Trolling Motor Recommendations

[Jaypo]

Needing to replace an older MinnKota AutoPilot (35 lb) on my 16 ft SmokerCraft and am looking for recommendations. I would like to keep it to a 12 volt system, but am not sure of the pro's and con's of cable steering vs. microchipped footpedals. Would like to go with MinnKota....which one?

I mostly would use for bass fishing. Thanks for your thoughts!

[sparkyaber]

I have never really researched trollng motors (yet) , but a cable style is usually used by bass fisherman because of the instant reaction, you don't have to wait for the motor to spin around. That is the only advantage I can see for the cable drive. My friends with walleye style boats all have electric drive, and they hold a line with your foot off the pedal. The minute you take your foot off the pedal with a cable drive, with the motor spinning, the torque will spin the head around and change directions of the boat. Sometimes very quickly, I have been almost thrown out of my seat by takeing my foot off the pedal.

My opinion, worthless as it is, is the electric drives are more useful if you are trolling along pulling cranks, spoons, lindys, etc. Cable drive are better if you are casting in docks, around downed trees, real tight spots where you need precise and fast acting movements.

[iffwalleyes]

The nice thing about the Power drive series whether a powerdrive or auto pilot you have 18 feet of cable so you can run it from anywhere in your boat. I do still run it in the bow most of the time but I am able to be in the back of the boat sometimes and can still run it. A cable steer you have only about 6 feet so you are confined to the front of the boat. That advantage is they are much faster to respond for steering than the electronic motorized steering of the power drives. The down fall is you can't get an autopilot which is nice feature. Also the add on copilot is very nice option that you can only use on the power drives and auto pilot. Both are pretty durable but the cable drives are probably just a little tougher. You really can't go wrong with a Minnekota though.

[delmuts]

first you want to conside rhow you fish most of the time. if you trollor have kids in teh boat, the power drives are a better pick. as said you can be any where in the boat and still run it.( very handy with kids! you can be in the middle and bait hooks! ) if you like to cast shores,docks, and such the cable is nicer. it doesn't take long to learn to use it and not have to look at the directional arrow , making casting easier. i haven't looked , but i bet they have a 12 volt with 50 lbs of thust or more.