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Trolling motor for 16' Pontoon


adam lancia

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My cousin has a 16' pontoon boat and we use that to fish from but we'd like to get a trolling motor for it. Any suggestions? What is the best spot to attach it? Still on the bow like a regular fishing boat? I also have a Hummingbird fish finder that we're going to put on, where should I mount the transducer? Thanks in advance!!

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Thanks guys! I'll get him to check the back of the pontoons. He'll probably use it for trolling with the outboard idling in gear for lake trout so he probably won't have the electric trolling motor in then.

 

There is about a 2 foot front deck across the width of the boat but I'd say we do most of not all of our casting from whichever part of the boat is facing out target, lol! I suppose we would cast from the front and/or sides once we are able to keep the nose pointed where we want to. ideally, I'd like to get one with the remote foot pedal. Used is fine so what would you suggest? Thanks!

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Go with the maximum amount of thrust you can afford, (minimum 60), you need to remember that a pontoon boat is like a huge sail when it comes to wind and current. You may also wish to discuss 12 volt or 24 volt and shaft length.

As far as makes and models, both Motor Guide and Min Kota are the accepted standards and different models are available to meet your needs.

Some will swear by one over the other, but that is what Forums like this are for....

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I agree with everything Tom has said above. Those pontoon boats look a lot heavier than a typical small boat of the same length. Find out the weight of that boat before going out and spending money on a electric that won't move it well. And like Tom said mount the transducer to the motor of the electric.

Edited by Old Ironmaker
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I just happen to have a 16' pontoon and just installed a 80 Terrova iPilot US2 on the front.

 

I've used it one weekend solid and it worked great.

Its quieter than I thought and the 2 batteries (27) lasted 3 long days without a recharge (although should be charged daily).

 

3 problems (no fault of Minn Kota)

 

The mk-23 Minn Kota quick release plate. The concept is great but the holes are tough to line up with the floor carpet making it .0001% unflat.

Had to modify my front pontoon gate and have to figure out a water guard when the gates open.

The top speed is slightly slow for trolling for musky.

 

BTW, the Terrova I purchased also has the Universal Sonar so that would take care of your transducer install.

Edited by Raycaster
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Go with the maximum amount of thrust you can afford, (minimum 60), you need to remember that a pontoon boat is like a huge sail when it comes to wind and current. You may also wish to discuss 12 volt or 24 volt and shaft length.

As far as makes and models, both Motor Guide and Min Kota are the accepted standards and different models are available to meet your needs.

Some will swear by one over the other, but that is what Forums like this are for....

 

 

I agree with everything Tom has said above. Those pontoon boats look a lot heavier than a typical small boat of the same length. Find out the weight of that boat before going out and spending money on a electric that won't move it well. And like Tom said mount the transducer to the motor of the electric.

 

That's good info guys. I will assume torque and load (and battery drain) are all influenced by the choice of voltage, correct? More voltage = more torque at lower load (to the batterie in terms of amperage) which should result in longer battery life. Do I have that right or am I out in left field?

 

I haven't the slightest about shaft length though, I could use a crash course on that.

 

I'll get my cousin to check how hefty his boat is. I want to go used if possible, only to keep the cost down and to see if he likes it enough to look for a new one. Of course we have dreams of GPS spot lock and dual motors (front and back) dancing in our heads but that's neither here nor there right now...

 

Thanks!!

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For shaft length, take a measurement from the deck of the boat where the motor will be installed to the surface of the water. The motors are adjustable for height but you want the prop housing and prop to be at least a foot and a half below the water surface at a minimum. When it is rolling with waves or wake, the prop will come out of the water and you will lose propulsion.

24 volts will give you..., Tim Allan's....MORE POWER....AARRGGHH....AARRGGHH...AARRGGHH

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For shaft length, take a measurement from the deck of the boat where the motor will be installed to the surface of the water. The motors are adjustable for height but you want the prop housing and prop to be at least a foot and a half below the water surface at a minimum. When it is rolling with waves or wake, the prop will come out of the water and you will lose propulsion.

24 volts will give you..., Tim Allan's....MORE POWER....AARRGGHH....AARRGGHH...AARRGGHH

So all of my sciency mumbo jumbo didn't amount to squat... dammit! I thought I was onto something there. Are there any longevity benefits from higher voltage, since I would assume the motor needs to draw fewer amps to make the same power since there's more voltage available...?

 

Will check the deck height, thanks!

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You were close....That all depends on how long you use the motor on Full Power. Generally speaking, 24 volts will give you twice the amount of run time as a 12 volt system if the same speed is maintained on both systems IE: 24 volt is doing 4 MPH and 12 volt is doing 4 MPH, and batteries are of equal size and capacity.

Edited by Tom McCutcheon
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So all of my sciency mumbo jumbo didn't amount to squat... dammit! I thought I was onto something there. Are there any longevity benefits from higher voltage, since I would assume the motor needs to draw fewer amps to make the same power since there's more voltage available...?

 

Will check the deck height, thanks!

 

Yes, a 36 volt system will draw fewer amps than a 24 volt system which draws fewer amps than a 12 volt system. So you should get longer battery life in addition to extra power.

 

At a given thrust, the draw would be inversley proportional to the voltage. A 12v motor gives you 1 pound to thrust per amp of current. A 24v motor will give you 2 pounds and 36v will give you 3 pounds. If weight and space is not a problem I would get a 36v system. If not then 24v is better than 12v.

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That's good to know, I'll keep that formula in mind once I find out how much his boat weighs. Is there a good rule of thumb when it comes to amount of thrust versus weight?

 

Weight is not the only factor. If you are fishing in windy conditions than the surface area exposed to the wind will probably be a bigger factor than the weight.

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Yep there is a lot of stuff sticking out of the water on a pontoon boat. It will act like a sail in the wind, you know that already. There are 36 and 48V motors avail as well as electric thrust motors that are married to the gas engine. No they aren't cheap though.

 

Personally I would stay away from buying used for many reasons unless the seller is willing to give a written guarantee.

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Yep there is a lot of stuff sticking out of the water on a pontoon boat. It will act like a sail in the wind, you know that already. There are 36 and 48V motors avail as well as electric thrust motors that are married to the gas engine. No they aren't cheap though.

 

Personally I would stay away from buying used for many reasons unless the seller is willing to give a written guarantee.

Bought a used minn kota from a member here many years ago, must be at least 8 years now, maybe more, and it still runs like a top, just like the day I bought it. I saved a pile of money.

 

S.

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There is a 24 volt 80 lb Minn Kota Maxxum for sale from a Muskies Canada Member. He is upgrading to 36 volts.

He is asking $600.00

I can put you in touch with him if your interested.

 

That would be great Tom, if it isn't too much trouble.

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