Musky Fishing/Casting with Transom Mount

[Seabass77]

Just wondering if anyone here uses a transom mount trolling motor to skirt along and fish muskies. I understand that from a physics perspective, having the trolling motor in the front makes more sense, but I prefer to stay in the back of the boat. Thoughts?

[RuKiddingMe]

I have done it, it is kind of a pain, you are constantly trying to make adjustments and while trying to make them fast you end up over adjusting and then wasting time with corrections to get back on track.

I'm assuming you'll be doing this with a handle operated and not foot controlled. I ended up getting a bow mount, much easier.

I have a friend that has a transom mount foot controlled Minnkota, now that thing is sweet, it's the only one i have ever seen.

RU

[Griggs]

I've also done it, and its a royal pain. At least for me it was, I was in a small 14ft boat and so with some wind it would blow the front of the boat around a lot and I could barely get a cast off w/o having to adjust the trolling motor.

Why do you prefer to be in the back?

[guideman]

When I first started guiding back in the day all I had was a transome mount and it worked for some applications. Open water in the wind was a really tough place to use a transome mount, I'd troll in reverse to stay in a straight line. Back bays out of the wind weren't to bad, as you could keep the boat going forward without to much trouble.

A bow mount is much easier to control in the wind and you can turn with more control when following a breakline or the edges of a reef. I run my boat from the rear with a Minkota bow mount, with the new Co-pilot feature you don't even need the foot pedal.

"Ace"

[I'llTakeWhatiCanGet]

Quote:

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I've also done it, and its a royal pain. At least for me it was, I was in a small 14ft boat and so with some wind it would blow the front of the boat around a lot and I could barely get a cast off w/o having to adjust the trolling motor.

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I had the same experience. There's no subsititute for the control you get with a bow-mount and a foot pedal- at least for musky fishing.

[Hockey Guy]

The best purchase I have made in years was a Minkota Power Drive 74 with Auto-Pilot and Co-Pilot. I bought it last year and now I don't know how I ever fished without it. The trolling motor is on the bow but I can be anywhere in the boat and control it with the remote control. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to fish more and worry less about controlling the boat.

[Seabass77]

Thanks for all the help folks. I think I'll go with the bow mount. I liked the idea of staying in the back because I didn't have to buy a finder for the front, but with the newest gear, it seams I don't have to be.

[barnyard]

I use both transom and bowmount. There are some instances where transom mount works better than bowmount. I also use hand controls on both. I prefer hand control with pvc pipe extensions. I control the boat with with my knees.

I have had foot control units and got sick of sending them in for repair. Have never had a problem with the hand control units.

Tom B