Before knowing how to do a kayak trolling motor mount the kayaker must have appropriate knowledge about a trolling motor. Despite paddling and bothering the fish or other creatures in the water, you can propel your kayak over the water with the support of a trolling engine. Fishing kayak trolling motor mounts are popular, and some paddlers like to keep one on hand in the event they get tired of kayaking. While most trolling motors are battery-operated, you may also use some motors that are driven by gasoline or diesel. The majority of them have a straightforward hand or foot controls, while a few also include remote controls.
In comparison to purchasing a kayak that already features a pedal or electronic drive, mounting a trolling motor on it offers a kayak substantially larger range, significantly faster speed, and is frequently significantly less expensive. With that distance, you can access hotspots that a kayak paddle cannot or will not allow you to access. With less travel time, you can start fishing more quickly. And preserving hundreds, even thousands, of dollars is always appreciated given the difficult economic situation and increasing inflation.
Important Things to put while doing Kayak Trolling Motor Mount
No problem where you choose to attach a kayak trolling motor, installation is usually not difficult. That is why I think anyone can accomplish it. It doesn’t require any specialized equipment, and it usually doesn’t require more than an hour. According to your kayak, the location where it is mounted, and the trolling motor, different equipment, and tools are needed to mount a trolling motor. Generally, the tools you will require are given below;
First and foremost thing is trolling a motor engine.
Battery for a trolling motor
Crash and drill
Screwdriver
Adapter for quick-release mounting
Equipment for Battery Box Wiring
Silicone or waterproof sealant
Minimum one hour
To achieve a tight fit, it is important to verify with the particular brand of kayak and trolling motor and obtain the mounting bracket from them immediately.
Determine where to put your Mount
You must choose where to install a trolling motor on your kayak before you begin kayaking. There is a motor that is made to install simply off the gunwales of your kayak, a few mount off the rear, while yet others are made to mount near the bow. Every one of these mounting places has its benefits and drawbacks. To begin with, placing a motor on the side of your kayak generally makes it easier for you to reach the handle while sitting in the cabin.
For the sort of trolling motor, you’ll operate while seating, this stance is excellent. You’ll have a bit more flexibility to mount at the bows or rear of your kayak if you choose not to use that particular model of trolling engine. It will be necessary to use a foot pedal system or navigation system to operate any motors you place at the front or back of your kayak. Only the top river angling kayaks will often be equipped with a cork and foot pedals, so if you want to put your motor at the front or rear, you may wish to think about the advantages of a remote-controlled motor.
Choose your Material
It’s essential to choose the appropriate materials for the project once you’ve determined where you would like your trolling motor placed on your kayak. Wood (couple and/or one-by-twos) and PVC pipes are two of the most often utilized materials for DIY trolling motor installations. Since PVC pipe is watertight, we recommend it over wood. Unlike unprocessed or uncovered wood, you will not be concerned about your PVC piping becoming damp and drooping or bending. However, most PVC piping isn’t as strong in and of itself as wood.
You might decide to choose wood over PVC if you pick a heavy or more powerful trolling motor. If you decide to use wood for your trolling motor mount, make sure to pick handled wood if you don’t want it to be damaged by constant exposure to water. If not, before attaching the wood to your kayak, pick a weatherproof stain and apply at least one or two even applications. The only way to increase strength if you decide to use PVC piping is to insert a piece of rebar into each straight portion of the pipe. Unfortunately, that will make your total motor mount heavier.
You will actually need an appropriate motor mount if you want to mount a trolling motor on a kayak. The exact item that secures the trolling motor to your kayak and maintains it there is called the motor mount. There are several different mounts in the industry. Some enable you to mount your trolling motor to the sides of your kayak, whereas others let you mount it to the bow or stern of your kayak. However, compliance with the trolling motor and your kayak should be your top priority when selecting a motor mount.
For instance, you’ll need to get a mount that suits the precise breadth of your kayak if you wish to install your motor on the edge of your kayak. Make that the anchoring clamps or bolts are suitable with the bow or stern configuration of your individual kayak. This is necessary in case if you select a motor mount that is intended to mount to the head or stern of your kayak. There would be a seldom complete grasp or edge of the kayak if you are having a sit-inside kayak.
This gives a clear impression that if you are using a sit-inside kayak you will uncertainly need a mount. This mount will make you enable to connect your motor to the kayakâs edge. However, the design of some sit-on-top kayaks will let you select between a bow/stern mount and a gunwale mount. Therefore, you may have a bit more freedom with these kayaks to attach your motor in various locations.
