An expert guide to choose the best trolling motor for your boat!

With a highly hectic and stressful life, it is necessary to take some time out and relax a bit. It is important for good mental as well as physical health. There are numerous recreational activities that you do with your friends and family, such as boating, fishing, etc. Fishing and boating are highly adventurous and fun activities as it allows you to explore new things related to marine life and provides an opportunity to spend some quality time. If you are planning for fishing on a boat, then you must know about some important things related to it. There are numerous important aspects of boating and fishing, and one of them is the trolling motor. 

Trolling motor is a kind of small motor used in boats to steer the boat in shallow water and make it easy to reach the prime location for fishing. Trolling motors are perfect to steer and maneuver your boat without turning on the main engine of your boat. These trolling motors are powered by batteries, and you can control it via remote, hands, or pedals. There are different types of trolling motors available in the market, but you must pick that one that suits the most to your boat. To choose the right size of the trolling motor, you can visit https://trollingmotorsguide.com/what-size-trolling-motor-do-i-need/.

 Important factors to consider while picking a trolling motor

Battery and voltage

As you know trolling, motors are battery-powered, so it is necessary to check the battery and its voltage before buying a trolling motor for your boat. If we talk about voltage, then trolling motors is available in three different variants; 36 volts, 24 volts, and 12 volts. The requirement of battery highly depends on the voltage power of the motor. For instance, a 12-volt trolling battery can be operated using a single battery, but if the motor is of 36 volts, then you will have to use two batteries to operate it. 

Twelve volts batteries are quite cheap and save a lot of money, and 36, and 24 volts batteries allow you to fish for a more extended period without running out of power. Adding to it, bigger batteries also offer more thrust, so you must consider the battery power in the trolling motor and pick one that fits perfectly with your needs and requirements. You must use a good quality battery that can stay in water for a long time.

Type of trolling motor

There are mainly two types of trolling motors transom mount and bow mount. The significant difference between these two types of motors is their mounting position. Bow mount trolling motors are placed in the front part of the boat, and the transom mount trolling motors are fitted at the back of the boat. If you want to install the motor at the front, then you must buy a bow mount trolling motor, but before that, you must ensure that there is enough space in the front part of your boat along with a mounting bracket. Bow mounted motors are highly maneuverable and offer you great control over the movement of the boat. If your boat is small in size, then transom mount trolling motor will be a better option as it is great for positioning, especially in smaller boats.

Control type

Trolling motor is needed to be controlled, and is you don’t control it; then there are no benefits of having it on your boat. There are mainly two ways to control a trolling motor; foot control and hand control. Both types of controls have their own benefits and drawbacks. To make the right decision, you must try them both once and then decide which kind of control you want in your trolling motor. Foot control is easy to use and keep your hands free to do fishing efficiently. Adding to it, you can use it in any part of the boat. On the other hand, hand control offers a more real-time experience, but you need to keep your hands on it all the time, which is an issue. Most of the time, foot control is more preferred by people as it keeps your hands free, but you can pick any one of them according to your needs and requirements. You need to practice with both of these controls to gain proper knowledge about using them.

Self-directional features

With the advanced technology, a lot of modern features have been introduced in trolling motors, and one of them is self-direction features. While choosing a trolling motor, you must try to pick one that has these features as it is quite helpful in fishing. You need not use your hands or feet to control the motor as it is directed by its own using the shoreline and depth controls. It ensures that the boat is steering in the straight-line and saves a lot of time and effort.

Your surroundings

The environment in which you want to use the trolling motor highly affects your buying decision. For instance, if there is salt water in the area around you and you want to use the motor in that area, then it is a bad idea as using a new motor in saltwater is a poor decision. So, if you live near saltwater water bodies, then you must choose a saltwater trolling motor. Saltwater trolling motors are built, keeping the condition in saltwater in mind and don’t get damaged in saltwater. There are a bit expensive, but the money you will spend on them is worth it.

Steer style 

There are three steering styles available in trolling motors; cable-steer, electric-steer, and hand control steering, and you must choose the one that is right for you. Electric steer motors are highly advanced and are packed with modern features such as I-Pilot and allows you to focus more on fishing than controlling. Cable-steer motors have a cable connected to the foot pedal and are perfect for fishing in shallow water as that provides protection against stumps and weeds. At last, there are basic hand-controlled motors that offer complete control to you and are widely used. If you are looking for better control and responsiveness, then it is the perfect option for you.