Trolling moter instead of windless

[jkswor]

Has anyone put a minn kota trolling motor on their cdory instead of windless or anchor winch? I read they are more accurate for fishing than an anchor
Would one work up here in Alaska?

[Captain Starbucks]

I installed one. It's an absolute game changer for bottomfish. Pics in my album. Happy to answer any questions.

[robhwa]

I have a Minn Kota Terrova 80 on the bow of my CD22. I agree it is a "game changer" for fishing as Spotlock will keep the boat directly over a GPS coordinate (and associated bottom location) where anchoring can drift with wind and tide. I'm upgrading to two 460 AH LiFePO4 batteries for just this purpose so I can sit on a spot for hours in the Straits of JdeF for halibut fishing with strong wind and tide. The only thing I would do differently at this point would be to get a longer shaft, since during big waves the current motor can sometimes come out of the water for a second or two. Not really a big deal I guess but irritating. Bonus: for salmon trolling you can follow a previous troll exactly at as little as 1/2 mph whereas you sometimes need to go fast just to get steerage with a stern motor. The CD22 really is bad for keeping a straight track with its flat bottom but tracks well with the bow motor. I can also use the bow motor when pulling into a dock as a bow thruster.

[jkswor]

What thrust is best. I have a cdory 25 so don’t know how much different from a 22

[Captain Starbucks]

I can't tell you what thrust is best for your boat. Each trolling manufacturer has a formula for telling you what thrust to get for your length and weight. Mine is 130 lb thrust with a 108" shaft. It is powered by 3 65 amp hour lithium iron phosphate batteries rigged into boat's house side with a switch that converts the bank from series to parallel for either charging or discharging. I can sit in a very strong current for a little over two hours without moving a foot. I've sat on Sablefish spots for over 4 hours in the ocean and not run out of power but getting close.

There are a lot of factors that go into installing one of these systems. Between batteries, trolling motor, type of control, type of charge system, where to mount, etc. I have a few videos on youtube under my name you can check out as well. Installation isn't for the faint of heart. Easy, but takes about 30-40 hours for a whole system, depending on many factors.

[Tug]

A few years ago I thought about putting a trolling motor at the bow of my 22 Foot C-Dory Angler. I brought it to a dealer and was told that the bow wouldn't support the weight needed for a large trolling motor.

[robhwa]