Fishing & Boating Gear
How do I choose a trolling motor?
The motor must have enough power and thrust to move your boat in any conditions. Power is measured in pounds of thrust, and the size and weight of your boat determines how much you need. Most marine dealers and motor manufacturers have charts to help you out, but if you frequently encounter strong currents or heavy winds, you might want to go up a notch.
Motor
There are 12-, 24- and 36-volt motors. A 12-volt motor, which runs on one battery, costs and weighs the least and takes up the least room, but will have less run time at full speed. More powerful motors provide more thrust and run longer, but cost more, weigh more and take up more space. In general, 12-volt motors are adequate for boats 16 feet and shorter, but you'll need 24 or 36 volts for boats longer than 18 feet.
Minn Kota® motors are especially known for their cool, quiet operation. Extra large windings and commutators help dissipate heat, resulting in cooler operation, extended battery power and longer motor life.
Control
A hand-controlled bow-mounted motor lets you keep the casting platform clear of wires or pedals - but one of your hands will always be tied up steering and running the motor. A foot control frees up both hands for fishing while making it easy to run the motor from anywhere in the boat. And the latest technology, like Minn Kota®'s wireless CoPilot, give you the best of both worlds - a clear platform and flexible control.
Positioning
It's easier to pull a boat than push it, and simpler to move the bow sideways than it is to move the stern, so bow-mount trolling motors give you better control. You may prefer a transom-mount if the motor is your boat's primary propulsion source, you'll use it only for straightforward trolling, or if you usually fish electric-only lakes, rivers and ponds.
What's the right GPS unit for my small motorboat?
GPS units come in a variety of sizes. Today's compact units are accurate, easy to read and come with some nice features.
Look in your price range for a unit offering the highest clarity and the widest viewing angle in all light conditions. A 5-inch diagonal display is a good starting point - and some units now have 7-inch screens that don't take up much more room. You can also save space by getting units with an integrated GPS antenna.
The Humminbird® 595C, for example, comes with maps of the U.S. coastline and inland lakes and rivers, 16-channel GPS receiver, 20° single beam sonar (200 kHz), for superb coverage and bottom detail and freeze frame so you can mark the location of fish or structures on the screen.
What are the benefits of bow-mount trolling motors?
Bow-mount motors offer a high degree of control, because it's easier to pull a boat than to push it and simpler to move the bow sideways than it is to move the stern. Bow-mount motors also give you more control when combating waves.
One issue that often arises with bow-mount motors is proper shaft length. Manufacturers and marine dealers have charts to help you determine how long the shaft should be, but if you often fish in high winds or on choppy waters, waves can push up the front of your boat. To compensate, add five or six inches to the recommended shaft length. You should also keep shaft length in mind if you like trolling in flats: A longer shaft might limit where you can go.
What are the benefits of transom-mount trolling motors?
Transom-mount motors are ideal if you use the motor only for straightforward trolling or as your boat's primary propulsion source. They're also popular on electric-only lakes, rivers and ponds where you typically fish from a small boat.
For anglers who use electric power exclusively - especially where combustion engines are prohibited - Minn Kota®'s E-Drive transom-mount motors are specifically designed for use as primary propulsion.
Should I use a downrigger?
A downrigger is a winch for lowering and raising lead weights, known as cannonballs, with a cable that's attached to a fishing line. A release clip lets go of the fishing line when there's a strike so you can fight the fish without resistance from wire lines, weights or planers.
The big advantage of downriggers is that you can adjust them to exact depths to keep your bait or lure in the strike zone - from just below the surface to depths as great as 600 feet. Other methods, like trolling weights, wire lines and planers, involve guesswork; you're never certain where the lure is being presented.
Downriggers dramatically increase your fish-catching potential when you're after fish that live and feed far below the surface. You can also fish in multiple water column sections simultaneously, since you can present bait at different depths on one line.
Manufacturers like Cannon® offer both manual and electric downriggers. Look for innovations like Cannon®'s Positive Ion Control - emitting a field of positive ions to counteract negative energy and draw fish right to the cannonball. Or explore the new Cannon®Link Fishing System Module from Humminbird®, which lets you network up to six downriggers to your fishfinder.
Are there advantages to using a downrigger in salt water?
Downrigger fishing has long been associated with fresh water, like the Great Lakes, and they are used extensively in the Pacific Northwest, but more and more saltwater anglers in Florida and along the Atlantic coast are discovering the advantages of downrigger fishing. While it's possible to get tuna, sailfish and marlin to strike well-presented bait on the surface, a downrigger increases your odds by letting you present your line at the exact depth where the big game fish feed.
Two myths have kept saltwater anglers away from downriggers. Studies show, however, that the first myth - the hum of an electric-powered winch scares away fish - is unfounded. The second myth, that downriggers are useful only for deep-water fishing, is also untrue, since downriggers can be used to present bait from just a few feet under the surface all the way to the bottom. Furthermore, you can present baits at several levels to create the effect of fishing with more than one line.
The rods and reels you use for speed-trolling, slow-trolling, drift-fishing or fishing from an anchored boat can also be used with downriggers. Live baits, lures and dead baits not only work, but also become more effective.
No matter what you're after in salt water - including fast-running pelagic fish - a downrigger is a handy tool. Just be sure you choose a manufacturer like Cannon®, offering downriggers made to withstand saltwater corrosion.