Canoe Trolling Motor

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pwk5017

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Jan 15, 2011
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I was thinking of getting a trolling motor for my canoe this summer. Anyone have experience with this? I am a little unsure of how much thrust to go with. I need enough for me to go upstream on the yough, mon etc.(whole point of buying the motor). Would a 40-45 lb of thrust motor be enough for a 16' canoe(32" wide)? The hull is rated to 55lb thrust.

Thinking to grab one of these guys http://store.oldtowncanoe.com/category/314090/Motor_Mounts
And then get a the previously mentioned minn kota 40-45lb

Lastly, what kind of battery is needed for trolling motors?

Patrick
 
i use exact old town motor mount on my 15 ft. grumman. i also use a 28 lb. minn kota trolling motor with no problems on rivers like the allegheny, french creek and the susky. a 40 lb. motor would be fine and it would power you up through the youghs riffles, provided you arent loaded too heavy!
 
I think you'll have enough thrust. Several years ago I was using a canoe for duck hunting and put a trrolling motor on it. The handle was way up in the air and was a pain to steer. I took it to a marine shop and they cut it down to a proper length. Just thought I throw that out there, I know its a problem I've seen before with canoes.
 
Cool, great responses, guys. I figured 30lbs would be enough, but I would rather have more power than not enough, so 40 seems to be a good number. I was thinking of the Minn Kota Traxxis model. Seems like a pretty cool model, because the shaft is adjustable, and it is easily rotated out of the water with a simple locking system. Being able to lift it out of the water in a horizontal position might be a must have feature, because parts of the yough can be inches deep in the late summer.

About how many bones does a deep cycle marine battery cost and what brand would you guys recommend?

Doublelunger, which mount do you use, the gunwale or the one that runs the width of the canoe?
 
Patrick,

Wholly agree with the deep cycle marine battery, but that will depend on how long you intend to run between charges and how much loot you have to spend. I run a Optima D31M on my striper boat, but I'm pulling close to 1500 pounds around the lake all day long. That battery will cost you well over $200. I have a number of friends who power their canoes with inexpensive auto batteries. Their time on the water between charges is limited to 4-5 hours, but they can afford a better brand of beer when they get off the water.
 
I used to push a 16' coleman scanoe around the west branch of the susqy between mahaffey and karthaus to fish for bass....I had a 50lb thrust minn kota. It went upstream with no problems except with heavier flows in the spring. You definitely want to get a deep cycle marine grade battery made for trolling motors. A car battery will last ok at first but they aren't made to be drawn on that long and then recharge (you start your car with a quick burst of power and then it is quickly topped off, at least that is a basic understanding).

Spend a little money for quality equipment and realize a trolling motors limitations. I learned that they aren't meant to be run at full speed for extended periods of time. Nothing smells quite like a melted cellanoid when you remove the cover because of the yellow smoke coming out of them.

This plays into the thrust question because the larger you go the better the lower settings will push you around.
 
How does this work with adding a motor to a non-powered craft such as kayak or canoe? Does the boat need to be registered as a "powered watercraft" then?
 
"Yer derrrrn tootin' it does." -Yosemite Sam
 
also think about a small solar panel to help the charge while you are out on the water. I have 2 16" x 6" on my van roof to keep a trickle charge on the battery...
 
I am so confused on what pound thrust to get. I called Minn Kota and they couldnt give a direct answer to save their soul. Will the 45 be enough for 320-375lbs of people and the canoe going upstream 2-4 miles? Should I just get the 55?

$200 for a battery, are you freaking kidding me?!?! I thought $65 was pricy...
 
you can pick up a marine battery at walmart for alot less. it doesnt need to be optima. (they are great though)

the only adivce i can give is this. I have a 12 foot jon boat that I use on the juniata river. I use a really old 36 lb thrust minn kota while fishing and rarely can not make it upriver. (when fishing its myself(165 lb) and my bassn buddy (225) and about 100 pounds of gear).

I would think a canoe with a 40-50 pound thrust would get you just about through anything. also the point on the canoe would help (my flat bottom jon doesnt slice the current that well haha

I reccomend the shortest shaft you can get if its strictly for a canoe. and also what was said above about getting something larger. a 50 pound thrust at max speed might be total overkill but it will save the motor because you can run it on lower settings
 
Ok, just received a pretty good explanation from a minn kota guy i emailed. Think of it this way, all the motors have the same hp, but they obviously have different torque ratings. He said no matter what, you are not going to get a minn kota trolling motor to run more than 4-5mph. However, each 2 lbs of thrust is capable of moving 100 pounds of weight. Basically, there is no advantage to getting a higher thrust model if you dont require the extra torque for towing gear, because they all have the same top speed(HP). I hope this helps clarify things for any future trolling motor purchases.
 
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