What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

[The Wright Stuff]

I just bought my first boat. The boat is a 1973 16' fiberglass with a 50 HP Mercury outboard.<br /><br />I need to get a trolling motor. <br /><br />I live right by a lake that is TROLLING MOTOR ONLY. You cant even start up your OB. SO I would need something strong enough to pull me all over this small lake from start to finish. Ive looked around and see that you can get a 40lbs thrust Foot control Minkota for about $300. Is this powerful enough? Or is it more than I need? I dont have the budget to overspend on more power than I need. <br /><br />Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[skeeterboy]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

how big is the lake i have a 16' skeeter with a 50hp and i have right now is the original minn kota 28lb and it does great, till you have to put it on high all day if you are dealing with wind. I also run it on about an 80 acre TM only lake that i can fish for 8 hours with no problem. 40lb should be plaenty for what you are doinng, just get a quality battery and keep it charged. Look into the minn kota legend i think it is that is 46lbs for 329, pretty good price. Good luck, im looking to buying a new TM too. Let me know what you end up getting.

 

[The Wright Stuff]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

The lake Id be using it on is a little over 90 acres. Id be using it to get around the lake and to troll. Ill probably be getting the TM in the next week. Im anxious to get out there. Ill let you know which I get and how it goes. Thanks for the reply.

 

[cwilt]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

TWS<br /><br />i have a 40 minnkota on my 16 ft nitro. the motor runs great for about 4 hours, with a fully charged battery. but lacks power or speed. i would get the 50 lb'er. <br /><br />chris

 

[LubeDude]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Ive got a 45# on my 18' Bass Boat, could use more. Its not the motor as much as the Battery or Batteries you use, bigger is better, and if you have a bigger motor, you dont have to run it wide open all the time, so your batteries will last longer.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Originally posted by cwilt:<br /> TWS<br /><br />i have a 40 minnkota on my 16 ft nitro. the motor runs great for about 4 hours, with a fully charged battery. but lacks power or speed. i would get the 50 lb'er. <br /><br />chris

If thats all the longer you can stay out, its time for a new or bigger Battery, or hook two together.

 

[b.gagnon]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

I have a 12' fiberglass boat that when fully loaded with two guys probably weighs about 800-1000lbs(guess).<br />I had an old 23lb thrust motor that seemed to push it faster than my new Min Kota pd40.<br />Now with that said, the Min Kota pd40 has way more power and lasts 3x longer on a charge. I first thought that the 40 would be overkill for that boat but after using it I feel it is just right, and it's nice when I am on electric only water and need to shoot to the other side. My point being is that a 40 is too small for your boat on a 90 acre lake where you can't use your main motor. If it is windy out you will end up running on full speed all day and significantly reduce your run time. My friend has a 17' Tracker with a 70hp motor and a 55lb Thrust trolling motor and it works well, so I would guess that you should be in that range somewhere.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

If you are looking at MinnKota's, you should select a model that has the Maximizer feature. Greatly prolongs battery life. PowerDrives are nice motors.

 

[The Wright Stuff]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Alright, from the sounds of it I need to be getting a 50lb thrust or greater TM. Im not set on the Minn Kota, thats the the only ones Ive really seen so far. Wind will be a factor as this lake almost always seems to be windy on the water. Im going to have to look around and price TM's that are 50lb or greater. Ill let yall know what I find. Thanks for the help.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Just this past weekend i installed a 40Lbs thrust Minn Kota on a 15FT bass boat, it replaced a 28Lbs motorguide, the Motorguide was old and tired, it really struggled on windy days, i Have not tried out the Minn Kota as yet,i'm hoping to do so this coming weekend, i will let you know how it does.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Originally posted by b.gagnon:<br /> <br />I had an old 23lb thrust motor that seemed to push it faster than my new Min Kota pd40.<br />

Do you have a two or a three blade prop?

 

[The Wright Stuff]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Another Trolling Motor Question. Since it looks like Im going to need a larger size TM, price becomes an issue. So if I get a 50 lb thrust or more I may go with one of the hand control models instead of the foot control. I know there is a convenience in having the controls at your feet, but just how MUCH better is it? Is it worth the extra $100-$200 to have the foot control? I ask because I see that a 50lb thrust hand control Minn Kota is $190, while a 40lb thrust foot control Minn kota is $300. So its 10lbs less powerful and still $110 more just for the foot control. Any input is appreciated. Thanks

 

[gonefishie]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

If you're gonna be bass fishing, you will want a foot control! Spend as much money as you can because I hate my 40lbs Minkota bought last year. I'm upgrading to 2 batteries right now and thinking on spending major bucks for like a 72lbs TM. If you're planning on fishing bigger lakes, you will needs bigger motor or lots of battery power for windy days and it always seem to be windy. Also, the type of fishing you're doing will dictates your needs for TM, lot of moving around or sitting still watching bobbers. If you're primarily fish the 90 acres lake, I think a 40lbs and 2 batteries wired in parallel will be plenty. On another note, I'll sell you my TM for much less than 300 bucks. I'ts a Minkota All Terrain, practically brand new.

