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When I bought my first used bass boat in the fall of 1996, it came with a foot-controlled, bow-mounted trolling motor with a whopping 43 pounds of thrust. It is a “12/24” model, capable of switching from operating from a deep-cycle battery to a supercharged mode that also used two batteries. This engineering marvel got stuck in even modest grass beds, and I learned how to transport and upgrade the guide wire, which had a habit of getting stuck and breaking. when he crashed into a shelter and once just collapsed while driving down the road.
Little did I know that 25 years later, my new trolling motor would have over a hundred pounds of thrust at my disposal, powered by 3 marine batteries. I would connect it to my electronic devices, add GPS and it could fly automatically. from one position to another or remain stable at a predetermined reference point. Additionally, I can equip it with various accessories, adding levers, cable covers, specialized prop nuts and aftermarket accessories, to its performance. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, today’s trolling motors are more durable than those of a generation ago. In the old days, if you hit a stump or even got stuck in the grass, the guide cables and shafts, as well as other internal parts, would break. With today’s build quality and removable brackets, you can stay trucking.
We live in a golden age where the efficiency of electric motors is lagging behind, and this is reinforced by the fact that we have four major players in this field. By the late 1990s, we were down to just two, MotorGuide and Minn Kota, but with the addition of exclusive products from Lowrance and those from leading electronics manufacturer Garmin, we now have an arms race of epic proportions to maintain. his boat in silence. Trolling motor power. There are rumors that a fifth competitor will participate in the festival this year or next. For now, here are the new or saltwater trolling motors.
Best Trolling Motors for Freshwater
Best Trolling Motors for Saltwater
Minn Kota’s Ultrex completely raised the bar in what was then a two-horse race when the company introduced the Ultrex in 2017. Anglers had utilized GPS functionality extensively for well over a decade before, but never before in seamless concert with their electric trolling motor. While the motor was made to “go,” perhaps the greatest innovation was the ability to stop and stay – with Spot-Lock, the motor could keep a boat fixed on a GPS coordinate, even in the teeth of strong winds or heavy currents. Today’s Ultrex models build upon that strong start, and come in multiple models—both 24 and 36-volt versions, requiring two and three batteries, respectively, and 45 and 52-inch shafts to account for different boats and fishing styles.
The I-Pilot feature, which can be controlled from a remote control or a telephone app, is a huge part of pro angler Keith Combs’ success. He prefers to fish offshore, and noted that he can retie or take care of other business and let the motor pull him to a preset waypoint unattended. When operated manually, the steering is remarkably smooth and can be locked so it stays in the predetermined position if you take your foot off of it. Combs said that when fishing a grass line, he’ll often use the “jog” feature, which moves him in 5-foot increments, allowing him to cover an area precisely and thoroughly.
In the past, interference caused by pushed or improperly fixed transducers resulted in imperfect or faulty electronic components, necessarily turning them into heavy clipboards; however, with built-in transducers that feature top-down and/or side-side imaging, the Ultrex offers maximum clarity. Humminbird is the only logo to offer 360-degree sonar generation as well as Mega Live frontal sonar, and Combs said he uses them in tandem, with the Ultrex as the base of operations. Some models have built-in Mega Down images.
This remote control trolling motor comes in 45-, 52- and 60-inch lengths, and both 24- and 32-volt systems which provide a maximum of 80 and 112 pounds of thrust, respectively. They come with a limited lifetime warranty on the shaft and a limited 3-year warranty on everything else. Minn Kota also makes a great trolling motor for kayaks.
Lowrance, a long-time leader in marine electronics, since its founder Darrell Lowrance brought the “Fish-Lo-K-Tor,” commonly known as the “little green box,” has gotten into the fishing motor game by troll with the Ghost freshwater troll. engine. Being their first trolling motor, they stated that it allowed them to build it from scratch, learning from the mistakes or omissions of their predecessors.
Clark Reehm, who fishes on the Tackle Warehouse Pro circuit and guides on Sam Rayburn Lake in Texas, said the highlight of his Ghost is the brushless motor, which allows it to be more energy efficient. “I can make my batteries last a lot longer during the day,” he said. “This allows me to look for fish that lie down for several more hours or that struggle with large, existing waves without having to worry about running out of power. “
He also likes that the motor doesn’t interfere with his 4 Lowrance HDS12 probes and pairs smoothly with them to maximize the use of his DownScan Imaging and Active Imaging technologies, with a minimal learning curve. That’s how he makes a living, but he says it’s a must-have for the weekend warrior who needs to get out on the water and start locating and catching fish right away. Finally, he said that it was durable and that the composite shaft came with a lifetime warranty if there is any explanation as to why the removable 360-degree bracket didn’t protect it.
