Trolling Motor Questions - Vantage vs. Engine Mount

[JDM]

I am considering adding a trolling motor to the transom / rear of my boat,which is a 18 foot aluminum deep V fishing boat. A kicker motor is out of my price range, but I am looking at either a Minn Kota Vantage or a Minn Kota engine mount trolling system. Does anyone out there have any experience with either one, particularly the engine mount system? I would appreciate any comments, whether they are positive or negative. Right now, I like the engine mount because I have full wave wackers and if I go with the Vantage, I would have to get a new half for those. I do, however, like the Vantage because of the boat control advantages.

Also - my bow mount runs on a 24 volt system, but the batteries are stored towards the front of the boat. I have a starting battery toward the rear and I have enough room to add one more battery. Can you rig a 24 volt system that will run the new trolling motor and also start my main motor?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

JDM

[DinkADunk]

Well, one of the reasons I run a kicker is that I would rather sacrifice the lower unit of a kicker motor than the lower unit of my main motor when I go playing in the rocks! So for me I would go with the Vantage and not the main engine mounted trolling motor. You're not going to be able to add another 12v battery in the back and run 24v to the Vantage and 12v to your main. Just upsize the run from your current 24v system to the back.

[JDM]

Thanks. Anyone else have an opinion?

[yar 32]

I know that the motor mounted trolling motor is used a lot on lake Michigan for trolling spinners in the very clear water. Also with the motor mount system you would be steering the whole motor that might get very hard to control after a long day on the water. I have friends that have the vantage and it is far better for control of the boat. Just my 2cents.

[BigWadeS]

The boat I purchased has a motor mounted trolling motor on it. I thought it was a cool idea the first season I had it and it worked okay, didn't have any complaints except not as good of boat control as I hoped. I am not the best boat handler out there so some was operator error. I wish I had the money because I would like to take it off and get a transom mount instead. I think it would work better for me, but I have learned to use it and it works with where and what I fish for when I don't use my main motor.