Trolling motor

[HotSpot]

Hi All

Anyone have any experience with an electric trolling motor (aka Minnkota or Motorguide) on a Bertram? (may apply more to the B25 crowd)

I really am considering this as it could add a lot of convenience to my midwestern lake fishing.

Pros:
Hold position without deploying anchor
Control boat from cockpit
Waypoint trolling (via chart plotter)
Ability to dial in precise trolling speed (I can’t do less than about 4 mph into the wind on one of my Volvo’s as propped)

Cons:
Heresy on a classic boat

They do have a quick release bracket that allows the motor to be easily removed for theft (and aesthetics)

I occasionally see larger center console fishing boats with them. I assume to need 36v 100# thrust and a pretty long shaft.

Experiences, anyone?

[sillverchevy]

Please no.
Seriously though, not sure what shaft length you would get. Bow rail needs to be cut. Thrust?
I run a minnkota riptide Ipilot on my fishing skiff, a Maritime skiff 1690. It is glorious.Ive seen a few on some Grady's, maybe 25 ft. Never saw one on a Bertram. Honestly, shaft length would be my biggest concern.

[HotSpot]

The Minnkota Riptide Terrova is available in 104 lbs thrust with up to 72 inch shaft. I measured the bow at about 44 inches to the water line. The next smaller size is 60 inches. So that only leaves a foot and a half under water. That’s probably not enough when things get rough. So 72 seems to be right for the B25.

No bow rail on my boat to get in the way of the shaft or people who are inclined to fall out.

That brings up another thing. I wonder if the motor could be deployed and retrieved via access from the bow hatch without climbing out. That would be key.

They do offer a power-deploy unit that sounds convenient in concept, but it’s another thing to break. It doesn’t get favorable reviews related to reliability.

Another challenge would be where to install batteries. The anchor locker would be idea since it’s right there and I could use some ballast up front. However space is tight.

Otherwise they will need to go under the cockpit with a long run of power up to the bow.

[Carl]

I do not know much about them but curious...

Are the transom mounted units no good?
I'd think off the back would be easier way to deploy and retrieve over a bow unit on the 25....unless bow was open.


I'll agree with these being classic boats, a trolling motor does not fit the profile. But more important In My Mind, if the boat can be used and enjoyed more with a trolling motor, that overtakes the whole profile thing by leaps and bounds.

Last thought...if the motor only works for you 90% of the days you'd like to fish, you get 90% of the days with more enjoyment and the last 10% you have to deal with as you do now.

Last last thought...anybody you know who has one you can try. That way you can get an idea of performance and ease of use before laying out coin.

[Rawleigh]

I think they used to make some that mounted on the top of the trim tabs so they would be out of the water when running.

[Carl]

I think they used to make some that mounted on the top of the trim tabs so they would be out of the water when running.

OR get an oscillating motor to alternately push the trim tabs up and down....and here 's the genius part, mount a pair of fins to the tabs.

Talk about thinking outside the box. You can't even see the box from where I'm standing.

[HotSpot]

I think they used to make some that mounted on the top of the trim tabs so they would be out of the water when running.

They do have a trolling motor that mounts to an outdrive, which solves the aesthetics problem, but like the transom mount trolling motors, they don’t allow remote operation, position hold, or any navigation or autopilot ability. Either of these options could be a solution for basic straight line trolling though. Of those two, transom mount has the edge with ability to control from the cockpit.

Carl’s flapping trim tab idea could also simulate a wounded bait fish and act as an attractant. Really the best boating innovation since the deep v Hull. Once again, you saw it first on a Bertram.

[Carl]

wounded fish, maybe just maybe. But if that's the case you might want to attach a hook to the back of the boat, just in case. Worlds biggest teaser....

LOL...


I had a feeling the trolling motor liked to pull the boat over push. I guess the idea of being pulled along backwards is out of the question. Would not be good in sea's...

Those things look pretty light, I guess dealing with it through the hatch wouldn't be much worse then anchoring through the hatch. Maybe a small bracket to mount it like an anchor on the bow when done.

[Tony Meola]

I believe some of the new ones will hold a 28 foot boat in one place. That is pretty impressive. Not sure at one point they don't work. 10 mph wind or higher? If under 10 they are worthless in the ocean.

