Need to get a trolling motor for the Gator Trax, any recommendations?

Need a battery as well.

Tacklewarehouse.com

Call in your order, tell em I sent ya and save 10%. They are in Cali so no sales tax

Cool, thanks, I'll check them out. I want to get one installed this month, been waiting till hunting season was over. I need to see what Homey had installed. I know nothing about trolling motors, so I'm a sponge for information.

Trolling motors are for rookies. I use my feet. Just joking. Had to get u back saw the comment on my lay out blind question.. I don't know I have a John boat it has a motor guide nothing fancy. I'm sure there's way better stuff out there. As far as a battery don't get an optima. I've had 3 in my wakeboard boat over the years they've all crapped out. All of em short between the cells. I just get regular marine and rv batteries from Walmart now.

I hate layout blinds, avoid them as much as possible. I use $6 dove stool 99% of time, cut the pouch off...



I use this stool and try to sit in cover, but if I have to, I'll lay on the ground use the stool for a headrest, rarely use a layout blind.

I'm going to need one too.

Go big or go home!- 24v 80# thrust Minn Kota Ulterra with I-pilot with a 2 bank 10amp per bank onboard charger.
Dont forget your 60amp fuse and quality plugs.

Guy holler at me and I can answer any questions you got on TM's.

Battery- 27 series marine deep cycle, let me know when your ready for it too, I can get good deals on them.

I'd suggest a minn Kota terrova or power drive. What ever you do. Do not buy a motor guide. I was an ASC for them both owned a shop fixing selling rigging boats etc. Minn kota is a superior product sold by s superior company with superior customer service.

Spend the extra few bucks and get the quick mount. One little pin and the motor is removed.

You just wasted your breathe ducknbass!

If anyone knows trolling motors here I would be me

Professional fisherman/guide for 10 years, I'm 28

Minnkota 80# is big power for a duck boat.

Get good 27 series deep cycle marine batteries

If you don't want the added weight of two battery's on a 24 volt system get a high powered 12v tm

A quick release mount is good on a duck boat but I don not recommend them on glass boats that are subject to ruff water as I have seen quite a few shear in 3-5' waves causing issues.

Install is EASY!
6 bolts hold mount down
Power & ground to battery
12v system is red wire to + / black wire to -
24v system red to battery 1 + / black to battery 2 -
Add a a jumper frombatt 1 black to batt 2 red

questions to ask yourself
• Wanna buy/have two batteries or 1 - 12 or 24v system
• Hand control or foot control - going to fish a lot (foot) just going to use it to move around and pick blocks up and fish everyonce n a while - hand controlled

I will add that the Gatortrax boat will not track well at all while running a trolling motor. Smooth bottom mud rigs and rounded chines like a Gatortrax has means any bit of breeze will have the back of the boat going side to side.

Can it be done, of course, I have a 12 volt one and its hand controlled and does fine but nothing like a bass boat or a boat with a v bottom. I put mine on for spring and use it to go from stump to stump for blue catfishing and crappie fishing going from one spot to another but trying to troll down a bank to bass fish is not fun.

These boats will not do well just trolling in a line to fish, I know, I have tried it.
I use my bass boat when I want to bass fish or troll.

You guys buying these rounded chine boats to fish while trolling a lot will be greatly disappointed. They are great duck/mud rigs but not designed to be used with a trolling motor.

I have new crank battery bought at beginning of season, so I was planning on getting another battery just for the TM. I would suspect TM will go on after hunting season and come off during hunting season, and probably fish every weekend March thru July..

Does it hurt these TM to sit outside say March thru July? If yes, think I for sure need the quick release..unless there is a cover I could get for it.

IF you want to remove it, it can still be removed very easy. IF a hand controlled like mine without the quick disconnect all you have to do is unscrew the knob on the mount and take the trolling motor off and unplug it from your front plug, this takes about 10 seconds.
The actual bracket and mount does not have to be removed.

Go to the MinnKota website and look at the Edge mounts and you will get an idea of what I am talking about.

I agree with Cody...Get the quick release mount...I have a Gator Trax with a trolling motor...I originally had a hand control. It was not great for fishing. I switched to a Fortex 80 foot controlled. If your boat is over 17ft long get the 80lb.

