Kayaking is one of the exciting activity to perform and there are lots of kayak lovers out there. However, to enjoy your kayak fully, there are some additional accessories that you may need to get and having a trolling motor for kayak is one of them.
There are lots of options available of Kayak trolling motors; therefore, to help you guys I am sharing a list of Best Trolling Motors for Kayak here. These are the motors tested by various kayakers and definitely among the best.
Best Trolling Motors for Kayaks
1- MinnKota Endura C2 30 Freshwater Transom Mounted Trolling Motor
Minn Kota Endura C2 30 Freshwater Transom is one of the best trolling motors for kayak. It comes with a quick-release lever lock and made up of UV resistant, flex resistant and wrap resistant material. It has six inches telescoping tiller that gives easy and comfortable operation of your trolling motor.
Endura C2 gives you five speed settings for forward and three speed settings for reverse. Despite of having a 3-1/4″ motor, it gives amazing power to push. At the core, it has an indestructible composite shaft. Overall, it is a great trolling motor that can propel almost any kayak.
2- Saturn 55 Lbs Short-Shaft Electric Trolling Motor
Saturn 55 lbs Short-Shaft is an electric trolling motor that is designed to be used in almost all type of water. However, do make sure that you rinse your motor right after using it in saltwater. It can easily attached to different kayaks and small boats. Overall, it is a pretty powerful trolling motor that provide 55 lbs power thrust.
It comes with 5 forward speed settings and three reverse speed setting that gives you enough control on the water. Saturn 55 lbs feature special composite shaft that is more flexible and stronger as compared to other shaft. It also has a battery reader that display the accurate battery level. The company gives you 1 year warranty.
3- Newport Vessels NV-Series 36 lbs
Newport Vessels NV-series is another amazing kayak trolling motor that provides 36 lbs power thrust. It let you spend whole day on the river without scaring the fish. Newport Vessels NV-series has 30″ composite fiberglass glass shaft that is of high-strength and fully adjustable that provide in-depth placement in all type of water.
Vessels NV-series has 5 forward speed settings and 3 reverse speed settings. It also has a 6″ telescoping handle that gives you enough control of your ride. It has a 5-point LED battery meter that provides battery level. The material of this trolling motor is saltwater compatible; however, do rinse it after every use. It comes with 2 year warranty.
4- Goplus 86lbs Freshwater Transom Mounted Trolling Motor
Goplus 86lbs Transom mounted trolling motor comes with unique design 3 -blade design that provides additional power to push and through underwater grass thus helping smooth movement. It has adjustable boat clamp which can be adjusting by loosing 2 fixing screws to meet various moving demands and there is also an adjustable fixed ring that can be adjusted accordingly to boat clam helping it to stay stable.
The shaft of this trolling motor is adjustable that can be adjusted by pressing the knob. You can also adjust the depth of adjustable by moving the position of clamp for accelerating or decelerating. Goplus 86lbs is 6″ adjustable that can be made either shorter or longer for meeting various needs.
5- Haswing Cayman B 55lbs 12V Bow Mount Electric Trolling Motor
Haswing Cayman B is an electric kayak trolling motor on our list that can produce 55lbs power thrust. It is designed in a way that it produces minimal sound while moving in the water. It can be used in both clean and salt water.
It is made using latest technology that make it corrosion resistant and last it for longer period of time. The great thing about this trolling motor is that it comes with a small remote control that let you control the motor of your trolling motor. The remote control is rechargeable with USB cable. Cayman B has a smart cruise control that let you maintain a specific speed and focus on fishing rather controlling your kayak. Overall, it is a comfortable and ergonomic design trolling motor that provide great power to your kayak.
6- Watersnake FWDR44-48 Shadow Bow Mount Foot Control Trolling Motor
Watersnake FWDR44 is a foot control kayak trolling motor on list that provide 44 lbs power thrust with the help of its 12 Volt motor. It is designed to use in freshwater. It has 3 stainless steel blades that are tough and strong that let you move smoothly even in underwater grass areas.
