# Questions on setup of boat and trolling motor



## willpower

Hello, FNG (frickin new guy) here. For background sake, I've been around boats, fished and hunted for 40 years. In all that time I've never been gigging though and I now have the urge to make up for lost time. So in furthering that end, I've been trying to get some education. I just found this site, registered and did some searching around but didn't find all the answers to my questions. O.K. I also live nowhere near Florida (I'm in NC) but can't find much of any gigging information on the local web forums. I know some of the locals go and do quite well but they are for obvious reasons pretty tight lipped about it. 

So I have a little 21' flat bottom (carolina skiff type) boat with a big bow platform. It draws about 5" of water loaded. I have a jackplate on it and it will go very skinny running on plane, and performs surprisingly well even at dead (slow) speed, idling easily in foot of water. Because I have to traverse a very active boating chanel and the potential gigging area (near the inlet) is about 7 miles away this boat is about the minimum size I'm comfortable in, especially at night. Do you think it might be too big to get skinny enough for reliable gigging from the boat? I can always get out and wade once there I guess?

My original plan was to put a transom mounted electric trolling motor on it, set the motor to the speed best for current and wind and then just stand on the platform up front and steer by poling or pushing the bow around with the gig pole. 

My thinking is that a bow mount motor would steer better into any wind or current but might spook more fish or require more water depth to operate in (especially with the weight of two people standing up front)? A transom mount would obviously be harder to control but with an on/off foot switch I could stop it if need be, I wouldn't be running over or hitting fish with the motor before I saw them and of course transom mounts are much cheaper? 

I'm wondering what minimum depth I'll need to be in with the trolling motor to keep it from cavitating, what lb. thrust I might need, etc. 

I have a bunch of other questions but this will get me started. Thanks in advance for letting an outsider barge in with a bunch of rookie questions, but the answers don't seem to come easy up this way.


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## Gnwdad

I think your boat will do fine, I personally don’t like to flounder from a fiberglass boat. I had beaten the bottom out of mine from all the shallow water. I tried the trolling motor in the rear and didn’t care to much for it. You can and will be running the trolling motor in shallower water then normal because the added weight of 2 guys on the bow. I tried the foot control trolling motor and took several late night swims in the bay. I finally went with a bigfoot floor mounted switch and it worked great.


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## X-Shark

Put the troller on the Bow....but put it to the extreme one side. It will pull the boat fine.

Now what you do is have the troller away from the shoreline. This allows you to get in a little closer.


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## Flounder9.75

WP 
I have mine on frt. and wouldn't change it because it works great for where I go. I have a friend that has his on the back and it works great for him. I guess what I'm saying is "To Each His Own" If you do put it on the stern fix it so it won't lock down. 

Oh I have gone right over the top of them with my TM without spookin them.


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## willpower

Thanks guys. What do you all think of the Minn Kota Riptide SM55? I'm thinking that 55 lbs/thrust will be enough? Or should I be looking at a 24v model?

I have another one of my *crazy ideas* I wanna run past yall. Someone just sold me a little 9 foot "pond prowler" (Bass Pro Shop item) which is a foam filled PVC mini-pontoon boat. It's perfect for clamming and believe it or not will get two big people across 4-6" of water along with a cooler, trolling motor, a big battery and other gear. Anyhow I was thinking about trying this out for gigging?

I could easily carry it in the bow of my skiff and it is light enough for one person to deploy. I don't think it would be steady enough to support two people standing but one is fine standing/gigging while the other operates the trolling motor, poles along or drinks a beer. I think it will get me in a little skinnier water than the big boat, if that becomes necessary?

Here is a pic, what do you all think?


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## devndeb

I have an SP-70, 80# thrust, but that's on the front of my Neptune...24 volt last longer, I think than 12...JMHO...As for the BPS rig...I don't see why not...what kind of lights are you going to run? I have a 14' Alumacraft that I just picked up and am in the process of rigging...Starfire II lights (X-4) s far...Also, get wooden gig poles...I have bamboo and they are light weight and work awsome...Aluminum poles are heavy after a short while (Not to mention if you hit a stargazer, you will know it!)


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## X-Shark

> My original plan was to put a transom mounted electric trolling motor on it, set the motor to the speed best for current and wind and then just stand on the platform up front and steer by poling or pushing the bow around with the gig pole.


That would be a mistake. Sometimes you actually need to run down a Flounder. Sometimes you need the speed as slow as you can walk [Heel to Toe] conditions change all the time. having control at your fingertips is where you want it.

Forget the Pond boat...It's just to much trouble the way you describe it.

You for sure want at least a 24V TM on the bigger boat. I like manual steering for Floundering. I have tried Remote steering in the past. It was to quirky. It would be fine for Bass fishing,but not floundering.


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## bamafan611

Morning Willpower
I think the basshunter would work well. I've owned one and they are very stable and light. I havn't used my yak much this year, but the last year I was serious with it I gigged 178 fish in that year with the yak. I could get it in places that would be alot of trouble with my boat. I could also go to alot of areas that there was not a boat ramp close by. The trolling motor like Xshark said needs to be bow mounted where you have complete control of speed and direction at your fingertips. With the size of your boat, I would go 24 volt period.Xshark gave me this idea on how to mount my lights on my boat and it has worked well. Two half inch stainles bolts hold my whole light system in place on the boat and easy to remove if I just want to go fishing.


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## willpower

*Thanks guys...*

I do hate going through the trial and error process with untested idea's if it can be avoided. Hopefully you all saved me some *time*, *money* and *aggravation* with all the suggestions thus far. So far I'm certainly convinced to 1) put the trolling motor up front (and off to the side) 2) to have manual (hand) operated motor and 3) to get a 24v motor.

Right on cue to my next head-scratcher, a couple of you folks brought up the lighting subject. Since I'm chomping at the bit to get out there, there is no way I can get all of my ultimate wishes completed overnight. *Right now I need to put a little time in out in the field (even with half assed idea's and equipment) and look over some areas that are high on my re-con list.*

My short term solution is that since I have a 1000w genny already, the quick and dirty would be to get (3) 250w "home depot special" work lights, affix them to a 2x4 cross member (thanks bamafan and x-shark!) and then somehow affix that temporarily to the bow. I'm thinking for getting started I might just use (2) c-clamps since I have a rolled gunnel skiff? 

If this takes off and I can find productive area's, long term I think maybe HPS lights are the way to go with a larger Honda or Yamaha genny? 

One thing is for sure, I am so anxious to get out there and look at this point that I would use flashlights and oars if need be.

Very helpful. Thanks again and I'm open to any additional suggestions, time savers or shortcuts.


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## X-Shark

Sounds like a plan to me.


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