Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor

BUY A KAYAK TROLLING MOTOR

Kayak trolling motors are extremely handy pieces of kayak fishing gear. They are undoubtedly becoming more and more popular as kayak fishermen learn how great it is to have a kayak trolling motor as part of his or her kayak fishing set up.

You may have learned about kayak trolling motors on KFC’s Kayak Trolling Motor Ultimate Guide. If you did, great! We are happy you found the Ultimate Guide to be so useful. If you haven’t yet checked it out, we suggest you do so before digging too deep into this Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor article! You might also want to visit The 5 Best Kayak Trolling Motors, where we have ranked the best of the best for you!

Basics

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After several requests from the KFC community, we decided to write this Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor article. This  article is designed to give our readers a basic listing of several of the top reasons we at KFC routinely hear relative to why kayak fisherman have chosen to buy a kayak trolling motor. After reading, please let us know if you agree with KFC’s reasons, or perhaps whether you have different reasons for why you decided to buy a kayak trolling motor?

Below, we have included all the important details to consider when making the decision to buy a kayak trolling motor. We have broken these details down into a number of different categories, including how to use a kayak trolling motor, what features to look for in a kayak trolling motor, and a section on our own experience when deciding to buy a kayak trolling motor. Finally, near the end of this article, we have included a link to one of our favorite kayak trolling motor models.

Of course, before you decide to buy it, you’re going to want to learn how to use a kayak trolling motor. Trolling motors are sometimes unfamiliar to even the most seasoned of kayak fisherman. So, without delay, let’s take a quick look at some of KFC’s top tips for learning how to use a kayak trolling motor!

Parts of a Kayak Trolling Motor

How to Install and Use

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Shortcut to Kayak Trolling Motor Review

1. First, find the location on your fishing kayak where you’ll install the trolling motor.
2. KFC suggests installing the trolling motor near the back of the fishing kayak, in a spot where the grip (or throttle) of the kayak trolling motor is located close to the fisherman’s dominant arm.
3. Next, install the mounting arm that has come with the kayak trolling motor mount to the hull of the fishing kayak. Most trolling motor mounts come with all the necessary mounting hardware.

• After mounting, be sure to try the connection of the kayak trolling motor mount to the fishing kayak’s hull. You can test the connection by pushing the mounting arm forward and backward and side to side.
• Next, attach the kayak trolling motor to the kayak trolling motor mount. This connection is made with the C clamps and wing nuts that most manufacturers include.
• Be certain to tightly fasten. You want a rigid connection to ensure that your trolling motor and the trolling motor mount move in a uniform manner.
• Next, attach the kayak trolling motor to the trolling motor battery. Be certain to be careful when making this connection. Keep any cables and wiring stowed in a protected and organized manner.
• Once you’ve lowered your fishing kayak into the water, gently twist the throttle to supply power. If the kayak trolling motor mount is properly attached to the trolling motor (and to the kayak itself, of course) you are all ready for a smooth ride!

Why Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor?

• Safety. If you are a longtime KFC reader, you know that safety is always one of our leading desired features! The kayak trolling motor shown above is one of the safest on the market, and trust us, you don’t want to opt for a cheaper, and in turn more dangerous, make and model of kayak trolling motor.

Our favorite unit is nicely powered with a 12 volt freshwater transom-mounted trolling motor. What does it mean to be transom-mounted? Well, a transom is the name given to a flat surface which is usually located (or actually forms part of) the stern of a boat, like a fishing kayak! Remember, the “stern” is the rear of the fishing kayak, and the “bow” is the front.

It is important to mount your kayak trolling motor at the stern of the fishing kayak, because doing so provides you with the highest level of control in terms of navigating and manuring the fishing kayak along the water. Also, just in case you hit a wave, or hook a big fish, and accidentally get pulled overboard, you definitely want to make sure the propeller of the kayak trolling motor is behind you!

• Variety. At KFC, we always encourage our readers to get out and kayak fish on different bodies of water, sometimes even different types of water altogether (freshwater vs. saltwater)! It is the variety of kayak fishing experiences that keeps our favorite hobby so engaging, and a kayak trolling motor is the perfect kayak fishing accessory to enhance your kayak fishing adventures!

The kayak trolling motor we’ve  showcased below is ideal for allowing you to increase the variety in your kayak fishing routine. How? The unit comes with 8 speeds (5 for forward, and 3 for reverse). The differing forward speed levels allow for the kayak fisherman to traverse distances both near and far, allowing him or her to beat the competition to the prime kayak fishing spot! The reverse feature is also nice, as it allows for the kayak fisherman to navigate far upstream and into narrow channels without fear of being stuck without the ability to turn. Simply go in reverse!

Finally, this kayak trolling motor’s hardware is built to be compatible with saltwater like you would find in the ocean. It is built of stainless steel, zinc, and magnesium, the combination of which make it tough enough to handle the harsh nature of saltwater. Remember, a kayak trolling motor that is compatible with saltwater, like the unit above, will be able to handle the freshwater found in lakes without any problem! Kayak fish the ocean one day, and the river the next! How about that for variety!

• Convenience. Another reason to Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor? Convenience, of course! But what good is a kayak trolling motor that doesn’t have a reliable point from which it can conveniently be attached to the fishing kayak? Fortunately for us, this is the job of a piece of kayak fishing gear known as a kayak trolling motor mount.

