Small has motor or electric trolling motor for a small tin boat

[Tjames09]

Well it looks like this year isn't the year for a complete boat purchase. We do have a small 12ft tin boat with no motor. I was thinking of just getting a 50lb trolling motor transom mount. It wouldn't probably make it to the main part of the lake but I could cruise all the scugog river with it. The other option on a little more costly is getting like a 9hp has motor. Not sure which woukd be more beneficial.

[OhioFisherman]

I used to fish a number of lakes here in Ohio that were water supply reservoirs and electric motors only, 1 was almost 1000 acres in size. A 50lb thrust electric will push a 12 tinny along pretty well, but don't expect miracles from it, any outboard from 6-10 hp will be a lot faster.

[Gnote]

I might have a a 55 lb thrust prowler for sale if you are interested, got a bow mount and its been my security blanket while i learned how to use the motorguide lol.

[Sinker]

I have a 50lb minnkota on a 14ft tinny with a 31 DC Deep cycle battery. It last a fair while, but you cant go too far with it. Better than rowing. A small outboard is definitely the way to go.

 

S.

[wormdunker]

Put a 9.9 hp on your 12', You'll be very happy. An electric as your main motor will wear down a battery sooner than you would like.

[Korber]

I have a nice old Voyager 4.2 Horse motor for sale on the cheap. great old motor and would be much better then an electric.

[DanD]

A buddy of mine son went that route with an electric, on his tinny.

He must have found is range very limited; because my buddy couldn't find his mini generator anywhere.

His son snagged it to keep the battery charged; while out fishing. LOL

 

Dan.

Edited July 12, 2016 by DanD

[Tjames09]

Can you troll with a small HP engine? I mainly just want to troll the river, Im not to interested in the ability to go fast or far. I just need something to go short distances, and keep the boat in place.

[John Bacon]

I think a small outboard will give you better over all use than an electric. The electric motors are nice for positioning but they have limited range.

I think a 9.9hp may be overkill for a 12' boat. A 4-6hp should be enough power for most situations.

If you have to choose one, I would get the gas motor first. I would probably add and electric later too. Having both is good. The electric motor is better for positioning the boat; the gas is better for trolling or moving from one locaton to another.

[AKRISONER]

speaking form experience, ive got a 50lb bowmount on my 14 foot tinner...it will get you around pretty good.

 

If you are trying to troll though i wouldnt recommend it.

 

How much would a 4 horse set you back?

 

If you are looking to cover ground use the 4 to position yourself and let the wind do the work. Thats what i do half the time with the bowmount anyways.

[porkpie]

I will buck the trend here. Where I live we have a few reservoirs with no gas engines allowed. I've been all over them in a tin boat with a 50lb thrust electric and now I'm using a sportspal canoe I bought off of this site. I have yet to hit the oars or the paddles! On my fishing boat I have a 55lb thrust bow mount that pushes a 16 foot boat weighing 1300lbs plus me at 230, my 16 year old and my 7 year old boys at walleye speeds of 1.1 to 1.6 MPH. I run a GRP 31 battery up front and can go for about 6 hours continuos and possibly longer. My old 27 used to drop dead on me after about 4 to 4.5 hours. I haven't run the 31 to max yet (new battery though so I'll see after it's got a season on it). A gasser is nice and you can troll with it no problem, but electrics will work and they are so stealthy. I only troll on my main these days if it's pretty rough out, or if I go out for salmon or something that requires more speed. Just another point of view.

[OhioFisherman]

Sure you can troll with a small hp engine, 5-10 hp engines are great at it. What is the maximum hp for your boat? Probably 20 hp or less? Some places are safer than others for small boats with small motors, you don't want to venture anywhere known to kick up quickly.

[Tjames09]

Sure you can troll with a small hp engine, 5-10 hp engines are great at it. What is the maximum hp for your boat? Probably 20 hp or less? Some places are safer than others for small boats with small motors, you don't want to venture anywhere known to kick up quickly.

 

Its Sturgeon Lake. Its a busy lake and usually pretty choppy.

 

The tin boat doesnt have a HP rating on it, its fairly old from what I can tell, but it floats. I looked for the HP rating and never found one. I imagine its topped out a 9.9. Its 12ft 3 row seating.

[OhioFisherman]

Tjames, they made millions of them, they are popular here because we have a lot of smaller lakes and small city water supply reservoirs that are electric motor only and you don't really need an outboard to fish a 30-100 acre lake.

 

If it's an older boat 9.9 or 10 hp might be it's limit, older boats tended to be a bit narrower than newer boats, most used to have a tag on the inside of the transom with a hp and weight capacity?

 

As a kid I spent a lot of time motoring around Pointe Au Baril in a 14 footer with an old 5 hp motor, I didn't get anywhere fast, but it was enough to get around and beat rowing or an electric.

 

It's been years since I was up north, I can just imagine the boat traffic now, and like here the trend has probably gone to bigger is better? A lot of bigger boat traffic can make for a bumpy ride in a small boat.

 

You don't have to go fast to catch fish though, and going slower gives you more time to explore new places and methods.

[Gnote]

An electric trolling motor is only as good as the battery you hook it up too, when i was younger we fished for years out of an inflatable raft and a canoe with an electric motor. I bought a big nautilus marine battery and could troll all day on 3-4 setting with no worries. Plus use max(5) if i wanted to boogie somewhere.

[GBW]

I have a older Johnson 9.9 that was last serviced by our very own "Big Cliff" that I'd sell you. Motor, gas can and line. PM me if interested.

PS: It sat last year unused so you know.

[AKRISONER]

for your reference Tjames, i spent an entire day 12+ hours up on georgian bay using a minkotta 50lb with an energizer marine battery, we had the 14 foot tinner with 2 guys, a casting deck loaded with gear and the battery still had a quarter power left after 12 hours.

[Dabluz]

I had a 14 foot tinny Espadon Cartop14 made by Princecraft and maximum size of motor I could use was 7.5 h.p. With the 7.5, it would fly along at a good 25 km/h. I put a 10 h.p. motor on it after reinforcing the transom with 2 very large 3/4 inch panels. I used a 2 h.p. gas motor or my 32 lb thrust electric for trolling. There are no bodies of water in my region that prohibit gas engines.

[TJames]

Ended up getting the electric. The cost difference was fairly substantial. New electric was $260, and new gas is $1200 for like a 5HP. Even used nothing was under $500, most were closer to the $1000 mark,

[porkpie]

Keep your trip reasonable in duration and keep a set of oars handy just in case (oars, not paddles.) and you'll be just fine. You'll probably catch more fish as well because you'll always be at trolling speed!

[Sinker]

Spend your money on a good battery!

 

S.

[Tjames09]

Ya I intend to get a good battery. I got the endurance Maxx so it shows usage I think.

[Sinker]

31 DC Series battery

[Tjames09]

31 DC Series battery

Thanks. Can these be bought at CT or wally

[Sinker]

Yep, or a battery shop, or costco.

 

S.