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bow mounted electric trolling motor
Hi
Need help with a buying decision for a 14ft aluminum starcraft. Need a bow-mounted electric trolling motor (12V). Looking at Minn kota. Foot control or hand op? Any ideas would be great Thanks Phil |
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bow mounted electric trolling motor
I'm not familiar with this boat. If it has no casting platform, definitely a
hand operated model. If its got a casting platform, then you're absolutely correct- you must make a choice. There's pros and cons for both. I hate having my leg hiked up by a high foot pedal. When I get the next boat I will have either a recessed pedal or one of them "fancy" remote kind with the "flat" controls. Or, I might opt for the hand operated and sink the extra bucks saved into better electronics. Or, I might have my registration numbers painted on, instead of wally-world stick ons. Or, I might buy enough rods to fill both lockers. Or, ......... Aagh!!!! Enough of this madness! I'm gettin it all when time comes for the new boat -- Shelby Foles, |
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bow mounted electric trolling motor
Hi Phil,
I would buy the largest/strongest size 12 volt which is 55# of thrust. If you can build a flat front deck between your middle seat and front, then you will have a place to stand or sit on a pedestal seat. You can usually put the large 12 volt deep cycle battery under this deck to get it forward and out of the way. Most bass fishers use foot control but if you can't make that work, a reversed tiller steer should work. I was recently on the east central coast of Florida and noticed they use hand controlled bow mounted motors on their bay boats around the "Space Coast" area. Around my area, northern California, we fly fish from small/medium size boats for stripers in flat, slow rivers, the Sacramento Delta and reservoirs. We prefer the Minn Kota "Auto Pilot" model. -- Bill Kiene Kiene's Fly Shop Sacramento, CA www.kiene.com "phil caruso" wrote in message ... Hi Need help with a buying decision for a 14ft aluminum starcraft. Need a bow-mounted electric trolling motor (12V). Looking at Minn kota. Foot control or hand op? Any ideas would be great Thanks Phil |
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bow mounted electric trolling motor
Phil wrote:
Need a bow-mounted electric trolling motor (12V). Looking at Minn kota. Foot control or hand op? Any ideas would be great If it's me, I put on a 55 lb thrust Minnkota Power Drive with the wireless CoPilot option. The short bowmount of the powerdrive series motors makes them a favorite for mounting on 'non-bassboat' hulls. I always hated these motors though, until I added the copilot to mine. Now, I'd never go back to a foot control again. The copilot remote makes the motor function like a hand control that you never have to reach for. If everything I owned did its job as well as that Minnkota motor with the copilot, I'd be a very happ7y man. RichZ© www.richz.com/fishing |
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bow mounted electric trolling motor
"RichZ" wrote in message ... Phil wrote: Need a bow-mounted electric trolling motor (12V). Looking at Minn kota. Foot control or hand op? Any ideas would be great If it's me, I put on a 55 lb thrust Minnkota Power Drive with the wireless CoPilot option. The short bowmount of the powerdrive series motors makes them a favorite for mounting on 'non-bassboat' hulls. I always hated these motors though, until I added the copilot to mine. Now, I'd never go back to a foot control again. The copilot remote makes the motor function like a hand control that you never have to reach for. If everything I owned did its job as well as that Minnkota motor with the copilot, I'd be a very happ7y man. RichZ© www.richz.com/fishing I run a MK 65 AP. Love the autopilot feature. When running a long rockwall I can just set the direction and run with the AP. If not running long areas, just run as a powerdrive. My older MK cable drive was a pain as I always had to be on the pedal. If not, the motor went to the side. Gave me leg and back pains. The electric drive stays where you set it. Have though of getting the copilot. Suny's Electric in Sacramento makes a hand control that is cable connected. Bill Bill |
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bow mounted electric trolling motor and much more :<}
On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 09:46:58 -0400, phil caruso
sent into the ether: Hi Need help with a buying decision for a 14ft aluminum starcraft. Need a bow-mounted electric trolling motor (12V). Looking at Minn kota. Foot control or hand op? Any ideas would be great Thanks Phil Phil, I have a 14" alum Crestliner. It was a 4 seater and when I got it the 4th seat was gone. I removed the small bow cap and installed a piece of plywood and covered it with a sheet of 0.40 alum, glued on top and 1/16" alum angle for the edging. I screwed this directly into the top of the gunnal(sp). I mounted my Minn trolling motor onto this with a Minn slide mount. I have the wired electronic foot pedal, at the moment on a 765MXT and can operate from the back or front of the boat. I can operate for several days of light to medium use without a charge if necessary. The 765 id a 35 or 40# thrust, I can't remember which. Get the Minnkota brand, they are the best!! A 50# thrust would move you along very well indeed. Under the bow platform I used the brackets from the 4th seat to mount a another piece of plywood for the battery mount. I usually fish alone and having the battery under this platform works well. I installed a small carpet covered plywood floor between the first front seat and this platform. It is lower than the bench seat, so sitting on the seat I have on the bench is comfortable and you can stand up, without feeling like you are getting too tippy or sit down. After this first bench seat and running to the next bench I installed a piece of carpet covered plywood and installed a home made live well under it. I bedded the live well, actually a 15 gallon Rubbermaid storage container, in Silicone sealant to prevent it rubbing on the alum and wearing through the hull. I then installed a lowered carpet covered plywood floor between the 2nd bench and the drivers bench. On the drivers bench I mounted a 5 or 6" tall box and mounted the seat on it. It helps me to see over the person in the front seat when I am driving. I also offset this seat so I could operate the tiller comfortably. This is offset by the gas tank on the other side. Now, for some caveats on installation. Use as light a plywood and you can to keep weight down. I used 3/8 for the floors and mid deck with 2x2" stringers to re-enforce it. Looking back, I would run the plywood for the center section over the top of the benches and use alum angle for strength. I would also fiberglass resin all plywood to waterproof it. Spend the money on a good, large live well. The 15 gallon I used is too small, if I fish an all species tourney, I have to let large Northerns go :{ Get the largest pump you can for the livewell feed and don't forget to install an overflow outlet above the waterline of the hull. If your boat is old, like mine, you might have trouble with leaking rivets. When I redo my boat, I will epoxy all rivets under the seats and any other installations. You might also want to back the bare boat into the water while still attached to the trailer. This will allow you to see any leaks and epoxy them. Use a wire wheel and non-residue solvent to clean alum before epoxy application. ALWAYS pad any surface that comes in contact with the alum hull. Plywood and other surfaces will rub through the alum. I made my floors to lift out easily for cleaning and maintenance. Don't forget to tightly secure the battery to its platform. I use cheap carpet samples under the gas tank and anchors that sit in the area between the last seat and the transom. It helps sound proof and protect the alum hull. I hope this helps, feel free to e-mail me for any other questions or suggestions. danl Good fishing, great catching www.outdoorfrontiers.com Remove left x for direct reply |
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