Trolling motor depth question.

[cptmarvel]

How far below the (anticipated) water line should the motor head be? Say ya got a fat guy in front and back. 17 ft alumeeum Jon boat. 50 hp weight. Plus 2 6 gal tanks and 2 batteries. 20 inch transom has permanent discoloration up to 8 inch, bow dis colored from bottom to 5 inch up. I put that in so you get an idea of the debth the hull rides usually.

 

[BWR1953]

I usually have mine about a foot below the surface but will raise it if I get into shallower water.

 

[Grub54891]

Open ended question, I usually have it below the hull bottom, depending on the style of boat. If it's to high, it may restrict the water flow. Now when getting in the shallows, I raise it up so it won't hit bottom. Others may have a different opinion, but that's my process.

 

[cptmarvel]

It's a big arsed 42 in shaft that I need to cut. Old one is 32. I'm fingering that if I loosen the collars and raise the head about 3 in, then measure and cut from there, it'll give me room to compensate for a screw up.

 

[Silvertip]

Most troller manufacturers say to measure from the mounting surface where the troller mounts to the water line, and add one foot. Keep the shaft long enough so you can adjust it a bit for choppy water or loading.

 

[cptmarvel]

Cool. Thanks