# Trolling motor sizes



## KnotHome

I had a friend who owned a copilot. I hated it. It was really jerky, and he was always having to get it fixed. I stick with the tiller. If I want to stay in 1 spot, I have an anchor.


----------



## Godzuki86

I would say a 55 still will do for you. You might just have a worn motor and battery. 

I have heard lots of stories of minn Kota remote motors failing. I would get the minn Kota tiller model that is small and compact. It doesn't have a bulky mount or an assist to deploy but will be better for your smaller boat. 

And really?! 4 people?! I hope three of them are wearing bikinis!


----------



## Vertigo

Go with the 55# thrust iPilot Riptide ST. It will have plenty of power for a Mitzi 15 even if you do overload the boat.


----------



## PTFBrian

I have a 55 pilot that goes between my Hewes 16 redfisher and now my SC16 and got a good bit of use on my LT25. I'm super happy with it an have had zero issues with the set up. The best part is when fishing with my kids or friends i can stay in the back or on the poling platform and guide them from the back of the boat and the spot lock feature has been awesome. I'll be selling my current one soon as I'll be upgrading to the new auto deploy one


----------



## Inshorefisherman

Unfortunately it's probably better to leave the bikinis at home with this bunch. Mostly friends from high school and family members. I'm just concerned about it moving me with a strong tide. What's the difference between ST and SP? Thanks very much guys!


----------



## ifsteve

I am going against the grain. I think 55# is too small for what you want to do regardless of battery strength. You fish that boat with 3 guys (not even to mention 4) and any kind of current or wind and its going to drain fast. I get your budget. But I don't see spending $1K for a less than adequate motor. I would get the 70# and not look back. AFWIW I have the ipilot on both my skiff and my bay boat and they are awesome. Could not stand to have to use a handle to steer anymore. I am often in the back of the boat and on the troller. Remote is the only way that would work for me.


----------



## Ant_Legal_Hookers

I agree... Gotta at least have remote control... I have ipilot on my 20' - 70lb and a 55 lb copilot on my 15...i do miss the GPS spotlock on my smaller skiff, but that's manageable...


----------



## Inshorefisherman

How does the 55lb push the 15?


----------



## Inshorefisherman

I can afford the 70lb copilot or the 55lb ipilot. I would have to double my cost on batteries with the 70lb and buy a new charger because of the 24v system. My Mitzi only weights 450lbs plus a 40hp yam 2 stroke. 4 people is only 690 pounds. So we're probably in the neighborhood of 12-1300lbs loaded. I also fish 2, and solo at times. Wish I could demo a 55 on my boat, would make the decision for me


----------



## Creek Runner

Where do you fish? As different places have different current and tides strengths, I use a 82lb hand control Motor Guide and have so for the last 15 years. Only time I use an I-pilot is on the bay boat when bottom fishing offshore instead of using an anchor, the spot lock feature is nice offshore and pointless inshore in my opinion.


----------



## Vertigo

I had a 55# thrust iPilot on a Pathfinder 17 which had a hull weight of about 600#. The iPilot would pull that boat with two aboard at about 3 mph in still water with no wind. I have a 80# thrust iPilot on an 18' Seaark which weighs closer to 750# hull alone and carries much more weight. The 80# thrust motor will pull at about 3 mph in still water. The battery(s) may last a little longer on the 24 volt setup, but you'll get about the same speed with either rig. BTW, I can fish two long days in a row with the 24 volt setup, so the 12 volt should be plenty good for one long day.


----------



## ifsteve

You can always go with the 70# copilot and upgrade it to the ipilot later on. I had the copilot 80# on my skiff and added the ipilot last year. Its easy even for somebody with zero mechanical inclination like me.....lol. Its really just about a plug and play.


----------



## Inshorefisherman

Looking to fish mangroves and docks around Marco Island that aren't always sheltered from the wind. Right now anything more than 2 mph current against me and we barely even move at full throttle. I like the idea of copilot being upgradable. I would guess the 70lb must have some advantages over the 55lb aside from length of use, no? I charge it each use in my garage so multi day usage isn't really a concern. I find myself running full throttle quite often currently, which could just be how old everything is. trolling motor is 10 years old, battery is a solid 3


----------



## ifsteve

Your use (fishing with a number of guys) is just a lot of load for 55# of thrust. Put any current or wind into the equation and you have to run at full output. And no trolling motor is going to run all day at full power.....well unless you have a butt load of batteries. Do yourself a favor and get the 70. You'll be much happier in the end. The fact that you even had to ask the question already shows your somewhat unhappy with your current performance. A new unit and batteries will improve that somewhat (maybe) but probably not to the extant an honest upgrade will do.


----------



## Inshorefisherman

thats the plan, 70lb copilot and save for the upgrade. If anyone has any used 70lb motors in good shape they will part with, pm me 

Thanks guys!