 

[The Wright Stuff]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Yeah it will be used almost exclusively on the 90 acre lake with maybe a trip every few months to a very large lake thats close to me(but Ill be able to use the OB then), as for the offer of the TM, Id think about it but Im sure the cost of shipping it would be cost prohibitive. If you dont think it would be, shoot me an email with the specifics on it. Thanks<br />Hillbillywrights AT Aol.com

 

[Silvertip]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

The hand control models (less expensive versions) do not have the maximizer feature either.

 

[papakevin]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Wright Stuff - I had an older fiberglass Cajun bass boat, and I installed a 40+ Lb motorguide on it and was very happy. I would not go any less than 40 lb, because those older boats are very heavy and take a while to get going on a lake. <br /><br />Skeeter boy - It sounds like you may have a similiar sized Skeeter boat. I just purchased a 1991 16' SD-80 with the original (I'm guessing) Motorguidge 28 Lb thrust trolling motor, and it's gotta go. It still works fine, but it's gotta go... the skeeter is too heavy for only a 28 lb trolling motor.<br /><br />(Anyone living in the Southern Indiana area in need of an older Motorguide 28 email me at papakevin@gmail.com and I'll make you a good deal on my old trolling motor ;-)<br /><br />I've seen a 40 Lb. foot controlled trolling motors at Walmart for $289 for a Minnkota, or $279 for a 40 lb. Bill Dance Motorguide. Does anyone know of a retail store where I can get a 40+ lb trolling motor for a good price? Is a Minnkota or a Motorguide better? Any help is appreciated.

 

[papakevin]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

I just found this from the trolling motor information page. It's amazing what you can find when you do a little reading... I hope this helps out.<br /><br />How much thrust do I need? <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Motor Thrust Total Weight <br />30 lbs 2100 lbs <br />36 lbs 2520 lbs <br />40 lbs 2800 lbs <br />42 lbs 2940 lbs <br />44 lbs 3080 lbs <br />48 lbs 3360 lbs <br />50 lbs 3500 lbs <br />55 lbs 3850 lbs <br />65 lbs 4550 lbs <br />74 lbs 5180 lbs <br />101 lbs 7070 lbs

 

[The Wright Stuff]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Now if only I could get my boat on the bathroom scale... j/k<br /><br />Im not sure how much my boat weighs as I have no idea what kind of boat it is. The only thing I know is its a 1973 15'2" fiberglass tri-hull. (and Im not positive about that year)<br /><br />Ive tried doing research on the boat by looking at picutres but with no luck. theres no identifying marks on it and the Id# apparently isnt original. <br /><br />But I am going to look around and see if I can find a good deal on a 50lb TM. If not then I will probably pick up one of those 40lb foot control Minkota's that Walmart has for a little under 300.

 

[Homerr]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Stop by one of those truck scales the next time you take your boat out. It's the quickest and easiest way to weight it!<br /><br />I'm in the market for a trolling motor too, and I think I've decided on the Minn Kota 55PD w/electric steering.<br />I should probably get a bigger one, but then I would have to run it on 24 volts.... And that's something I don't want to do.<br /><br />I have 2 batteries in the boat, however I keep one for trolling and the other for engine start.<br />I don't have the room or desire to pack 3 batteries.<br /><br /><br />H.

 

[jimg6965]

Re: What size of Trolling Motor is best for me?

Wright Stuff - I had an older fiberglass Cajun bass boat, and I installed a 40+ Lb motorguide on it and was very happy. I would not go any less than 40 lb, because those older boats are very heavy and take a while to get going on a lake. <br /><br />Skeeter boy - It sounds like you may have a similiar sized Skeeter boat. I just purchased a 1991 16' SD-80 with the original (I'm guessing) Motorguidge 28 Lb thrust trolling motor, and it's gotta go. It still works fine, but it's gotta go... the skeeter is too heavy for only a 28 lb trolling motor.<br /><br />(Anyone living in the Southern Indiana area in need of an older Motorguide 28 email me at papakevin@gmail.com and I'll make you a good deal on my old trolling motor ;-)<br /><br />I've seen a 40 Lb. foot controlled trolling motors at Walmart for $289 for a Minnkota, or $279 for a 40 lb. Bill Dance Motorguide. Does anyone know of a retail store where I can get a 40+ lb trolling motor for a good price? Is a Minnkota or a Motorguide better? Any help is appreciated.

hi papakevin i just got a 40lb v2 2009 from cabelas with the 18' foot control and a 20.00 gift card for minkota with free shipping for 380.00 on sale this week but they also sell reconditiond w/1 yr. warrenty for cheaper take a look i did do alot of research and this was the cheapest also it has the maximizer and i picked up 2 deep cycles interstate for 90.00 each hope this helps