Connect the Propeller and the Motor
Alas, the propeller does not typically ship with trolling motors. This is mostly done for safety reasons and to avoid harm to the propeller during shipping to your position. If your trolling motor has a propeller already, installing it should be quite straightforward. Referring to the motor’s package recommendations is the best strategy to assure proper installation. If you come ashore in shallow seas and ruin your present propeller, keeping a spare on deck is typically a great idea. A propeller is not always included with a motor, and some require you to find and mount an aftermarket propeller yourselves.
To be realistic, it’s always a good strategy to have a spare propeller available in case your primary propeller is damaged due to a run-in with a reef or other shallow-water obstacle. The correct propeller can boost the overall thrust of your engine, even if it doesn’t necessarily enable your motor to move your kayak at higher speeds. A Trolling Motor’s Variation from an Outboard Motor The propeller of a trolling motor is utilized to move a boat or kayak ahead. The strength of an outboard motor is employed to propel a boat or kayak.
How to mount Motor to your Kayak?
It’s time to connect all to your kayak so that you have an engine and a mount that works with it. You must fasten the clamps that come with your preferred mount to the gunnels of your kayak in order to keep it in position. You might still be allowed to use clamps to fasten the mount to a moldable handle if you choose a mount that fastens to the bow or stern of the kayak. To install the mount, though, you’ll probably need to drill holes in the kayak. Now, you’ll utilize bolt-and-nut pairings to fasten your mount to the kayak’s bow or stern.
You can swivel or pivot the majority of trolling motor mounts to elevate the motor in shallower depths. The engine ought to be pinned down whenever you set it down to begin operating it to keep it from moving. In certain situations, you might need to raise the trolling motor if it remains in the water, which would call for disconnecting the motor pin. In some circumstances, you may need to remove the pin in order to elevate the motor as you remain in the water.
Deep Water Kayaking
To prevent losing the pin if you lose it while kayaking in water depths, you might want to attach a drifting buoy or other object to the pin. Attach a line to your cockpit and connect it to the motor’s switch. As soon as you reach deeper water, you can turn on and off the motor by connecting some other side of the line to a toggle switch or handle on the machine.
If the motor is mounted on a pivot, such as a pole, the string will also be useful. Run a connection from the motor’s switch to your cockpit after attaching it. When you get to deeper water, secure some other end of the cable to the engine’s toggle switch or lever so you can turn on and off the engine.
Create Steering Links
If you desire hands-free control for kayak angling or other applications, mounting your motor on the bow or stern of your paddle is the best option. So it would be advantageous if you first constructed the necessary steering linkages. Those who want to install their motor on the gunwale will be capable of controlling it with their hands and won’t have to worry about directional and steering linkages.
Just sit-inside kayaks with foot pedals can be connected to a skeg or steering wheel in the stern will be compatible with the steering connections. Any paddle that is not yet fitted with a skeg or rudder should have a mounting point for one. A kayak trolling motor may be used in some kayaks to substitute the stock skeg.
Steps to Create Steering Links
Identify the locations where the connections enter the stern of your Kayak first. Such links must already include a fitting at either end to attach them to the kayak’s back rudder. After your motor is installed, fasten two metal eye bolts to the paddle shaft at the elevation of the steering connections.
If your connections aren’t strong enough to maintain some gap after they’re connected to the eye bolts coming from your motor’s shaft. Try installing a small extension lead to each one. They will limit the motor shaft if they are over firm, which can lower your motor’s overall effectiveness. It’s a great idea to put up your kayak on some portable kayak stabilizers so you can test your trolling engine on land.
How to connect Motor Engine to Marine Battery?
To reveal the connections as well as other electronic parts, start by taking off the cap (or “head”) that is located on top of the engine. Based on the specific sort of motor you select, the interior wires’ color will change. To find the cables that you’ll connect to your marine battery, you’ll once again need to go to the manufacturer guidelines. The ground wire will be one of the two wires, and the hot lead will be the second.
Although red frequently indicates a hot lead and black frequently serves as a ground, we can’t stress enough that these colors might vary based on the manufacturer. Therefore, read all that is expected of you when performing electrical work. Try looking for YouTube clips that explain the wiring procedure for your particular motor if the language in the instruction manual that arrived with it leaves you perplexed. Using a visual aid like this can make installing the wiring much easier.
