Kayaking has garnered a lot of attention and attraction in this decade and it continues to for various reasons. There is a lot of upsurge in kayak fishing. Conventionally considered as an adventurous water sport, kayakers and even fishermen are using kayaks for fishing. No doubt about the swiftness, easy to load and unload gear and quirky designs that makes a perfect combination for fishing and relaxing.
You might find difficulty while paddling and catching fish. You definitely want to hold on to the first catch. Hence you need to keep your hands free from paddling. Kayak trolling motor can help you in efficient fishing experience.
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What’s a Kayak Trolling Motor
A Kayak trolling motor is an electric motor that can be either mounted on the stern or the side of the kayak. When you mount it on the kayak, you don’t need paddles to speed up the kayak. You just have to control the direction through the handle of the trolling motor. The speed can be controlled by the control box and electronic trolling motors do not create much noise. This also depends upon the thrust and what kind of trolling motor you prefer. Getting an old motor from the storage and fixing it on the kayak won’t necessarily help. Hence it essential to know what’s a Kayak Trolling Motor?
Buy a good, durable and antirust trolling motor. Ocean kayak fishing would require a different trolling motor because of the salt content in the water. Let’s check out what points to keep in mind before buying a kayak trolling motor.
Details to look for!
Before purchasing the trolling motor, look out for certain features that would give you best model for your kayak. Here are the points which you definitely should look for.
- Quality and brand- you might think of restricting your money over buying a motor, but I would suggest that you go for quality and branded motors. These motors give you durability and effective performance while fishing. Some motors are so well built that you can silently sneak into the water and catch a fish.
- Water- if you want to go fishing in the ocean or in saltwater, then you would require an anti-corrosion trolling motor. Simple trolling motors would rust and corrode in ocean. Hence choose the motor as per your preference of location and water. You will find anticorrosive motors in the market. They are marked as saltwater-rated models.
- Motor mounting- it is a prerequisite to have a good mount to hold your motor. If the mount is too weak to handle the weight of the motor then there would be a problem. Check for durable and strong mounts in the market.
- Dimension of the shaft- shaft of the motor is an elongated part that has a propeller fitted at the bottom. You can say that the shaft joins the motor mount and the power motor beneath. As kayaks do not go deep into the water like other boats, the shaft for kayak trolling motors should be short. If it is too long, then the propeller might hit the debris below the water. Normally a shaft should be 2-2 ½ ft in length.
- Thrust range – thrust of the motor helps the kayak to move in speed consistent with the length and weight of the kayak. Many kayakers have kayaks more than 10ft long and so the thrust for such kayaks has to be greater. If your kayak is long enough like 10ft and above, choose a model with a thrust of 50-60 lbs. If your kayak is shorter than 10ft., find a motor with 35-45 lbs thrust. You can even have high thrust models for quickness and speed.
- Powering your motor- it is a simple science that when you drive a high thrust motor, there would be high electricity consumed. You will need to power your motor sufficient to boost and maintain the speed of the motor. You can check the power consumption details while purchasing. But this could is a caution while using high thrust motors. Generally you would require 12v marine battery.
Following the above points, you would be in a better place to make decisions and buy wisely a kayak trolling motor for your kayak fishing.
Why should you buy a kayak trolling motor?
Wondering why to spend your pennies on the motor when you have your paddles with? Here are some advantages of the kayak trolling motor over the paddles that makes it a worth purchase.
Let’s dive in deep!
- Trolling motor gives you free hands to catch fishes. Of course, you don’t want to be paddling along with fishing bait in your hand. Imagine the level of mess it will create for you. Moreover, the fish will slip out of your hands. Trolling motors won’t ruin your fishing experience. It would sort the mess and give a pleasurable experience.
- Shhh! There’s a fish. Electric motors give the best performance by driving your kayak in silence so that you can catch the fish without distracting them with loud noise or by your paddling vibrations. You can lose the spot and the fish because of the vibrations created in the water.
- Free hands and silent catching give you an edge to have surplus fish in your grip. If you are in a fishing tournament, you can definitely win with the trolling motor. You can swiftly change directions and chase that one fish which you dreamt of.
- Imagine, paddling to a fishing spot, casting your fishing rod, catching the fish, changing direction with the paddles, and then paddling back to the shore. With such a hectic activity, you would be strained a lot. This strain can reduce your best catches. If you want to be less strained during fishing, trolling motors will help you.
- With less strain and free hands, you can apply those fishing tricks and techniques that would end up in making you a skilled fisherman. There’s plenty of time and energy at your deposition that you would surely become a trained one. You can defeat your competitors in tournaments and competitions.
Also read: Kayak Storage Ideas
These reasons make the trolling motors valuable and worthy of those pennies that you spend. Do not hesitate to buy a good one. But be wise while making the decisions. If not properly done, it will cost you and your kayak. You can search for best trolling motors on Amazon or in the stores near you.
Conclusion
I hope that you have got most of the information on kayak trolling motor. It has an upper edge on the paddles while fishing. Make your fishing experience the most memorable one whenever you go fishing. Buy a suitable motor; check the motor dimensions, and durability of the motor.
Last but not the least, check your safety while fishing and opt for best quality motors that would not cause any accidents.
If you have any queries regarding this article, do let me know in the comment section. Also if write to me if you have any DIY ideas on mounting the motor on the kayak. It would be appreciated. Thank you for your time. Do visit the site again.
