Trolling moter instead of windless

J

jkswor

New member
Has anyone put a minn kota trolling motor on their cdory instead of windless or anchor winch? I read they are more accurate for fishing than an anchor
Would one work up here in Alaska?
 
I have a Minn Kota Terrova 80 on the bow of my CD22. I agree it is a "game changer" for fishing as Spotlock will keep the boat directly over a GPS coordinate (and associated bottom location) where anchoring can drift with wind and tide. I'm upgrading to two 460 AH LiFePO4 batteries for just this purpose so I can sit on a spot for hours in the Straits of JdeF for halibut fishing with strong wind and tide. The only thing I would do differently at this point would be to get a longer shaft, since during big waves the current motor can sometimes come out of the water for a second or two. Not really a big deal I guess but irritating. Bonus: for salmon trolling you can follow a previous troll exactly at as little as 1/2 mph whereas you sometimes need to go fast just to get steerage with a stern motor. The CD22 really is bad for keeping a straight track with its flat bottom but tracks well with the bow motor. I can also use the bow motor when pulling into a dock as a bow thruster.
 
I can't tell you what thrust is best for your boat. Each trolling manufacturer has a formula for telling you what thrust to get for your length and weight. Mine is 130 lb thrust with a 108" shaft. It is powered by 3 65 amp hour lithium iron phosphate batteries rigged into boat's house side with a switch that converts the bank from series to parallel for either charging or discharging. I can sit in a very strong current for a little over two hours without moving a foot. I've sat on Sablefish spots for over 4 hours in the ocean and not run out of power but getting close.

There are a lot of factors that go into installing one of these systems. Between batteries, trolling motor, type of control, type of charge system, where to mount, etc. I have a few videos on youtube under my name you can check out as well. Installation isn't for the faint of heart. Easy, but takes about 30-40 hours for a whole system, depending on many factors.
 
A few years ago I thought about putting a trolling motor at the bow of my 22 Foot C-Dory Angler. I brought it to a dealer and was told that the bow wouldn't support the weight needed for a large trolling motor.
 
Tug":yf4dqnk5 said:
A few years ago I thought about putting a trolling motor at the bow of my 22 Foot C-Dory Angler. I brought it to a dealer and was told that the bow wouldn't support the weight needed for a large trolling motor.
Click to expand...

Well, I weigh 200 lb, so I suppose I shouldn't step on the bow either if it is that weak. I did reinforce my setup with a removable mount above and some Al bar stock underneath to spread the load from the bolts. The removable mount allows me to take it off and lock it inside the cabin. Mine has been going strong for about 10 years now. It seems very solid to me.
 
Tug":3dtr68gc said:
A few years ago I thought about putting a trolling motor at the bow of my 22 Foot C-Dory Angler. I brought it to a dealer and was told that the bow wouldn't support the weight needed for a large trolling motor.
Click to expand...

Find a different dealer!
 
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