I am about to buy an 14' Alumacraft (1436LT-135lbs). It's rated for a 15HP outboard, so I plan on buying a 15HP outboard motor, a 40-46lb thrust foot controlled trolling motor, a fish finder, and a trailer. I will spend most of my fishing time fishing for bass on small lakes (once or twice a week) and sometimes on larger lakes (probably once every month or two). I don't know the size of the lakes but I live in middle Georgia if that helps. Also, on the smaller lakes I can kayak from one end to the other in about 45-60 minutes. The larger lakes are probably 6-8 times bigger.<br />My questions are:<br />1. If the transom height on the boat is 15", do I need an outboard with a 15" shaft or a 20" shaft?<br />2. I plan on using wood to build-up/raise the front portion of the boat for a casting platform (3-4 feet from the bow) so some additional weight will be added there. Does that matter for shaft size?<br />3. Since there are a lot fish finders on the market, what would be a good one to get for $150 or less?<br />4. Is the trolling motor I plan on getting too powerful?<br />5. I've heard a lot of good things about Optima deep cycle batteries. Is that a good one to get?<br />I really appreciate any information you guys can give me.
