Electric Boat Motors - What to Look For in a Trolling Motor

When people are looking for electric boat motors they are usually hunting for a boat trolling motor.

What is an electric boat trolling motor?

ELECTRIC

A trolling motor is designed to propel a boat at around five miles per hour, these are generally not primary engines like an outboard motor which are very much more powerful and are gasoline powered.

Trolling motors are normally used by anglers which is where the name comes from, i.e. trolling a fishing lure, but they are equally useful as a secondary motor for manoeuvring a larger craft at slow speeds in tight places.

Electric boat motors are available in three basic configurations, transom mounted, that is the rear of the boat, bow mounted, that is the front and engine mounted. Engine mounted electric motors are normally used where there is an existing outboard motor and the owner wants a smaller motor for fishing.

Electric boat motors are becoming more popular as the concerns regarding the environment are growing. Many lakes and rivers now have gasoline restrictions which mean that you can row your boat or sail it. Electric boat motors allow you to have some power.

What to look for in an electric boat motor.

The first consideration is where are you going to put it? If you transom is already full then a bow mounted motor is an option, if you already have an outboard then you may want to buy an engine mount as they can utilise existing control gear and look a lot neater.

The next thing to decide is how much power due you need? Trolling motors are mainly advertised on the basis of thrust, this is the force in pounds that the motor will deliver.

How much thrust you require is determined by the size of your boat. A larger craft will need more force to move it and by correctly sizing the electric boat motor you will ensure that it can do what you need it to without straining it or depleting the battery power unduly.

Most manufacturers websites or literature will give their recommendations for your particular boat but a rough rule of thumb is one pound of thrust for every forty pounds of load.

Electric Boat Motors - What to Look For in a Trolling Motor

ELECTRIC

Electric Trolling Motor Tips - Part 1 of 2

One of the most valuable pieces of equipment on any boat is an electric trolling motor. Although they can be used to troll with, their main purpose is for boat positioning, or for working structure.

electric scooter

Size

ELECTRIC

When looking to buy an electric trolling motor, there are a few things to consider. The first of which is size/power. You will want to ensure that your electric trolling motor is not undersized... oversized in this case would be better.

Keep in mind that fibreglass boats are heavier than aluminum. Thus on a typical 17' ½ foot fibreglass boat, an electric motor with 60 lbs of thrust (or more) would be ideal - but for a 17' ½ foot aluminum boat, 50 lbs of thrust (or more) would do.

Some other factors to consider when deciding on which size electric motor would be best, would be to consider the type of fishing you will be doing. If you are using your electric motor in river conditions with heavy current - or in tidal conditions or heavy wind conditions, you will want a strong electric motor in order to fight the current.

Shaft Length

Another very important feature to consider is the length of your shaft on your electric trolling motor. If your shaft length is to short, as soon as you encounter some wind and wavy conditions, your prop will be constantly bouncing in and out of the water, with each wave. (assuming your electric motor is a bow mount)

Not only is this bad for your electric motor (i.e. it is not recommended that your electric motor be operated out of eater) but you will also be loosing boat control. An electric motor with a longer shaft may be more cumbersome to lift & retrieve, but it sure does have many advantages.

How high the bow of your boat will be above water, must also be taken into account. The bow of a bass boat will sit very close to the water, so a shorter shaft size on your electric motor may be o.k. Where as a "deep V" boat, like a walleye boat, will sit higher on the water and a long shafted electric trolling motor is almost essential.

Power

If you have a choice between a 24 volt and 12 volt electric trolling motor, the edge should always go to the 24 volt model. The difference between the 2 models is that the 12 volt model will use 1 deep cycle battery, whereas the 24 volt model will use 2 deep cycle batteries.

The biggest advantage of a 24 volt electric trolling motor besides offering more power, is the simple fact that it will last at least twice as long. There's nothing more frustrating than running out of electric power half way through your day of fishing... especially if you are fishing a tournament!

Until next time, good luck and good fishing!

Electric Trolling Motor Tips - Part 1 of 2

ELECTRIC