Trolling motor recommendations?

[Mark27284]

198 dlx used mainly in the ICW, tidal creeks and marshes. I need an idea of what length shaft and thrust needed for the boat.

Any recommendations on the brand?

[sportskiff]

Hello Mark,
I have a 2180dlx and we use a 24 volt minnkota ap riptide 80# with a 52" shaft.
sportskiffgimp

[Mark27284]

Thanks! I was thinking along the same lines. There are so many choices and options out there.

Will it pull the boat fast enough to troll baits or will I need to still use the motor for that?

[sportskiff]

The 80 ap will pull very well, I'd lean to the ap (autopilot) as it is beyond belief, it will pull the boat in the direction you want it to go and hold her in line without help from you, then you can turn the boat 180 degrees and punch a button, and she'll bring you right back where you just went down the line. We havn't yet put the co-pilot on yet, but will be doing it soon.
I'm not saying its the best tm, but it is the best that I have owned (so far). We put a "puck" on the boat to mount it to, that way we can take it off when we take a boatload of kids out to play and tube.
sportskiffgimp

[Slim to None]

go with minnkota! they are by far better than motorguide's great white. i got the chance to see the guts to both the riptide (minnkota) and the great white (motorguide) side by side and there really was no comparison. the riptide's electronics are sealed in a rubbery shell, while the great white was a normal unsealed circuit board. i have a 40lbs thrust riptide on my J16 and i abuse the hell out of it and it keeps asking for more. i can't tell you how many times i've either bounced the shaft off a rock or shell bar or run the prop aground and have yet to have a single problem 3 years later.

[bushwacker]

Go to your local repair shop and see whats in there being fixed. I did this and found 9 to 1 Minn Kota to Motor guide. this made my mind up to get the Motor Guide. It also had a little longer shaft. I have the 24 volt 82 lbs thrust on the 258 DLV and it works very well. I wanted the auto pilot but was very happy with this one. Less parts to go wrong, break, etc. I use it offshore sometimes and the mount is great in big water. one tough machine.

[sportskiff]

Hey Bushwacker, take some pics and let us see how you mounted the TM, Thanks, Gimpy

[mcdonald684]

Slim to None is that a bow mount

[Slim to None]

no, i have mine on the transom. i set my boat up where i can run everything out of the back. livewells, big motor, trolling motor, tackle box, anchor. i set it up this way so when i'm taking my friends fishing that dont know what they are doing, i can do everything with ease from my rear deck seat.

[koolj]

always a chance of getting a bad one - but I try to talk to folks that have owned both kinds and try to find out if they were gonna buy another what would they buy - and for the most part as long as they were treated fairly good by the product they already owned they would stay loyal to the product - but most foks I talked to say they would go with Minn Kota eeven Motor Guide owners - most Motor Guide owners that say they would switch say so just because Minn Kota has more options or has the auto pilot - neither one of them will pay me to endorse their product so I guess I will tell you an honest opinion after Thanksgiving when I get to try out my new Minn Kota and see if it is worth all the money I paid for it - until I bought my Carolina Skiff I paid more for this trolling motor than I did for any boat I ever owned - go figure