Trolling motor?

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Chubs
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Trolling motor?

Post by Chubs »

Just curious for those that have trolling motors; if I could add one to a new kayak for $200, is it worth it?

I'm eyeing a Sea Eagle Fast Track fishing kayak. They have a package with trolling motor and it's just $200 more to add it. Seems like a good deal but curious on yalls take. They rate it for about 2 -3 hours continuous operation. if I assume 3 MPH though that only carts me around 6 - 9 miles. Not great but of course my arms still work perfectly fine. I suppose I'd just have to view the trolling motor as something to give my arms a break.
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kickingback
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Re: Trolling motor?

Post by kickingback »

Battery come with it? The lightest battery to use is lithium but is very expensive. A 50Ah lithium runs about $500. An AGM 50 Ah battery weighs lots more and is $80.
If it's just the trolling motor for $200 then it is too much. You can get a 30 lb TM from Bass Pro for $100. Add the 100 AH battery and you have $250 total. Then you have to make a mount. Lots of YouTube videos on it.
I use a 100 Ah battery that weighs 75 lbs and costs $140 and I can go for 12 hours straight!
Good luck.
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Chubs
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Re: Trolling motor?

Post by Chubs »

kickingback wrote:Battery come with it? The lightest battery to use is lithium but is very expensive. A 50Ah lithium runs about $500. An AGM 50 Ah battery weighs lots more and is $80.
If it's just the trolling motor for $200 then it is too much. You can get a 30 lb TM from Bass Pro for $100. Add the 100 AH battery and you have $250 total. Then you have to make a mount. Lots of YouTube videos on it.
I use a 100 Ah battery that weighs 75 lbs and costs $140 and I can go for 12 hours straight!
Good luck.
Battery not included - but that is the cost for the TM + the mount actually. It's a very simple system on the sea eagles it looks like - it's basically a specialty piece of aluminum that lays onto of the pontoons and straps into place.
Capacity of the kayak is 450 lbs which is crazy but I guess due to those same air filled pontoons. Anyway, even that monster 75lb battery you mention would probably work fine cause even though my name is Chubs, I'm not that fat :lol: .

-Edit-

Here is what the extra $200 gets you:
https://www.seaeagle.com/Accessories/el ... saltwater-
https://www.seaeagle.com/Accessories/mo ... k-explorer
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Ron Mc
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Re: Trolling motor?

Post by Ron Mc »

so many of the "kayaks" I see today look like they ought to have a trolling motor - it looks like most of them now are being built for it.
It's not what I call kayaking, but today's fishing-specific boats are so far away from a fast, sleek touring kayak, plus they're already carrying an extra 50 lbs dry, so might as well have a motor to move them.
Of course motor means state registration.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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I had a kayak with trolling motor (similar setup to kickingback's, I assume -- 100Ah battery, etc) -- it is very nice to have it on lager kayak. Means:
- two more pieces you can't forget at home (or your outing will suck)
- moving around heavy ass chunk of lead (battery) that weights as much as kayak itself (gotta put it on charger every trip)
- forget about dragging your kayak over mud -- it weighs as an elephant now
- ... but who cares -- motor pushes you around all day and you have both hands free to cast all this time :-), assuming you install some sort of foot steering system
- gotta figure out where to keep this huge battery -- you don't want to put it in the back of the kayak (too heavy), meaning more wires, connections and holes in kayak where water could get into
- aforementioned steering system means more holes leading into kayak ---> more saltwater gets inside, corroding your stuff (including fishfinder stuff)
- gotta place control knob somewhere (more holes, wires and one more thing that eventually will die on you)
- another thing that would be nice to have is ability to raise motor without getting out of kayak) -- for example, you'll find it useful when getting back through the surf or navigating very shallow water (yeah, more holes... cables that rust, etc)
- salt water constantly working against you, corroding contacts, getting into wires, motor, etc -- be prepared to replace wires. contacts and motor every 1-2 years depending on use (it could really suck to replace some components considering that kayak has very hard to reach spots inside). Also, those $100 minnkota motors don't like two things -- braid and salt.

