Best Bow-Mount Electric?

[Doug]

I have been running a Minn-kota bow-mount electric for a number of years, 12 volt model, 50 pounds thrust, foot pedal controlled, perfectly adequate for my needs.

HOWEVER, I have always had to wrestle with it to deploy it from the front deck and, to a much lesser extent, to redeploy/stow it when I want to move under power of my main engine. I have a bad back, and I am getting less interested in doing a tug-of-war with my electric motor.

So, folks, who makes a good motor with a good, light-touch kind of deployment system? I would like to stay with a 12 volt unit if possible but could add a fourth battery to the boat for a 24v model. I would also prefer to stay with a foot control rather than some electronic gizmo that decides where I want to go.......

I do not mind spending money on quality gear, so price is not really a deciding factor.

Thanks for any advice.

Doug

[TheMaverick]

The Minn Kota Fortrex features a lift-assist (gas charged spring)...worth having a look!

[Doug]

The Minn Kota Fortrex features a lift-assist (gas charged spring)...worth having a look!

Thanks, I had seen that on their website. I am wondering how it works in real life!

Doug

[lape0019]

Doug,
What model did you have before? The fourtrex is their top of the line cable driven model. I don't think you will get anything better than that for ease of use.

[Doug]

Doug,
What model did you have before? The fourtrex is their top of the line cable driven model. I don't think you will get anything better than that for ease of use.

I am still using it, an MX-65 I think. (Hmm, maybe it has 65 pounds of thrust?)

The CRITICAL thing I am looking for is an easier-to-deploy motor. I rarely fish slop, sometimes I am in stumps, but mostly I am in good water so the break-away mounts and such are less important to me. A buddy of mine had an older motor (I forget what make) on a boat probably ten years ago that went into the water with a pull on a cable and came up even easier. The motor itself was useless, with a weeny little two inch prop, but the deployment aspect was very slick indeed.

Doug

[RJ]

I can guarantee you the Fortrex with lift assist is the cats meow.

RJ

[lape0019]

Alright,

So the fourtrex is minnkot's top of the line trolling motor. Almost every person I know who fishes tournaments use this. I also have buddies who have the edge foot controlled trolling motor and it stows and deploys quite easy with the rope you were talking about. All of the ones I have used seem to deploy quite easily.

Where you might have an issue is with the foot pedal. Having one foot close to 4" higher than the other seems to take a toll on my dad and anyone older that I fish with. A foot pedal recess will alleviate this issue if it is a concern for you though.

[Malyon18]

I have the fortrex and it's very easy to deploy and retrieve, I can do it with one handle easily

[TheMaverick]

Where you might have an issue is with the foot pedal. Having one foot close to 4" higher than the other seems to take a toll on my dad and anyone older that I fish with. A foot pedal recess will alleviate this issue if it is a concern for you though.

Very true!

[CNs]

The Minn Kota Fortrex features a lift-assist (gas charged spring)...worth having a look!

fortrex

wasy to lift easy to drop.

[Doug]

Alright,

So the fourtrex is minnkot's top of the line trolling motor. Almost every person I know who fishes tournaments use this. I also have buddies who have the edge foot controlled trolling motor and it stows and deploys quite easy with the rope you were talking about. All of the ones I have used seem to deploy quite easily.

Where you might have an issue is with the foot pedal. Having one foot close to 4" higher than the other seems to take a toll on my dad and anyone older that I fish with. A foot pedal recess will alleviate this issue if it is a concern for you though.

THANKS for pointing this out, hugely appreciated! I have a bad back, as I mentioned, and sitting with one foot 4" higher than the other is a recipe for serious back pain, I get spasms just thinking about it. Who the heck would have designed that??? (Answer: some young guy with a good back.............)

Doug

[lape0019]

In all honesty, most cable driven trolling motors with foot pedals are made this way now. The only way around it is either get the pedal recess which is a great option a lot of people enjoy or go to an electric driven trolling motor. I have a Terrova with ipilot and love it. The pedal is a lot thinner than a cable driven one but although it is easy to deploy, I don't think it would be as easy as the fourtrex. I basically push a lever in with one have and push the trolling motor in the water with the other hand. It sounds easy but depending on the type of boat you have, you may have to bend down to do this. So, because I have heard horror stories of the mechanism letting go in bumps when it is stowed, I have gotten into the habit of moving the hirght adjusting knob back down to lock it into place which means more time bending down.

I think the fourtrex with a foot pedal recess (provided you have the room) would be your best foot contolled option. If you don't mind a hand controlled version, you could try an edge or similar product which has a similar store/deploy mechanism as the foutrex (without the assist) but is hand controlled. You can buy extendable handles to make it more comfortable to use as well.

Adam

[Doug]

Thanks for all of the advice!

I definitely do NOT want a hand-controlled motor and definitely DO want a foot control. This has been my set-up for over ten years now, probably fifteen I guess, and I like it very much.

I am going to get my butt into a dealer who stocks Minnkota products and have a look-see at the Fortrex with the assisted lift, it does sound like the rig I am looking for. And maybe I can build, or have built, some kind of platform for my feet with a recess for this raised foot control.

Any other ideas, please send them along, I appreciate good advice!

Doug

[TheMaverick]

Thanks for all of the advice!

I definitely do NOT want a hand-controlled motor and definitely DO want a foot control. This has been my set-up for over ten years now, probably fifteen I guess, and I like it very much.

I am going to get my butt into a dealer who stocks Minnkota products and have a look-see at the Fortrex with the assisted lift, it does sound like the rig I am looking for. And maybe I can build, or have built, some kind of platform for my feet with a recess for this raised foot control.

Any other ideas, please send them along, I appreciate good advice!

Doug

Give Ed a call at Paddletales, you never know, he might actually let you deploy his Fortrex

[Doug]

Winchester is about two hours from Kingston, and I am hoping there is a dealer (maybe not as FRIENDLY) closer to me...............

Doug