trolling motor HP needed

[Dragon Fish ll]

I am going to stop at cabelas tomorow and buy a trolling motor but am not sure how much hp is right for a older 16 foot fiberglass glasstron fish/ski boat slight deep V. Can anyone suggest how many hp s would be good enough 45,55,or65. And what is the best length for the shaft 42,50,or 60. and why. thank you. New boater

[delmuts]

since the boat you have is an older and heavier with high sides you might lean towards the higher lbs. of thrust. ( not hp) i believe in having a little extra power for those windy days. so my guess would be the 55 or 65. kind of depends on where you fish and how. for the length of shaft. measure from the top edge of where you will mount the motor and measure down to where the water line will be. i would then go atleast ten inches more. you can always slide the motor up or down . talk to the guys where you are buying the trolling motor! they are still your best source of information!! del

[Dano2]

I had the powerdirve 55#, 54 inch shaft, on my 16 ft. bayliner,(not a deep V as you probably know), probably not as heavy as your boat, but it really moved it along nice.
Depends on to if you want to stick with 12V, or go to 2 batteries. I got the biggest in the 12V range.
From talking to a Minkota dealer/repair guy, he said always get the biggest you can afford, and the longest shaft, nothing wrong with having a little TOO much power, better than not having enough on a windy day.