Jon Boat Trolling Motor

How fast will a 12 ft flat bottom jon boat go with a 55# thrust minnkota trolling motor. It weighs approximately 100 lb. How would you compare it to lets say a 2 or 3 hp motor.

A trolling motor will have limited range and basically walking speeds. You'd be limited by the out and back range which wouldn't be out of sight from your dock.

A 3 hp outboard would be a bit faster but with an auxiliary fuel tank your range could easily triple.

2010-10-12 21:42:19 by Mike Runk

This is plenty of speed because Jon boats are not very stable with how much weight I have in it now.

My buddy and I were gonna save our money and buy a used jon boat, but we wouldnt have enough to get a gasoline motor. Could we use just a trolling motor as the main power? we would only be fishing fairly small rivers.

I made a modified one for my canoe, and that is a blast ....

2009-12-10 16:38:15 by Q-Tip M

Price: $89.99 $87.97

Being designed especially for kayaks, small dinghies and inflatable boats
High and low speed control, a forward and reverse switch, saltwater coated for corrosion resistance
2-Blade propeller is weedless design, can chew through the heaviest of underwater grasses and marsh

I was given a fiberglass Jon Boat that has a trolling motor mounted "inside" of the boat. The actual motor and propeller are enclosed between 2 bars and the bar rides up to a steering mechanism that can be controlled in the boat as well as the speed. I would love to find a replacement motor or anyone who can give me advice on getting a similar motor or how to modify a trolling motor to fit.

you can rebuild the lower unit (the motor itself) if you can identify the model # -- brush kits and seal kits for most motorguides and minnkotas are available out there.

alternatively, you can replace the motor itself (the whole lower unit). I researched doing that recently (decided not to) -- your replacement would have to fit in the space you have available, and you would need a compatible speed control.

two possible sources of parts:
http://www.crowleymarine.com
http://www.mikesreelrepair.com

2008-12-29 12:38:03 by theeriktodd

Price: $179.99 $179.99

Comes with a 1-year warranty
Features a 44-pound thrust, 36-Inch steel shaft, while running on 12-volt power
This freshwater model has a fixed tiller operating 5 forward and 2 reverse speeds

I am purchasing a 11 foot aluminum jon boat and trolling motor without battery for around $300 dollars. The boat has a few patches which wont be a big deal to fix, My father is a welder and said he would do them. Is that a good deal? Also my questions for the trolling motor. What type of battery is best recommended? They seem so expensive almost 200 dollars some places. I would hate to pay more for the battery then the entire boat. Im confused as to where i should be looking for batteries. I know it would be helpful to know the size of the motor, and the voltage but I do have that information yet to pass along so I have to be general! Thanks in advance!

Lead acid batteries self discharge regardless of the location. Concrete is not an issue if your battery is on a maintenance charge. There may be an issue with stratification outside in very cold weather with a battery that is not being maintained, however after a couple of months it will be at a low state of charge anyway, and may be fatally injured anyway if it falls below 10.5 V Always wear safety glasses when doing anything to a battery!! Hydrogen is a product of charging and is extremely explosive. Batteries do blow up, literally into lots of pieces and the acid is something you do NOT want in your eyes!!

The price is a direct reflection of the metal content and internal construction of the battery. You will get only as much as you pay for. No car battery will cope with even a mild discharge cycle for very long, because they are not designed to do any more than start the engine - a brief very high current load for a few seconds and then the alternator supplies all power requirements when the engine is running. A deep cycle battery as sold in many places is best described as a 'less shallow' cycle battery, they can be pulled down to as much as 80% of capacity, but this may give you a life of as little as 75 - 150 cycles. If you only pull down a deepcycle battery to 50% the life span jumps to 400-600 cycles, maybe more if a quality battery is chosen, and cycle rates in the thousands if you never drop below 30% are quite common. It is a fantasy to think a car battery can be pulled down to 100 % more than a few times before total failure, I have seen brand new batteries completely destroyed in 48 hrs. And as most batteries are never charged near 100% in their life it is amazing they last as long as they do frankly. Absorbant glass matt types are the bees knees for this application, but they are expensive. Because they can cope with huge abuse for hundreds of cycles they often end up much cheaper in the long run. To charge AGM batteries you are best with a three stage charge unit, from a reliable company, like CTek or Federal. You cannot charge AGM and conventional batteries together, in any configuration, ever - as the internal resistance is radically different.

The only unregulated charges I have succeeded with over the last thirty years are solar panels not exceeding 20watts, with smaller batteries in the long days of summer I would not exceed 10 watts.

In the eight years of living on our block with no mains power and a family I was successful in destroying every known combination of battery, charger, generator and several electrical items. The only things I have now are the ones that work.

I'll stick a couple of my favorite links below. If you don't educate yourself, you won't know when the salesman is having a go, will you.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy your new boat.

2009-02-18 08:35:24 by Susan F

I own a ten foot john boat , i would like to know what i reguire to be legal , i only wish to use a trolling motor 35 Pounds of thrust , to drive it , any help is plenty help , I live in Texas

In Ontario any boat under 10 hp needs no registration . 35 lbs thrust is less than 3 hp.

2010-09-05 14:54:18 by Zack