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Old 08-11-09, 03:22 PM   #1
Abbeysdad
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Default Another Trolling motor question

I have a MinnKota 50 AT 55 lb thrust bow mount trolling motor controlled by a foot switch. I'd like to [also] use it to actually troll (e.g. point in a safe direction and let her go w/o standing on it to steer), but at the higher speeds, unless a foot is on it to hold direction, the prop will spin around to the rear. I don't see a way to lock the direction.

Any ideas?
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Old 08-11-09, 03:44 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Abbeysdad View Post
I have a MinnKota 50 AT 55 lb thrust bow mount trolling motor controlled by a foot switch. I'd like to [also] use it to actually troll (e.g. point in a safe direction and let her go w/o standing on it to steer), but at the higher speeds, unless a foot is on it to hold direction, the prop will spin around to the rear. I don't see a way to lock the direction.

Any ideas?
That's called "negative feedback", Abbeysdad. That is the most stable condition for the trolling motor and boat as a whole. My question is: why would you want to troll in a direction the boat isn't pointed? Take a pencil and lay it on the table in front of you. Push on one end in a sideways direction. The whole pencil doesn't move sideways. It starts to turn to follow the direction of the force. That's what the boat wants to do. Why fight physics? Maybe I'm not understanding your question?
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Old 08-11-09, 04:00 PM   #3
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I guess I didn't explain well enough - I want to be able to troll with the trolling motor, without having to have my foot constantly on the pedal control. In a bigger lake with lots of water, it would be nice to setup the trolling motor so the boat is moving forward, then go to the rear to toss out a couple of swim baits. Perhaps even use the outboard as a rudder.

What happens is I point the trolling motor so the boat is moving forward and the motor is in the CON (continuous on setting)... If the motor is set above speed 2, if I take my foot off of the pedal, it will rotate around to the right and stop the boat! It can't maintain a direction without a foot constantly on the pedal.

I can't find a way to lock the direction so I just go straight ahead.
So, so far the trolling motor is great for wind correction and moving in close and manuvering in the shallows - but doesn't really work for true trolling (since I can't leave the front of the boat!).

I know I must be missing something, you'd think a lock on the pedal would be a no brainer.

Footnote: I see what I wrote incorrectly - the prop shaft turns 180 to the right until it stops, so the prop is actually out front driving the boat in reverse - I suspect this is due to the torque/prop direction.

Last edited by Abbeysdad; 08-11-09 at 04:08 PM.
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Old 08-11-09, 04:24 PM   #4
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Four choices:

Hand control unit and a bigfoot switch. Lock tension ring down and lock bigfoot on constant.. Cheap solution.

Use an AP model like the one I am selling. Auto Pilot.

Moto G has one that works with transducer to hold depth and direction.. like the AP but can also be used for holding depths.

Last but not least is the rear thruster by Minn K.

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Old 08-11-09, 06:23 PM   #5
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You could shove something in between the pedal and base.....er, forget I said anything stupid like that. I don't want you to end up in the obituaries.
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Old 08-11-09, 07:28 PM   #6
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if ya dont have a continuous setting most the guys here put a cinder block on the foot pedal lol
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Old 08-11-09, 07:31 PM   #7
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if ya dont have a continuous setting most the guys here put a cinder block on the foot pedal lol
Then you could use the cinder block for an anchor.
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Old 08-11-09, 08:18 PM   #8
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Lately, when I've been trolling, I've been doing it all from the drivers seat with the big motor a running at idle speed.


~Mark
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Old 08-11-09, 09:59 PM   #9
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Lately, when I've been trolling, I've been doing it all from the drivers seat with the big motor a running at idle speed.


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ROFL...I think I passed a trolling virus on to Woody or something.

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Old 08-11-09, 10:37 PM   #10
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You could shove something in between the pedal and base.....er, forget I said anything stupid like that. I don't want you to end up in the obituaries.
I realize you were kidding, but this just may be the answer - with this pedal control an appropriate block of wood would likely prevent the motor torque rotation forcing the toe down 180 turn to the right and keep it pointing forward (as if I was holding it with foot pressure).
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Old 08-12-09, 11:09 PM   #11
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Well it worked! A well placed piece of 2x4 under right side of the pedal held the forward position straight ahead on speed 5 allowing me to move around and use the big motor (turned off) as the rudder. Now I can troll with the trolling motor.

WORKED GREAT!

Thanks fer the idea Nofear!

Last edited by Abbeysdad; 08-13-09 at 08:32 AM.
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Old 08-15-09, 05:01 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbeysdad View Post
Well it worked! A well placed piece of 2x4 under right side of the pedal held the forward position straight ahead on speed 5 allowing me to move around and use the big motor (turned off) as the rudder. Now I can troll with the trolling motor.

