Topic: The Best Saltwater Trolling Motors of 2023 (Read 44 times)
previous topic - next topic
It's your post, so post it!
The Motorguide Xi3 is a great choice for kayak anglers looking to motorize their fishing kayak. The 36-inch shaft is the perfect size for a small boat, and 55 pounds of thrust moves the kayak faster than you can pedal or paddle. The big draw for the Xi3 is the remote control. Mount the motor on the bow and wirelessly control direction and speed. The Xi3 has many of the premium features of larger trolling motors, such as GPS control, virtual anchor, programmable routes, and autopilot.
Installation is easy, many kayaks are pre-rigged with threaded inserts in the bow and stern to install a standard trolling motor base. Simply bolt on the Xi3 base, plug into a 12-volt, deep-cycle marine battery, and you’re ready to go. The Xi3 has a large lever to make it easy to stow and deploy, even from the kayak seat. I can use the Xi3 with any of the best kayak fish finders to co*bine my transducer and trolling motor. To monitor motor functions and battery power, the Xi3 has an LED display, so I never run out of juice. Not only is the Xi3 perfect for maneuvering the kayak while I’m fishing, I use the motor to power to and from the fishing grounds. Having the power of an electric trolling motor makes me more confident and expands the horizons for my fishing kayak.
Everyone wants the convenience and control of the best trolling motors, even anglers in large sportfishing boats. To meet the need, Minn Kota’s Riptide Terrova is available with an 87-inch shaft and 112 pounds of thrust. That’s sufficient size and power for a boat over 25-feet long. Using a trolling motor on an offshore boat, I can hold the boat on structure, slow troll down a weedline, or repeat a programmed drift. The Terrova even serves as autopilot to take me back to a saved position. I gain further control of the motor’s features and functions from the fish finder screen, my smartphone, or with the handheld remote with a color touchscreen. On a big boat, I need to control the trolling motor from the helm and the cockpit. Using the Terrova’s integrated control, I can use the remote or my fish finder to run the motor. For offshore and inshore anglers looking for ultimate boat control, the Riptide Terrova offers the most advanced trolling motor features with a long shaft and high-power propulsion system.
Anglers powering a small skiff, jon boat, flat transom canoe or kayak need a transom mount trolling motor with a tiller drive. Newport Vessels NV trolling motor provides reliable power at a great price. Available with a 30 or 36-inch shaft and power from 33 to 86 pounds, there is an NV model to fit any small watercraft. The NV has five forward speeds and three reverse speeds with smooth transitions between settings. To monitor battery life, an LED display keeps track of the remaining power. The Newport Vessels NV is simple and inexpensive, but it is also durable with corrosion-resistant co*ponents and sturdy construction. Electric motors are lighter and safer than a small gas outboard, and the Newport Vessels NV is also less expensive and easier to operate.
The most accurate GPS available puts the Rhodan HD GPS Anchor within three feet of programmed coordinates. That means the GPS Anchor holds the boat in a specific position and follows programmed routes, and returns to an exact point. When I’m fishing a shipwreck or reef, and I mark fish on the fish finder, I want a saltwater trolling motor that returns the boat to the same spot time after time. The HD GPS Anchor operates like a traditional trolling motor, or it can be programmed to run in conjunction with the main motor in heavy seas and current. The HD GPS Anchor is easy to operate with a water-resistant, floating fob. Rhodan offers one model in three power levels, so they focus their engineering expertise on making the HD GPS Anchor one of the best saltwater trolling motors with GPS.
The first time I saw a trolling motor on a large center console boat, I was fishing a wreck 10 miles off Virginia Beach. As I was drifting across the wreck in my 20-foot center console, another boat pulled up and deployed a trolling motor. While I busily engaged my motor in forward and reverse to hold my boat over the wreck, the guy with the trolling motor pushed a button on a remote control, dropped his bait to the bottom, unwrapped a sandwich, and started eating. A trolling motor’s convenience and versatility are huge assets in almost all aspects of inshore and offshore fishing, but designing and building an electric motor for a marine environment is a huge challenge.
Saltwater trolling motors are stronger and tougher than freshwater trolling motors. To pull a large boat through rough water and strong current, an electric motor for saltwater needs up to 100 pounds of thrust. Thrust is the measurement of foot-pounds of force produced by the propeller. To determine the amount of thrust, consider the boat’s weight and dimensions. The rule of thumb is five pounds of thrust for every 200 pounds of boat weight.
