Kayak Fishing With A Trolling Motor

If you have been paddling around on your kayak, trying to fish, you probably know that it isn’t the easiest sport in the world to pick up. Now though, installing an electric motor on your kayak is a great new way to get around on the water, and save your energy for fighting fish.
There are many different ways to mount an electric motor to your kayak. Either using a fishing crate setup, with a 2×4 and a spot to hold the battery, or cutting up the trolling motor mounting bracket to mount it to the rear end of the kayak. Either way you choose, you are going to want to make sure that the mounting point is incredibly sturdy. Use some creativity, because there are few plans on the internet on how to go about installing an electric motor onto a kayak.
Most kayaks can get away with using lower pound thrust motors. Adding more thrust doesn’t increase your speed by much at all. This isn’t saying not to use a 50lb trolling motor if you have one. If you are purchasing a new motor for kayak usage only, you can get away with a 30-35 lb thrust motor. This will provide you 3-5 mph depending on the length of your kayak. Don’t run the motor at wide open throttle, as it produces minimal gains, but greatly increases the drain on your battery. Good luck with installing a trolling motor on a fishing kayak!

If you have been paddling around on your kayak, trying to fish, you probably know that it isn’t the easiest sport in the world to pick up. Now though, installing an electric motor on your kayak is a great new way to get around on the water, and save your energy for fighting fish.

There are many different ways to mount an electric motor to your kayak. Either using a fishing crate setup, with a 2×4 and a spot to hold the battery, or cutting up the trolling motor mounting bracket to mount it to the rear end of the kayak. Either way you choose, you are going to want to make sure that the mounting point is incredibly sturdy. Use some creativity, because there are few plans on the internet on how to go about installing an electric motor onto a kayak.

Most kayaks can get away with using lower pound thrust motors. Adding more thrust doesn’t increase your speed by much at all. This isn’t saying not to use a 50lb trolling motor if you have one. If you are purchasing a new motor for kayak usage only, you can get away with a 30-35 lb thrust motor. This will provide you 3-5 mph depending on the length of your kayak. Don’t run the motor at wide open throttle, as it produces minimal gains, but greatly increases the drain on your battery. Good luck with installing a trolling motor on a fishing kayak!

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