Bear Creek Reservoir Fishing: Trolling Motor Questions

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	Name:	GoneFishin -
	Subject:	Trolling Motor Questions
	Date:	7/6/2006 5:37:55 PM

Boy Mav, you asked a lot of questions for a Know It All ! I have been doing some research on a Minn Kota for our pontoon so I have sought answers to similar questions as you are asking. The following site from Minn Kota is a big help:

http://www.minnkotamotors.com/support/faq.asp?pg=general

The amount of thrust is determined by the total weight of boat, motor, gear, and passengers. I would assume with a 16ft boat that 55 lbs would be more than sufficient. You do need a seperate Deep Cycle battery for the motor so you don't run out of power and the 40hp won't start. Above 55 lbs thrust you need 24 volt or 2 batteries dedicated to the trolling motor. See chart below and try to estimate the total weight.

Unless you have a fish finder (sonar) you do not need the sonar as part of the motor. It is nice with it built in if you have a newer sonar that is compatible. The auto is nice if you plan to troll. The remote is real nice as it enables you to steer from your hand and any part of the boat. It can get tiresome using the foot pedal for an extended period of time.

I had a problem determining the shaft length/. The advertised length is just that---the shaft. It is not the full length of the motor. Rather, the exposed shaft and a small part in the bottom and top. The overall lenght is about 10-12 inches longer than the shaft. A longer shaft gives you more in the water for rough weather. You cannot shorten a motor only adjust the amount of shaft in and out of water.

How much thrust does MAV need?

In general you want to have as much thrust as possible for the times when you run into wind and current. The rule of thumb in choosing thrust is to take the total weight of the loaded boat and divide it by 70. For example, if your boat with people and gear weighs a total of 3500 lbs you will then divide that by 70. That means that ideally you should have a motor with at least 50 lbs. of thrust.

Motor Thrust Total Weight
30 lbs 2100 lbs
36 lbs 2520 lbs
40 lbs 2800 lbs
42 lbs 2940 lbs
44 lbs 3080 lbs
48 lbs 3360 lbs
50 lbs 3500 lbs
55 lbs 3850 lbs
65 lbs 4550 lbs
74 lbs 5180 lbs
101 lbs 7070 lbs

What length of shaft DOES MAV NEED?

For a bow mounted motor you take the length from the top of the bow (where the motor would be mounted) to the waterline when the boat is loaded. You then add 20 inches to that number and then round up to the next longest shaft if you have to. So, if the distance from the bow to the water is 15 inches then you will add 20 inches to that. You come up with 35 inches but find that there is no motor for the brand you want with a 35 inch shaft. Therefore, all you have to do is round up to the 36 inch shaft.

Bow to Waterline Shaft Length
0-10 inches 30 inches
11-16 inches 36 inches
17-22 inches 42 inches
23-30 inches 50 inches
31-34 inches 54 inches

The bottom line is if you are just putzing around, a hand controlled motor without any bells and whistles will suffice. Post any other questions or email me.

Rich

Other messages in this thread:

View Entire Thread

Trolling Motor Questions - Maverick - 7/6/2006 2:57:28 PM

Trolling Motor Questions - GoneFishin - 7/6/2006 5:37:55 PM

Trolling Motor Questions - Feb - 7/6/2006 6:29:53 PM

Trolling Motor Questions - Maverick - 7/6/2006 8:19:00 PM

Trolling Motor Questions - Lakeman - 7/6/2006 9:52:55 PM

Thanks for the Feedback - Maverick - 7/8/2006 1:12:12 AM

Thanks for the Feedback - MotorMan - 7/31/2006 1:31:50 PM

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