Transom monted trolling motor

I have a 84 trihull I bought for a fishing / family boat. I want to stay away from mounting a bracket on the bow, as there is know access to bolt it on, most likley filled with foam. I have a transom mnt trolling motor wich I could use but I'm not sure how much control I would have.
If I did go to the bow I have a motor that has the bracket and a long enough shaft. looking for suggestions on mounting. want to be able to take it off easily for family outings.
Thanks

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

Your local hardward store has just what you need to install a bow mount motor. If you want it easily removable, use any of the quick release plates. These are two pieces that interlock. One is fastened to the boat, the other to the motor. You need four blind nuts which come in many flavors but the ones you are looking for are a rubber tube with a threaded nut molded into one end. The other end has a flange on top. You drill a hole, one for each mounting bolt, the exact diameter of the tube. You push the blind nut into the hole until the flange rests on the deck. Position the plate on the flange, insert the long bolts, and tighten them up. As you tighten the bolt, the molded nut expands the rubber tube creating a very sanitary installation. The best part is that motor is isolated from the boat. The kits are available here on iBoats, Cabela's and most other marine equipment suppliers.

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

I believe Silvertip is refering to "well nuts". They require ½" hole and work great. Just be sure to re-tighten them after the first few trips.

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

I started out "trolling" with a transom mount. It pushed the boat rather than pulled it. Now that might not mean much to you but when you are talking about the power delivered by a trolling motor vs an outboard it's night and day.

Not only is the main engine a hindrance (skeg in the water) but the boat is a sail and the bow will want to go in the direction the wind is pushing it, not the direction the motor is pushing (attempting to push) it. Any side wind against the boat will raise havoc with steerability from the motor.

Also when you push, you have to push the stern around to get lined up in the new direction. Again, with the things mentioned, sometimes this is impossible. BTDT

With the bow mount you just pull it around and the main engine's skeg helps to stabilize and steer the boat. Any side wind helps to align the boat in the new direction.

I wouldn't do it......but that's my preference.

Mark

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

they newer motor guides are easily removeable, and have a cover plate, that covers the mounting plate. i bought on of the new wireless controls and love it. i use the key fob controller, so there is nothing on the floor to trip over, and i can move anywhere in the boat.

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

So I just received my Cabella's fishing tackle catalog, broused it during breakfast and in the back I see this boat that is called a "backtroller" made specifically for the popular sport of backtrolling.

I have heard of it but never saw it done down here. Seems it is popular up north. I guess they troll for Walleye and Pike.

Anyway in this rig, the motor is transom mounted but the boat is pulled in reverse.....hence the motor is doing the pulling just as in a bow mount.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT the problem is that you still have the interference problems with the main drive engine and you are backing up. Any wave action from the rear or any obstruction struck is big time trouble. The waves can come over the stern and the motors can't kick up as in forward travel.

Any pressure against the lower unit is transmitted directly to the transom and will/can either break the engine or the transom.

Mark

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

Serious backtrollers install "wave whackers" which are generally made of plastic, cover the dropped area of the transom, and have rubber or neoprene extensions that seal up the gap between the whacker and the engine. The rear facing lip at the top of the whacker deflects waves however you can still get wet when the surfs up. The reason one backtrolls is that you can move much slower which is essential when the water conditions and "bite" require.

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

Well thanks Silver. That answers one question I had. I thought it was because you could troll a boat load of people easier.

But there are slow down devices available which would do the same thing. (I still think backing up is risky from a damage standpoint.)

Does river current have anything to do with it?

Mark

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

Backtrolling with bigger walleye style boats is usually done with a small gas kicker, and one usually tilts the big motor so damaging it is not likely. Dragging a drift sock is a slowing option but its a pain in the rear and just something else in the water to worry about. If you have to worry about damaging a motor when backtrolling, you likely have to worry about going forward as well. You would likely not be backtrolling in a stump field, shallow river, or a rock filled bay. As for transom mounted electric trollers, they are used for trolling much like a bow mount would. If you have a tiller engine, you will likely want a transom mount troller for the convenience. If you fish alone in a smaller boat (tiller) you would likely want a transom mount and would likely back troll to avoid wind constantly spinning the bow around. If you've ever been alone in a canoe on a windy day with a cross wind, you'll understand the consequences as you are riding in a weather vane which will point you in the wind direction unless you paddle in the front. In a nutshell, transom mounted trollers can do everything a bow mount can. It's just that a bow mount is a far better solution for control purposes moving forward. Transom mounts are more effective for moving backwards. Whether you move forward or backward when fishing is a matter of technique.

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

"If you fish alone in a smaller boat (tiller) you would likely want a transom mount and would likely back troll to avoid wind constantly spinning the bow around. If you've ever been alone in a canoe on a windy day with a cross wind, you'll understand the consequences as you are riding in a weather vane which will point you in the wind direction unless you paddle in the front."

This is exactly my point.....not enough power to push you around....needs to pull the boat.

But I can understand the convenience of the transom mount and tiller handle OB. BTDT

Mark

Re: Transom monted trolling motor

I know operating a motor backing up bothers you but you are reading too much into backtrolling and equating it to an electric stern mount troller. A stern mount electric troller is used in exactly the same fashion and for exactly the same reasons a bow mount would. Up here you find them on row boats along side 5, 7.5, 9.9 and 15 HP resort boats all the way up to 19 - 20 foot Warriors, Lunds, etc. As a vacationer, a person may fish a great deal but prefers to rent a boat rather than own one. He owns his troller however which happens to be a stern mount. It's a matter of convenience and the boat goes backwards instead of forward if you prefer to backtroll using the electric but for sure you may have controllability issues attempting to go forward on a windy day. Backtrolling with a gas engine takes on a whole 'nuther meaning. Serious console steered backtrolling rigs can have the small and large engines tied together so the helm controls both engines. There are some quite large tiller steered boats up here, which use high HP main outboards and small kickers. It's a convenience thing since the operator doesn't have to leave his/her seat. The small gas kicker also works well for drift fishing. You dift over your spot with the kicker idling. Move back upstream/upwind and repeat the run. What you use and how you use it is all in the area you fish, what you fish for, and how you fish for it.