It sure is nice to have it running, it sucks maintaining it and dealing with extra burden. That is why I eventually got rid of it once I figured out how and where I prefer to fish. Now I never get any water inside of my kayak, maintenance is 0, but have to paddle... a lot... on the bright side my yak is almost 3 times lighter now :mrgreen:
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Crusader wrote:I had a kayak with trolling motor (similar setup to kickingback's, I assume -- 100Ah battery, etc) -- it is very nice to have it on lager kayak. Means:
- two more pieces you can't forget at home (or your outing will suck)
- moving around heavy ass chunk of lead (battery) that weights as much as kayak itself (gotta put it on charger every trip)
- forget about dragging your kayak over mud -- it weighs as an elephant now
- ... but who cares -- motor pushes you around all day and you have both hands free to cast all this time :-), assuming you install some sort of foot steering system
- gotta figure out where to keep this huge battery -- you don't want to put it in the back of the kayak (too heavy), meaning more wires, connections and holes in kayak where water could get into
- aforementioned steering system means more holes leading into kayak ---> more saltwater gets inside, corroding your stuff (including fishfinder stuff)
- gotta place control knob somewhere (more holes, wires and one more thing that eventually will die on you)
- another thing that would be nice to have is ability to raise motor without getting out of kayak) -- for example, you'll find it useful when getting back through the surf or navigating very shallow water (yeah, more holes... cables that rust, etc)
- salt water constantly working against you, corroding contacts, getting into wires, motor, etc -- be prepared to replace wires. contacts and motor every 1-2 years depending on use (it could really suck to replace some components considering that kayak has very hard to reach spots inside). Also, those $100 minnkota motors don't like two things -- braid and salt.

It sure is nice to have it running, it sucks maintaining it and dealing with extra burden. That is why I eventually got rid of it once I figured out how and where I prefer to fish. Now I never get any water inside of my kayak, maintenance is 0, but have to paddle... a lot... on the bright side my yak is almost 3 times lighter now :mrgreen:
thanks, that was entertaining
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Oh, few more notes:
- battery won't fit upright -- you'll have to lay it on a side, which is not very good for battery (at least one battery plate will be out of acid affecting it negatively and as acid evaporates with time -- it will get worse affecting battery lifetime and capacity). You also carry about half of battery weigh without actually using it -- because you discharging lead-acid battery below 40-50% leads to it's quick demise. Don't forget to buy SLA battery. On my first "motorized" outing I took "normal" car battery, had to lay on the side, was surprised to find my hatch half-full of water with strange smell... so I took battery out, got that water all over my hands, tasted it -- strange... Isn't saltwater supposed to be salty? Why it is sour? Oh, crap... THIS IS ACID!!! Gotta rinse my hands asap! :monkey: So, if about 6 years ago in the Anahuac pocket area you saw a dude rinsing his mouth with bay water -- that was me. :mrgreen:
- you probably want to install some sort of volt-meter that will warn you about charge going low -- another point of failure that will eventually get eaten by saltwater
- spot where motor connects to your boat electrical system -- corrosion in the presence of electrical current eats anything, including aluminum. I have no idea how to set it up in such way as to prevent saltwater from reaching it
- registration -- minor, but regular pain-in-the-ass
- having to carry registration numbers -- another PITA to keep these attached. Turns out it is next to impossible to glue anything to polyethylene :-)

Basically, at some point I've realized that I should either upgrade to a "john boat" class or go back to basics. Considering that I was already hooked on stalking reds in shallow marshes (and few other john boat cons) -- I chose "basics".

But having this experience was still pretty good -- you should give it a try, especially if you are handy. Might end up being your cup of tea.
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Re: Trolling motor?

Post by kickingback »

Well said Crusader!

A kayak sold as a "kayak" is still a kayak in my opinion.

Does adding an electric stake out pole or electronic sonar take the "kayak" label away as well since a "true kayak" is paddle only? I wonder? Maybe it's subjective.
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Re: Trolling motor?

Post by TexasJim »

I was amused reading Crusader's posts. I built a mount for my kayak and put a 40# TM on my yak, side-saddle. Bought a 35 A/H battery, only about 20 lbs. Tried it, didn't like it. A friend has a similar rig and loves it. To each his own. TexasJim
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Thanks good info Crusader.

I'm not really considering it for my hard shell kayak which I'm not planning to get rid of just yet. The rudder I installed really alleviates almost all of my issues with it.

My secondary kayak though - for taking RVing and Work Trip related kayak - planning on that inflatable sea eagle for packability - has that simple trolling motor option pre rigged - I figure "why not try and see" $200 doesn't seem like a huge investment especially if it opens up more water for me - I'm figuring the inflatable is going to be a bit harder to go distances with due to it's wider than my hard side. Also potentially it gets me to my spot faster than if I just paddled it after "hard day's work" (I.e. sitting at a computer desk all day lol).
I figure my bigger concern is going to be avoiding running over oyster bars anyway vs salt corrosion of trolling motor contacts :lol:
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Re: Trolling motor?