As it is mentioned in the name, the motor is controlled by the feet and let you move around without creating loud noise.
7- Outsunny 12V Transom Mounted 50lb Trolling Motor
Outsunny is another one of the best kayak trolling motors listed here that provide 50 lbs of power thrust. It has 12 volt motor that is ideal to move around in both fresh and saltwater. Outsunny 12V Trolling motor comes with 6″ telescoping handle that helps it to achieve five forward speeds and three reverse speed settings.
This trolling motor can be mounted in 10 different positions with the help of its lever lock. It is highly sturdy and powerful motor. Outsunny comes with comfortable handle that provide improved steering features.
8- Newport Vessels L-Series Electric Trolling Motor
by Newport in our list that provide 86 lbs of powerful thrust ensuring maximum performance. It is ultra-quiet motor that let you catch fish without producing noise on the water. It has 40″ composite fiberglass shaft that helps to achieve proper depth placement in any type of water condition.
Newport Vessels L-Series trolling motor comes with 5 forward speed and 3 reverse speed settings and the complete control is at your fingertips. The hardware of this motor is fully stainless which make it ready for any saltwater or freshwater environment. It comes with a 10-point LED battery meter that provides battery indicator letting you know about the charge level.
9- MinnKota Traxxis Transom Mount Trolling Motor
MinnKota Traxxis Transom Mount Trolling motor is designed to make the whole fishing experience simpler and comfortable. It gives you an easy steering options and let you reverse by just rotating the motor at 180º. It comes with digital maximizer that let you run the motor 5 times longer on single charge as compared to other.
MinnKota Traxxis ensure quite and cool ride without creating noise on the water. It has extra large windings and commutators that dissipate heat which result the motor run without creating noise. Traxxis has indestructible composite shaft that is stronger than steel. It comes with swept-back flared blades that produce enough power without putting stress on battery.
10- Cloud Mountain 8 Speed Trolling Motor
Cloud Mountain 8 Speed Trolling motor is another one of the best kayak trolling motors that ensure great power and durability. It comes with reinforced nylon bracket that helps to attain high strength, dimension stability, and good ablation. It has aluminium head that increases the durability of motor.
It comes with 5 forward speed settings and 3 reverse speed settings along with 6″telescoping adjustable handle that gives you full control of the motor at fingertips. Cloud Mountain comes with 28″ fiberglass composite shaft which is corrosion resistant and fully adjustable ensuring proper depth placement in all type of water condition. Cloud Mountain trolling motor comes with 10-point LED battery indicator that indicates about the battery left.
Kayak Trolling Motors Buyer’s Guide
Like all of our others buyer’s guide, we always share a detailed buyer’s guide and same is the case with Kayak trolling motor where I will be sharing a detailed in-depth buyer’s guide of Trolling motor for Kayaks.
Things to Consider before Buying a Kayak Trolling Motor
There are few things that you need to consider before buying a trolling motor for your kayak that I have discussed below for you.
Blades
One of the prime feature that you need to consider is the blades of your motor. There are some motors with more blades on propellers than others which means they are more studier while moving through seawood or grass underwater. Some of the blades offer better thrust that allows you to move faster through the water.
Size of Motor
The size of motor should complement the size of your boat or kayak. If you have a bigger ‘yak then you will need large size motor that help you move smoothly. However, do remember that bigger motor does not always mean it could help you go faster rather helps you attain maximum speed when you are battling against wind.
One more thing to consider is that, a motor that can produce larger pound thrust will add weight to your kayak as compared to the lower thrust power motors.
Different Speed Settings
You need to look for different speed settings in your motor as well. The listed trolling motors come with 8 speed settings which is pretty decent. Controlling the speed can be really handy in rough or unstable water and it can help you to reach faster to your desired fishing hole.
