New to me 1994 Lowe L162 Bass Stryker aluminum stick steer John boat, trolling motor choice help

[Seafury]

Hello everyone.

 

So I recently acquired the above boat and can finally get off the bank in Gator country in SE South Carolina.

The boat came with an old pos (but functional) Edge 45lb 44" trolling motor with foot pedal.

 

The problem is with front stick steering and where I sit in the front there is barely room for this motor (it hits the dock when docking on the right side and is close to my throttle lever, cables also very much in my way) there is no flat floor for the foot pedal so it's super awkward to use sitting down and impossible standing up, and I detest these foot pedal controls and I want wireless remote with FULL ipilot.

 

Other concerns are I live in brackish water (but have no plans to put my boat in this crap but who knows) I also hate black electronics that live outside in the sun.

I am also not rich and trolling motors are a crazy rip off and seem to fail every year or so which has me VERY worried about investing all this money in them anyway, but I need it badly for my preferred fishing style.

 

I am leaning towards a Minn Kota Riptide Powerdrive 24v 70lb 54in shaft. 

For the power and the fact it's white (which also happens to match my white boat and white truck  )

I already have 2 12v 50ah Lifep04 batteries in a custom box for my fishing kayak NK 180 motor that I am not using in gator country.

This gives me 50ah 24v, or 100ah 12v (which I don't want)

 

My boat needs a roughly 35-40in shaft trolling motor, but no one seems to make an affordable saltwater ready full ipilot 24v 70lb motor that short.

My boat weighs about 700lbs without gear or people, and is just under 16ft.

I know I don't "need" a 70lb motor for this small light boat, but I fish mostly freshwater rivers here in SC and especially when I return home to VA in a year roughly. 

I mostly go out alone, but at times will have 1-3 passengers as the boat is rated for 5 people or 700 lbs.

So I want that extra power to spotlock in current and move against current, even when loaded up with weight.

 

What do you think of this motor choice?

Can the shaft be cut down without voiding the warranty on this overpriced thing?

Should I just suck it up and get the standard black freshwater version? (Which will also have to be cut down and is not available in 70lbs, and barely in 24v)

 

Not sure what to do here or why they don't make smaller shaft trolling motors except a very few.

 

Also from my research motorguide is out of the question, because their GPS spotlock is worthless from everything I have read, and I am often in very tight/narrow rivers and creeks so I need a tight GPS lock.

Both brands seem to be exceptionally unreliable regardless as far as not breaking down so...

 

This is roughly what my boat looks like except I have a different bow setup (motor starboard mounted with less flat surface and no rear flat table in front of the outboard.

 

 

Lastly, I am mostly a do-it-yourself guy so I don't want to pay to have anything done if it can be helped.

 

Please let me know what yall think or would recommend I do in this situation.