As you might have guessed from the previous link, we’ve written a thorough article on this topic, but suffice it to say that the kayak trolling motor mount is basically just a fixed point that is attached to the fishing kayak from which a kayak trolling motor can be safely mounted. Check out the image below to see how:

The kayak trolling motor is very easy to attach to the fishing kayak, is lightweight, and can many times be broken down into a smaller size so that it can be conveniently stored in the trunk of your car, in the garage closet, or even under your bed. KFC is quick to recommend kayak fishing products that are convenient to use. It is easy to amass a ton of kayak fishing gear, and much of it simply can’t be broken down into a convenient size. Any time we see something convenient, we are quick to share our finding with the kayak fishing community!

• Serenity. One of our favorite things about kayak fishing is the ability to get away from it all, and enjoy some peace and quiet on serene waters. Of course, paddling your fishing kayak with a kayak paddle is the quietest way to get from Point A to Point B, but paddling can be tiring!

The serenity provided by a kayak trolling motor is included in this Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor post because the accessory keeps you from getting tired while paddling, and can do so without being too noisy!

Many kayak trolling motors are powered by battery. Kayak trolling motor batteries (like the one we’ve linked to in this article) can last for very extended periods of time. There is a simple way to determine how long your kayak trolling motor battery will last. If the battery measures at 100 amperage hours, and the draw on the motor is 25 amps, then you will have roughly 4 hours of consistent use. Easy division, and I’m not good at math either!

These kayak trolling motor batteries, like the one shown above, have made great improvements in terms of ergonomics recently, like rubberized padding on the bottom. This prevents the battery from sliding while going over bumpy waves!  Some models even come with a USB connection!

I don’t know about you, but if I can charge my phone while on the water, my level of enjoyment is enhanced! KFC suggests you consider kayak trolling motor batteries that include this feature! One added bonus? The kayak trolling motor will run quieter while under battery power relative to one powered by gas. Don’t scare away the fish, they are hard enough to catch!

• Enjoyment. Admit it! Paddling a fishing kayak can really tire you out! Sometimes its easier to just take the easy approach to kayak fishing and let the kayak trolling motor take you effortlessly across the water! That is why enjoyment has been included on this Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor article!

The speed that you can propel your fishing kayak by your kayak trolling motor will depend on the size of motor you buy, and how many pounds of thrust it can provide. We’ve seen kayak trolling motors boast of speeds of up to 10 miles per hour! Pretty fast on the water for such a small set up!

Most kayak trolling motors will move you along the water at a speed close to 5 miles per hour. I’m not sure if I can paddle my fishing kayak with my kayak paddles at a speed of 5 miles per hour, but I am sure of one thing – If I tried to, I would not have the arm strength left for kayak fishing, and that wouldn’t be good!

Buy The Best Kayak Trolling Motor

(Commissions Earned)

Ideal Design for Kayak Fishing

In the section above which covers some of the top reasons why you need to buy a kayak trolling motor, we’ve highlighted a number of key features and specifications of the kayak trolling motor we’ve deemed to be the best kayak trolling motor.

Remember, the 12-volt freshwater transom-mounted design can pack quite the punch, zipping you from location to location across the water with ease. The 30 inch long shaft is long enough to submerge the propeller deep into the water, yet compact enough to keep you from running aground when fishing the shallows.

The 6-inch telescoping handle is perfect for ensuring that your hand doesn’t tire from being held at an uncomfortable angle. Finally, with 5 forward speeds and 3 backward speeds, you’ll have unmatched versatility in terms of navigating your fishing kayak into the highest of passageways without fear that you’ll be trapped in too narrow of a location to turn around. Simply reverse!

My Experience

I first saw a kayak trolling motor about five years ago while I was kayak fishing on Lake Austin near the University of Texas. I tell the story in much great detail in KFC’s Kayak Trolling Motor Basics article, but long story short, we saw a kayak fisherman who appeared to be in a great deal of trouble!

Just before we reached him, another kayak fisherman arrived and offered assistance. This good samaritan traveled quickly to the endangered kayak  fisherman due to the speed provided to him by his kayak trolling motor!  We were shocked how swiftly and easily he was able to travel all the way across the lake to read the distressed kayak fisherman!

My friend and I saw first hand the safety benefits of the kayak trolling motor, and we soon decided that we would benefit from a kayak trolling motor for our own kayak fishing trips! Here is a link with more information on the origins and history of these handy pieces of kayak fishing gear.

BUY A KAYAK TROLLING MOTOR: CONCLUSION

I hope this post has helped you learn more about all the great reasons to buy a kayak trolling motor. Kayak trolling motors are one of the most convenient pieces of kayak fishing gear on the market! With them, you can fish multiple locations during just a single outing!

They are safe and user friendly, allow you to easily add variety to your kayak fishing trips, enhance the serenity of your day, and add to the overall enjoyment of the kayak fishing experience! All of these qualities were easy choices for inclusion on this post! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as we’ve enjoyed writing it! Do you have any questions about whether the time is right to buy a kayak trolling motor of your own? Be sure to comment at the bottom of this page! Indecisive? See if something in our top 3 kayak trolling motors article helps you make your decision!

Ever wanted to learn more about the world of competitive kayak fishing? Find out more here!

Buy a Kayak Trolling Motor: Comments

Do you have any questions about whether you should buy a kayak trolling motor or kayak fishing in general? Please share with the rest of the KayakFishingCorner community by posting in the Comments section below!