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0U812 wrote:Son of a bitch! I have to say, i agree with crusader. Solar flares, lunar phase? Unreal.
It is a momentary lapse of judgement on your part. You must be getting older -- starting to slip... ;-)
Chubs wrote:My secondary kayak though - for taking RVing and Work Trip related kayak - planning on that inflatable sea eagle for packability - has that simple trolling motor option pre rigged - I figure "why not try and see" $200 doesn't seem like a huge investment especially if it opens up more water for me - I'm figuring the inflatable is going to be a bit harder to go distances with due to it's wider than my hard side. Also potentially it gets me to my spot faster than if I just paddled it after "hard day's work" (I.e. sitting at a computer desk all day lol).
I figure my bigger concern is going to be avoiding running over oyster bars anyway vs salt corrosion of trolling motor contacts :lol:
I'd say go for it! you'll spend about $500 all and all -- not a crazy amount of money, but you will have lots of fun tinkering with it and riding around.

Wrt saltwater and motor -- you'll be fine as long as water doesn't get inside. Meaning that if you ever get line (esp braid) into your motor -- you better take it apart and replace the seal asap, or motor starts dying (power decreases due to ongoing corrosion) and in 2-4 months motor will be completely dead. Those expensive saltwater motors (riptide/etc) have double seal to help with that -- otherwise they are practically the same, afaik.

In freshwater it isn't that bad -- you probably can double or triple those timings I mentioned.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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kickingback wrote:Battery come with it? The lightest battery to use is lithium but is very expensive. A 50Ah lithium runs about $500. An AGM 50 Ah battery weighs lots more and is $80.
If it's just the trolling motor for $200 then it is too much. You can get a 30 lb TM from Bass Pro for $100. Add the 100 AH battery and you have $250 total. Then you have to make a mount. Lots of YouTube videos on it.
I use a 100 Ah battery that weighs 75 lbs and costs $140 and I can go for 12 hours straight!
Good luck.
Gotta dredge this back up. KB where did you find a 100AH battery for $140? I'm seeing them for about $200 a pop now.

I was thinking I only need to go 8 - 12 miles in a trip including round trip. Get myself to and from a spot - I'd just paddle it when I'm at the spot more than likely. Anyway - I'm thinking a 24 amp motor that goes around 4-5 mph should take me as far as I have time to go given 3 hours of travel time with just a 75AH battery. Cheapest 75AH battery was $165 - so if you found a 100 for $140 I'm all over it lol.
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Re: Trolling motor?

Post by crude4u »

Chubs, I might be interested as well. $140 for !00 Ahr is great. I paid nearly as much for a 55.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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I thought I had a 105AH but it is actually a 120AH AGM. Got it from this link below.

It was only $150 when I first bought it April of last year. Here is a line from my receipt from PayPal
"Trojan Group 31-AGM Battery
Item# APX-APX12-120S-ABX-91253 $149.99 USD 1 $149.99 USD "

They have gone up in price after a year. Probably demand went up which can make them go up in price at times. I still think that $210 for 120amp hours and it only weighs 68 lbs it says is a good deal considering how long these last and how well they power not only your TM but your sonar, lights, or whatever you need for electricity on your kayak!
I stepped on a scale and then picked the battery up and it was 71 lbs by my little bathroom scale that goes to 300 lbs. :lol:

https://www.apexbattery.com/trojan-grou ... ttery.html

Another Idea I thought about was to buy three 35 AH batteries that are smaller than normal but larger than the wheelchair batteries. I was thinking to put them inside the kayak wired in parallel and sealed well to keep water off connections. Being AGM all you need to do is charge them after each use. You can lay them on their side or upside down or anyway you want. My idea was that three batteries would be a bit lighter than my 70 lb bat and I could center them under my seat making it more stable and finally wouldn't have to haul it off and on the kayak each trip. They would stay in kayak and charge there. Saves on back pain which I have.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Yeah it's amazing how kayaks everyday seem to disregard the paddle for pedals or other means of propulsion since it has been set in stone that a kayak is propelled by paddle alone by some...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayak
Canoes were around long before kayaks. Don't hear them called boats being propelled by other than paddle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canoe
In my opinion a kayak is a kayak and a canoe is a canoe and a paddle is a paddle. Without the paddle they are still a kayak and a canoe no matter if you have to paddle with your hands. :lol:
"To each his/her own."
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Cheapest I could find after spending 30 seconds searching is $147.88. Not sure about S&H, makes sense to run the same search on amazon and see what price they give for "free shipping" variant.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Good search! Thanks!

I think I will go with these now...
Image

I did the cost and I can get 6 of these and wire them in parallel and put in the center hatch under my seat for weight balance. I will put a port on the bow wall in front of seat and use that same port to plug in the TM and to charge when not in use. As long as you use heavy duty wire gauge 10 or larger and a fuse you will not get any heat from the wires or connections and not have to worry about a short anywhere causing fire.

