Are modern Troll Motors 'better?'

[livemusic]

Anyone know... is there a general certain size that requires a 36v system?

And a 36v system, does it, literally, require 3 12-v batteries to run or do you just have 3 batteries instead of 2 for adding run-time?

[slonezp]

3 batteries wired in series

["hamma"]

live,.... theres a spotlock button on the footpedal that utilizes gps to keep you on a certain spot, wind may move the back of the boat around, but the nose should be within 10 or 20 feet of the spot locked. As far as size of motor?  i learned the hard way,...get the strongest you can  (unfortunately i can only fit 2 batteries in that compartment)

[Kevin22]

23 hours ago, livemusic said:

Anyone know... is there a general certain size that requires a 36v system?

And a 36v system, does it, literally, require 3 12-v batteries to run or do you just have 3 batteries instead of 2 for adding run-time?

3 batteries, runs on 36 volts. You will probably also need to upgrade wiring if going from 12v to 36v. 36v takes 8 gauge minimum. 

[Further North]

On 3/9/2016 at 7:55 PM, livemusic said:

Let me ask... let's say I come up a tree in the water and I catch one and want to stay right there, in that orientation. Can I have it hold that, and how do I do that? Foot switch or what? Will it hold that spot, with the nose pointed in the same compass direction until I click it off? Somewhat of an anchor feature.

Spot Lock will keep you in position...but the bow will orient into the wind and/or the current.  I've found that if I think this out ahead of time, it's not a problem as I come up on the structure from a place that will allow me to do what you describe.

 

On 3/9/2016 at 7:55 PM, livemusic said:

Edit: 2nd question:  I often fished scattered trees and Mother Nature does not make all of that a cast away. Some tempt you to crank the big motor and go, and some, you have to do that; it would just take too long to troll over. But... it makes me want to get the fastest troll motor I can get, so I can get there faster. Is there a limit for the size of the boat? It seems not.

I run a 36 volt, 101 lb thrust trolling motor on an 18 1/2 ft. boat.  Lots of folks will say all I "need" is an 80 lb., thrust 24 volt trolling motor. It wouldn't work for me...

You're only limited by how much storage space you are willing to give up for the batteries and charger(s).

I'm adding a 5th battery and single bank Minn Kota charger this year so I can isolate my starting battery from my electronics battery...I have the room, and it's worth it to me.

[Further North]

On 3/9/2016 at 2:31 PM, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

live,.... theres a spotlock button on the footpedal that utilizes gps to keep you on a certain spot, wind may move the back of the boat around, but the nose should be within 10 or 20 feet of the spot locked. As far as size of motor?  i learned the hard way,...get the strongest you can  (unfortunately i can only fit 2 batteries in that compartment)

I had that problem on a Lund I had - I put two batteries in one compartment and carved out space for the 3rd in another.  The wiring was..."interesting"...but it worked great.

BTW, there is only a Spot Lock button on the foot pedal of the Ulterra.

On 3/9/2016 at 0:02 PM, livemusic said:

Anyone know... is there a general certain size that requires a 36v system?

Not really.  As I mentioned above. lots of folks are happy with a 24 volt system on boats the size of mine...I'm not.  I have never, ever, been unhappy I had the extra power and battery life.

[livemusic]

14 hours ago, Further North said:

Spot Lock will keep you in position...but the bow will orient into the wind and/or the current.  I've found that if I think this out ahead of time, it's not a problem as I come up on the structure from a place that will allow me to do what you describe.

 

I run a 36 volt, 101 lb thrust trolling motor on an 18 1/2 ft. boat.  Lots of folks will say all I "need" is an 80 lb., thrust 24 volt trolling motor. It wouldn't work for me...

You're only limited by how much storage space you are willing to give up for the batteries and charger(s).

I'm adding a 5th battery and single bank Minn Kota charger this year so I can isolate my starting battery from my electronics battery...I have the room, and it's worth it to me.

I don't understand why your 5th? You have 3 for your troll motor and one to crank, or what is the other one for, do you have one for fishfinder? That doesn't require much power does it? Or is it fishfinder plus everything but crank and troll?

[Further North]

On 3/11/2016 at 5:52 AM, livemusic said:

I don't understand why your 5th? You have 3 for your troll motor and one to crank, or what is the other one for, do you have one for fishfinder? That doesn't require much power does it? Or is it fishfinder plus everything but crank and troll?

Right now, I have three for my trolling motor, one that does double duty as my cranking battery and my electronics battery.

I want to separate those two batteries as a redundancy - I am often on lakes (Lake of the Woods, for instance) where I am both a long way from camp and a long way from any help...with my electronics potentially draining my starting battery I run a risk of not being able to start the big motor to get back to camp.

This actually happened last year - I had a short develop (it was fine one day, bad the next) in a charging cable for a remote that drained the battery to where the big motor would not start...it was a long ride back to the camp on the trolling motor - about 5 miles (another good reason for the extra capacity of the 36 volt trolling motor)...so now I want to separate them.  I have the room and it's it's the redundancy up solution for me.

[livemusic]

In my 17' (EDIT:  Tracker aluminum) boat, if there is wind and a pretty good chop, the ride is not very good and the bow takes a beating. Let's say I bought a high end troll motor like an Ulterra. Do you think that motor could be secured such that it would survive for very long without tearing out of its bow mounts? That is one heckuva pounding on the bow in a chop. I don't like to fish wind much but sometimes I do and sometimes it comes up after I start the day!

[junyer357]

 

1 hour ago, livemusic said:

In my 17' boat, if there is wind and a pretty good chop, the ride is not very good and the bow takes a beating. Let's say I bought a high end troll motor like an Ulterra. Do you think that motor could be secured such that it would survive for very long without tearing out of its bow mounts? That is one heckuva pounding on the bow in a chop. I don't like to fish wind much but sometimes I do and sometimes it comes up after I start the day!

Not sure if you have a fiberglass or aluminum boat but what i did when installing our new fortrex should work. I used 4 3/8"  bolts on ours got them plenty long to go through bracket and boat. A small flat washer under bolt head on top, and the widest fender washer i could find in 3/8", with a teflon locking nut.  Alll the hardware is stainless steel, except for the fender washers. I felt they would be ok since i couldnt find any in stainless, and would be inside the hull.  It only cost about a dollar more to use stainless over standard bolts, so why not on something that will be on water.