WORKED GREAT!

Thanks fer the idea Nofear!
Try trolling flies like that, works great because you can really go slow!
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Old 08-15-09, 06:13 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbeysdad View Post
Well it worked! A well placed piece of 2x4 under right side of the pedal held the forward position straight ahead on speed 5 allowing me to move around and use the big motor (turned off) as the rudder. Now I can troll with the trolling motor.

WORKED GREAT!

Thanks fer the idea Nofear!
Wow...maybe I just talk smack from now on...I actually do better that way lol.
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Old 08-15-09, 06:37 PM   #14
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thats an engineer for ya thinks some thing simple is funny and wont work but works great. nothing agents you nofear iv just dealt with engineers a lot and they over work things i just think it's funny
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Old 08-15-09, 08:18 PM   #15
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ROFL...people misunderstand when something like that happens. It's just that we are not always looking for the easiest way to do something. More often, we are focused on limiting liability! That is why we tend to "Cadillac-up" things. I'm not getting sued when the rubber band and duct tape fails LOL.
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Old 08-19-09, 07:12 AM   #16
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Default another fix

Had the same problem on my 40lb AT. There is a cable tension adjustment screw on the front of my foot pedal, right under where the cables come out of the front of the pedal. Tightening this screw stretches the cables a little, making it harder to turn with the foot pedal (it was actually a little TOO easy before) and also keeps it in place on "continuous" setting.
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Old 08-19-09, 09:12 AM   #17
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Had the same problem on my 40lb AT. There is a cable tension adjustment screw on the front of my foot pedal, right under where the cables come out of the front of the pedal. Tightening this screw stretches the cables a little, making it harder to turn with the foot pedal (it was actually a little TOO easy before) and also keeps it in place on "continuous" setting.
hmm, I'll have a look and see if I can't tighten mine - thanks.
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Old 08-28-09, 04:36 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by granite View Post
Had the same problem on my 40lb AT. There is a cable tension adjustment screw on the front of my foot pedal, right under where the cables come out of the front of the pedal. Tightening this screw stretches the cables a little, making it harder to turn with the foot pedal (it was actually a little TOO easy before) and also keeps it in place on "continuous" setting.
GREAT CALL!
I tightened up the tension screw and that did the trick - doh
Thanks for the heads up!
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Old 09-01-09, 04:10 PM   #19
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The tension screw "under were the cables come into the foot pedal "is for taking up any "slack" you have in your foot pedal. Tighting this so your foot pedal stays straight will only wear out the top bearing cage. Minn Kota has a sleeve that they install over the inner shaft and under the outer shaft(thats the short shaft that the mid shaft bearing is in) so the 101# units won't have to much torque when ramping up to a higher speed. Part# 2267307. You must disassemble the shafts to make this work. Since the shafts on Minn Kota are made of composit materials they will bend under power. This bushing is to be installed half way in the outer tube. When you apply power to the motor it bends this shaft slightly applying pressure to the bushing making the motor more stable under higher torque conditions. I have only installed them in the 70-80# units. there may not be enough power in the smaller units 40-50# to cause the shaft to bend. But for less than twenty bucks and some mechanical work it might solve everyones problem.
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Old 09-03-09, 08:03 PM   #20
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Dave, this wasn't a ramp up issue as the torque from the motor at any speed above 3 would cause a rotation unless I held it in place. As a matter of fact, the pedal was losse enough that it was very difficult to operate in MON mode as the slightest pressure to the pedal switch changed the direction as well. Changing the tension has made all the difference and allows it to be set to and remain in a given direction w/o constant pedal pressure...and the direction is still easily changed with modest foot pressure.
I'm happy that the adjustment was the correct thing to do.
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Old 09-06-09, 07:46 AM   #21
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Abbeysdad: I am glad your foot conrol is working correctly now that you have tightened up the tension screw under the foot pedal. Please be aware that to much pressure on the cables(by tightening the adjustment to tight) will cause excessive wear to the upper bearing. I have worked on trolling motors for many years and have found this to be a problem when customers try to adjust to tight. It sounded like perhaps the cables were loose to begin with. I have been a service center for Minn Kota for 29 years and have found (easy turning) since the first dual cables were first introduced in 1984. This is just the way dual cables work, so just don't tighten to much.
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Old 09-06-09, 10:16 PM   #22
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Thanks Dave - I'd expect that too much tension would also result in stiff pedal operation which is not the case. I'd also expect to be able to set a trolling motor speed/direction and have it maintain that unless changed, not on it's own.
As I said, I'm happy that slightly increasing the tension allows forward motion w/o constant foot pressure to hold direction. I can actually use the trolling motor for trolling now (using the big motor [off] as rudder)!
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