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Electric Motor on Pontoon, Questions
#1
I am thinking about getting an electric motor for my pontoon, I am thinking about getting a minn kota endura 30 pound thrust. This should be enough to troll with shouldn't it, and how long will a battery last if the motor is used to troll with all day? I saw a guy in an aluminum boat yesterday with a 30 lb thrust motor and he said he can troll all day long without running out of power. So another question would be, what is a good deep cycle battery to use. Thanks
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#2
[cool][#0000ff]There are different opinions on the size motor to put on a pontoon. Most toons are fitted with 30 pound Minnkotas. They are the least expensive and they do a fairly good job of moving you around. Quite a few guys use a 36 pound, especially if they wanna do fast trolling for wipers. And, more than a few of them wish they had spend the extra bucks for a 46 pound.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are different power settings on the trolling motors. Obviously, the higher you run them the faster they drain the battery. A 30# thrust, on a light craft can run at half speed all day on an average battery, and maintain a trolling speed good enough for trout. However, if you run it wide open, to troll over 2 mph for wipers, you will be out of juice a lot faster.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have heard it said that it is more efficient to run a larger thrust motor at lower power than a smaller motor at high power. In terms of energy use efficiency, that makes sense.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you want a great deal on the ideal battery for running an electric on a toon, PM me. I bought a brand new Decka DC-31 DT, 225 amp deep cycle at a killer price. They are usually about $150. I got mine for $85 plus tax. It's yours for what I paid for it if you want it. They are better than the Trojans. Since I sold my toon before I put a motor on it, I no longer need the battery.[/#0000ff]
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#3
I have a #30 Minn Kota. That's probably all you will need. With mine and my basic deep cycle battery(A Trojan SCS150, this will be it's 5th). Last year, I could troll all day (even for wipers) on my pontoon. I could also use it almost all day on my 16 foot aluminum boat - but it wouldn't maintain the same speed as it did on my toon. I expect I will have to retire the battery one of these days and invest in a new one. Although, I have had great service from the Trojan, I will look at some of the newer ones before I buy another.

I am not sure how much difference there is in the batteries themselves, but a little reseach might be a good idea for you.