[Carl]

Tony-

I wouldn't say worthless.
Years ago I thought about ways to slow down my drifts, keep bow pointed into or at least quartered into the seas. I had thought about adding a small kicker to the transom, but that created more hassle then it solved having to steer that, then came carrying fuel, brackets. Might as well just keep bumping a motor in gear.
A sea anchor kinda got me where I wanted to be, but only on some days in certain conditions. Like the days your drifts are like fast trolls, can't hold bottom, fish can't swim fast enough to catch the bait and boats rocking like crazy in a beam sea. Sea anchor slows me down enough to catch fish, bow goes slightly into the waves so we are not getting knocked around AS Much. A side benefit - it pisses off the other boats now drifting faster then me not catching.
Trolling motor would be nice at those times.

[MarkS]

For what it’s worth I hang a drift bag off each side when I troll. I can run down to 1mph. I installed a simrad autopilot and just control speed at the throttle running on one motor when trolling. Seems to work great for me.

[CamB25]

Trolling motor would be fun. I would really appreciate a power pole (or 2) on the transom. Save all the hassle with a stern anchor when anchoring up at the islands. I can't find one beefy enough for the boat, however.

[Carl]

For what it’s worth I hang a drift bag off each side when I troll. I can run down to 1mph. I installed a simrad autopilot and just control speed at the throttle running on one motor when trolling. Seems to work great for me.

For what it's worth...

I hate drifting with a sea anchor as I'm an idiot and forget it's there at times. Been very lucky to see it before throttling up on more then one occasion. Found it's very important not to let too much line out, so it stays around the surface. Luckily a BIG YELLOW THING in water in front of boat grabs my attention. Hanging stuff off the transom or sides I cannot fathom the problem I could create...

[Tony Meola]

Carl

Sorry I should have said if over 10 then the motor is probably worthless. It probably would struggle holding you one spot and I would think if trolling the boat would get pushed around alot.

[HotSpot]

For what it’s worth I hang a drift bag off each side when I troll. I can run down to 1mph. I installed a simrad autopilot and just control speed at the throttle running on one motor when trolling. Seems to work great for me.

I was thinking of the same issues that Carl brought up, but it’s still better than not being able to troll at all. This would solve the problem for straight line trolling for salmon or trout in deeper water where I’m at the helm and taking long passes. I’m going to try this at the very least this spring.

The other half of the convenience problem is the spot-lock (position hold/anchoring). It’s really not a necessity since we have been managing for years by dropping an anchor off the stern on calm days. The issue is when we want to hold over rocky bottom (which is very common) or in deeper water. When the wind picks up, I’m on constant alert because if (when) the anchor pops off the bottom, things happen fast. With shore fishing, that means seconds to get the motors started to avoid hazards like shallows or docks. It’s also a pain to repeatedly retrieve, move boat, deploy, reset the anchor when searching for a good spot to fish.

I think I’m going to continue investigating the proper sizes needed, and see about moving forward with this. With the quick disconnect option it won’t look too silly except for on the planned fishing days.

I really appreciate everyone’s feedback. I’ll keep you guys posted on the progress and results.

[Carl]

I think I’m going to continue investigating the proper sizes needed, and see about moving forward with this. With the quick disconnect option it won’t look too silly except for on the planned fishing days.

People stop laughing when your the one catching more fish.

[jackryan]

Trolling motors on large boats are becoming common place here along the gulf coast. I've seen them on very large center consoles (longer than the 31, but maybe not as heavy) I have even seen two trolling motors mounted on larger boats.

I gotta say, they are VERY useful. For reef and wreck fishing, it is extremely valuable to be able to hold your position. I have a friend with a 25' center console that has a trolling motor that interfaces with his GPS for position hold. All I can say is "amazing." It greatly simplifies fishing reefs in deep water. It opens up fishing bottom structure that we could never carry enough anchor line for, let alone the headache of setting the anchor so as to hold over the structure.

I think Carl had the best comment on the subject: People stop laughing when your the one catching more fish.

Trust me, no one is laughing at trolling motors on big boats down here. I would think if you can figure out a way to mount them so the mounting hardware is not visible when not in use, it might be acceptable to the faithful

JR

[nestorpr]

I just saw a new episode of FS Project Dreamboat and one boatowner equipped his 31ft Contender, quite a heavy boat, with a Rhodan electric motor and I just saw this on BD Outdoors:

"At last summer’s ICAST fishing tackle trade show, Minn Kota introduced the longest-shaft mass-produced bow-mount electric trolling motor available to date. Their newest incarnation of the Riptide Terrova sported an 87-inch shaft length. Yes, 87-inches, which Minn Kota said would be appropriate for boats up into the 30-foot, 10,000-pound range."

So it would definitely work on a B25.

