Need trolling motor advice

[Dshow28]

I'm buying a new bow mount trolling motor for the boat. My boat is 16' with a 12 volt battery. I'm not an expert on trolling motors so any advice would be helpfull. Thanks, Derek

[lowrider]

glass or aluminum is the 1st question.

[Dshow28]

it's glass.

[Captmikestarrett]

Do you want to stand up front and run the motor with you hand or foot?
Will you be sitting often?

Capt Mike

[lowrider]

as big as you can go and stay 12v would be my opinion. motorguide has a 54lb.
my 19' alum has a mg 43lb and it could be stronger for dealing with the wind

[Dshow28]

Cptmike I will be standing alot but I don't want to rule out sitting. I definitely want a foot control.

[bamabassman]

now, how big is your wallet? i am gonna be trading my troller for a bigger one. have a 56# now. gonna get me an 80 pounder next. in my opion you can NOT get one too big. i have a 20 foot glass and when i get out in a hard wind (30 plus mph) 56 ain't enough to keep me where i want.

oh yea, from experience here. DO NOT GET WALLY WORLD BATTERIES! have 2 now and will also be getting jells. they last longer. thanks gang ya'll taught me that.

[Dshow28]

I've been told that 55# is the biggest I can go with the 12 volt battery. I'm looking to spend around $500

[lowrider]

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageMGTM-MGFC.html

here ya go. mg 54 lb $495

[bamabassman]

i am sure that you can re-rig your boat to take on a 24 volt with very few bucks. it would be truly worth it. you'll get to fish a lot longer ifn you do.

[Dshow28]

I'll have to discuss that with my brothers. BTW happy B-day Bama.

[bamabassman]

thanks pal. check into it. it shouldn't be hard to do. just a little more wiring,lmao.

[lowrider]

if you notice on the link i put up you can get a 24v 71lb for $100 more. it would be worth it for sure

[Jackl]

DSHOW,
It does not take much to convert to 24 volt if you are buying a new TM anyhow. Just find a place to mount the 2nd battery and hook the batteries in a series, using the wiring you now have installed in your boat.
Just hook the positive post to your positive wire running to your TM on one battery. Hook your negative post running to your TM to the other battery, and run a wire from the positive post of batt #2 to the Negative post of batt #1. this will give you 24 volts at the TM.
JackL

[66KingFisher]

We just put a Minkota 50 on our 14' fiberglass boat.....i'm glad we went bigger than we thought we needed.....theres alot of truth in "getting the biggest you can afford" statement.

[Captmikestarrett]

Ok get a hand operated big as you can go motor. Then spend a few bucks on two items. A bigfoot handle and a bigfoot switch. Tighten the lock so you use your knee to steer and the mount the button switch on the floor close enough that you can push or lock it down.

It will save you 200 bucks with this rig.






the switch is 8.99 from ebay and the extension is 25.00 from Craigslist.

Capt Mike

[Stinkies Daddy]

Originally Posted by lowrider

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageMGTM-MGFC.html

here ya go. mg 54 lb $495

this would be my choice

[Rebbasser]

Dshow, I'd recommend going to a 24V system. You will burn less battery and if you fish in the wind-here in Texas that is pretty much ALL the time-you may need the additional power. If you stay with a 12V I would highly recommend getting a second battery you can switch as the as the 1st runs down. Before I went to 24V on my 17-6 glass boat the spare battery came in real handy. Haven't had a problem since I went to 24.

[zooker]

i own a 16 foot stratos glass boat.. i use a 5200 pro series moter guide 12 volt trollin moter.. i replaced the stock 46 pounder with it.

i have no problems fishing 8-10 hour tourny's with it..

i use a blue top optima to power my troller..


zooker

[Dshow28]

My brother is looking at the Minn Kotas. I'm leaning Motor Guide, so we need to get that worked out.

[jasonfish320]

46lb worked great for my old 17foot tracker and it was glass, I would say anywhere from 46-50lbs would work well..I think the batteries you use are just as important...get some optima's or Trojan batteries..they hold a charge a lot better than your average marine battery

[Tall]

You know you could go with a Min Kota 101. 36 volts if you have room for three batteries, and you might not need a big motor. Just kidding, mine pulls my 20' Ranger boat at over 5 MPH. It is nice in the AR river current.

On a serious note. I just went through this with my 17 alum boat, did I want to stay 12 or go 24. Well I went 24 and I am glad and you will be to if you fish all day long on windy days and or in current. Will you be Bass fishing and move consistantly using your troll motor. The 24 will give you a piece of mind on a long day on the water hard fishing.

I have the Min kota on my ranger and a motor guide on my 17 monark, both nice motors with dials on the foot control to excatly set the speed you want.

For batteries some say Delco Voygers are some of the best. I fished all night three nights this summer using the trolling motor many hours those night and they were still going strong at 8 to 10 am when we left.

Good luck on your choice.

Just my two cents worth.

[Dshow28]

Well folks, we ended up going with the Motorguide 54# 360 gater flex mount. After two trips out with it, it seems real nice. Any one else have any experience with this one