Another trip to Rockport with new steering pedals

[lovetofish]

Went to Rockport this past Thursday and upon arriving the air temp was a 36 degrees. Summer temps are history now. I launched around 7:30 and fished until 11:00. I just used white and pumpkin colored jigs tipped with a worm at about 15 to 20 feet in 40 to 50 ft of water. I marked huge masses of perch and would get a bite every time through. They are masters at taking a worm off without getting hooked. I caught 9 perch and one Rainbow about 14 inches.

 The main reason I went was to tryout a foot pedal system that I just added to my Sea Eagle pontoon boat. I'm happy to say it worked out very well. Now I can steer the boat without having to always reach around and use the steering handle. Before when I would get a fish on and started reeling it in the boat would always turn in the direction that I was reeling on. Having another pole out the other side of the boat the line would start to cross over the electric trolling motor thus always having to try to turn around and turn the motor to straighten the boat while trying to reel a fish in. Royal pain in the butt.  

This what I've done. I added to 'Eye bolts' to the motor with springs attached. The springs always turn the motor back to center after making a steering change with my feet. Each Eye bolt has a cable that runs to the foot pedals and allows me to steer while reeling in a fish. Works great. 

[SilverSlimer]

Pretty slick, thats some good engineering!

[wiperhunter2]

Nice setup on the steering, I bet that makes a huge difference. Too bad the catching wasn't better but catching those crappie is cool.

[jjannie]

Nice engineering! Have you ever thought about just extending the control handle like Tubedude has shown on his tube and steering by hand? 

Good to hear you were seeing some perch schools so hopefully that's a good sign for ice fishing later this winter.

[Gone Forever]

Went to Rockport this past Thursday and upon arriving the air temp was a 36 degrees. Summer temps are history now. I launched around 7:30 and fished until 11:00. I just used white and pumpkin colored jigs tipped with a worm at about 15 to 20 feet in 40 to 50 ft of water. I marked huge masses of perch and would get a bite every time through. They are masters at taking a worm off without getting hooked. I caught 9 perch and one Rainbow about 14 inches.

 The main reason I went was to tryout a foot pedal system that I just added to my Sea Eagle pontoon boat. I'm happy to say it worked out very well. Now I can steer the boat without having to always reach around and use the steering handle. Before when I would get a fish on and started reeling it in the boat would always turn in the direction that I was reeling on. Having another pole out the other side of the boat the line would start to cross over the electric trolling motor thus always having to try to turn around and turn the motor to straighten the boat while trying to reel a fish in. Royal pain in the butt.  

This what I've done. I added to 'Eye bolts' to the motor with springs attached. The springs always turn the motor back to center after making a steering change with my feet. Each Eye bolt has a cable that runs to the foot pedals and allows me to steer while reeling in a fish. Works great. 

Genius. Howard Wolowitz would approve.  Simple, effective and cheap. 
I've got a couple of questions, if you don't mind.  Where did you get the part that clamps to the shaft of the motor that the eye bolts screw into? 
Did you make them by drilling and tapping a product meant for something else or is it available? 
Did you get the springs local?
What size is the cable and how hard was it to swage them?
I would like to attempt something like this on my kayak.  It's a big Old Town Loon, 2 person and I want to power it.  This would be nice for the steering.  The last time I powered a kayak I had a single arm off the motor and a piece of thin PVC coming forward I could push or pull and I had put installed a potentiometer next to me to control speed.  I like the pedal set up and they have them for Kayaks but you can't blend them with motors, they are meant for rudders.

[lovetofish]

Just do some searching on YouTube. That's where I got all my info from and then made design changes to fit my boat. Almost all of the ideas were from people doing it to their kayaks. I bought most of the material I needed from Lowes especially the springs. The clamps that fit on the motor shaft are 2 pipe hangers. You just use the side that has the nipple (that's why you have to buy two) that the eye bolts screw into. Also, you have to (while lying flat on cement, nipple up) hit the part with the nipple to spread it out a little to fit the motor shaft but not too much.

If you need more help just let me know and I'll try to help you.