The majority of marine batteries have a waterproof covering, and any reliable marine battery will include a cover to shield the terminals from harm. Make that the motor potential difference is the same as the voltage level. A cell or battery with an output voltage of 12 volts is suitable, and a competent motor will deliver a voltage source of 1,500 to 2,000 volts.
You must get a battery with a 24-volt output if your battery is designed for 24 volts. A hybrid cable for some batteries has two different parts, one for each lead, the positive and the negative. Buy a battery with a variety of lines if you’re not sure which one to use. Make sure the battery can operate your trolling motor by checking its rating.
How to select a Trolling Motor for Kayaks?
You must determine whether you intend to invest in a trolling motor and which type to get if you’re looking for the finest trolling motor for kayak. Kayak trolling motors come in three varieties: electric, outboard, or propeller.
Propeller Motors
The most popular form of engine for kayaks is a propeller trolling motor since it is relatively simple to install and operate. Nevertheless, you must make absolutely sure that the propeller is appropriately maintained and rebalanced on a regular basis. This sort of motor is popular among kayak fisherman since it performs well in all types of water.
Electric Motors
According to their power supply, electric trolling motors are more effective, but they typically need a battery and charger, which may be out of most kayakers’ price ranges.
Outboard Motors
If you are going to utilize the recreational kayaks for fishing the best motors are outboard. On reservoirs with shallow waters, outboard motors are frequently employed by leisure boaters.
Thrust of a Kayak Trolling Motor
The most popular way to gauge how much power a trolling engine can produce is through thrust. For immediate understanding, it is often calculated in pounds, as well as every two pounds of propulsion may move about 100 pound of weight in your kayak. This is crucial since the majority of kayaks designed for trolling motors may be pretty heavy when combined with the mass of your body. Including whatever else you wish to bring along, all of your kayak fishing equipment. The least amount of weight your engine should have been able to move is the mass of your body plus your kayak
For instance, the motor on the stern of a kayak weighing 70 pounds with a passenger weighing 150 pounds must be capable of moving minimum 220 pounds. Going back to our first calculation, 220 pounds need at least 4.4 pounds of thrust to be moved (220 x 0.02 = 4.3). We advise increasing the mass of your kayak including yourself by at least 50 pounds, ideally 100. This enables you to keep track of any other items you may take, such as a tool box, kayak coolers, dry bags, etc.
Remember to take into consideration the additional weight of the saltwater batteries, mounting accessories, and trolling motor. A trolling engine requires thrust to operate. 100 pounds of weight can be moved by every 2 pounds of push applied to your kayak. This is important because the majority of kayaks made with trolling engines can be quite heavy. The thrust of heavier trolling motors is frequently higher.
What Size one should take for Kayak Trolling?
A trolling motor’s thrust is quantified. The reliability of the trolling motor will increase with size. A robust trolling motor is not intended to be carried in the back cabin of a kayak. A kayak doesn’t require a strong engine since it isn’t substantial. For your kayak, you’ll never require anything more than a manageable 30-pound thrust.
The amount of space you have for the remaining components in your kayak fishing accessory kit will determine the size of the trolling motor, engine mount, and marine battery you select for your kayak. For instance, if your ideal configuration mounts inside the stern of your kayak, it might take up room in the storage container in the stern where you normally carry other kayak fishing equipment.
In principle, stronger motors are needed for bigger boats to operate well. The size and kind of the motor you choose will also affect the weight on your trolling motor. While a dual-prop design will be much less taxing on the twin engines during extended fishing trips, a solitary design offers more draw.
The majority of trolling motors are made to be run on a 12-volt marine depths battery. Even though these are the most typical batteries for this function, certain motors have varying power requirements. Batteries are assessed by their entire power capacity, which is commonly expressed in milliamp-hours, in combination to their polarity (mAh).
Your trolling motor must be powered by a reliable battery. You’ll really have to establish a compromise between a battery large enough to supply the power needed by your motor and one that isn’t too heavy to contribute significantly to the weight of your kayaking equipment. How far your battery will only last while on the lake depends upon it.
Final Words
It’s not difficult to figure out how to attach a trolling motor to a kayak, and it’s the greatest way to ensure hands-free fishing or simpler kayak touring for people who like to travel farther. You’ll be capable of fishing in more places and stay out longer now that you understand how to mount a trolling motor on your kayak. You’ll also be able to easily discover more secluded areas of your local lakes, streams, or safe coastal waters. We truly wish that you will benefit from the guidance and suggestions in this blog.
