Electric Fishing trolling Outboard Tips
One of the most useful pieces of equipment on any boat is an electric fishing trolling outboard. Although they can be used to troll with, their main purpose is for boat positioning, or for working structure.
Size
When looking to buy an electric fishing trolling outboard, there are a couple of things to consider. The first of which is size/power. You will want to ensure that your electric fishing trolling outboard is not undersized... oversized in this case would be better.
Keep in mind that fiberglass boats are heavier than aluminium. Therefore on a typical 17' ½ foot fibreglass boat, an electric fishing trolling outboard with 60 lbs of thrust (or more) would be ideal - but for a 17' ½ foot aluminum boat, 50 lbs of thrust (or more) would do.
Some other factors to consider when deciding on which size electric fishing trolling outboard would be best, would be to consider the type of fishing' 'angling you will be doing. If you are using your fishing trolling outboard in river conditions with heavy current - or in tidal conditions or heavy wind conditions, you will want a strong fishing trolling outboard in order to fight the current.
Shaft Length
Another very important feature to consider is the length of your shaft on your electric fishing trolling outboard. If your shaft length is to short, as soon as you coming upon some wind and wavy conditions, your prop will be constantly bouncing in and out of the water, with each wave. (assuming your electric motor is a bow mount)
Not only is this bad for your fishing trolling motor (i.e. it is not recommended that your electric motor be operated out of eater) but you will also be loosing boat control. An fishing trolling outboard with a longer shaft may be more cumbersome to lift & retrieve, but it sure does have many rewards.
How high the bow of your boat will be above water, must also be taken into account. The bow of a bass boat will sit very close to the water, so a shorter shaft size on your fishing trolling outboard may be o.k. Where as a "deep V" boat, like a walleye boat, will sit higher on the water and a long shafted electric fishing trolling outboard is almost crucial.
Power
If you have a choice between a 24 volt and 12 volt electric fishing trolling outboard, the edge should always go to the 24 volt model. The difference between the 2 models is that the 12 volt model will use 1 deep cycle battery, whereas the 24 volt model will use 2 deep cycle batteries.
The biggest advantage of a 24 volt electric fishing trolling outboard besides offering more power, is the simple fact that it will last at least twice as long. There's nothing more frustrating than running out of electric power half way through your day of fishing... especially if you are fishing a tournament!
Until next time, good fortune and good fishing!
