Boat Trouble no fishing for months

[BassCats]

I had a Terrova with spot lock on my boat. twice since owning it a wakeboard boat would fly by me while I was cruising down lake and the wake would hit so hard that the trolling motor would would unlatch and go into lake. When this happened I would kill the engine but the forward momentum still bent the shaft to pieces. The first time this was under warranty. The last time happened last month and is out of warranty. Not only that but the last time the control module and head of the motor broke off as well. It will cost more to repair the motor than to replace it. Since I want to have lowrance electronics I am not without a trolling motor until the lowarance ghost comes out. They have moved the date from October to December release now. So I have tried to go fishing without a trolling motor using my anchor but it is not the same. So until the new trolling motor comes out and I can get it installed I am lost. The worst part is that the dealer told me that if I had added a secure holder for the trolling motor like you see on pro walley boats or pro bass boats that it would void the warranty. 

[TnRiver46]

And this is why i dont have nice things. Hope you get back out soon, i paddled my 18.5 foot center console around this weekend as i forgot to charge the trolling batteries and was camping on an island. Anchoring/paddling is still 100,000 times better than not fishing. 

[Way north bass guy]

How does this even happen? I’ve had a Terrova on my boat for five years now and never once even thought about it “unlatching” and coming off, and I fish the Great Lakes a lot in big waves. Was it not bolted to the bow?

[Hower08]

Improper installation? For something to come off twice that should not come off at all I'm confused and this is not something that you really ever hear about happening 

[redmexican5081]

It sounds like it went from being stowed on the deck to deployed when he hit a large wake cruising down the lake.  If that is the case, I would assume the depth collar was not slid down the shaft and tightened against the lift assist housing to prevent accidental deployment as is recommended in the owners manual.  We are all in a rush to get to the next fishing spot but the 5 extra seconds it takes to secure your items might have saved you thousands of dollars.

[Jaderose]

Were you running with your TM deployed?

 

[TnRiver46]

17 hours ago, Jaderose said:

Were you running with your TM deployed?

 

It deployed while he was running. Ive heard of it happening going down the highway too 

[Jaderose]

Bummer  Mine locks down.  I thought they all did.

[TheRodFather]

This happened to me once.  I have a powerdrive, I hit a couple wakes and I could see it starting to go, I cut power in time and nothing got bent.  I hasn't happened again, maybe I didn't have it locked in fully.

 

A brace to keep the TH head from bouncing while trailering and running up/down lake is on my short list of fabrication projects.  The brace will be a secondary protection from accidental deployment too.

[Pfisher]

They are 100% wrong about the secure holder.  Minnkota actually makes one.