Old Town Osprey trolling motor setup?

[jjmaine]

I've recently registered my Osprey and have decided to mount an electric trolling motor just to get me to and from good fishing spots quicker and easier.

I'm wondering if anyone can offer advice on a good size thrust motor and budget lithium battery? I'm looking at the 30 or 40lb thrust Minnkotas. The 30lb version has a 30" shaft length and the 40lb has a 36" shaft length. Should I just get the 40lb model to be safe? The price isn't that much difference and I can always use a lower speed to save battery.

On the battery (I definitely want lithium), do I need one with Bluetooth capability or will a regular model be fine? Anyone have experience with the Redodo batteries on Amazon? I've watched some good reviews but you never know who might be trading reviews for free batteries lol. Any other brands to check out? I'm also thinking 100ah? From what I can tell it'll be a good amount of power and with them weighing around 20-22lbs, I can put it on the opposite side of the canoe from the motor and it should offset the weight of the motor nicely.

I've ordered an Ascend motor mount from Bass Pro Shop but may end up making my own out of pressure treated if it doesn't work out well.

Any other advice is well appreciated as I've never used a motor on a canoe but think it'll add some value when I'm fishing. Thanks guys!

 

[Gamma1214]

I can't advise you about lithium batteries (I use lead/acid in the bass boat) and it's been years since I mounted a trolling motor to a canoe (We-no-nah Jensen 18). IIRC that motor was about 16 lbs thrust and the canoe moved about 2-3x faster than I could paddle it.

My aluminum bass boat moves really well with a 70# thrust motor.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that 30-40# on a canoe is serious overkill and you could probably save some cash by buying 1/2 of that (admittedly, you can run the 40 at lower speeds also).

You'll also need a good weed guard or you'll be raising the trolling motor continuously to pull weeds off of it (if Maine is anything like PA). I use a MossHawg but I don't thing Innovative Products is in business any more.

 

[dramey]

I highly recommend Redodo batteries. I have 2 300ah Redodo batteries in my motorhome.

 

[jjmaine]

Thanks guys! The only trolling motors local are the Minnkota at Walmart or the Endura Max 55lb thrust at dicks sporting goods for like $360.

At Walmart the 30lb model is only $159 and the 40lb is $219 so it looks like 30lbs will be more than plenty? I'm pretty light and the boat is light so I'd say all told, me, the boat, fishing gear and the motor/battery will all be less than 300lbs. I'm happy to save some cash and just get the cheaper 30lb thrust. I also want to buy it local to avoid potential shipping damage and also if I get a dud I can drive up the street and exchange it lol.

That's good to hear Dramey! I ordered a 12v 100ah redodo so that should give me plenty of time on the water with a small trolling motor.

 

[jjmaine]

I wish those electric outboards weren't so expensive. The equivalent of a 3hp gas outboard in a small package and no external wires or batteries to bring (the battery stays on the outboard). Looks awesome but I'm not spending $1500+ on one as nice as it would be lol