Whether you’re left-handed or right-handed, the pedal can be set to make you as comfortable as possible, and motor purposes can be set in permutations, to place the ones you like best and make the most of where they are. maximum accessible.
The Ghost is available in 47-inch, 52- and 60-inch shaft lengths and 24- and 36-volt systems that deliver up to 97 and 120 pounds of thrust. Lowrance offers a limited lifetime warranty on the composite axle and a three-year limited warranty on the rest of the engine.
Just as Minn Kota/Humminbird were the first to bring the spot lock trolling motor feature to wide use, Garmin was the first brand to popularize forward-facing sonar, in the form of their Garmin Panoptix LiveScope system, and they paired it their proprietary Force trolling motor to get the most out of the technology.
Missouri bass pro Chad Morgenthaler said that “because of the brushless trolling motor, I get zero interference whether I’m looking forward or down.”
He also believes the predicted 100-pound increase is vastly underestimated. “I can’t pull it off, but it’s so much tougher than anything I’ve ever used. Even with my heavily loaded 21-foot Phoenix boat trolling with the engine wide open, I had it run up to 4. 1 miles per hour.
Garmin has excelled thanks to wireless technology. Not only does the trolling motor connect wirelessly to your plotter and offer built-in sonar capabilities, but the pedal can also work wirelessly (using AA batteries). It can also be stressful if a fisherman doesn’t accept this setup. Force comes with a waterproof floating remote control that can be custom-designed to offer a wide variety of features.
The Force combines perfect strength with world-class electronics to provide anglers with one of the most productive trolling engines. It is available in 50-inch and 57-inch shaft lengths. It comes with a 3-year warranty and a limited lifetime warranty for the tree.
MotorGuide, along with MinnKota, is one of two “legacy” trolling engine companies, and its Beast and Tour editions have ideally reigned supreme in some circles for decades. Today, it is the only one of the 4 big logos that is not directly related to an electronics express logo. In fact, their fame might lie in the fact that they work equally well with any electronic device the angler chooses, or with a variety of combination and fit.
Like the rest, MotorGuide Tour Pro offers features like anchor, crawl, heading lock, and cruise control, but they claim their GPS trolling navigation is 3x more accurate than the competition. For years, MotorGuide’s steel pedal has been popular for its durability. and precision, and they’ve continued that culture with a pedal steel that doesn’t flex. This is complemented by a 360-degree breakout formula and an oversized outer shaft that protects the inner composite upper.
In the past, many trolling motors were difficult to retract and deploy, leading to back pain and damage to the lifting ropes, but MotorGuide says its Zero-G lifting aid formula makes the procedure less complicated than the competition. The two-bladed Katana propeller is ideal for cutting through thick vegetation.
The MotorGuide Tour Pro comes with a 45-inch shaft in the 24- and 36-volt systems, which can achieve 82 and 109 pounds of thrust, respectively. It is compatible with other major sonar brands, so you can choose which one. that best suits you. The tree comes with a lifetime warranty.
With a push-button remote control for almost any and all trolling motor functions, the Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra is, in fact, hands-free. Key to the formula is the i-Pilot remote control with giant buttons and an easy-to-read demo tracking engine. Not only can I control the guidance and program the engine, but Ulterra offers automatic deployment and storage. I warn at the fishing spot, press a button on the remote control and the trolling motor. It automatically falls into the water. Then, without leaving the rudder, I can press some other button and the engine lifts up and folds securely. Thanks to the giant, easy-to-read remote control, I can also adjust the motor up and down to suit the water intensity and fishing conditions.
In shallow, overgrown water, I lift the propeller upwards into the water. When the waves and existence increase, I shrink the propeller deeper to get more strength and array. It also has i-Pilot built-in, which allows me to program the steering. speed and direction, and practically anchor the boat. The i-Pilot is best for programming a trolling direction or repeating a drift. The most popular feature, Spot-Lock, allows me to stop the boat and hold a position on a design piece or in the ideal position to cast a lure or fish as bait.
Rumors about an approaching Power Pole trolling motor began circulating several years ago. Still, the company delayed its public launch until early 2023 because it wanted to do a stress test. They subjected it to every conceivable rigor and hurdle before making it. public. This is typical of the company, which has built its reputation on state-of-the-art shallow-water anchoring systems, but has cemented its heritage through visitor service and over-engineering of its products. This new trolling motor lives up to that last heritage where you can crash into the waves, crash into stumps, run all day at top speed while still spinning.
There are two different models, the ZR and the PV, with a scissor lift and pivot mount, respectively, but that’s a major difference. They’re both made to be corrosion-resistant in fresh and saltwater and with various backup systems to guard against losing your ability to use the motor when you need it most. That starts with a titanium shaft (45, 52, or 60 inches) with an unconditional lifetime warranty and extends to the ultra-quiet brushless motor. Even the propeller is custom-made to be more efficient and weedless, and you can run the motor on 24 or 36 volts of battery power.