6 batteries at $24.25 each - $145.50
6 batteries at 11 lns each - 66 lbs
6 batteries at 18 Ah each - 108 Ah total
6 batteries at 7" x 3"can fit easily under deck in a Hobie.

Only draw back I am finding is that I will have HELL moving this kayak around by hand! :lol: I always use a trailer so it will work for now.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Thanks for all the ideas guys. I'm thinking I like the idea of multiple smaller batteries. Would be a heck of a lot easier to move around and distribute weight. Mine would be out in the open though (inflatable so no "in hull" storage) so I'd need to come up with some sort of enclosure. I'll come up with something.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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I don't like idea of multiple batteries -- each connection is a point of failure. 6 batteries -- 12 extra points of failure. If you get saltwater inside of your kayak (even if it doesn't happen very often) -- it will go bad on you pretty quick, resistance will go up, heat, corrosion...

Making batteries permanent fixture will make kayak too heavy to move by hand (or load on a car/truck). You want to be to take battery out -- will be pita with 6 batteries (unless you package them somehow), but then it doesn't make any sense -- just buy a bigger one.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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I agree and said it will make it heavier. I would not install them "permanently" since I know "BOAT stands for break out another thousand" and batteries can fail.
However, like I mentioned I would only need to seal the posts that are the only place that there can even be corrosion and after connecting the wires I apply goop to all posts and connections and that goop will hold for 5-6 months without leaking and letting any water touch the metal. I have put goop on all my connections on the outside and know how long it lasts basically by water and sunlight. Goop can be taken off after drying easily with a razor blade or acetone if stubborn.
Batteries go bad so when charging if I find a bad battery (total volts drops) then I can replace easily. If I go offshore, I simply pull them out and go. The connection to the front bow wall will be heavy duty TM plugs both inside and out for easy unplugging and removal and will not get any water in the connectors.
I don't take my kayak with a TM and battery into "heavy" surf that would get the inside wet enough to effect those sealed batteries so leaving them in for marsh and bay and all around fishing is fine with me. I guess you can call me a lazy fisherman.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Topping this old thread because I saw a really nice kayak trolling motor rig displayed at TroutFest over the weekend.
Texas Power Paddle - http://texaspowerpaddle.com/
It rigs especially nice on Hobie.
What impressed me most about it, aside from the very small, easily retracted prop foot, was the lap-space-size contained power unit, which is also rechargeable.
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Ron Mc wrote:Topping this old thread because I saw a really nice kayak trolling motor rig displayed at TroutFest over the weekend.
Texas Power Paddle - http://texaspowerpaddle.com/
It rigs especially nice on Hobie.
What impressed me most about it, aside from the very small, easily retracted prop foot, was the lap-space-size contained power unit, which is also rechargeable.
Definitely niche, especially at the $2,300 price point.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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I'm not in the market, but saw the thing and chatted with Damon at TroutFest - it's an impressive package, nothing to plumb, no big marine battery, and hey, if you've already put the bucks in a Hobie...(priced Mirage drives lately? :mrgreen: )
It won't get you more than 4kt, but is a pretty neat way to extend range for paddlers/peddlers.
It will also run in water too shallow for Mirage drive.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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Ron Mc wrote:Topping this old thread because I saw a really nice kayak trolling motor rig displayed at TroutFest over the weekend.
Texas Power Paddle - http://texaspowerpaddle.com/
It rigs especially nice on Hobie.
What impressed me most about it, aside from the very small, easily retracted prop foot, was the lap-space-size contained power unit, which is also rechargeable.

For $2,279, I'll paddle. That's over twice as much as I have into all 4 of my 2nd hand kayaks put together.

Between the Hobie itself, a sonar, nice trailer, a few more baubles, and an electric drive unit, it seems like they're pushing the $10K mark --- for a fricking kayak... At some price point, I'd rather suck it up and buy a boat with a putt-putt and a trolling motor.

I'll not begrudge anyone how they spend their own hard earned money, but sanity has to eventually kick in. Or maybe not.
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Re: Trolling motor?

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and I will paddle, too - it looks like a case of getting what you pay for in a niche market.
While dodging trying to retrofit a bulky/heavy combination of devices that were never intended for a kayak.
You might check that last comment again closer to home.
It's certainly On Topic for this thread, and can't imagine the controversy.
If you want to talk about insanity, visit this thread - http://www.corpusfishing.com/messageboa ... hp?t=38971
(all told, this will probably be $20M litigation plus untold business loss for doing 91 mph in a bay boat)
Last edited by Ron Mc on Mon Feb 24, 2020 8:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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