Bow mount saltwater electric trolling motor on CD22 Angler?

M

moknots

New member
Has anyone tried an electric bow mount trolling motor? Thinking saltwater version with bluetooth, tied to Lowrance HD9...

Why you might ask? I love my C Dory and want to make it just a little more than it is:

1) better at trolling into the wind
2) autopilot
3) anchor mode for fishing over ocean reefs
4) creeping shorelines for bass

I know, it's not a bass boat... but one week every year I need a bass boat...

I see some pretty fancy saltwater motors with enough thrust for a boat of CD22 Angler weights, and very long shafts, but if this is a folly I'd like to know before I go down the path! TIA CBrats!
 
I went with one mounted to my outboard. Works great for anything in the lake or river over 1 mph little wind and current. The bow model would probably out perform just more money and a little bulkier. I think I would go bow model if done again. See my album for pictures. Why have 2 boats when you can have 1 on steroids.
 
I have a bow mount on my fishing boat(16' Thundercraft). I use it for short distance, calm water stealth work. On Lake Erie found it mostly of little use. If the prop is not down far enough it will aerate with any significant wave action. Also found that although the prop may be "weedless" the shaft does collect them. As a "kicker" don't rely on it to get you any great distance - especially if fighting waves. I also find it tricky maintaining coarse with any wind/wave action. Seems you are always oversteering with the prop on the bow. This also eats up your battery power.

I ended up making my own mount and putting a 4.5 Merc extra long shaft on the port side. The skeg is about draft level - not sure what the deadrise is on the Thundercraft but with the main up I can basically "beach" or run this boat close to draft levels with the kicker.

I also looked at the trim tab mounted motors.

Regards,

Rob
 
Many of the fisherman are going to the Rhodan trolling motor for its "GPS" "anchoring" mode. If you go that way, be sure that the mount and articulation getting its up and down work for the c Dory 22. Doing a mockup first will certainly help with that.

The next question comes with what batteries to use, where to put the batteries, and what cable to use and how to route. In several of the prior articles, I have noted that I have a 85# thrust trolling motor on the 18' Caracal Cat, with the two group 31 batteries under the center console, and a rigging tube directly to the port forward locker just below where the trolling motor mounts. The boat has a casting platform and chair forward with direct access to the trolling motor controls, very similar to what a bass boat has... Ideally for the C Dory 22, with its windage and size, you would be using a 36 volt trolling motor with thrust of 120#. The battery package can be lead acid @$450, AGM at $1200 or Lithium @ $3,000. The 36 volt battery charger is additional, as is a Yandina trollbridge. to allow charging from the 12 volt alternator of the outboard. (There is now a Li ion battery version.)
 
I've had substantial success with the 80 lb thrust autopilot saltwater Minn-Kota mounted on the front. I also earlier mounted an 80-lb thrust above the 90-hp Honda anti-ventilation plate on the stern. This was OK, but wouldn't point into much wind or tide very well. The main advantage of the rear mount was you didn't have to deploy it. It was always there when the motor was down. In hindsite, if I had it to do over, I'd get the autodeploy and cut the front rail so it could swing to stow. Crawling onto the front to deploy and stow isn't too bad, but when I'm older it may be.

Overall, I've had pretty good luck with the front motor. If there are large waves that rock the CD22 and bring the motor out of the water you probably will use your main motor anyway. It hasn't been as much of a problem as I thought it might be. Make sure and get the autopilot and "anchor" mode. I can just hit the anchor mode and stay right on the same spot and pointing upwind or up tide if there is slight to moderate wind or tide. No wind, no tide it kind of wanders a bit so you don't stay pointing in the same direction all the time. Great for eating lunch, or mooching for salmon or trout.

I can also get close to dock (that I have previously approached and saved the course), select the course into dock and it will take me right there while I wait outside the cabin with a line or hook. Not suggested with high wind or tide. Also, people get nervous when they don't see anyone at the cabin helm, so you might need to do some explaining. Usually, holding the remote so it is visible and looking like you are doing something with it reduces comments. I can move forward, backward, move the bow either way, and spin in a circle if I want.

One problem is that I have the bow motor mounted to the port side of the bow so I can use my anchor, which comes straight off the bow. This means I dock on the starboard side, otherwise, the bow motor might hit the dock. If I need to dock on the port side, I stow and don't use the bow motor.

It is absolutely fantastic to troll for salmon in salt or trout in lakes. I can go 1/2 mph if not too much wind or tide. Can't do that with the rear-mount one, only downwind or downtide. I need to use a bucket or sea anchor to go that slow with the main.

That about sums it up.
 
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