A trolling motor shaft connects the head to the propeller. Big boats require a longer shaft to reach the water. Saltwater trolling motors are available with a shaft length up to 100 inches. To determine the best shaft length, measure the distance from the mounting surface to the boat’s waterline. Then, add the number of inches reco*mended by the trolling motor manufacturer to keep the propeller below the surface.
To power a heavy-duty trolling motor, you’ll need as much as 36 volts of electricity. That’s three of the best trolling motor batteries linked together. Before buying a trolling motor for saltwater, consider where you will store the batteries and how you will rig the wires.
Mixing metal and saltwater with electricity is a recipe for corrosion. To co*bat the elements, a saltwater trolling motor uses sacrificial anodes and waterproof connections. For a trolling motor to survive on the open sea, the shaft, head, and propeller must be capable of bouncing around in rough water without breaking or failing.
Saltwater trolling motors are stronger, bigger, and tougher to meet the challenges of a marine environment. To choose the best saltwater trolling motor for your boat, consider the thrust, size, and construction to match your needs.
Most saltwater boats aren’t designed for a trolling motor, so the first question is: where do I mount a saltwater trolling motor? There are three options for mounting a saltwater trolling motor. Smaller boats, skiffs, canoes, and kayaks can use a trolling motor mounted to the transom. Transom mount motors, such as the Newport Vessels NV in this review, are attached to the transom with a couple of c-clamps. Control direction, speed, and steering with a tiller. Transom-mounted trolling motors are best for traveling to and from the fishing grounds in a small boat or paddle craft.
Larger boats with an outboard motor use a bow-mounted trolling motor. The trolling motor base mounts to the bow deck, and the propeller hangs into the water. When you are using the main motor, stow the trolling motor. To maneuver around the fishing area and hold the boat in place, drop the motor’s propellor into the water. Bow mount trolling motors use a foot pedal or remote fob to control direction, speed, and motor functions. A trolling motor mounted on the bow is best for accurately positioning the boat in the fishing area, power drifting, slow trolling, and holding the boat in place.
Once you choose an electric trolling motor, you need to ask what is the best battery for a saltwater trolling motor. A more powerful trolling motor requires more battery power. Smaller motors with 55 pounds of thrust use a single 12-volt battery while a larger trolling motor with 100 foot-pounds of thrust needs 36 volts to run all day. Calculate the battery’s amp hours using the formula for the trolling motor’s power draw divided by the number of hours you plan to use the battery on a typical trip.
Trolling motors require deep-cycle marine batteries to run all day long. These batteries are available in lead-acid, flooded, absorbed glass mat and lithium base materials. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. Lithium iron are lightest with the best performance and the highest price tag. Lead acid batteries are less expensive, but they don’t last as long or recharge as efficiently. Performance, convenience, and reliability increase as the price increases.
Then, you’ll have to add a charging system and power bank to manage the batteries. After each trip, plug in the charger to top off the battery power.
With the weight and bulk of adding a trolling motor and multiple batteries to the boat, I reco*mend using the lightest, most powerful batteries with the simplest and most efficient power management system.
As the price of the trolling motor, batteries, charger, wires, cables, and installation start to add up, you’ll ask how much does the best saltwater trolling motor cost. The saltwater trolling motors in this review range in price from $179 to $3449. The wide price range reflects a wide range of features and performance. For less than $200, you can add a tiller-controlled trolling motor with a 30-inch shaft and 36 pounds of thrust.
At the upper end of the price range, you get a 120-thrust-pound motor with an 87-inch shaft. The expensive motor adds remote control, electronics integration, GPS connection, optimized power draw, and a long list of other features. If you are powering a small craft in sheltered waters, a simple trolling motor is easy to use and own. To add a full-size, full-featured electric motor to a large, offshore fishing boat, expect to pay top dollar for the best saltwater trolling motor.
Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and we’re now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, we’re trained journalists. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product works—or doesn’t.
Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. While we always focus our coverage on standout products—because we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gear—we also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product.
Saltwater trolling motors have co*e a long way in the past decade, and the Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra is the result of years of testing and improvement. Offering every feature and function available, including GPS connection, remote control, fish finder integration, and advanced power metering in a robust, corrosion resistant, reinforced, and sealed package. Minn Kota’s large, intuitive remote has a LCD screen to monitor the trolling motor’s functions. My favorite feature is the auto stow and deploy; I don’t have to leave the helm to drop or retrieve the trolling motor. Trolling motors are all about convenience and versatility, and the Riptide Ulterra has all the bells and whistles making it my top pick among the best saltwater trolling motors.
The post The Best Saltwater Trolling Motors of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.
Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.
[/html]