[PeterPalmieri]

The idea of having spot lock and not having to anchor over small pieces is becoming very popular. It’s a very effective way to fish. Never imagined the tech would move so quickly it wasn’t long ago that any boat over 20 feet was an issue. It will still be a challenge in ocean rollers to keep the prop in the water.

[Carl]

It will still be a challenge in ocean rollers to keep the prop in the water.

If it becomes popular that will be figured out...I'd expect to see a remote divers scooter with tag line to the bow in the future. Something like that could go several feet down to deal with seas, stick a sonar unit it there to sea down and ahead, maybe add a camera.

Heck skip all that and tie a lure behind it and troll with it. Would that even be considered fishing...

[HotSpot]

It will still be a challenge in ocean rollers to keep the prop in the water.

This is where the trade off on extra length of the motor shaft (depth) comes in. As nestorpr mentioned earlier, there are really long shifts available now (up to 87 inches). For the B25 application, that puts it almost 4 feet below the surface when calm. The other side of the trade off seems to be price and the extra amount of space that it takes up when in the stowed position.

I imagine under those wavy conditions the motor is gong to be paddling like mad with both waves and likely wind pushing against it. It would be interesting to know what those limits would be. Bobbing up and down may negatively affect its efficiency too since it’s not pulling in a straight line. At some point it won’t be able to keep up.

It would also be interesting to understand how these demands affect the longevity of a battery charge.

Yes, the integration of the chart plotter with the navigation on the trolling motor are amazing. You can literally touch a mark on the fish finder histogram, and the trolling motor will bring you back to that exact spot and hold you there.

The newer live-view transponders are available for mounting (or integrated) on the trolling motor. So you pretty much have that rotating camera view of what’s in front of you, wherever the motor is pointed. It’s like a cheat code for fishing.

[PeterPalmieri]

They’re already using a Minnkota ST112 on a 27 Sea Vee bay boat. We know it works in calm conditions with a boat with a shallower V bottom and very little windage.

Once you get a heavier boat, that has more boat under the surface and more to catch the wind. And you try to use it effectively in wind, current and waves. I think you’ll find that you will have trouble holding a spot and the usage time will drop significantly.

I’d suggest hopping on a friends bay boat with a trolling motor and have him show you how he uses it and then get into the conditions you want to use it for your boat and see how you do.

It really depends on how and where you plan to use it.

[HotSpot]

They’re already using a Minnkota ST112 on a 27 Sea Vee bay boat. We know it works in calm conditions with a boat with a shallower V bottom and very little windage.

Once you get a heavier boat, that has more boat under the surface and more to catch the wind. And you try to use it effectively in wind, current and waves. I think you’ll find that you will have trouble holding a spot and the usage time will drop significantly.

I’d suggest hopping on a friends bay boat with a trolling motor and have him show you how he uses it and then get into the conditions you want to use it for your boat and see how you do.

It really depends on how and where you plan to use it.

Strangely, bay boats are not popular at all out this way. The closest equivalent of a bay boat would be something like a smaller Whaler skiff (is it?), but I never see those with trolling motors. However, 20" bass boats or multi-species tournament Ranger or Lunds are very common, and almost every one of them have a bow-mounted trolling motor. That's where the seed was planted. A guided trip on a 20' Ranger... But even the bigger of those are quite a bit smaller than a Bertram 25. However all the examples you guys have shown with these bigger boats show that it's technically feasible. I just need to get over the looks and figure out where to put the batteries.

[PeterPalmieri]

Keep in mind even the larger bay boats have shallow drafts and almost no super structure above the rubrail.

It is possible depending on your conditions that it will work but make sure it will before going through the effort. Maybe temporarily mount the motor and wire the batteries sitting on the deck. That way if it doesn’t work you can sell the set uninstalled. Costs you a little money but save the time and effort on install.

[HotSpot]

Keep in mind even the larger bay boats have shallow drafts and almost no super structure above the rubrail.

It is possible depending on your conditions that it will work but make sure it will before going through the effort. Maybe temporarily mount the motor and wire the batteries sitting on the deck. That way if it doesn’t work you can sell the set uninstalled. Costs you a little money but save the time and effort on install.

That’s a great strategy. I can route the battery cables through the air vents or anchor line into the cabin. Batteries can be strapped down to the floor temporarily. I won’t even need to purchase or install a charger until it’s validated.

I saw that the new Boston Whaler Dauntless pro 24 has an optional bow mounted trolling motor and its only a 24 volt, so the plan for 36v on the B25 seems reasonable.

Getting eager to start on this. Too bad the boat is already stored away for the winter. Spring seems impossibly far away.