The Move has new technologies like a wireless foot pedal, wireless remote control, and wireless pedals. However, the real merit lies in the ability to pair them with sonars, especially the Lowrance and Simrad units. The ZR even has an optional built-in transducer for Lowrance units. The motor has an anchor mode, a vector mode, and a compass heading, but what’s most impressive is “Follow a Route,” which allows anglers to set a complex, winding direction ahead of time, and the motor to plot it perfectly.
The Motorguide Xi3 is a wonderful selection for kayak anglers looking to motorize their fishing kayak. The 36-inch shaft is the best length for a small boat and 55 pounds of thrust move the kayak faster than you can pedal or paddle. The big draw of the Xi3 is the remote controlArray’s mounting of the engine at the bow and wirelessly steering and speed. The Xi3 has many of the high-end features of larger trolling engines, such as the GPSArray virtual anchor, programmable routes, and autopilot.
Installation is straightforward, many kayaks come pre-equipped with threaded inserts at the bow and stern to install a popular trolling motor base. Simply screw on the Xi3 base, connect it to a 12-volt deep-cycle marine battery, and you’re good to go. . The Xi3 has a giant lever for easy handling and deployment, even from the seat of the kayak. I can use the Xi3 with any of the best fish detectors for kayaking to combine my transducer and trolling motor. To monitor motor functions and battery strength, the Xi3 has an LED display, so I never run out of power. Not only is the Xi3 more productive for maneuvering the kayak while I’m fishing, but I also use the motor to get to and from fishing spots. Having the strength of an electric motor trolling makes me feel more confident and broadens the horizons of my fishing kayak.
Everyone needs the comfort and most productive trolling motors, even anglers on giant sportfishing boats. To meet this need, Minn Kota’s Riptide Terrova is available with an 87-inch shaft and 112 pounds of thrust. That’s enough length and strength for a boat over 25 feet long. Using a trolling motor on an offshore boat, I can hold the boat in structure, slow down a trolling line, or repeat a programmed drift.
The Terrova even acts as an autopilot to return me to a stored position. I can learn more about the features and purposes of the motor from the fish finder screen, my smartphone, or with the handheld remote control with color touch screen. On a large boat, I have access to the trolling motor from the helm and cockpit. Thanks to the Terrova integrated kit, I can use the remote control or my fish finder to run the motor. For offshore and inshore anglers looking for the best boat, the Riptide Terrova offers the most complex features of the trolling motor. with a long shaft and a high-power propulsion system.
Anglers powering a small skiff, jon boat, canoe, or kayak with a flat transom need a transom-mounted trolling motor with a rudder. The Newport Vessels NV trolling motor provides reliable power at a wonderful price. Available with a 30- or 36-inch and 33 to 86 pounds of force, there is an NV style to be compatible with all small boats. The NV has five forward gears and 3 opposite gears with graceful transitions between setups. To monitor battery life, an LED display helps keep track of the remaining force. The Newport Vessels NV is undeniable and economical, but it’s also durable thanks to its corrosion-resistant parts and rugged construction. Electric motors are lighter and safer than a small gas-powered outboard, and the Newport Vessels N. V. is also less expensive and less difficult to use.
The most accurate GPS you can have places the Rhodan HD GPS anchor within 3 feet of the programmed coordinates. This means that the GPS anchor keeps the boat in a fast position, follows the programmed routes, and returns to a precise point. When I’m fishing off a wreck or reef and tagging a fish on the fish detector, I need a saltwater trolling motor that will return the boat to the same spot every time. The HD GPS anchor works like a classic trolling motor, or it can be programmed to run in conjunction with the main engine in rough and existing seas. The HD GPS anchor is easy to use with a waterproof floating keychain. Rhodan offers style in 3 levels of strength, so they concentrated their engineering expertise to create the HD GPS Anchor one of the highest performing GPS trolling motors.
Ultimately, opting for the highest performing trolling motor is a very personal decision that is based on several things, the two most important being the length of your boat and the length of your budget. When opting for a more powerful motor, you might also add some other battery, to bring that into the equation. Beyond those initial considerations, it can be helpful to acquire the logo that matches your marine electronics, to ensure compatibility and minimize interference. Remember, even though your overall reliability has increased especially in the last few years, when you upload more features, you upload more complications, so don’t hesitate.
Best Trolling Motors for Freshwater
Best Trolling Motors for Saltwater
Pete Robbins is one of Outdoor Life’s fishing trip and fishing equipment specialists. He has been writing extensively about the bass tournament scene for about two decades. Recently, it has expanded beyond this niche to include adventure and bluewater fishing.
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