Better to have the power and not use it then not have it and need it.
Why remove the TM for duck season??? Cant tell you how many times I have used a TM to get to safety or even back to the ramp because of motor problems, whether was my duck rig or a 24ft Falcon. Hunt or fish long enough and its a matter of when its going to happen not if.

Quick disconnects are great, but do you really want to be taking it on and off all the time or every weekend?- PITA just leave it on. Ive always put covers on all my boats no matter what!

Your selection will be narrowed down greatly when you answer-

12v (one battery) or 24v (two batteries).... Just for the TM
Hand, foot, or wireless controlled or combo wireless and foot
Once you determine that it will be easy. I recommend a foot and wireless set up ...

Trolling motor would not last long running timber during duck season.

I for sure like the idea of having a back up motor.

"Timber" in North Texas= stump fields. If you cant navigate a stump field with a couple of inches hanging off your bow you have no business running them anyways. Now if your hunting some places out NE or East Texas then I get it, take it off.
Until the rivers get out of their banks its staying on. If you want to take it off its six bolts, whoopy.

back up motor as saved me more than once

Whatever you decide, make sure you have the following:

Quick release mount. Makes removing your trolling motor for duck season a breeze.

Foot controlled. It's the only way to go if you are going to be doing any bass fishing, which is what I am assuming you are getting it for.

I will also say if you have a true mud boat hull, it is going to be very difficult to work a bank or shore line. Those flat hulls don't track well and can be very frustrating. We did it for a year before switching to a more "year round" hull.

Fact!

Had a chance to read up on all the Minn Kota models. Homey ran the powerdrive 50# 12v on my boat when he had it, he said it pushed it around just fine. Looks like that speed does not come with the I-Pilot Link, and I think like that feature, at least the I-pilot part, the spot and lock, and the other GPS function...seems like that would be even more useful with a mud boat flat bottom that does not track as well as a bass boat. I'll need to bump up to 55# to get the I-Pilot link. Not sure I understand the "Link", if that is something I need, looks like a more fancy remot with more GPS/auto pilot functions.

And I think I will be removing the trolling motor during duck season, there would have been a few times this past season I would have torn it up running it into brush and thick timber. I'll for sure get the quick release, I still need to do some more reading up, so any thoughts appreciated. I plan to get it ordered this week.

I've used a trolling motor to run from the 377 bridge all the way into and out of Buck Creek. Many times.

Guy, the LINK part of it is just so you can attach the TM to a Humminbird graph and they can talk to each other, say if you want to just follow a contour line you just tell it to and it will follow that contour. Or can control TM from your graph. If you dont have an ethernet equipped Humminbird then the Link will do you no good.

With what you have stated you want I would suggest a 55# thrust Terrova with pre-installed IPilot. That way you get the wireless portion and the foot pedal as well. Ive had both the powerdrive and terrova and preferred the terrova.

Minn kota has rebates going on right now too so dont forget to turn that in for some $ back.

I think what he means is that it would get torn up, especially with a mud buddy no reverse lol..

Thinks I'm rolling with the powerdrive 55 lb, I-pilot pre-installed, 54 inch shaft.. This Ulterra commercial is great..

Order two and send me one. I prefer mine without the foot control.

Would suck if the remote failed and your boat just drifts away.

Are all saltwater trolling motors white?

Mo could have used that one when he had to swim after his boat.

Are you worried the white is harder to keep clean?

Yes

Nope, I like white. Especially on cars.

Just think a white trolling motor on an all camo boat looks odd.




Ugh...

How long would a freshwater trolling motor last with an occasional dip in the salt?

Edit, made post on wrong thread...

That might have been the highlight of my season.

The seals and everything are the same. It's the paint finish protection. That's the difference. If it's only occasional and you clean it well I would not be concerned.

Hose it down with Red Corrosion X if you are worried about it then rinse with fresh water as soon as you are done. Any time I ran salt in my mud motor or air boat I would do this and never had anything rust.

Good to know. Thanks guys.

Oh yeah I just remembered. Get a salt water prop nut. You can order it from any minn kota ASC.

Harrell marine electronics is the guy that owns the shop I used to own.