What size of trolling motor and battery is best for a kayak?

When you are fishing from a kayak, you can get close to where the fishes are while avoiding scaring them away.

Efforts to combat water flows and navigating in larger boats can be time-consuming and exhausting. Using just a trolling motor helps kayak fishermen easily reach their desired fishing spot, allowing them to spend the day fishing rather than paddling.

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Kayak trolling motors are the perfect solution for your fishing needs, and there have been various trolling motors built specifically to be used on kayaks.

If you are considering installing a trolling motor in your kayak, make sure you consider the appropriate size of trolling motor. Kayaks are smaller than traditional boats; thus, it’s important to buy the appropriate size of the battery and trolling motor.

Size of Trolling motor for a kayak:

A kayak trolling motor helps you to move across the water easily. You will need to purchase a high-quality 12-volt transom mount trolling motor and install it according to its instructions. The best place to position your kayak motor for your fishing setups is on the back of the kayak, known as the stern.

A trolling motor powers a larger boat built for fishing very slowly, while kayaks are propelled through the water much faster. Many trolling motors with 35-45 lbs of thrust will propel smaller kayaks in the range of 7-foot at slightly less than 4 mph in still waters, including lakes and ponds.

However, there are a few fishing kayaks that aren’t quite that small. Since several popular ones are over 10 feet long, the appropriate thrust can range from 50-60 lbs.

The trolling motor, as discussed above, should be considered depending on the size of your kayak.

Newport Vessels and Minn Kota are two of the best brands to consider when purchasing a trolling motor.

Here’s is a table for you to consider the ideal size of trolling motor for your kayak:

Pounds of thrustWattsAmps
40 lbs40834
46 lbs48040
55 lbs62452
62 lbs69658
86 lbs115248

Size of Trolling Motor Battery for a Kayak:

Picking the right trolling motor battery for your kayak is a difficult task, but we hope to make it a little easier by providing useful information.

A trolling motor is a unit that consists of a motor, propeller, and controls that can be mounted to any kayak. They can also be separated for easy storage and transport and can also be turned backward and out of the way when not needed.

It’s easy to find gasoline-powered trolling motors, but the battery-powered trolling motors are the quietest and easiest to maintain.

The battery is the most critical thing to consider while buying a trolling motor since it will have a huge effect on your motor’s output and design for the kayaking experience. Few motors have batteries, but the majority require you to purchase the battery separately.

Always begin with what you want to use your battery for, and then make adjustments to pick the ideal one for your requirements. A 150 amp-hour battery isn’t needed for a few relaxed pace cycles of kayak fishing on the water.

When it comes to amp-hour ranking, indeed, higher is always better. You want a battery that will power your kayaking trip entirely and not a battery that runs out midway.

You might get a battery with a lower amp-hour rating for less money, but it won’t hold as much power and could die out on the water. If you decide to go for a lower amp-hour battery, keep your paddle in the storage box with you.

The argument is that when it comes to kayaking, it is advantageous to travel light. A small and lightweight trolling motor battery might be a reasonable option.

Paired with the trolling motor and a suitable kayak, your battery should provide you with hours of enjoyment on the water.

We recommend buying a marine deep cycle battery instead of a regular car battery as they provide less power and will be useless after a few cycles.

Marine deep cycle batteries

They are often used on boats with stronger layers and more robust construction to withstand the turbulence or shaking common when riding kayaks or boats. As a result, deep cycle marine batteries are more costly than standard car batteries.

You must choose the battery size based on how you want to use it. Choose a trolling motor battery priced in amp-hours rather than cranking amps.

In terms of size, we suggest a 12-volt deep cycle marine battery with a minimum of 110 amp per hour rating and a group 27 size battery for the kayak. The greater the amp-hour value, the greater the run time.

Here is a table to help you consider which battery size is required for setting up a fishing kayak:

Running TimeVoltageGroup SizeAmp-Hour
Good122470-85
Better122785-110
Best123195-125

Wrapping up

Follow these tips if you want to find out the best size of trolling motor and battery for a kayak. A good trolling motor and battery add value to the kayak making it more stable.

However, if you are unsure, you could always take the help of a professional who will guide you through.

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