Adjustable length trolling motors?

[pauldconyers]

Do they make adjustabke length trolling motors? I ask because my dad has a pontoon boat he'd like to have a trolling motor one from time to time and shortly I think I'm going to buy a small jon boat or a plastic 10 foot pond boat and I'd like to be able to use this new trolling motor I'd by on both a standard pontoon which obviously sits much higher and the second boat I'd buy. Just wanted to know if this were possible or if I'd have to shell out more money and buy two seperate unit or not. Thanks

[Way2slow]

Most are adjustable by raising the shaft up and down but the problem you are going to run into is the huge difference in the two boats deck height.  Most pontoons need a 60" shaft to get the TM deep enough in the water so it won't blow out every time it hits a wake.   When you raise that 60" up enough to keep it from being three feet deep in the water on a jon, the head is sticking up a a couple of feet in the air and totally in your way trying to cast.  The jon needs something more like a 42".  So, trying to switch the motor between the two boats would not be very practical.

[WRB]

What size is the pontoon boat?

you could also look into a kayak in lieu of a 10' John boat, better fishing platform, lighter weight.

The long shaft TM are usually 50", standard is 42" and they all can be adjusted up and down on the mounting bracket via clamp bolts.

Tom

[pauldconyers]

I can certainly measure the distance between the floor of the pontoon boat and the water level as we already have the boat. As for the second boat I don't have it yet and so I don't know what I actually will end up with so obviously I can't say what the distance will be. My question was more a general one so mentally I could think about whether or not it was practical to buy just one and move it from boat to boat when needed. I'm on a budget and just wanted to know if it was even feasible to do my original thought. It is sounding like an idea that in theory is good but in reality isn't very practical. Sigh, such is my life LOL

[WRB]

Just the brand and length of the photo on boat is all that is needed. Way2Slow said potions use 60" TM for a reason, the deck is high off the water and standard Jonboats have low transum, maybe 1' where the TM or OB is mounted. If the TM is transum mounted on the pontoon boat, then a standard 42" would work for both, using a extended tiller handle for the pontoon.

Tom

[Catt]

I have a 52" shaft on my 16' Alweld, when fishing shallow water marshes it's all the way up & presents no problems casting.

 

FYI: Jon boat transoms, short 15" & long 20"; outboard motors short (15") & long (20") shaft lengths.

[WIGuide]

Personally, I'd be looking at two different units. The reason being, is pontoons are like kites in the wind, if you plan of fishing out of them often at all, you need a pretty beefy tm unless planning on only fishing dead calm conditions. I wouldn't suggest anything under a 24V tm for a pontoon, where that would most likely be overkill for the john boat depending on size. 

[Al Wolbach]

18 hours ago, WIGuide said:

Personally, I'd be looking at two different units. The reason being, is pontoons are like kites in the wind, if you plan of fishing out of them often at all, you need a pretty beefy tm unless planning on only fishing dead calm conditions. I wouldn't suggest anything under a 24V tm for a pontoon, where that would most likely be overkill for the john boat depending on size. 

 

Agreed. And then you must consider 2 batteries for each boat( or moving batteries ) and then a battery charging system for each. This could balloon into an expensive project or you will get tired of moving batteries. No really easy/ cheap fix.

 

I used a 12 volt trolling motor(hand controlled) on a 20 ft pontoon boat and it was ok if not much wind and only used for short evening trips. I just wanted to fish and the bass boat was in the garage and pontoon was tied to our dock. I stopped because moving motor and battery from garage to dock became a pia. But it will work. That trolling motor was 45 lb thrust ( approximately )that I bought years ago for my sons zodiac.

 

You can make it work but you will have short fishing days and only in good weather or light winds.

[WRB]

On July 27, 2017 at 1:26 PM, Catt said:

I have a 52" shaft on my 16' Alweld, when fishing shallow water marshes it's all the way up & presents no problems casting.

 

FYI: Jon boat transoms, short 15" & long 20"; outboard motors short (15") & long (20") shaft lengths.

I used a 52" mounted on the bow of my 14' Lund, easier to steer a teller handle standing up or sitting down and have a 52" foot control TM on my Triton becuase of fishing in white caps at times.

Tom