A Couple Of Thoughts And Questions About Jon Boats And Trolling Motors If Like To Ask About

[airborne_angler]

So I have a 12 ft Gamefisher Jon boat. I currently have a Minn Kota Endurance 50(55# thrust) transom mounted trolling motor with the battery mounted in the compartment right below the TM. I don't have a gas motor,only the TM.

I fish alone alot and I feel there's just too much weight focused in that back area where I sit to control the boat.

Today at the swapmeet I picked up a Minn Kota Powerdrive 40 foot operated TM for $125.

Couple of questions concerning this unit.

1. Anyone think I overspent on this unit?

2.Can anyone give me any kind of ideas or suggestions on how to modify or fab something up,so I can mount this on the front of my boat?

3.If I can get this fabbed up and mounted,is there a learning curve on figuring out how to operate and control the boat with your foot?

[slonezp]

The powerdrive is electric steer not cable steer. It doesn't have the instant response a cable steer unit has and takes a little more thinking (at least for me) to get used to. As far as mounting it can we get some pics of the boat? It will be easier to make suggestions.

[BassHunter954]

i owned a load of jon boats and i always used it vice versa if tm in back battery in front you can extend the wiring for quick connect an run threw the ridges of the hull along the side threw the benches and just fab a lightweight cast deck in front with thin ply an cover it in rustoleum oil base paint thick with brush then carpet it with marine carpet home depot always has it in the rug department but in the defected carpet area meaning they cant sell it cause its been cut already or light stretches in it but just my thought thats whats im in process of doing to my jon but im adding a step shallow board above motor in back for shallow shallow waters.

[Wayne P.]

Just make a small deck at the bow to mount the trolling motor on. I used aluminum on my last jon boat. The previous ones had plywood decks. It will give you a place to mount electronics also.

A bow mounted motor pulling the boat will give you more control than a transom mounted motor pushing the boat.

Extending the motor power wires to the battery at the transom will give you somewhat of an offset weight distribution. I used the hull ridges for that path also.

[quanjig]

That's how I have my Johnny set up Wayne. How much for the TM??!! JK!! Those things last forever!

[FD.]

I had a skeg (made out of plywood) mounted to the transom using c-clamps. This made the stern follow the bow better particularly in the wind with a bow mounted TM. Leave the battery in the stern and extend the cables to keep the boat balanced.