----------



## Vertigo

The SP mount on the 70# motors is a poor compromise vs. the ST mount. You will also have to deal with an extra battery and a new charger, an extra $200+ expense and another 50# of weight in a small skiff. The 55# thrust motor running at MAX power will give you close to 8 hrs.of operation on a 27DC battery. The 55# ST is a more robust setup and much better suited to your size boat. Why spend another $500 to $600 to get a #70 setup?


----------



## devrep

I had a 55lb riptide on my old Mitzi 17 and it moved that boat pretty fast with 2 guys and gear, even with 3 guys it worked great. I have a 55 lb riptide now on a 16 ft waterman which is way lighter than the Mitzi and it has no power. It came with the boat so I don't know it's history. I think maybe they degrade with time and use.


----------



## Inshorefisherman

I see a lot of 80lb's on Craigslist in good condition for cheap, thinking that's too much power though. If I buy a 55 and find out it's too weak, that would suck. The cost savings would be nice, but not at the expense of usability


----------



## ifsteve

I believe that the 70# and 80# are both 24 volt motors so if you can find a good used 80# then go for it. The difference in weight between the 70 and 80 is nothing. And the less power you have to use the longer it will run before it starts to run down. The standard guideline is to go for a minimum of 2# of thrust for every 100# of total weight. Not weight of the boat but loaded and ready to fish. So if the boat/motor weighs 400#, 12 gallons of fuel is another 100#, 3 guys is another 550#, and 100# of gear (ice, drinks, tackle, etc). Then the total on the water weight is about 1100#. So a 55# is doable. Its maxed out but doable. The 70 or 80 just gives you more leeway.


----------



## Ant_Legal_Hookers

Inshorefisherman said:


> How does the 55lb push the 15?


Can ski off it.... Lol


----------



## fjmaverick

Inshorefisherman said:


> Looking to fish mangroves and docks around Marco Island that aren't always sheltered from the wind. Right now anything more than 2 mph current against me and we barely even move at full throttle. I like the idea of copilot being upgradable. I would guess the 70lb must have some advantages over the 55lb aside from length of use, no? I charge it each use in my garage so multi day usage isn't really a concern. I find myself running full throttle quite often currently, which could just be how old everything is. trolling motor is 10 years old, battery is a solid 3


I would check the current speed. Marco river runs a lot faster than 2 mph.


----------



## devrep

I have an 80lb thrust riptide SF on my silverking and it is quite a bit heavier than a 55lb thrust motor plus of course you need 2 batteries with the 24v set up.


----------



## KnotHome

DON'T GET THE 70#! It's the biggest motor Minn Kota makes with the plastic bushings, and they burn up. If you're going that powerful, get the 80 since it has metal bushings. Being a cheap ass now will cost you in the long run.


----------



## WhiteDog70810

How are you even getting through a day without deep cycle batteries? Trolling motors eat those alive, especially on a 12 volt system. That will have a significant impact on how you current TM performs.

I have never had too much trolling motor, but I have seem many times when a 55# thrust on a 17' aluminum was not enough due to tide or wind. Those remote operated TMs sound cool, but that adds a lot of complexity to something that is used in saltwater. I'd sacrifice the remote for more power if it came down to it. No matter what you do, you'll still have to anchor to hold still with 4 dudes on board in the wind or tide.

We ran a boat with a 12 volt system in the salt for years. It sucks. IMO, a 55# thrust on a 12 volt system with a high quality deep cycle battery is only adequate at best for saltwater use. If you use the TM constantly, upgrade to a 24 volt system and get the biggest TM available for your system and high quality batteries to go with it. If that is an 80# thrust, so be it. Save up another few months if necessary. 

Even if you don't upgrade to 24 volt, check your wiring. The wiring from manufacturers is often too light for heavy use and adds a lot of resistance to the line. You want heavy gauge, tinned marine wire. We used 6 gauge and soldered the joints, but some swear that isn't necessary. If you can afford to have a pro rig it for you, do so. Amateur electrical work is really good at melting wires and causing fires.

Nate


----------



## joebucko

I have a 55# Minn Kota Terrova with iPilot/GP27 deep cycle battery on my Mako Pro17 skiff. My boat weighs around 1000# and the 55 moves it very well BUT I fish fresh water lakes and just have wind to worry about and no Tide. Max speed with the 55# motor is 2.5mph. I have never run out of battery. If your tides are running 2mph+ you probably need to go with a larger motor.


----------



## Inshorefisherman

Ended up bitting the bullet and buying the 80lb ipilot. It's larger in person than I expected, but surprisingly fits like a glove where our old motor went. Now I have to figure out how to get the old mount off. I think the bolts are seized up from being there so long. Any ideas on how I can remove the 6 bolts on the old mount? Also, should I mount the two batteries on opposite sides in the front to keep weight distribution equal?


----------



## Inshorefisherman

I have access to the bottom of where it's mounted, I know their through bolted with nuts, it's very tight in there though


----------