Shaft Length
The length of Shaft ensure the quiet movement of your motor which is one of the most important thing to look for when you are going to use your ‘yak for fishing. So if the shaft is too short for your kayak then propeller can create a lot of noise which would also affect the motor’s performance and the amount power it can produce.
I would recommend you to make sure that top part of your motor is atleast 12 inches under water. Moreover, the depth of your boat will also impact the length of shaft that will be required as a deeper vessel will require longer shaft.
Therefore, to choose the optimal shaft length, measure the distance from water line to the transom mount;
- If the distance between waterline and transom mount is 10″ or less, a perfect shaft length would be 30″
- If the distance between waterline and transom mount is 16″ to 20″, a perfect shaft length would be 42″
- For anything else, a perfect shaft length would be 36″
Battery Choice
It is another one of the important thing to consider before buying a trolling motor that is choosing a right battery. It usually depend on your personal preference along with the space on your ‘yak.
You need to consider the maximum weight capacity of your ‘yak so that you can account for the weight of the battery you will be carrying.
Ideally, it is recommended to choose the voltage of battery that matches the voltage of your motor. If it not recommend to buy a 24 volt battery for 12 volt motor.
- See here: Best Sit-in Fishing Kayaks
Saltwater or Freshwater
Another thing to consider is where you will be using the motor in. There are some motors that are designed to be used in freshwater and some are designed to be used in saltwater and some of them are designed to be used in both.
I would recommend you to buy a trolling motor that can be used in both fresh and saltwater for having a versatility.
The motor that is used in saltwater is an anode at bottom is covered better so that it is corrosion prevented.
What is a Trolling Motor?
There may be many paddlers who may not be familiar with the term trolling motor; therefore, I am adding this section for their convenience.
A trolling motor is attached at either stern or bow of your kayak or any other vessel. It is basically a piece of apparatus which comes with a motor, propeller and controls in a unit. These motors are electric which are powered by batteries and some of them are gasoline powered.
These are used to help you move in the water without paddling and these motors are controlled either by foot or hand.
Do I need a Trolling Motor for my Fishing Kayak?
Usually, trolling motors are used by the fisherman as it aid them reach the fishing hole quickly and without disturbing the water with paddles. Moreover, it saves their energy of paddling which can be utilized in catching the fish.
The Trolling motor create very less sound as compared to propeller engines. Moreover, a trolling motor help you keep your hands free and focus entire on catching a fish. Some of the trolling motors will allow you to control it through your foot. Therefore, a trolling motor is a must-have accessory for fishing kayak.
How to Use Trolling Motor on a Fishing Kayak
You might be looking for this solution to where you want to learn that how to operate your trolling motor. So let me tell you that it entirely depends on the type of motor you choose. There are some motors that come with foot pedals allowing you steer and control speed through your foot. Some of the motors are controlled using hand powered rudder system.
Using a trolling motor on fishing kayak is a smart move as it helps you to fish more effectively.
- Checkout: Best Sit-on-top Fishing Kayak
FAQs
- For how long the batteries will last?
- It entirely depends on the usage of power while you are on water. The more power consumed will result in less battery backup. It also depend on the amp hours and amp draw of battery. To get the number, you need to divide amps dram by amp hours – little maths given below;
100 amp hour battery and 20 amps drawn which means the battery will last for 5 hours (100/20).
- How easy is it to mount trolling motor on a kayak?
- It is pretty easy to mount a trolling motor on your kayak with some additional mount. You may buy an additional mount if your kayak doesn’t come with one.
- Do I need to register my vessel if I am using a trolling motor?
- Most of the states will require you to register after installing the trolling motor. You will be required to register with DMV in your state.
Final Words
So this was a detailed guide on Best Trolling motors for Kayaks and I am sure now you must have pretty clear idea about the motor to go for. It is indeed an important decision to take that which motor to select for your kayak.
Among all, MinnKota Endura C2 30 is one of the best kayak trolling motors that you should definitely consider that come in reasonable price and has great features.
Moreover, don’t forget about the legality of taking a license or registration for your kayak after installing trolling motor.
