Cover More Water with the Best Trolling Motors

There are so many options for trolling motors, and we didn’t even discuss the transom-mount motors beyond the kicker. How do you pick the right trolling motor for you? There are several factors, ranging from budget to boat size. You can easily have too small of a trolling motor, but honestly, it’d be hard to have too much trolling motor for most boats. Looking at power, trolling motors with more thrust tend to run more efficiently at lower speeds. When you add in wind, waves and current, the larger trolling motors will help keep you going the way you want to go with less effort and input from you. Letting you focus on the fish. 

How do you pick the minimum amount of thrust for your boat? Start off with the weight. The rule of thumb I’ve seen most often is to use a minimum of 5lb. of trolling motor thrust for every 200lb. of your boat’s fully-loaded weight. This includes you and all of your gear, friends, family etc. that you will take in the boat with you. A 1,400lb. loaded fishing boat would require at least 35lbs.of thrust to just move the boat. That doesn’t include wind, waves and current, along with navigating and all the fun stuff you use a trolling motor for. I’d suggest 55lbs. or more. More is better, although it does require more juice.

The nest part is looking at the electronics you run in your boat. Do you want/need to integrate your fish finder/GPS system with your trolling motor? Then you need to check compatibility and the functionality of your trolling motor.  That’s a big reason why Lowrance and Garmin got into the trolling motor business.

Trolling is a simple idea, really. Basically, it means you’re going to use your boat and motor to cruise along at a slow pace while you have lines out with lures to cover a larger area of water. It is an extremely effective method for catching walleye, salmon, musky and other aggressive fish species.

To troll properly, you need the right equipment. Rods, lures, line and more is part of the equation, but there is much more to it. One of the most important elements to trolling is your motor, whether that is an electric trolling motor, or a gas-powered kicker motor.

Trolling helps you cover more water faster than by moving to spot-after-spot and casting. It also allows you to use the maximum amount of lines legal in your area. More lines means increased chances of connecting with fish. It also helps when targeting fish species that are actively looking for bait, such as when a school of walleye are on the move, or when targeting salmon in open water. Without the right motor, however, you’re going to run into issues.

There are several really strong reasons to set up a troll, and you simply cannot troll effectively without speed control.

Too slow and your baits will drag along with a horribly sluggish demeanor, but going too fast won’t do them any favors either. The key thing to keep in mind during a troll is you want to imitate natural bait. Done right, and you’ll trigger a predatory species’ instinctive response, meaning you’ll get a strike even if that fish isn’t active in a feeding pattern.

Optimal speed for trolling depends on the type of fish you are targeting and the bait you are presenting. For most species of freshwater fish, that is usually in the 2-2.1 mph range. This can jump up to 2.2 to even 3 mph depending on the size of the water you’re hitting. Great Lakes anglers trolling for salmon or trout usually are in the 3 mph range or slightly higher, depending on the weather and the time of year. The important thing to always keep in mind is to control the speed for the species and presentation.

Electronics are right there with the motor in importance to a successful troll. Good electronics allow you to monitor speed, depth and bottom contours, as well as, notify you of target fish and bait fish concentrations. If you’re serious about trolling, you’ll have a unit with GPS and mapping technology that will allow you to target specific areas, and structures.

Another area you don’t want to overlook with trolling and speed are the thermoclines within the body of water. Temperature affects fish and their metabolism in a major way. Fish often move with the changing water temperatures and will hang on the edges looking for food. Be prepared to adjust your speed accordingly when there is an increase or decrease in water temperature in the depth you’re trolling in.

Your electric trolling motor needs power that comes from deep-cycle batteries. Each battery is 12 volts, so if your trolling motor requires 24, or 36 volts, that tells you that you need 2-3 deep cycle batteries. As we covered in our guide to deep cycle batteries, they’re not all created equal. They also add to the weight of your boat, so factor that into your trolling motor selection. 

Many of the manufacturers are slowing switching to new Lithium Ion technology for deep cycle batteries. This is not a bad thing, other than the cost. A quality Lithium Ion battery will run well over $700, but it will last a long time, and it cuts the weight down by a huge margin. You can see savings of up to 50 pounds! If you’re running a 36volt trolling motor, you will want to bite the bullet and go with the higher cost, but lighter weight batteries. It’ll give you better performance when you’re on the water.