi

I'm getting a 8' plastic mini pontoon boat. Weighs about 130, add another 300 with my lard butt, battery, trolling motor and gear. I can mount the trolling motor on the front or back, and I'm inclined to do it up front.

The boat will be transported in the back of my truck. Gear will be removed, boat drug a short distance to the water, then the gear put in the boat. I'm OK making a couple trips for my gear and trolling motor/battery. That is how it is and I'm Ok with it.

I'm gonna fish 2 types of water. One is a small pond maybe 5 acres. I'll never need to crank it up to max thrust on this pond, instead just using lower settings to slow troll minnows or make brief adjustments to my location. The other water is a reservoir where I could conceivably need to travel a good 20+ minutes from ramp to where I want to fish. I see most of my fishing being on the pond.

I know a cheap 30 lb. thrust motor will move the boat "OK" on the pond. This would also be the lightest trolling motor and easiest to handle. My gut says get the 55 lb. thrust model though so I have the power when I need it. A friend suggested the 55 model would be 'heavier' but the extra power more than makes up for it. Any other factors I should consider? I can't decide whether to get a small, medium (like 40 lb thrust) or large (55) model.

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i have a basstracker 8ft in front i have my eletric and in back a 5hp that weighs in at 27lb!!! i only use the outboard to get from spot to spot. and it moves quick ! i have a extra outboard 225.00 shipped to your door.if your boat will handle it.

If you decide to go with the larger one, you can add a hot foot push button stop/start into the line. That way youre not always cutting the troller on and off to slow your speed, just remove your foot off the on/off button.;)