Trolling Motor on Pontoon Boat Help...

[BassinGT]

Hi All,

A buddy of mine has a 22 foot pontoon boat that we use to fish off of all the time. The problem is that fishing gets very frustrating when you don't have a trolling motor. So, he's looking to add one but he's not sure what he needs or how he should mount it. Do you guys have any thoughts? Like how much thrust should a TM have to push around a 22 foot pontoon? 12v/24v? Or how should he mount it? His boat has no forward deck space so it will probably have to go at the back somewhere. Do you recomend any models for pontoons?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Gary

[REEL_MAN]

I've installed a couple of motors on pontoon boats. One of the easiest installations that can be done, if there is a front deck.  You will want at the very least 80 lbs. of thrust (24v.). Wind is a big factor and you will need the added thrust. If using a Minn-kota you can add the quick mount, it makes clean mount.  Place the batteriaes in the closest front seat and put the plug through to the front panel in the rail. Quick, clean and simple.

Reel Man

[Durand Dan]

A friend of mine lives on Lobdell and we've been fishing on his pontoon for years. He has a 12v 48lb thrust Motor Guide with a push button control he can operate from anywhere on the boat. He put his battery under the back storage seat and ran the wiring along the lighting channel

[Dan]

My first "bass boat" was a pontoon boat. I have a 20ft that I have some front deck space on where I mounted two removable swivel seats. The ladder (which is on the front as well and is removable) has a bracket that has two cleets that it mounts to. My brother-in-law made me a bracket that fit right in it and I can put a 48 lb. minn kota on. The kind that just screws on. I put a livewell on the back pontoon in an aluminum box that matched the one that stores the gas can. I would put the three boys in the boat with legos and I would fish the shoreline with the trolling motor. We also fished several bass tournaments on our lake with it and the 48 lb. hand controll trolling motor worked fine. It would be tough though in a strong wind, but with all that surface area to catch the wind a bigger trolling motor wouldn't be all that much more helpful. Just depends on if you want to be able to remove everything and use it as a pontoon as well. All my stuff could easily be removed and the ladder and diving board went right back on in just minutes.