Actually, TubeDude's battery sounds like a good deal, you should really check it out.
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#4
I have been using the 30 minn kota for years, and at times I think even on one I am going too fast. I can get two to three days out of the large Marine Deep cycle, but I do stop and either kick real slow or anchor for deep nymphing and I don't run any higher than one. You run the motor on 3 to 5 you might get a half day or so.
I also use my oars to get to the spot I want to fish.
My Brother in-law has the next size up motor and we don't see any difference. The props are the same size. He is a real big boy however, that is why he went with the bigger one.
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#5
How do you guys steer your motors while trolling. I think a 30 pound thrust would be just right for me.
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#6
I can't find a link right now, but EvilAsh re-wired his trolling motor to a control pad on his pontoon. Pretty slick. Send him a P.M. and he could probably give you some ideas. There are also extention handles available for the trolling motors. I am in the process of motorizing my pontoon, so I am a little curious myself how to steer the best way. I figure I'd just trial and error my way through it and see what works for me. Also, from what I understand, most folks turn the prop around on the trolling motor so it pulles you backward (like rowing). Didn't know if you were aware. Good luck!
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#7
[black][size 3]I don't know what kind of toon you have or what you plan as far as customizing it might be, but there are a couple of ways to accomplish trolling with your motorized toon.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3] [/size][/black]
[black][size 3]First, my pontoon is very customized. I have rod holders on my toon that I use while trolling. My seat swivels and I just steer the motor with my left hand and watch my rod(s) in the rod holders for hits - just like I do with my aluminum boat. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3] [/size][/black]
[black][size 3]If there is no wind, I can tighten down the neck screw on the motor so that it won't turn off course, but that is only if I have a specific direction to travel that does not entail any turns(that is rare, because I almost always like to turn while I troll). [/size][/black]
[black][size 3] [/size][/black]
[black][size 3]I also have one setup where I mount my motor on the front of my toon(my customization is very versatile). For ease of steering, this entails that I loosen the control head of the trolling motor and rotate it so that the handle is positioned in the opposite direction. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3] [/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Tracking in a straight line and maneuvering is easier when the motor is mounted on the front, as well as handling in windy conditions, but, when I do that, my fishing suffers a little bit because the motor is right where I like to play the fish. Front motor mounting can also be a hindrance if I am using fins.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3] [/size][/black]
[black][size 3]One option I designed and tested that worked great with the rear transom mounted motor, was a foot operated rope and pulley system so I could steer with my feet(with or without fins), that left my hands free for casting and catching fish. But, I shelved that idea after I took the swivel seat mount from my aluminum boat and mounted it on my pontoon. Now I can operate my pontoon just like I can my boat. Not knowing what kind of watercraft you have, I don't know if the feet steering system would be adaptable to your pontoon though. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3] [/size][/black]
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#8
I have a sportsmans 9 pontoon boat. What kind of motor do you have? The endura is the cheapest, about 115 bucks, it doesn't have the maximizer to make your battery last longer but do you guys think this really makes a difference, i think the Endura is the way to go.
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#9
[cool][#0000ff]Here are a couple of pics of the way BFT member Henereysfork rigged an adaptor on his motor to steer while facing forward.[/#0000ff]
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#10
[black][size 3]I have the Minn Kota endura 30 pound thrust. On the lowest setting, I can run it all day. Run time decreases as the motor's settings increase. I also have a Game Fisher 15 pound thrust with the battery maximizer that will propel my toon for a couple of days on one charge - I'm not sure if it is the maximizer or the fact that it is only 15 pounds of thrust that provides the additional battery time though. Obviously, I can't get the same maximum speed with the Game Fisher, but, the smaller motor does give me a slower trollin speed on it's lowest setting than the larger one. It also won't do as well into the wind or waves as my Minn Kota.
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#11
[black][size 3]That is a sweet set-up. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]I used a similar approach when designing my foot operated system - at least the mounting bracket that is attached to the motor shaft. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Because the extended arm would have interfered with my aft angled rod holders(and other things on the back section of my pontoon boat), I took a different approach.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]I went with three cheapo pulleys attached to each side, and ran ropes down the pontoon frame on either side of my seat and hooked the forward terminal ends of the ropes by my foot bar. Then I attached a web strap foot harness to the end of the rope, just past the last pulley, and looped them around my feet - a push / pull action of my feet would turn the shaft of the motor and steer my pontoon. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]If I wanted to change the speed, I would have to reach around and do it with my hand. I was devising a wiring solution to that when I realized that I could just use the swivel seat option and overcome that issue and solve some other challenges at the same time. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]The foot steering system was the solution that I had further modified and used to steer my pontoon when I experimented with running two electric motors simultaneously - one on the back and one on the front on the pontoon. With the addition of two more pulleys on each side, the appropriate stringing of ropes and by locking down one motor or the other to run straight, I could easily adjust things to switch and steer either motor with just the push and pull action of my feet, and still have my hands free for fishing. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]During my experiment using two motors, I didn't notice whether the front or the back motor steering gave me any real advantage in maneuverability. I would have had to repeat the experiment more in different conditions and eliminate some of the other additional inherent variables to evaluate that. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]The greatest increase in maneuverability came with rerigging the two motors to steer simulaneously - i.e. the front motor pointing left and the rear motor pointing right. This however, made the turns too tight for trolling as the rigging I had wasn't precise enough for that kind of control - it did make turning on a dime possible in close quarters though.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]I only used these set-ups a few times because of the complexity of setting it up, and the additional challenges involved with having the reduced fishing area and extra weight and gear to run the whole apparatus. But, it was fun to do and it did get me some great eyebrow raises and provided some good entertainment for a quite a few spectators that watched the entire process in action. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Disclaimers: Don't try this without adult supervision and an approved Coast Guard PFD. Also, have a back up plan "B" - like a couple of trusted associates close by in boat.[/size][/black]
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#12
30 lb. thrust Minnkota, take the screw out of the head that connects the head to the shaft. Turn the head 180░ put the screw back in. Mount it to your rear motor mount, use your fins to steer. There will be times when you'll shut off the motor to fish and you'll use your fins to propel you. You have much more control over your boat if you use fins with your motor. Drift fish with the wind, motor off. Use your motor to go against the wind. Saves on batteries. I do also take my oars all the time. If you want to get from point A to point B fast, row and motor. You'll fly.
Later on, remove the head, extend the wires and put the head down by your side or mount it by your seat. I took the speed switch out, epoxied it in an aluminum box from Radio Shack, installed a knob wired it in with about 6' of 6/10 wiring.
These are some pictures Scotty was talking about.
[url "http://www.pbase.com/albot/cardiac_pics&page=2"][Image: 27794365.rightfrontdeck.jpg][/url]


Battery box with SB connectors. Quick connecting.
[url "http://www.pbase.com/albot/image/43420315"][Image: 43420315.20050507011.jpg][/url][url "http://www.pbase.com/albot/image/43420316"][Image: 43420316.20050507012.jpg][/url]Cable to motor[url "http://www.pbase.com/albot/image/43424349"][Image: 43424349.FrankandFishing036.jpg][/url]
Battery box. You can see off to the left the motor shaft.
Forgot to mention, I have a waterproof deutche connector for my sonar- plug in, unplug. Cigarette lighter socket for the IPOD or GPS
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